Exit: Paiaka Defaulters' Camp

Chronicle (Levin), 17 July 1948, Page 4

Exit: Paiaka Defaulters' Camp

To be sold by public auction next week are some of the buildiiigs which during the war constituted the Paiaka con-scientious-objectO^s' camp. First established in 1942, the camp h;a*d a,ccomnTod■a'tion• for 72 defaulters, who were employed in liCd/rby fl'ax growing nursery and in the growing of vegetables for their 6wn and non-military use.

Paiaka was the locafion of the ipioneer settlemdnt frohi which the ■founders of Foxton came, and is a few miles frorff Shannon on the Foxton-Shannoh Road. Two conscientious objectors bahips were established in the district during th# war, the larger- of ithe, two', being at Whitanui*. : Tne Paiaka camp' wa's vacated in T946' ah# some; of the sta-ff hutihdhts were tWken over by/ the Department of fndustries and Commefce. The bdlance of the buildings have, hbwever, remaine'd eihiSty and haVA cause# no sma'li amdunt of heartburning among rhany who could puLthem to good use. , "' _ . Gf speciaf interest to'many t)od- , ies .unable to erect clubhouses is large* building Us'ed apparently as a mess hall, readihg room and lounge. I't is beli'e'Vfe'd' that the Shannon R.S;A. ha's been hegotiating for this titiildihg, a-s'- alSb have the officials 5f the' Poutu Mabri P'a and the/ CeVlh ifesjA*., but. it is noted" that this: buildings doek; not appear on bfie/ei^fedhie- of buildings to be sbl# b^' auCtibh;' • dri Wednesday. 1

i The president of the Levin R.S.A.,, Mr. N. M. Thomson, said today that he had received a letter from the War Assets Realisation Board, to which he had" made inquiries as to the fate^ of the building, and had been.-told that with the exception of 30 small huts all the buildings at the Paiaka camp had been "disposed of." Mr. Thomson adde# that he had : pursued enquiries to the senior district executive officer of the Board in Wellington, who* had informed him that the building was surplus, but was to be use# by the Depart- ' ment of Industries and Commerce meanwhile for providing accommodation and kitchen faciiitieS for additional staff, whb wbuld' be - carrying out experimerits with - black spot in flax, dhd' thht itmight be some years before' th.e : building was available for sale. Iri , regard to the sClling up of such pamps, the officer stated that Government Departments were first • offered the buiid'ings, and' if tliey' * were not required then they wdre" advertised as surplus and sold bytender. 1