LONG LOOKED FOR

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6490, 9 April 1908, Page 5

LONG LOOKED FOR

END OF A DEADLOCK. THE WIDENING OF CUSTOMHOUSE QUAY. SOME LETTERS ON THE SUBJECT. The schema for the widening of Customhouse quay and Jervois quay b> removing the fencing along tho riulwaj lino and opening the whole width between the footpath on the western of the street and the iiarnour Loanl buildings for traffic has boon hung up for 601DG tlmo owing to a deadlock between tho City Council and the Harbom time ago, before Mr Ferguson retired from the secretaryship ot the Board, an agreement was prepared and eent to the Council for approval. iho Council disagreed on certain points, an <J sent the agreement back to the Board for alteration. The mam point of duforenco was with regard to the removal of curtain electric poles which were in tho road. Tho, matter had be.en hung up for some time, and ic seemed as it tho work would not be carried out before the winter set in. COMING TOGETHER.

Oa Tuesday, however, tho chairman of the Harbour Board T._ M. \wi ford, M.P.) received the following letter from tho Mayor (Hon. T. W. Hisloi>): — Referring to your letter of the nit. from tho acting-secretary to the Board to the Town Uar*, with respect to tho wood-blocking oi Jervois quay, etc., it seems to me that the arrangement between the Board and the Council is being ' unnecessarily delayed on account of subsidiary matter. it la surely not reasonable to delay i>hc whole- thing by insisting upon a clause wlvf'oh will render the wnole agreement inoperative after the Council have spent largo sums of money. I suggest to you tuat this should be swept aside and tnat tho Board should agree to take me covenant of tho City Council that it will do its best to have the electric poles removed. There seems to be no practical difficulty in getting tue agreement drawn up, if a little consideration is given to tho matter, and I shall be glad to see you on the subject. I am. Your obedient servant, T. \V. HISLOP, Mayor. THE BO ABE’S RESPONSE. To this Mr Wiiford yesterday caused the following reply to do sent by the acting-secretary of tho Board to the Town Clerk j Referring to the Council's letter of the 6th inst. to the chairman over the hand of the Mayor on the subject or the woodblocking ox Jorvois quay and Customhouse quay, j. am directed to reply that seeing that th© additional consents required under the draft agreement from tno various Government departments have been obtained* the chairman will recommend tho Board to agree to tue omission of clause 7 from the agreement, provided, however, that copies of the consents which I understand the Council's officers have received be iorwarded to the Board, and further provided that these are found to be in -order. I, therefore, forward you herewith a fair copy of the draft agreement with the various alterations and interpolations made by the Council, included and with ‘clause 7 omitted. 1 shall be obliged if you will bring the agreement in this form before tho Council for approval and execution under seal and forward samel to me for execution by the Board. This passage of letters will probably bring the deadlock to an end and allow the work to be proceeded with.

LET IT PROCEED. Interviewed by a representative of the Zealand Times" ,on the subject, Mr Wihord said the parties concerned had com© to an entire agreement some timci ago except with regard to certain alterations which were necessary at the head of the Queen's Wnarf, where th© railway signal box is. This difficulty has now been got over by obtaining certam consents from th© Government dopartruents with regard to the position of the signal box, and the removal of certain electric poles which were in the road. He could see no reason now why tho matter'should not bo arranged and the work proceeded with at once. The whole of the fencing would be' removed with the exception of email piece at the 'spot where it is proposed to erect a tramway waiting shea. i'fiuires the agreement to be sidled by the .Council and the Board, tno Board covenanting to pay half the cost up to £4OOO 60 1 think we can ranged "“ y that this matt61 ‘ is non- a”