MAYOR'S REPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 32, 8 February 1939, Page 12

MAYOR'S REPLY

WELL-BEING OF CITY

NOT MATTER OF POLITICS

COUNCIL'S DUTY

"My attention has been called to a statement reported in.last night's paper ito have been made by the Rt. Hon. the Prime Minister affecting the Wellington City Council," said the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) today. "The Prime Minister is reported to have said: 'I do not know very much about the building line, but I do know this, that the City Council seems anxious to find out something that will stop us, instead of trying to help us.' "I do not know on what knowledge the Prime Minister bases this statement. I can only think that he has been misinformed of the position. It is quite incorrect to suggest that the Wellington City Council is anxious to find some means of stopping the Government from proceeding with the Social Security scheme. The Wellington City Council is not affected in its deliberations by party politics. Its duty is, irrespective of politics, to do what it can for the well-being of all the citizens of Wellington. QUESTIONS DISCUSSED. ! "Our discussions in connection with the new Social Security building being erected in Aotea Quay were concerned entirely with the question of road access into the city and the type of building being erected from the view of fire danger. It was obviously the duty of the City Council to take what steps were possible to preserve the proper access into the city, and to ensure the protection of citizens generally from unwarrantable risks of fire. "The City Council has no power over the Government in connection with buildings in the City of Wellington, but it is the desire of councillors as far as possible to ensure that all buildings erected in Wellington by the Government shall, as far as it is possible, comply with the requirements necessary for the protection of citizens, The method in which the new building is being erected is a very great improvement, from the fire-risk standpoint, upon the building previously i.'ected and recently burnt out with such disastrous results in Aitken Street. QUESTION OF ACCESS. "With regard to the question of access, the City Council was seriously perturbed with the proposal to erect the new building right up to the existing road frontage, and so Jeopardise the,negotiations which had been taking place with the Railway Department with a view to procuring a. means of keeping ilear he aew 60ft road-j way into «he city •rom 'mnecessary i motor obstruction. The? motion car-1 ried by the City Council was that I, with the appropriate officers of the i I council, should Interview the Governjment vdth a view to seeing how some. j j means jould be adopted whereby the ; construction of the new building could be so yranged as to avoid the length of aew roadway being blocked by car-! parking in the vicinity of the new building. Our desire was not to ob- j struct, but to see whether by mutual \ discussion some nneanfe could be de- '< vised to meet the difficulty with which i we were confronted, if some such means could not be found, then the use of the new main arterial road into the city would be jeopardised. FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS. "Pursuant to the resolution of the City Council, I, yesterday, with the officers of the council, interviewed by their Invitation, the Minister of Railways and the Minister of Finance. Our discussions were characterised by a spirit of mutual helpfulness, and as the result I shall be able to report to the council on lines which I think will be } generally satisfactory. I am unable to go into the details in connection with this report, as it must in the first instar»r.P he presented to the council. \ "I can say. however, that I think jthat. »,s.the result of the helpful attitude shown by all concerned, the traffic difficulty will be avoided. This discussion, which took place yesterday, and its result, clearly show that il was the desire of the council to help, and not t«? obstruct so far as it could consider what was due to the citizens of Wellington in the Government plan for thp erection of this building. CITIZENS NOW PROTECTED. "I feel confident that if all the facts had been before the Prime Minister he would /not have made the suggestion that, the action of the Wellington City Council was in any way obstructive. He must, I am sure, realise that it is the duty of the council on all occasions to protect the legitimate interests of the citizens of Wellington.

'! think that as the result of the discussions which took place yesterday it can be said that the citizens' interests hsve now been protected."