SMOKE AND GRIT

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 23 May 1925, Page 9

SMOKE AND GRIT

EVANS BAY POWER STATION

RESIDENTS NOT SATISFIED WITH OFFERS.

Negotiations between the City Council and those residents of Kilbirnie who consider themselves subjected to a smoke and grit nuisance from the Evans Bay power house, still continue. Some little time ago an inspectiou was made of the locality and houses affected by officers of the Corporation, deputed by the council, and a report was in due course presented. Following upon that, compensation offers were made to a number of the residents, but these were not wholly acceptable, and more correspondence passed between the Householders' Committee and the council.

A meeting, of householders was held, and the following resolution was passed unanimously:—

"That this meeting of residents, affected by the smoke a,nd grit nuisance from the Evans Bay power" house, having considered the offers of compensation from the Wellington City Council, cannot agree to accept the samo while certain badly affected residents have not received similar offers. This meeting' is strongly of opinion that these persons should have their cases investigated, and that com-, pensation should be paid. ■ This meet-' ing is further of the opinion that tho offers already made are entirely inadequate, but on tho assumption that tho council will bo prepared to remedy the omission of- offers to M a-ffected residents and in order save expense to the ratepayers as a whole, resolves to accept tho offers subject to the following conditions: 1. All resideris whose names appear on the .list in the possession oE the Residents' Committee where such residents claim to be affected, and are considered by the committee to be so affected, must be compensated. 2. The Wellington City' Council must guarantee the absolute cessation within three months from date of the nuisance in all its forms; as it is known to exist by the residents. 3. A price must be obtained for painting the various houses' within the amounts offered by the-council. 4. A further amount must be paid to residents to cover legal' expenses, • made necessary by the council's atti- • tude." .

It was also agreed that the residents should deal with the council not individually, . but through • the 'committee set up. . ■ , .

A member of the committee informed a "Post" reporter to-day that it was the wish of the residents to avoid litigation if possible, but steps had been taken to safeguard the rights of residents to enter claims under the Public Works Act within the specified period. Already a considerable number of writs had been lodged against the Corporation.