THE COUNCIL AND THE PASSENGER STATION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume III, Issue 749, 4 September 1878, Page 2

THE COUNCIL AND THE PASSENGER STATION.

At the request of (he Municipal Council, a meeting of the Harbor Board was held • this morning for the purpose of receiving ; a deputation from the Council with regard i to joint action being taken to secure the ■ adoption of the Lagoon site for the pasi senger station. At the time appointed for the meeting the only members present [ were—Messrs. Sumpter (chairman), Gilchrist, and Meek. The members of the deputation in attendance were the Mayor and Councillors Gibbs, Mainland, Spence, Proctor, and Humphrey. After waiting some time for sufficient meiub ts of the Board to attend the meeting to make a quorum, The Chairman (Mr. Sumnter) said he : did not think the Board could do more at that meeting than hear the views of the deputation. It was not competent for the Board to come to any decision on the subject, as the proper notice of the meeting had not been given. Councillor Procter : Then I do not see any use of our remaiuing here any longer, and I propose that we withdraw. Councillors Procter, Gibbs, Mainland, and Humphrey then, despite the efforts of the Mayor to persmtde them to remain, left the room, remarking that they were only wasting their time for nothing. The Mayor expressed regret that nearly the whole of the deputation should have withdrawn, as he thought that notwithstanding the Chairman's remarks that the Board could not come to any decision, the Board could hear the views of the deputation ; who might learn the views of members of the Board upon the subject. After waiting a little time Mr. Headlaud turned up. and as there would not. t'>en he a quorum unless the Mayor took hi* seat as a member "f the Board, while if he did s> the deputation w..uld be endued to on.-, n.r.i:!.-. C-uneill".-Some iir.rle discivss-ou then took plac.o as j ■o what «-a< to Vie done, and evt'.nt'ial'y i' | ■.r.LS th.-it Ih-j Mayor .->);•.uklj oeeiiny the dual position of a member of the Board and one of the deputation. The Mayor having explained the course which the Council had adopted in regard to the Lagoon site, and its reasous for wishing that site to be chosen, said. lip could not see any reason why one public body should not consnlt another public body on so important a matter. He might explain that some of the Councillors felt rather sore with regard to the Chairman's reply to the Council's request for the Board to meet and receive the .deputa- ■ tion. They thought that the letter rather prejudged the matter. • Tne Chairman said that he thought his \ reply was a perfectly courteous one, and i that he was entitled to state in his letter ' what his opinions were, and what he be- i lieved the general opinions of the Board '■ ]

were in regard to the deputation. The letter from the Council was as follows : Town Clerk's Office, Oamaru, Sept. 2, 1878. Sir, —I have the honor by direction of the Municipal Council to request your Board to receive a deputation from this Council not later than Wednesday next, with a view to endeavoring to take joint action to secure the adoption of the Lagoon site for the railway station. —I have, etc., E. W. Roxby, Town Clerk. Thos. Forrester, Esq., Secretary Oamaru Harbor Board. To this letter he replied as follows : Oamaru Harbor Board. Oamaru, 3rd Sept., IS7S. Ed. Roxby, Es=q., Town Clerk, Oamaru. Sir, —I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter addressed to Mr. Forrester, as Secretary of the Oamaru Harbor Board, aud in reply to it state that as an act of courtesy due tp the Municipal Council I have convened an emergency meeting of the Harbor Board for Wednesday next, at 11 a.m. It is only right, however, that T should point out that for my own part I think the Board, whether favorable or unfavorable to the project, would not be justified in taking joint action to secure the Lagoon site tor the railway station, but simply as a Board to maintain a neutral position until the question is broueht officially before it by the Government. —I am, etc., (Signed) George Sumpter. E. W. Roxby, Ksq., Town Clerk, Oamaru. The letter was not merely an expression of his own views, for he had mentioned the matter to Messrs. Lemon, Meek, Reid, and Menlove, all of whom coincided with him. He thought it would be very unwise for the Board to come to any decision upon'the matter, seeing that the question of urging upon the Government to adopt the Lagoon site was one affecting the Board's own property. Supposing the Board induced the Government _to take the Lagoon for a passenger station silo, it could not with any prospect _ of success afrenvards ;isk for compensation for the land taken, for the Government j would simply reply, " You asked us to take the laud." The Mayor explained at some length ! the views "of the Corporation upon the question, and said that they thought that the Board might be induced to view the matter favorably, although they did not airieipate that it would commit itself in any manner to the proposal. He would, however, be glad to learn in an official manner that the Board would not throw any obstacle in the way of the matter being arranged. He thought, if the Government could be induced to grant an exchange of that portion of the land near the present railway site between Wansbeck and Aln streets, in return for the. Lagoon, the Board should agree to hand over the Ligoon. He thought the Board would lose nothing by agreeing to such a proposal. It might even go the length of voting a sum of money from its loan towards carrying out the work of reclaiming the Lagoon. If the Board received the land he had mentioned in exchange, it would reap the advantage of having a property from which it could derive an immediate revenue larger than it conld expect, i.o get from the Lagoon even after it had been reclaimed. » The Chairman said that although the Board conld not give any direct reply upon the question, he thought the depuration might consider that the Board would not place any obstacle in the way of the Lagoon being adopted, and would look favorably upon the matter, provided that it received compensation for the land taken.

Some little desultory conversation having taken place, The Mayor said he understood that the Board was willing to meet the Government liberally in the matter, and he would write to Mr. Conyers explaining that the Council would contribute L3OOO towards the cost of filling up the Lagoon provided the station were placed there, and that he believed the Harbor TJoard would meet him liberally in regard to the land. He for one refused to accept the resolution arrived at by the public meeting tho previous evening as an indication of public opinion upon the subject. He thought even yet he would be able to induce Mr. Conyers to alter his determination with regard to the passenger station. After some further discussion of a conversational character, the deputation withdrew.