PURCHASE OF SECTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 25, 17 November 1944, Page 5

PURCHASE OF SECTION

RED CROSS SOCIETY'S REQUEST NECESSITY FOR HALL CHALLENGED "We have been approached! before regarding the purchase of this section, and as we have already offered it to the Society for the sum of £100 it would not be fair to decline to sell it now that that sum has been offered" said His Worship the Mayor ? Mr |B«, S. Barry at the last meeting of the Whakatane Borough Council when a letter was received from the Whakatane branch of the Red Cross Society offering to purchase from the Council a section in Commerce Street on which to build a hall. The letter went on| to $ay that thiy Society was badly in need •of a Headquarters and the section would be suitable for the erection of a building to fill that need. Cr Shapley stated that, to his way of thinking it would be an excellent thing to turn the section, over to the Red Cross as it would then be revenue producing. Cr Canning said that in his opinion not only was a hall not actually necessary but that at the moment it was certainly not the right time to build one. He could not recall any place in New Zealand where the Red Cross -had a hall of its own. All were occupying leased premises. The Society would he thought, be well advised to hold the money they had in hand for at least two years and then see how things were. After the war, the ladies who were doing such great work for the boys overseas at present would be in need of a rest ( and there, was a chance that the younger generation might not be so keen on the work. He understood the hall was to cost £2000 and thought that it was the Council's place to advise the ladies if possible.

Gr Shapley thought otherwise. Cr Canning he considered was doing a little, propaganda work for those who were opposed to the building of a hall and he would therefore like to strike a note for those who were in favour of it. The Red he said, had and were, performing a great task. In his opinion they should be aided wherever possible and he for was prepared to help them in any way he could.

At this stage, His Worship the Mayor pointed out that the. question which was actually before the Council was whether or not the. sale of the section should be but that he thought it was a good chance for councillors to present their views on the subject.

Cr Warren staled that he was convinced the Red Cross- would be responsible for a great deal of -work after the Var j aud that what the Society actually wanted was a building which could be hired" in order to bring in revenue. He was sure that its endeavours to build a hall would be successful.

The- Council decided to dispose of the section for the. sum mentioned.