OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19269, 5 September 1924, Page 4

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD.

at (' ?H& adjourned meeting of the Otago Har■bur Board was held yesterday afternoon, and was attended by Messrs D. Larnaeh (chairman), W. Wilkinson, J. M'Donald, K. S. Ramsay, T. Anderson, A. Cable, J. A, .Roberta,, and H. C. Campbell. I*AKE LOGAN AND EXHIBITION DIRECTORS. '.■--••The Chairman said that the first business -Before the meeting was consideration of the ' report of the Special Committee »n regard ''• to'the lease of Lake Logan and the draft lea 96 as agreed to by the Exhibition Company's solicitor with the board's solicitors. The report of the board's solicitors read sis follows:-^- ' 1. Winding Up of the Company.—The "company to be under ho liability under the .leasfe except as lo matters of which notion '' : ~sfiall : have been given to tho company within six months after the company has ; iiven up possession. Thin clause is to en- /' aj>lf> the company to be safely wound up, !. and ve think is reasonable. j; ' 2, Drainage.—The company to be under ,np Uability to provide for Opoho Creek, but its liability in respect of all other creeks, drains, sewers, and channel* to stand. The> board to be under no liability whatever in respect of flooding of the, land to be leased .rbyViiie company. After the conference Mr Wilkio mentioned that until tho conduit to carry Opoho TCreek was constructed there would be a "liability of flooding from that creek, especially as the company had reduced the cross section of the western channel. "We then arranged a conference between Mr Wilkie. ■Mr Paterson, and the writer. Mr Wilkie expressed his willingnes to relieve the company from liability in respect, of Opoho Creek in six month?, and it was therefore Agreed (subject to the approval of the company's directors) that the cornpany should 'be "liable up to March 1. 1926- We have ' now received intimation from Mr Paterson that the directors of the company have approved of the proposal." Mr M'Donald moved that their solicitor*' letter received, and that the matters contained therein be confirmed. The board was to take the water from the Opoho Creek and bring it along the eastern side and deliver it into the iiarbaur. the estimated cost being £16,000. The Exhibition Company had nothing-to do-with this work, but in all other respect.? in regard to flooding the board was relieved of liability. Mr Cable seconded the motion. lie said that he did not think the Exhibition Company directors had had the position made , clear to thtjm previously, and that tho matter ..had. now been made clear and had ended satisfactorily. The motion was carried. SUMMING UP THE POSITION. The following letter was received from tho Town Clerk: — "Lake Logan Artea.—lt is noted that you are now prepared to provide for a lease of 99 years with right of renewal for a further term of 99 years. That provides for practically 200 years, and it is still difficult to See. what objection there is or can be to th& area being vested in'the city for all time. Still, tho Public Works Committee is prepared to recommend council to fall in with your present proposel. Council' is accordingly being so recommended. With ' regard to the other stipulation ■ regarding the council reimbursing ywu the cost of the drainage from the Opoho Creek. You already have our letter dated August 8 on that point, and its terms still stand. '.'. "Highway.—lt is noted that the actual course of the highway is still an open question. We have conferred .with Mr Nees, and the city engineer has been instructed to look further into the mattter with_ a view of avoiding as much interference with .Mr Nees's premises aa is possible. It is desirable, however, that the actual course cf the street shall bo determined at the earliest possible date, and if you can do -anything with the Railway Department • finest the recently-submitted plan to which • you refer we would esteem it a favour. .1 heed hardly point out that tho actual course has a considerable hearing on the probable '- Costy and it is paramount that the probable -cost be known before we submit the matter -to the vote. You will "see, therefore, that we are unable to make much headway be-fore-this important, aspect of the mattter - is'further advanced. ' "Union Street.—ln the interest of an

