"A VICIOUS PRINCIPLE"

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22718, 2 November 1935, Page 10

"A VICIOUS PRINCIPLE"

STREET-WIDENING SCHEMES PAYING FOR IMPROVING " That the offer of Messrs Baylea and Brunton, as agents for the owner, to sell to the council, for the total sum of £25, a portion of land containing approximately 4.7 poles, being part of lot 136, Glen Estate, for the purpose of widening Byron street, be accepted. As part of the transaction, the council is to erect a jarrah fence on the new alignment. The estimated cost to the council of carrying out the widening in accordance with the conditions laid down by the vendor, and providing for relief labour, is £33." This was a clause in the Works Committee's report as presented by the chairman (Cr Munro) at the meeting of the City Council last night. Cr Mitchell said that the clause was another instance of the corporation being considered to, be a good body to get money out of. The sum of £25 for the area of land worked out at a rate of £IOOO per acre. The owner of the land, ■ they should remember, was getting his land improved. It seemed to him that the council was paying full value for the land. He knew the difficulties which faced the committee in these matters, and he just desired to place on lecord the- fact that the council was being called on to pay this money. The Mayor said that if Cr Mitchell would move an amendment on the lines of hia remarks he would second it. Cr Mitchell then moved as an amendment that the clause be deleted. The Mayor seconded the amendment. He said that this was a side .street There was no reason whatever why the council should give money for this purchase. They did a great deal for these side streets—indeed, he felt that they did too much. The owners had their property improved, and then they came to ask money for it. So far as MornIngton was concerned, apart from the extension of the main road at Mailer street, he had no recollection of the council giving any money whatever for street widening. Why, therefore, should'they make an exception in this case? • They might be inundated with similar applications. The Mayor remarked, in reply to an interjection, that so far as the Mary Hill terrace was concerned, an application had been received by the council time after time without success, and finally the land had been given to the council. Cr MTtfillen said that they could not widen their streets unless they got the land and they could not get the lend unless they paid for it. ' Cr Batchelor said that Cr Mitchell had mentioned a rate of £IOOO per acre, but the council had on a previous occasion paid at the rate of £9OOO per acre. He did not know, therefore, why they •hould quibble about £IOOO an acre. Cr Silverstone said that the committee had discussed the question and had come to the conclusion that it was necessary to secure the land for street widening, and £25 was certainly not a large sum. ■He agreed, however, that the principle' of buying land and improving property was certainly a vicious one, but the committee had had no option in the matter. If the council was not prepared to pay the price they would have to go to the court, and he doubted if they would then get it any cheaper.

: A councillor: More. Cr Silverstone said he hoped that th« law would be amended in the future to meet the situation, and enable the council to recoup itself for the enhancing of the value of property. He deprecated the suggestion that the council was paying at the rate of £IOOO per acre. The council could probably have purchased the whole of the property at less than £IOOO, To refer to a rate of £IOOO was very misleading. They knew that the council had recently decided to pay a certain person a certain sum of money—not because they were taking anything from him, but hecause he was being put to inconvenience through noises going on round his place. They had paid money so that he could enjoy the noises in comfort.— (Laughter.) was a very fine gentleman, too. Cr Munro said he would be sorry to see the amendment carried, not that he did not agree with it. He agreed with Cr Silverstone that an amendment of the law was needed. The work was really necessary, and if the amendment .were carried it would be tieing the hands Of the committee when similar positions came before it. 1 The amendment was lost, and the report was adopted.