NARROW STREETS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23761, 14 September 1940, Page 15

NARROW STREETS

Sir, —One would need the eye of an eagle to be able to follow the present Government through all the stages of its progressive and unchecked march toward the assumption of dictatorial power. Time after, time innocent-looking clauses are tucked away in legislative enactments, but when they are examined they appear to have within themselves powers that may prove to be very far-reaching indeed. It is a general rule of our law that when land is subdivided for building purposes the roads and streets connected with the scheme must have a minimum widtli of 6Gft\ "Under certain stringent conditions, the appropriate local authority may agree that such roads and streets may be as narrow as 40ft. Government housing schemes. are to be placed on a different footing. A recent amendment to the law provides that, where Government schemes are involved, the local authority may disregard the beforeincntioned stringent conditions and may give or withhold its consent to the formation of narrower streets without reference to such conditions. The 40ft. minimum, however, still remains. Naturally, the consent will he asked for h.v the Government. Will the local authoritv dare to refuse? If it does, how will it fare when, in its turn, it lias to go cap in Hand to the Government with some request of its own. All these discretionary remedies tend to create a vicious state of affairs; but as they all serve to increase the power of the executive and of State departments thev are the goal of all SocialLocal authorities that value their independence ought to resist them by all lawful means in their power. -R. 11 Alois,