CORONATION MEMORIAL AT ONEHUNGA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12000, 24 June 1902, Page 6

CORONATION MEMORIAL AT ONEHUNGA.

PROPOSED ESPLANADE THE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION. At the meeting of the Onehunga Borough Council last night the Council in committee renorted having considered a letter from Mr. James Robb, submitting the following proposal as a fitting memorial of the Coronation of the King, viz.: The construction of an esplanade to connect Onehunga with the Bluff and Mount Roskill district, ■ at the junction of Summer-street and Manukau Road. As a Government grant of £200 would be available for this purpose, the writer suggested the following ways and means, viz.: Government grant of £200, plus £150 from the borough funds. This sum of £350 is an outside estimate for the necessary work (stone wall and filling). The public are prepared to donate the sum of £75; this money would not bear the Government subsidy, but it could be handed over to the Council to be devoted to anything they might see fit. Of the £150 from the borough funds, the sum of £100 could be deducted as in addition to the abovementioned £75. The Mount Roskill Road Board have agreed to contribute £25. The committee also reported having heard the evidence of Messrs. Robb and Davies in support of the letter. Mr. Rowe moved, " That the Council construct the esplanade at a cost not to exceed £350, provided the Government subsidy is obtained to pay half the amount." Mr. McLeod seconded the motion, and Mr. Vause sunnorted it. Mr. Stoupe opposed the motion, and characterised the proposal as a wild goose scheme. The offer made to the committee was leading them entirely astray. According to the suggestions made by certain outside people, the Council were to try and blind the Government to got the subsidy, after which these persons would refund the Council for their outlay to the tune of £75. It clearly while the Government would not subsiuise subscriptions, the Council were to advance the money, and after getting the subsidy then receive subscriptions. . That was like trying to throw dust in the eyes of the Government, and it was something else—it was not acting straight. He (Mr. Stoune) maintained that the Council ought, above all things, to act uprightly, and obtain whatever subsidy they did get from the Government justly. He opposed the construction of the esplanade, because he considered that whatever form their celebration of the Coronation took, it should benefit the larger number, and not the smaller. If the* Council wanted to do this then let them form the road at the foot of Geddis' basin, from Lower Queen-street to the old-coal wharf, and thence to Princesstreet. This would relieve Queen-street of a large amount of traffic, and what was of far more imoortance, all cattle coming through Onehunga, could be taken by that road. But the Council had no power to make this esplanade, as it was only a road. Tho peoule at Birkenhead had received a telegram"from % Sir J. G. Ward stating that the subsidy to commemorate the Coronation of the King cannot be used for the purpose of making roads and paths. He understood that tho Mount Roskill people would contribute the sum of £25. What for? Why, for making two chains of the worst part of the road. A munificent sum indeed! He also opposed the esplanade because the present scheme would not stand the wash of the tide. It would cost at least £500, and would soon be nothing but a bog hole. Who would have to keep this road in repair when it was made? The One- ' hunga Council, and get no return for their outlay. • •' * ~ Mr. Rishworth said that none of the private neople who were willing to subscribe to the esnlanade wanted to do anything discreditable, as suggested by Mr. Stoupe. Mr. Kelsall said that if they got the subsidy from tho and the subscriptions from the people, then the road would practically cost the Council nothing, and lie was agreeable to that, but could they get the Government subsidy for making a road.? He understood not. He would suggest that they should telegraph, and ask the Acting-Premier if he would sanction the scheme before it was gone on with. Mr. Shaldrick said ho did not sec that there was anything dishonest in the pro--1 posal, and ho supported tho scheme if they could obtain the Government subsidy. Tho balance of the money would be given by those who have initiated the scheme. Some months ago, when the proposal first came before the Council, it was decided to take a poll of the ratepayers. That had not been done; if it had he believed they would have approved the scheme. It had now come back to the Council, and ho thought it should be carried out. The Mayor (Mr. Sutherland) said he understood the motion to mean that they were to spend £350 in constructing an esplanade. The Council would pay half that amount and the Government subsidy would meet the balance. At least that was the understanding last week. Now, however, they were told that subscriptions would be given by people outside the Council, so as to reduce the cost to the Council, and in the end the esplanade would in a sense have cost the Council nothing, or next to nothing. Well, he did nob think that was the right way to do it. Let there be no subscriptions. Either let the Council be honest and above board in the matter, and so obtain the Government subsidy honourably, or let them give up the scheme in favour of something else that they need not be ashamed of. Coining to the esplanade, he would ask the Ooull-. cil if the proposal is carried would they get an esplanade or only a road?,'lf the Mount Roskill people contributed to-'the cost, then it would be a road foc,.iWtvM> districts. If the Council bore p*l' t " whole cost, then it would bo an c&ftfatfiade. At the same time, it would be cfofled a road and used as such for all practical purposes. He might inform the Council ?that the above was the opinion of their solicitor. He (the Mayor) was- of the opinion; that the Government would not subsidise £ road by calling it an esplanade. Then he l/ould ask the Council how they expected t<> get the subsidy. They would be given I form to fill up, in which they must stai e how they had celebrated, the King's Coronation on Thursday, June 26, and at wjjrat cost. Now, the resolution suggested that they should lay a foundationstone oil Thursday, and then what? Do nothing;J mo re for six months?' How could they 8 11 the Government that they had spent £"'..50 on celebrating the Coronation on Corona on Day? In his opinion, the proposal, a scheme to get money from the Government in, an improper way, and for that eason he was opposed to it. He asked the Council to go straight, and whatever they did flo it with their own money and not I other- people's. Mr. Rowe, in reply, stated that he thought those who had opposed the scheme had got needlessly alarmed. He quite agreed with th© Mayor and also with Mr. Stoupe, that it'' would be a very good thing to form the road across Geddis' Basin if they could, and ajlso the old Wharf Road, but they knew the (Government would not subsidise money /spent on roads. Now, he maintained that ' they could honestly say the esplanade was /not a road in the sense that the others were, I and that was why he favoured its construc- '' tion. Then why get' alarmed about the subsidy? Surely the Council need not object to receiving the subsidy if the Government did not object to give it. Devonport had erected an esplanade, which, he understood, would be subsidised by the Government. If that were so, then why not Onehunga? At any rate, everyone in the Council was quite prepared to let the scheme stand or fall on the question of the Government subsidy. The vote was then taken, and resulted as follows: —Ayes: Messrs. Rishworth, Rowe, Shaldrick, McLeod, and Vause. Noes: The Mayor and Messrs. Colledge, Stoupe, and Kelsall. The motion was therefore carried by five votes to four. It was decided to telegraph to Sir J. G. Ward, asking him if the Government will J subsidise the above scheme. The Mayor intimated that he had decided ! to plant two oak trees in celebration of the I King's Coronation next Thursday at Geddis' I Basin. Several councillors suggested that I each councillor should accompany the Mayor and follow his example. A letter was received from the headmaster ' of the Onehunga public school (Mr. W. N. Mcintosh), intimating that the teachers would assist in the feast to be given to the children on Coronation Day. Mr. Mcintosh further stated that the children would assemble on the morning of that day and sing the National Anthem. He invited the Council and general public to be present on that occasion. The invitation was accepted on the motion of the Mayor.