CITY COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 16664, 21 February 1918, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting of the CityCouncil was held last evening, and attended by the Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), Crs Small, Hayward, Kellett, Sincock, Wilson, Lunn, Taverner, Macdonald, Begg, Hancock, Carroll, Thompson, Shaddock, Douglas, and Bradley. RACE TRAINS. The county clerk of the Manawatu County Council forwarded the following resolution for consideration:—" That the Minister's attention be drawn to the fact that, through the Dailway Department refusing to run special trains in connection with raco meetings, a large amount of extra motor traffic is throw upon the roads,'and that the cost of repairing the extra damage done by this motor traffic is much, greater to the county than the cost of running special trains to local race meetings; further, it is estimated that the extra cost of repairing damage done to the roads in this county through races amounts to at least £I,OOO per annum. That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to all local bodies in New Zealand with a request that if they support tho matter then the member for their district be written to asking him to support the resumption of race specials, so that local bodies will not be penalised bv the policy of the Railway Department." " Cr Wilson moved that the letter be received. Cr Taverner seconded, and the motion passed without any debate. WATER COMMITTEE. The Water Committee recommended that the offer from Mr D. M'Quilkan to sell to the council for £lB7 10s his land at Whare Flat, containing 45 acres, be accepted. The land was in the Silverstream catchment, and should be under the council's control. Cr Wilson, in moving tho adoption of the report, said that the land possessed some very valuable trees, and would be an acquisition, apart from being in the water area. Cr Begg wanted to know when they were going to reach some finality in regard to the purchase of land in tlie catchment areas of the Silver-stream and Whare Flat. Cr Douglas said the water to-day was as bad as it was before the Sullivan dam was completed. Cr Wilson, in reply to a question by Cr Taverner, said that the question of the supply to the high levels of Anderson Bay and St.. Clair would be considered at the committee meeting on the following day. There was no doubt that the residents in those parts were suffering an injustice. As to Cr Douglas's complaint about the.state of the water, it was the first complaint he had heard of since the Sullivan dam was completed. Cr Douglas: I will bring vou a sample of it. The report was adopted. MABYBLLL TRAM REINSTATEMENT. In prrrsnance. of notice, given, Cr Sincock moved—"That tho Tramways Committee be instructed to carry into effect the resolution of the council passed on March 22, 1917, re Maryhill cable car." The mover said that the recommendation from the Tramways Committee had been that the proposals for the renewal of Maryhill were the most feasible, and that the rails should be renewed by rails from the Elgin road track. There had been many suggestions for making the Elgin road route available, but he believed that there was Government obstruction which at present prevented anything being done on that line; and in those circumstances, and seeing that the council had already recommended the reinstatement of Maryhill. he wanted to see the committee instructed to proceed with the reinstatement, the council, in his opinion, had the power to take the rails from Elgin road if that were necessary, although they could not alter the Order in Council. If thev could prove to the satisfaction of the authorities that there was no other means available, arid that the rails were not available for the purpose for which thev were intended, then they could lift the rails. Cr Sincock reviewed the various efforts to provide means of transport along Elgin road, but the Government, he understood, were standing in the way of anything being done on Elgin road at present. In those circumstances he had no hesitation in moving for the reinstatement of the Maryhill line in terms of the motion already passed. Cr Kellett seconded the motion. Personally he woik! have, no hesitation hi lifting rails from Elgin road or elsewhere. Maryhill had been in existence for 30 years, and when Mornington amalgamated with the City iho council must have known of the state of the line. Cr Wilson was of the opinion that the motion was too drastic, because- the Tramways Committee should be given an opportunity of explaining what thev had been doing, and in view of that he would move as an amendment—"That the Tramways Committee be instructed to report to the r.ext meeting of the coirjcil why thev had not earned into effect- the resolution of the council passed in March last." The chairman of the Tramwavs Committee was n<t prcienfc to reply. The council had dee'ded. provided that they could get portion of the rails from Elgin road, that they were goiiur to repair Maryhill. Cr Hancock seconded the amendment. He was not opposing the motion, but would like to hear the'report of the tramways Committee on the matter. Cr Hayward said it was an injustice to the resident* that they should be treated in the way they had been. ' Cr Bradley said that if the Tramways Committee, after 11 months, could not make a move, then it was time the council took action. He strongly supported the reopening of the Maryhill line for the benefit of the residents who had kept it going for so many years. r CV Thompson said he knew that the Tramways Committee were in earnest in their effort to do something for the Maryhill residents, and the Elgin read one's, too, and he could not understand how tlie projects had got no further forward. Cr Taverner said the Tramwavs Committee, while earnest to help, had found tho situation very difficult, 'and were at present bogged. He was in sympathy with Or Sincock, but the committee would, of course, have to proceed on constitutional lines. He thought thev had the power to lift the rails from Elgin road, but the carrying of Cr Sincock's motion would not (as the Mayor had already explained) mean the immediate prosecution of the work, for the committee would firet have to approach the Government for revocation of the Order in Council. The Mayor explained the position. The effect of carrying the motion, he said, would be that before any steps could be taken to remove the Elgin road rails, they must obtain an amendment to the OTder in Council. So that to carry the resolution would not mean the prosecution of the work. Tho amendment was carried, the voting 1 being :—For—Crs Shaddock, Begg, Wilson, Hancock, Hayward, Small, Douglas, Carrol. . and Limn. Against—Crs Taverner, Kollett, Bradley, Macdonald, Thompson, and Sincodc. | Cr Taverner now moved in further amendment—" That the Tramwavs Committee be instructed to proceed with the removal of the necessary rails, and do all other work necessary to reinstate the Maryhill line forthwith." This, he said, would do away with the necessity of going to the Government about the' Order in Council. Cr Thompson seconded. The Mayor said that even if this motion were carried the committee could not proceed to expend more than £I,OOO without coming to the council again. Cr Douglas said that the Tramways Committee were anxious to do something for the residents of Mornington, but they were up against the Government, who had made certain restrictions in regard to Elgin road. The matter had come up before the committee repeatedly, and as a matter of fact it was to come before them again at their next meeting. Cr Taverner's amendment was also lost, and Cr Wilson's motion referring it to the Tramways (,'brnmittee was carried.