The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 1904. THE BANK CORNER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8101, 29 August 1904, Page 2

The Star. MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 1904. THE BANK CORNER.

Tho ]>r<v.wnl to v/idc-n that part of Colombo Strrefc which connects High Street and C':ii]:cdni! Square will come un for c«niideration a^iiin ;it this evening's attesting of tho City Council. This time it will be -•livkled int.;> tsiree motion. The first, to be moveil hy the Mayor, -will be in favour of hiking the land ne^esrary for tli? purpose uniior the Public Works Act; the second will provide for the appointment of a commit;<>o to negotiate with- tho directors j of iho Eaaik of Z'Tev; Zealand regarding the purchase of tkc land; and the third Avill be in the direction of saddling the TramI way Board with the cost of the purchase. j W'j may say a^ one© that we hope the Council -will reject the third, proposal. It; is all very well to declare, as the author of the proposal doe?', that the widening- of Colombo Street is rendered necessary by the installation- of thfe electric, tramway service. True in a measure though this statement- may be, it constitutes no valid reason why the Council should endepjvour lo txcl rid of a duty which is clearly its own by 'handing it to another body. For it is beyond question that electric tram service- or no electric tram service, the thoroughfare which it is pvopofod to widen would in tho order of things become hopelessly inadequate in a fc!\v years.-. Besides, we cannot see I'hu.fc the city would derive much benefit supposing tho Tramway Board were to undertake the work. In the end most of the cost would fall on the ratepayers of Christchurch. But discussion of the. point is so much time w;:stcd. Even supposing the Council consented to delegate its duty to the. Board wo do not. believe for a. moment that tha latter would accept the< responsibility. Of the two other motions we must confess to a strong preference for tjie one in. favour I of netting up a committeo to negotiafe with the directors, of the Bank. The Council has Ihe Public Works Act to fall back on, hue we hope it will refrain- from making use of the powers conferred by the Act until it has exhausted all the pacific measures at its dis-po.-wl. So far there is nothing to indicate that it has reached a point where further negotiation is useless. Iti ius merely requested tho Bank to nama a price which it requires for the land, and the Ba,nk has complied with its request. That the Council thinks ihe sum named excessive is surely not evidenca that the views of the Bank directors cannot be brought into ckivc-r conformity with its own by amicable mean?. \ 1 ' 1 1 '' ] ] ' i * i ' * i < / l i !