HILL STREET DEVIATION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 29, 3 August 1926, Page 4

HILL STREET DEVIATION

+ (To the Editor.) Sir, —I regret that Councillor Bui'ns's challenge to me to meet him in debate at Karori's Tooley Street Hall could not be accepted, because I suiter from inferiority complex, and therefore eschew the joys of limelight. AVhere it otherwise, I should probably be a City Councillor. As for the "smoke screen," that is very old HtufF, and was told to Juniiis, whose topical letters —which would not have been published except over a "norn de guerre" —are still most readable, and surely are to be found in Councillor Burns's classical library. lam glad, Sir, to see the back of Councillor Burns fleeing from his own challenge, which was not taken up. He says I was present at the meeting, and goes on to dismiss the subject, saying my case-was not worth replying to. Now, if the councillor's information about the cas« is no better than the information about myself, his case is in a bad way, for as a matter of fact, Sir, I was not present at the Karon meeting.- It is therefore not surprising that the councillor fled -from the contest. This means, that the whole of my case against the Hill street deviation stands unanswered. I cannot see a. single figure or fact on Councillor Burns s coat-tails, spread broadly behind him in his ignominious flight. As to the Molesworth street argument, there is also not \l word in reply from Councillor Burns, or anyone else either in Tooley Street or any other locality. _ This is curious, for Councillor Burns is _ one of three councillors dwelling at Karori. And all tney can do for Karori is to offer a doubtful "3.1" minutes, and to Jut judgment go by default after being thoroughly exposed. . m Here is another curious thing: me statement has been made that the Hill street deviation being paid for out of tramway profits, will cost the ratepayers nothing. Assuming the reliability of the deviation estimate of cost—for the sake of argument ,only—for the estimate as I have shown is totally unreliable— I ask, if the council has all this money, why not reduce the city's overdrafts instead of putting up the rates as has been done? Why this unseemly haste? The council mice ore about to be controlled by asi engineering cat of formidable reputation. He. is close at hand, Sir. Are the mice; taking advantage of this cat's absence to play with grave engineering problems?—l am, etc., AUDITOR. 3rd August. ■