FIRE STATION SITE

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 9, 11 July 1933, Page 9

FIRE STATION SITE

COUNCILLOR DUNCAN'S REPLY

"The Mayor still .confuses the real issue," said Councillor W. Duncan today, replying to the statement by the Mayor (Mr. T. 0. A. Hislop), published last night. "He becomes slightly sarcastic in referring to the fact that I voted against Ms nominees to succeed Councillor Semple and myself on the Fire Board. I voted so because I believe that the councillors nominated know less.of what had been going on in respect to the site than any. s ot-her two on the council. I considered that Councillors Forsyth and Semple should have been appointed to the board as the two men best qualified by their knowledge to select the best site for a very important and 'essential.city service. v "The Mayor.also makes • the ' statement that I am aware of legal difficulties in the way of offering tho. board the present site. I know of imaginary legal difficulties. I assume he is referring to the fact that the City Solicitor stated that this site was required for civic purposes, and that if we now say that it is not so wanted the Fire Board might take the site under tho provisions of the Fire Boards Act. The Mayor knows as well as I do that the board has given a written indemnity that it would riot act upon its rights if the council were to recede from, the' attitude'it, took up before the commission. At the same time, it should bo made clear to tho public that had the City Solicitor not made that claim the Fire Board would probably , have had its now station on the existing site by this time. In any case, lam not seeking to divert the freehold of the.land from the council to the board. The board only asked for a Jease of 56 years. "Again, the Mayor endeavours to make light of my objection to the narrow lano through the Corporation block. He cannot deny that the proposed street that is to divide the block Hinder ■ his scheme is less than half the breadth of a street which would comply with the statutes in the ordinary way, and that to lay down . such ■ a street the council would have to apply for exemption under the Public Works Act. It does not strike me that the Harbour Board (the owner of half the block' mentioned) is likely to take the view so lightly expressed by his Worship."