MINISTER'S WARM RECEPTION.

Evening Star, Issue 14784, 27 January 1912, Page 12

MINISTER'S WARM RECEPTION.

ANOTHER IN.IUSTfCE TO AUCKLAND. [PpKCIAI. TO TIIK STAR.I AUCKLAND. January 27. Aucklanders have a new grievance. This time it does not concern the rc.nioval of Government House, but has relation to the erection of an auxiliary mental hospital on a site at Point Chevalier. This is within 2i miles distance of the Auckland General 'Post Ofliec, ami the citizens .say it is too dose to the city. Another reason for objection is that the proposed site adjoins a City Council reserve worth £50.000, on which it is proposed by the Citv Council to erect workers' dwellings. Various local bodies have protested to the Government, and on Thursday the Hon. D. Buddo came to Auckland to inquire into the matter. A conference with local bodies' representatives ensued, at which the Minister met with rather a stormy reception. Having heard arguments against thorite, the Minister said he had to bo guided to a certain extent by the expert advice of his officers. Personally ho favored the proposed new site. Mr Garland, acting Mayor of Grey Lynn, said in that case there was no use wasting further time discussing the. matter. The proposal, in his opinion, was a mast unreasonable one. His council were strontrly opposed to it. The matter would not be, allowed to drop. He would summon a public meeting, and if the Mayor of Auckland would join in driving his assistance the Minister could depend upon it that he would get the rousing of his life. It was no use mincing matters. At- this stnie the Minister counselled sweet reasonableness, and said he would consult further with his officers. The Mayor of Auckland (Mr Parr) said in conclusion that he honed the Minister would not outrage the feelings of a large section <rf the community by placing the new hospital nearer to the city than the present one. which, before lont;. he believed would have to lvo removed into the country. He hoped that it would not be necessary to do as Mr Garland .suggested and call a public meeting to indicate how stron/rly the people of Auckland were opposed to the erection of a new mental hospital n mile nearer the city than the existing building. 'The Auckland ' Star.' a Government organ, treats the subject as one of poli- j tical importance, and in a leading article ' says:—"The defeat of the Ward Ad- I ministration in December, as Mr Buddo I ought to know by this time, was not due i to any reaction of public feeling acainst | Liberalism, but as mainly tho result of j resentment in the North Island against! a Ministry which was most largely South- ; era. not only in porsonnel, but in sym- j pathics and policy. If the North had I received the consideration it was entitled I to receive .at the hands of Sir Joseph I Ward and his colleagues the Opoosition I would never have swept the North Island j as they did at the last election. We j suggest to Mr Buddo and the Prime ! Minister that they should consider these things carefully in making up their ' minds about Point Chevalier. But ' whether reeccnt bitter experiences have ; taught, thorn wisdom or not, they may j rest assured that tho people of Auckland | arc. not prepared to enduro tamely this gross and gratuitous infringment of their Tights, or to put tip with the wanton and inexcusable injustice that would be inflicted upon us all by the erection of another mental hospital practically in the heart of one of our mast progressive suburbs, and close to the boundary of .our great and rapidly expanding city."