OFFICE STAFF OVERCROWDED

Chronicle (Levin), 5 February 1949, Page 4

OFFICE STAFF OVERCROWDED

In those days the council viid not take much interest in its reserves. The stock saleyards were then situated in Queen Street, opposite the Levin Park Domain, which was then leased at a small annual rental to an auctioneering fifm for sheep grazing. When Mr. Jenkins came to Levin there was only one sealed roadway —Oxford Street, from Stanley Street to the station— and only the. centre of that was done. With the initial loan of £27,500 for street and footpath work, and.the council's subsequent .policy, all tne town's streets have now been sealed, but it has taken many years for this to come about. It is interesting to Mr. Jenkins to note the present discussions by the council in regard to tl\e erec-, tion of stables in the borough. He recalls that at one time two big stables were right in the centie of the business area, one in Oxford Street and another in Queen Street, their presence being taken as ■ a matter of course. The establishment of the abat-

— — -r-r-rm toir in 1929 is also another of Mr. Jenkins' recolleetions. He remembers when two men were employed there on eontract and the stock killed in one month amounted to wnat is now put through in a day and a half. Deploring the lack of a musical society in Levin today, Mr. Jenkins said that 25 years ago there was an orchestral society with a membership of about 40, an operatic and 'dramatic society with 80 members and a large choral society. Levin could always . turnon a first class concert fot deServ^ing purposes with solely local tal-" ent, whereas today it was nee.essary to irnport artists from the eities, and other, towns. He sin'cerely hoped that it was merely a'passirig' phase and" 'that • this imprirtant side' of 'a town's activities would 'flourish once more.