ROUNDING A "CORNER

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 98, 27 April 1932, Page 4

ROUNDING A "CORNER

INTERESTS OF SAFETY

f COMPENSATION SOUGHT

! The Lower Huttßorough Council recently asked the Post and Telegraph Department if it wAuld grant land for the rounding of the 1 corner on which, the new Telephone Exchange stands at the-,, junction, of Laing road aiad Right's road. .■.-."

.The^ Department replied that-it was prepared to consider dedicating the land necessary if. the council' agreed to pay compensation on the value of the land, and for the council to bearall COStS'. ■ i . ■"" ,: W.oiks Committee of the- council states'./that :'it' cannot, recommend the council to,_pay' compensation, as its suggestion was made solely ;on the ground Df public safety. ' ; Councillor Campbell, stated .at last evening's meeting of the council that he considered the reply from the Department was .most remarkable. The council was only considering public safety* It was the first time the council had ever beep asked in a similar case to pay compensation. The land a§ked for was of no use to the Department, as :it could not be built upon. Unless the Department would give the laid he- would not favour any action being taken. ;The- Mayor (Mr. W. T. Strand) said le considered this a ease where the Department should meet the wishes of the- council; It had, of course, nothing to do with the present admin- - istration of the Department, which he wished^ it .to-be understood he was not criticising,, but when, the^ present-post office was built 'the Department openly defied the council.'of that day and bnilt the •office- 16ft 6in nearer the centre of Laing road than any other person would have been allowed^to do. The Department Hadridden rough-shod over both the bylaws of the council anS 'the laws of- tlfe land. He hoped ther would;' reconsider its decision in theipresent case; ,V> ."•' ' If was^decided that-the'Mayor and Councillor Campbell should wait, on the Department and endeavour to get a gift-of tKe/land;needed. .- :-S ■