'amicable adjustment of any little points of , difference tliat may exist between us, it ‘‘isefettis undesirable that I should traverse in anything approaching detail the somewhat lengthy arguments you make regarding the matter of the cost of constructing the extension of Union street along' the southern boundary of the Lake Logan area. In view of rather recent happenings, some, at least, of your arguments are pronouncedly unfortunate. In all the circumstances, therefore, all that need be said is that the Public Works Committtee of _ the City Council is recommending council to vary the ternis of the agreement subsisting be-

tween us to the extent of asking for a contribution of 25 per cent, of the cost of the , Svork, should the Lake Logan area come under,, our control, as now proposed; but, .failing that contingency, then the cost of the construction of the'street be borne between us in equal parts. That is the suggestion that was made at an informal talk at .. your office oiv Monday, and the council's : Public- Works Couranittee has since confirmed the suggestion. .•!.' "Education Board Site.—lt would seem that this matter is still somewhat obscure, and we would much like to know if the 'proposal as it now stands is acceptable _to the Education Board. If there is anything yous -board could possibly do to expedite this phase of the subject, we should eeteam it a favour, because we are now, within measurable distance of the time when all .-doubts must be removed if the highway is to be in existence when the Exhibition is opened." • The Chairman said the board was prepared to give the council a 99 years' lease, and an additional 99 years, and yet it ' wanted to get the freehold. If the period of the lease was not a freehold, he did -"•• not know what' was. This lease had been agreed to by the special committee of the * board on Monday, and he thought they would agree with him that the special committee had done right in granting an additional. 99 years' lease. Mr Anderson: That was the board's unanimous opinion. * Mr Campbell: When? Members:. At the last meeting. . The Chairman said that they had got the - aawmwjce regarding Opoho Creek—they had .--that before and then there was the ques- . tion of the highway. He did not know what they were going to do« with that . Mr Nees had intervened, in connection with llis property, and there was also the plan to, come from the railway engineer's office, . They really could not do anything in connection with the highway in the meantime As regards Union street (or the Bay road) the board had agreed to pay 25 per cent of the cost if the council took over the highway and 50 per cent, if it did'not The -board had written to the Education Board on June 31 in connection with its site, .and a reply had been received that ;•. the* letter would come before the board ©t* July 20. Since then they had received no word, from the board. The board had ■ written again last Monday asking the Education Board to expedite matters, but it had OOt received a reply to that letter either. There was a letter from the Mayor in, connection with the matter. ANOTHER CONFERENCE SUGGESTED. "\Th« Mayor's letter asked that the nnb„C.bmmit.tee of the board should meet deleijgi>.k?9, from the Education Board and the "City Council the following day relative to .givjng the Education Board another site in ■lieu of that alreadv granted by the Harbour ' "Bbird to the Education Board at Logan c "Park. . - t ORIGINAL DISCUSSION CONTINUED. ;■ The Chairman: What are you goinc: to * do about the Ecrueation Board? There . -.were the three points to be considered, first •.*-Logan Park, the highway, and Union •traet. These had been agreed to, and he "i 'fcowld move that they be adopted. Mr Anderson: No. « w'Mr M'Donald seconded the adoption of ''.thEt ; - business so far as the three points Were concerned. Mr Wilkinson: Is the right of renewal on, the same terms as the first 99 years' lease. n, i Tho Chairman said he presumed so. ~<;•-• jMr M'Donold explained that the City would ultimately pay the cost of channel from Opoho Creek in * fl^#W n t.bf. Logan Park being given to it reserve. The highway could stand till the plans were decided on—;"ji,'.'would come before them again. Union was a main highway, but it belonged °,'t© tjb,e. Harbour Board—it was on "their , , ;]ftnd;. ( lie. did not think tbey should squabble .oyer" wliet had been done in connection with. "oTnion street 40 or 50 years ago. It was *JiM>t"up by the Citv Council, the Harbour, ""ifoard. and the West Harbour CounciL ?TflpjUgb the two latter bodies had not pair. ' jjoafch to' its upkeep. It would be very u'n*iwSse (to bang up the matter of putting afreet into order by widening and ?lhV ejection of a bridge. Xltfr feoftijrts said that once Union street * f was* s taken over by the City Council any widening MHpjiied should be done by the City Council only. Mr Aadonoa ml 4 he Fas not in Xavow

