NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14972, 20 May 1914, Page 12

NEWS AND NOTES.

WANTED: A PUBLIC HALL,

LAKESIDE PEOPLE MAKING A

MOVE.

In nsanv country places the local school is made to serve the purposes of a public hall, and in most instances schools fill the bill admirably. This was the case at Lakeside until fir© put an end to the school building there a few years ago. Then tho Education Board built a new school, and instead of providing a room of decent sizo, 60 that it could be made to serve as a hall as well, the placo was divided into two small rooms by a fixed partition. This means that, the Lakeside folk are nnable to hold largo social functions as was the case years ago. In fact, there have been very few social gatherings at Lakeside for some years, and if tho people want a. little amusement they have to go to some kind-hearted farmer's granary, or to a neighbouring centre whore there is a building of respectable size. If a concert or dance happens to take place at tho Lakeside school, only about half the people can take part at one time; tho others have to fill in tho spare time in free-and-easy fashion in the -adjoining room. Naturally, rho need of a suitable building in which concerts, dances, etc., could-.be held has been felt rather .severely by the residents, who have been thinking out echemes for providing the district with a hall. Finance, of course, has been the principal obstacle in tho way of the scheme, and the people recognise that it wUI take some getting over. The difficulty of securing a suitable pieco of land as a hall site also gave some, trouble, but recently Mr John McLachlan, jun., consented to sell a piece of his land near the Lakeside Creamery for the purposo. Having got so far, the promoters of the hall building scheme, who are leading residents of ~the district, intend to call a. public meeting shortly, when the whole question will be fully discussed, and probably Lakeside will be able to boast a hall of its own in the near future. It is considered ihat at least £200 will bo required to carry out the work and orovide a hall equal to the needs of this fairly thickly populated and prosperous district.