MOLESWORTH STREET.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 1349, 11 June 1907, Page 3

MOLESWORTH STREET.

THE EXTENSION PROPOSAL.

The Borough Council last night again considered the proposal to extend Molesworth Street across the Huatoki stream to join with St. Aubyn Street. . A reply was received from the ActingMinister of Railways, Hon. R. McNab, to the requests of the recent deputation for a strip of the railway yards to enable the street to be carried through. The Minister said he had no objection to recommending that if the Borough Council was prepared to pay for the land in the railway yards, and to do the work necessary to render it suitable for traffic, the Railway Department should sell a piece of land suitable for the purpose. The matter was referred to in the Works Committee's report. It was recommended :—": — " That if the Railway Department is prepared to extend Molecworth Street from Kawau Street to the Huatoki River, as promised by the Minister for Railways to the deputation, the Council is prepared to purchase, at a price to be agreed upon, the necessai j land for a street 66 feet wide to connect St. Aubyn Street .with Molesworth Street, and will undertake to render it suitable for traffic."

The Mayor, after reviewing the doin^ of the deputation, said the letter fro:n the Minister in no way represented t) c promise he had made. He had said the Government would hand over tne i portion of Molesworth Street betwetn Kawau Street and. the river. That w.s not mentioned in the letter. If th.it land were not given, it was no use bu /- ing a strip of the railway yards on the other side of the fiver and putting a bridge over the river. He thought the position should be made clear. If the extension were carried out, it would be greatly appreciated by the public. He tnought it could be done without great expense. Councillor Collis raised the question whether the Harbour Board, in consideration of the more valuable frontage to be given to its property, should not be asked to do more than widen the portion of the oresent street passing through the Board's property. He asked that this consideration should be kept in view. After some discussion, Councillor Collis moved an amendment to the Works Committee's recommendation, proposing to add " with the assistance of the Harbour Board " at the end of the clause. He said that alteration would leave it an open question what assistance was expected from the Board. A division was taken on the proposed amendment. It was carried by 7 votes to 3.