of the board paying 25 per cent, of the cost. The hoard could not stand all the calls being made on it. The Chairman replied in answer to a question hy Mr Campbell that there was no minute to the effect that the board was Willing to grant an additional lease of Sill years. It was simply an expression of opinion at the last meeting of the board. Mr Campbell said that the Harbour Board represented just as many people as the City Council, if not more, and ho did not think the additional lease should lie granted. He thought it an unreasonable request. The highway was a matter which, could lie easily dealt with—they could put in a ramp near Messrs N'ees and Co.’s premises. He thought the 25 per cent, payment was u fair adjustment, but lie considered tho site the board was now willing to give the Education Board was absolutely unsuitable. It would be in tho centre of what would one day be a big manufacturing district. Mr, Cable favoured the 25 per cent, payment, As regards the Education Board's site the correspondence of the then board showed that it would not repudiate any, engagement it had entered into. The motion was then put to adopt the board’s approval of the Lake Bogan lease, the highway, and the percentage payment in regard to Union street. Mr Anderson said he was against the 25 per cent, payment, and Mr Campbell said he wap against the additional Off years’ lease. The Chairman said he could, not take a part vote, and the motion was then carried. SOME CLOSE'VOTING. Mr M'Donald moved that a sub-committeo consisting of the chairman, Messrs Loudon, Cable, and himself meet the delegates in.conference as requested by the Mayor. TJjo sub-committee as, proposed is different from the previous sub-committee, as one or two members of the latter sub-com-mittee had gone out of town. The Chairman explained that the delegates from the various bodies could dismiss the question of the site for the new Albany Street School, and the delegates from the Harbour Board and the City Connell could go into the matter of arranging certain questions relating to the construction of the highway from 'Anznc square to the park. Their present, meeting could adjourn and meet again when tho board's sub-committee had something definite to place before it. They could then take steps to go ou vVith the Bill which it would be necessary to bring before the House to enable them to carry out the decisions arrived at. Mr Anderson seconded the motion. He thought it was useless talking to the Education Board. Mr Roberts Bold it was absolutely useless going to the Education Board—(Hear, hear)—and if the City Council did its duty It would take a. poll on the proposal to raise a loan to construct the highway and settle* the matter. He did not think they should meet the Education Board. The City Council should take a poll and let the people decide whether they were going to let the.. Education Board take part of Logan Park. Mr Campbell thought they should write to tho Education Board and say everything was closed. The Chairman agreed, that he too felt very much like doing that. Mr M'Donald pointed cut that the meeting would not prejudice them in any. way.. Mr Roberts said the people should be given the opportunity of .voting on accepting the Logan Park with an area for tho Albany Street School site, or without an area. This would relievo them from a very nasty corner with tho Education Board The mol ion to meet the City Council and the Education Board in conference was then put and carried, with two dissentient voices. Mr Anderson said he had not seconded this motion. There had been no mention of meeting the Education Board in Mr M'Donald’s motion. He would not second the motion. Mr M'Donald said*he thought he had included the Education Board in his motion. The Education Board was then included. Mr Roberts . moved as an amendment that the reference to the Education Board bo deleted. The Chairman said he had put the motion, and it had been carried, and then Mr Anderson said he would withdraw as the seconder. Mr Campbell seconded Mr Roberts’s amendment. The amendment was then put, Messrs Wilkinson, Roberts, Anderson, and Campbell voting for it, and the chairman, Messrs • M'Donald, Cable,-Ramsay against it. The Chairman "then gave his casting vote against the amendment. This voting was repeated when the motion .was put arid, carried. Mr Campbell (addressing the chairman): I suppose you are aware that this amendment has been lost, on the very smallest majority, and that you must take full responsibility for it? The Chairman '(in surprise): Of course 1 am. What do.you think lam here for? The board went on to discuss further business, and Messrs Campbell and Roberts joined in conversation, standing behind their seats. The Chairman rose from hi? chair, and said there was no quorum at the meeting. Messrs Roberta and Campbell got back to their seats. - The board then proceeded to deal with the question of legislative sanction being secured to terminate the leases of those persons whose properties would be affected if the proposed highway were gone on with. The board's solicitors were also empowered to draw up a lease with the Exhibition Company regarding Lake Logan. MR ROBERTS TRIES AGAIN. Mr Roberts said he did not knowwhethet the chairman would accept his motion oi not, but he was going to move to the effect that as Messrs Loudon,’ Walker, Russell, and Moller were absent trom this meeting, and as the resolution passed regarding the conference with the Education Board and the City Council had been carried on the casting vote of the chairman, the business passed be suspendea till the following meeting of ihe board The Chairman (shortly): 1 am not going to accept that motion. If members don’t see fit to attend our meetings then those who do attend are £oing to carry on the business. Tho chairman continued that he was not going to come there and give his time if members wer« not prepared to attend. If they couM not attend the mootings they should not be on the board. Tho conference with the delegates from the City Council and the Education Board will therefore take place, os proposed, today.