SUMMIT ROAD TROUBLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16514, 26 August 1921, Page 8

SUMMIT ROAD TROUBLE.

DEVELOPS INTO CRISIS. A DRASTIC PROPOSAL. A crisis in the affairs of the Summit Road Association was reached yesterday. It was decided at a meeting of the committee that unless the .present position of the association in relation to the properties over which it has been exercising control ia satisfactorily adjusted steps shall be taken towards winding up. The chairman (Mr W. Machin) said that the meeting had been called to transact urgent business. Some time ago the committee had decided to arrange with the Scenic Reserves Board for a conference to define certain positions which they relied upon through verbal arrangements with the board. Communication was made with the Commissioner of Crown Lands for Canterbury (Mr G. H Bullard), who was at the time newly appointed- Instead of acquiescence on the proposal, the association received a number of extraordinary communications which denied that the association had any locus standi in regard to the matters. Mr Machin gave an epitome of the correspondence, and said that the Department’s stand hod brought things to a crisis. Mr Bullard had been instructed to talk matters, over with the association, and they had not been talking half an hour before he had recognised their position, and expressed regret that just previously he had given Mr Ell an order authorising him to occupy the Sign of the Kiwi. Later members of the association were informed that this order had jieen withdrawn, and their co-operation in adjusting the matter of Mr Ell’s occupancy was invited. The officers of the association decided to take no action whatever to prevent Mr Ell from carrying out his wish in taking possession of the Kiwi Rest House. They thought it might* lead to a violent scene, and they preferred no violence. Mr Bullard was informed that, having given Mr Ell the ,Order, it was his business to see that the thing was carried out satisfactorily. It had been suggested to the caretaker, Mr O’Shea, that someone might l>e installed before he left, to fill his place when he did so, this with the idea that Mr Ell, seeing someone in occupation, would hesitate to enter into occupation himself. Air O’Shea would not agree to anyone entering the rest house before he left, and so there the matter stood. Mr Bullard had promised to recommend to the Minister that the association be given a lease over the property, and a lease had been drawn up and submitted to the Minister PROPOSED RESOLUTION. It had been decided, Mr Alachin said, to place the following motion before the meeting:— “ That, as the action of the Lands Department has resulted in Air H. G. Ell obtaining possession of the Dyer’s Pass Rest House, and as the arrangements made with the late Scenic Board and honoured by the predecessors of the present Commissioner of Crown Lands concerning the Kennedy’s Bush Rest House and the rest houses generally are not recognised by the present Crown Commissioner, the Alinister of Lands be informed: 4 ‘ 1. That the association entered into an agreement with Air H. G. Ell fifteen months ago, whereby it would make a strenuous effort to pay off the liabilities he had previously contracted (without its knowledge or consent), conditionally upon his agreeing to perform no more acts without the consent of the association or contrary to its wishes. “2. In performing its part in this agreement, the association in good faith increased its bank overdraft from £1250 to £2OOO on the personal guarantee of a few of its members, and has during 1920 and 1921 discharged the following debts and liabilities :

this agreement. In the early months of last year he increased the liabilities enormously. He repudiated his contract over the Tram Terminus Rest; House, after the association had paid off all its pressing liabilities. Over the Knituna, Kennedy’s Bush and Kiwi Rest Houses he has made and carried out arrangements which he knew 7 were directly contrary to the will of the association. He has by his action embroiled the association with local bodies. With out .authority he has used the name of the Public Works Department in attempts* to divert revenue from the association He has used his position as honorary Government Inspector of Reserves to embarrass the association in many ways, has now apparently influenced the Commissioner of Crown Lands to put the association in a position of extreme disadvantage. “4. The association has never asked Air Ell to do more than conform to the wishes of the executive as expressed tyy resolution. It has patiently borne with his vagaries until thev have become un bearable, and will now take no action to dislodge him from his present position at the Kiwi, which he occupies through having taken advantage of an inadvertent order of the Crown Com missioners, afterwards withdrawn. “5. The position of the association now is that it has no reason for con tinned existence. The rest houses which it had a large share in building are Government property, and it is not allowed any longer to control them. The reserves which it helped to acquire are Government property, and it has no voice concerning them. The members of the executive do not any longer feel inclined to labour to pay for the further properties to which Air Ell has committed himself, or the completion and extension of the rest houses and the payment of the debts now resting upon these, when its arrangements in good faith with the Reserves Beard and the Lands Dejiartment are held as things of no account. Thereforo the association must be wound up. “6. The only assets of the association are the furniture and effects at the rest houses, some of which are not yet paid for, and as the Lands Department lias assumed possession of these with the rest houses, the association will expect this Department to take over the bank overdraft, which now stands at £1785 12s sd. all of which has been spent on these rest houses and reserve*}. The other debts upon the rest houses and reserves (all incurred by Air H. G. Ell) amount to £6872 14s Bd, so far as tho committee can make out, not including the £7OO which it is assumed is still owing in connection with the Tram Terminus Rest House. “7. The officers are instructed to clear up all matters for which the

association is responsible and present a final statement to the annual meeting in November, together with a recommendation that the association be then wound up.” MOTION MODIFIED. After a lengthy discussion, the chairman said that if it was th© meeting’s wish ho would delete the first paragraph in the motion down to “ the Minister of Lands be informed s> ; also«tho words in paragraph 3, “apparently influenced th© Commissioner of Crown Lands to ” ; and add to paragraph 5 £ ‘ unless the position is altered,” and to paragraph 7 “ unless in th© meantime some satisfactory arrangement ia come to by the Government. 1 ’ An amendment moved by Mr D. Bates was lost and th© motion carried as amended, Mr Bates die Renting.

& n d. (a) Boss on Kennedy’s Bush Rest-house ..... less profit on Dyer's Pass Rest 393 8 11 House ...... 199 16 5 193 12 C (b) Tram Terminus Rest House 330 9 11 (e) Roads ..... 197 15 1 fd) Kaituna Rest House 40 13 7 (e) Bank interest (f) Mr II. G. Ell (honorarium, 152 0 7 etc) ..... (g) Sundries (mainly old &c74 14 6 count) ..... 303 14 0 E. Cooper) (i) Kaituna Reserve (per Mr G. 153 0 0 Bowron) ..... (j) Kaituna Reserve (per Mr A. 800 0 0 S. Cooper) ...... 153 0 0 £2,263 17 0 <l 3. Mr Ell has not kept his part in