Larger Memorial Hall Suggested

Chronicle (Levin), 2 December 1949, Page 2

Larger Memorial Hall Suggested

A deputation which waifced on the Otaki Borough Council at a special meeting held on Tuesday night suggested the possibility of suihcient monies being available by Way of subsidy to enable the building of a far larger hall that the one which the present war memorial* plan catered for. The , deputation was from 'the ex'ecutive committee of the Otaki War Memorial Society and consisted of Messrs H. Taylor, H. B. Edhouse, W. McBeth, F. Edwards, W. Connor and J. W. Scatchard. ; There was a f ull attendance of the council. " Messrs Taylor and Edhouse gave details of a civic centre scheme in a nearby locality and advised the council that the Under-secre-tary of the Internal Aifairs Department considered there should not be any difficulty in a larger sum than was iirst mooted being available by way of subsidy. In reply to the Mayor, Mr. Edhouse said that the organisation he represented, the Returned Services' Association, aid not readily support '■ the present hall proposal, out had expr'essed an opinion in favour of 'building a larger hall to suit all requirements. Among views expressed were those that favoured the re-open-ing of the v/hole scheme, while others .considered the discussion should centre on the procuring of a site for a hall. The locality already agreed on found greater support at the meeting. Following a further expression pf opinion that any attempt to re-open the scheme would result in iurther delay, the deputation thanked the council for listening to its proposals and withdrew. A proposal to ask the owners if they are prepared to sell the land which is embodied in the war memorial and sports centre plan was later cariied by a majority of the council. The voting revealed that four supported the site proposed, with three members againsp it.