THREAT TO COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20485, 11 December 1934, Page 13

THREAT TO COUNCIL.

Injunction to Stop Use of Destructor. MOVE BY BUSINESS MEN. An injunction to restrain the City Council from using the destructor to burn rubbish is being considered by city business men. according to a statement made at last evening’s meeting of the Christchurch Beautifying Association by Mr R. B. Owen. Mr Owen said that the move had a good deal of support, and action would result if the council did not take steps to have the destructor moved from the centre of the city. Mr Owen spoke heatedlv to the meeting of the nuisance which he alleged was cauvsed by the smoke and “ stench ” from the destructor. There was a smoke haze right across Cathedral Square, and the portion of the city between there and Victoria Square that afternoon, he said, and the smell was frightful. “It is inconceivable that the City Council should allow this nuisance to continue,” said Mr Owen. “ The business men in that portion of the city are sick of asking the City Council to do something about it. If something is not done immediately they are going to seek an injunction to restrain the council from burning noisome rubbish in the centre of the city.” A Poll Necessary. “ It is all very well to sit at meetings like this and inveigh against local bodies because of things like these, but vou forget the difficulties under which those bodies are working.” said Mr E. 11. Andrews. These things could snot be done without money and the voting power of the public would not allow such a huge expenditure as would be necessary. There was no doubt that there was a smoke nuisance in the erty, said Mr Andrews, and the City Council would be as pleased as the association would be to have the destructor removed, but it was doubtful if anything could be done. If a poll were taken to raise £IOO,OOO it would have to be taken over the whole of Greater Christchurch, and what result could they expect with nine-tenths of the people not caring if there was a smoke nuisance or not The cost lay not so much in the erection of the twelve masticators that would be necessary as in the purchase of land for the burying of the masticated material and the upkeep. And there again the council would be up against opposition from whatever district it chose for the location of its dump. He did not feel that an injunction would improve the position, unless it were taken also against all the big businesses that had destructors and furnaces..