PASSMORE PROERTY AGAIN

Evening Star, Issue 23146, 21 December 1938, Page 10

PASSMORE PROERTY AGAIN

MINISTER CONSENTS TO INSTALMENT PURCHASE PROTEST PETITION IGNORED HATTER HOW DEAD, SAYS THE MAYOR Finality in the purchase of the Passmore property, now a familiar subject with the citizens of Dunedin, has been advanced a step further by the receipt by the council of advice from the Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. W. E. Parry) that he consents to the purchase of the property by instalments. The Minister has also written to Cr D. G. M'Millan, M.P., a copy of whose letter is printed below. When approached, the mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) had very little to say, but in the course of his few remarks pointed out that apparently the Minister had overlooked the protest to the purchase as contained in a signed petition forwarded to him. So far as he was concerned, said the Mayor, the matter was now dead.

It will bo remembered that in the dying stages of its term of office the City Council decided to purchase the property for £6,500, to he converted into a recreational area for residents in the vicinity. The suitability or otherwise of this block of land may have been considered by those who desired its purchase for the city, but the man who could have given a considered opinion on the subject was never approached. He was the city’s superintendent of reserves; the most competent to judge on this purchase, bearing in mind that considerable expenditure would be necessary to form the land into a sporting and recreation ground. A condition attached by the former council to the purchase was that payment should be made by instalments. This condition made it obligatory upon the council to obtain the consent of the Minister to the purchase, and following custom, the Minister required the council to publish the proposal, and iu the same notice invite objectors to send their objections to the Minister. A readily signed petition containing some 2,200 names quickly*demonstrated that the purchase was not favoured. That was nearly six mouths ago. It was thought that the Minister, being well advised of the present council’s attitude, and the views of a substantial number of would have had no hesitation in refusing his sanction.

Repeatedly the subject for lengthy debate in the Council Chambers during the past months, the Minister, in dealing with the project, has now decided it is quite reasonable for the council to purchase the property by instalments and to pay 3 1 per cent, interest on the outstanding purchase money.

He states that he has confined his attention strictly to questions which come within his jurisdiction, the desirability or otherwise of the purchase by the council not being a question for him to determine.. Eight ,months have elapsed before he arrived at this decision. COMMENT BY MAYOR.

“ In his letter to Cr M'Millan the Hon. Mr Parry makes no reference to the fact tho£ he received a petition from 2,200 of our citizens who protested against the purchase of the property. This protest undoubtedly expresses the opinion of a very much larger number of our citizens. “ The majority of the members of the present council definitely feel that the purchase was an unwise one,” further stated the Mayor. _ “ The question of the purchase was a live issue at the recent municipal elections, and the citizens then returned nine councillors and a mayor who held definite views that the purchase was undesirable. “ At a meeting of the council a fortnight ago, when Cr M‘Millan tried to force the hand of the council, a resolution was carried to the effect that further consideration be deferred for 12 months, and there the matter now rests. From my point of view the matter is dead, notwithstanding the advice now received from the Minister.”

LETTER TO CR M'MILLAN. In his letter to Or M'Millan the Minister says:— “Re Passmore Estate Purchase. — As the above matter has been under consideration for some, time past, I have now, in accordance with a request from the Dunedin City Council of September 13 last, decided to finalise those aspects which come within my jurisdiction. “It is quite clear that the law does not vest me with any powers to determine the desirability or otherwise of the Passmore Estate being acquired by the City Council for recreation and other purposes; that function' rests solely with the City Council. lam concerned only-with two incidental phases of the transaction —namely, whether the council should bo authorised to pay the purchase money by instalments; and, if so, the rate of interest to be payable on the balance for the time being outstanding. These are the only phases of the matter that 1 can consider in pursuance of section 170 of the Municipal Corporations Act, _ 1933, under which the council makes its application. “ Dealing with these two phases of the matter, the inquiries made indicate that it is quite reasonable for the council to pay the purchase money by instalments. To do so is not causing any undue strain on the council’s finance, nor is it imposing any undue burden on the ratepayers of subsequent years. In addition, the rate of interest proposed—namely, 3} per cent.—is in accordance with ruling practice and is therefore reasonable.

“ Having regard to all the above factors, I have now given my decision, and have decided that the consents asked for by the City Council should be granted. A letter under my hand, formally giving these consents, has been sent to the Town Clerk, Dunedin. “ I would add that on account of the somewhat unusual features attached to this case it has received a great deal of prominence. However, I hare purposely refrained from entering into those aspects of the matter which particularly concern the local aspect, and should therefore be decided by the City Council itself. I have, in reaching the above decision, confined my attention solely to the two phases of the subject, jurisdiction of which is conferred on me by law, and which must be decided as a consequence of the council’s original application to me.”

The City Council at its meeting on Monday night last adjourned for the year, so it will he at least six weeks before the subject' of the purchase can come up for further discussion by a full council.