THE POST OFFICE SITE QUESTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVI, 4 November 1902, Page 4

THE POST OFFICE SITE QUESTION.

I HE MAYOH'S REPLY. ' the Miijor Mr U. ; i-i ci,! Jor ■- • d the app.-ud- d n ply t tho deput ii i- • 1 citizt-ns Al.ich wai:ed on him lai>t Tuesday with regard to tbo new Post Office , being erected on the Trafalgar Street North site: -"To Mr T. Condell, Scretary Deputation Committee. Dear Sir,— Having been absent from the city on urgent private business from Wednesday to Saturday last, 1 avail myself of the earliest opportunity of forwarding reply as promised to the deputation which waited on me on Tuesday last, urging that I would take the initiate ry steps for a poll of the citizens to ascertain their views regarding the desirability or otherwise uf placing the proposed Trafalgar street north site at the disposal of the Government. In the first place, permit me to say that, as the Council has, by a substantial majority, declined to offer Trafalgar street north as a site for a new Post Office, it does not become me to take any further steps in the direction indicated by the deputation, until at any rate the Council has had a further opportunity of considering and discussing the question, and of rescinding, if desired, the resolution already passed, which opportunity will probably be afforded them at the next ordinary meeting of the Council. Secondly, re- , garding the taking of a poll of the citizens, I have not the slightest objection to it myself. At the same time, 1 must confess that Ido not _ see the utility of it, or that it can have the desired effect, even shonld a majority favor the movement, as the difficulty would be to induce sufficient numbers to record their vote, to establish anything like a positive expression of opinion from the citizens as a whole, and the vote ' when taken, would not be legally " binding upon anyone. 1 would respectfully suggest that, the matter be left in abeyance pending a visit from |? either the Premier or the Posti master-General, when the question of site and character of building can be fully discussed, as I have no t doubt an interview would be aceors ded by either of those gentlemen for . f the purpose ofeooeidering and dis- * cussing the quesion. In this matter if 1 can assist you in obtaining such an interview, I shall only be too r h appy to do so. ' ' r