NEW FERRY BUILDINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13780, 19 June 1908, Page 7

NEW FERRY BUILDINGS.

OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW.

THE CITY COUNCIL INDIGNANT.

A'letter from the Harbour Board was read to last night's meeting of the City Council, expressing regret that the Board was unable to comply with the Council's

request for the setting back of the new ferry buildings at Queen-street Wharf. The Board could not afford to construct a wharf so wide as to permit an uninterrupted view of the harbour from Queenstreet for the full width of the street.

Queen-street was 120 ft wide, and the greatest width the Board could afford for a. roadway was 60ft, as the balance of the wharf was required for sheds and the roadway between the sheds and the waterside. The roadway on the wharf from Quay-street to the extreme end of the wharf would fee 60ft wide, and from the middle of and from the eastern side of Queen-street, an uninterrupted view would be obtained from end to end oil the wharf, and that was all the roadway j that could be provided in the centre of : the wharf. However, there was a road- j way on each side of the wharf between j the sheds and the water-front, and in j these circumstances it was to be regretted : that the request could not complied with.' | The Mayor (Mr. A. "VI. Myers) said he regretted exceedingly that the Board had not seen its way to accede to the wishes of the Council and the Chamber of Commerce in this matter. It was a. great pity that the view down Queen-street' from Victoria-street was to be impaired in this way. Certainly, if the . Board continued to pursue such a policy it would be a, matter for the keenest regret. While he knew that a large amount had been expended by the Board for the plana of the new building and the foundations, he still 'thought it was better that this expense should be incurred than such a serious error should be committed. He j would move, "That the Council express its regret at the Board's decision, and desire members to review the whole position before taking definite action." j Mr. Parrel], who seconded the motion, said the Board was erecting shops and. competing with private enterprise. The Mayor: Without paying rates, Mr. Entrican : The Board will have to j pay rates. • j Mr. Earrell said the proposed building would be as a shoulder to Queen- : street. He thought an emphatic protest ! should be entered. It was unprecedented j that a local body like the City Council j should approach the Board and not have ! its request acceded to. li the Council j took out an injunction against the Board j he thought it would be justified. Mr. Entrican said the Board had considered the matter very carefully, and as , far as members could see there was no \ other conclusion to come to. The only ] remedy left to Mr. Fan-ell was dynamite, j The Mayor: We are referring to the! ferry buildings, not the sheds. ■ Mr. Entrican: Well, it will be much'! better to see such a building there than \ the gable end of a shed. We can keep ; the alignment on the eastern side, but on the western side it is impossible. We i cannot have a gap of 120 ft between the I sheds. Mr. . Hutchison said that when the wharf was completed it would mean that there would be another street at the end of Queen-street 60ft wide. He did not see how'the position could be improved., If the wharf was situated in a line with the centre of. Queen-street it might havebeen different. The Board tl en might have erected an immense building right over the wharf. The expense already incurred in foundations, etc., was £4000. Mr. Parr pointed out that the ferry building was on the land and not on the wharf, and lie failed to see why such a building could not. be kept uniform with the others ashore. As at present proposed the building would jut right out, and give the street the appearance of a dog's hind leg. The question was not purely one of .sentiment, and lie .considered that ; the Board would be well advised to make some little sacrifice in the matter. He. was afraid a certain section of the Board was only too ready to show antagonism to the Council's projects. There was scarcely room for two local bodies in a, matter of this kind. It was one of the scandals of the present-day local body system that two bodies should be quarrelling over a matter like this. The question was a strong argument for the unification of the local authorities. Tim motion was carried, Mr. Entrican voicing his dissent.