CITY HIGHWAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3673, 5 August 1924, Page 5

CITY HIGHWAY.

DELAY IN COMING TO DECISION. WHICH BODY IS TO BLAME? At the conclusion of the business at the City Council on Wednesday the Mayor said he would like to refer to a letter in the press, written by Mr C. Todd, in which he stated that the next move in connection with the building of a highway from Anzac Square to Logan Park rested with the Council. That w T as incorrect, said the Mayor. The next move lay entirely with the Harbour Board. On May 27 the Council had written to the Board stating the terms and conditions under which it would construct the highway,—in exchange for the park after the exhibition had been held. The Council had been waiting patiently ever since. Mr Todd had inferred that the Council should go to the Education Board and negotiate with it, and he had also suggested that it should put the vote before the ratepayers for carrying out the work. He was sure they were as anxious to see the highway gone on with as anybody, but they could not recommend the ratepayers to go to the expense of building the highway unless they were to have the park handed over to them free and untrammelled. If eight acres were to be taken off the part for the Education Board it would spoil the whole area, and they would not be justified in recommending the ratepayers to authorise a loan for building the highway under these ciroum6tances° The Education Board had now been offered a strip of land on the opposite side of the park, but that the Board was waiting to ascertain if the highway were going on and its position. The Council could not tell the Education Board if the highway were to be gone on with until it had official advice from the Harbour Board that it was coins to hand over the whole park to the city on a continuous lease. The park was going to cost the city something like £BO,OOO. if they had to put in the drainage and build the highway. Ihe difficulty that had arisen was between the Harbour Board and the Education Board They must have definite advice from the Harbour Board before they would be prepared to put a loan proposal before the ratepayers. There was no doubt the highway should go in before the exhibition started, and the Harbour Board would have to move quickly. The Council did not know the Education Board in the matter, and the Education Board did not know the Council. Cr. Wilson said it was a pity that this matter should drag on. The delay was unfortunate, because they would have to go to Parliament if the highway were to he constructed, to get the consent of the Crown to remove certain houses. The Education Board had practically put the cart before the horse, because it had to give its consent before the Council could put the matter before the ratepayers. Moreover, they would have to be unanimous in putting their proposals before the ratepayers and they must give them a definite scheme. The discussion then ended.