SCHEME MODIFIED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20017, 16 August 1939, Page 8

SCHEME MODIFIED

CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL

WAIROA’S SWIMMING BATH

MATE UNITY ANNEX PLAN

COUNTRY ATTITUDE

(Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Several suggestions, in which a maternity annexe, swimming bath and town clock were mentioned as being suitable for Wairon’s centennial memorial, were made at a special public meeting called by the Centennial Committee in Wairoa on Monday evening. After considerable cuscussion, a recommendation was passed for consideration by the Centennial Committee that the proposal of a swimming bath decided at the first meeting be reaffirmed, but that the committee make its objective £ISOO. The Mayor of Wairoa, Mr. H. L. Harker, presided over a large and representative gathering. The Mayor pointed out that , the meeting was called at the request of the Centennial Committee so as to give a fresh opportunity for everyone to express their views as to what Wairoa’s centennial memorial should be. He would say candidly that the opportunity given the meeting that night was really out of order, as the initial meeting was in accordance with the Centennial Act. Mr. M. J. Gemmell stated that at the first centennial meeting it was decided that Wairoa’s memorial should take the form of a swimming bath, and to start the ball rolling he moved that the resolution adopted at that previous meeting be reaffirmed.

Tiie motion was seconded by Mr G. Powell.

Mr. F. T. Woodley then moved an amendment that the object of the centennial be a maternity annexe, the amendment being seconded by Mr. G. D. Tod. “£3OOO a Big Hurdle”

The opinion that the object of the meeting was to decide something as a memorial and something which all would strive for, was expressed by Mr. T. le C. Powdrell, who added that £3OOO was a big hurdle for the district especially in view of the recent taxation. He thought Die inoifey should be given voluntary.

“It seems to me,” said Mr. Powdrell, “that the response was not very good in the town; in fact, it was very poor.”

Replying, Mr. R. A. McKay stated that the town response was satisfactory. A meeting of business people held recently was attended by 30 and the committee set up numbered over GO

Mr. Powdrell stated that the sec-retary-organiser of the campaign, Mr. J. Woolf, was a very live man, but he was worrying as to where tiie £3OOO was coming from.

“It is worrying you, too, Mr. Chairman,” he added. The secretary-organiser of the centennial campaign outlined some of the schemes he had in mind for raising the £3OOO. He estimated the receipts from the queen carnival to be in the vicinity of £IOOO, and he would be surprised if the sum collected did not reach £ISOO. Maintenance of Bath Referring to the proposal of a swimming bath, Mr. Powdrell stated that a custodian would have to be engaged and water would have to be provided. . “One would naturally conceive that the borough will take over the responsibility and care of the baths and I, as a borough ratepayer, feel it will be a burden on the ratepayers,” he added. Replying, the Mayor stated that the Government and the Education Board would give considerable assistance, the former by making a substantial annual grant. He did not think there would be much expense involved. . , . The population of Napier, stated Mr. Powdrell, was approximately 19,000 and the baths there were ideally situated, yet at times difficulty was experienced in balancing their budget. In Gisborne the population was about 17,000 and they also experienced difficulties at times with their baths How was Wairoa goingto fare with its population of about 2000? , . , Mr. T. \V. G. Tombleson explained that the country people took the view that the committee was aiming too high. They were of the opinion that if the £3OOO could be raised it could be put to better projects. To his mind the first duty was to supply to the ailing public the best facilities possible, and the Wairoa Hospital’ Board had been told to build a maternity annexe. The present swimming bath scheme was that the ratepayers should subscribe approximately £3OOO and this would be augmented bv about £IOOO from the Government, making a total of £4OOO. “If the money is subscribed the county ratepayers want to see a better return for it," stated Mr. Tombleson. By the erection of a maternity annexe, if it was feasible, the £3OOO could be increased to £7OOO or possibly £BOOO, while on the other hand for the bath project the £3OOO would be increased to only £4OOO. Mr J. M. Taylor contended that the swimming bath would cost considerably more than the £4OOO estimated.

Collecting for Five Years

The chairman of the Centennial Committee, Mr. D. Glengarry, pointed out that it had been decided to call for competitive designs for a swimming bath to cost about £3soo—no more. The committee had been collecting for the baths for the past five years. > , In reply to a question from Mr. Torn'bleson, 'the Mayor .said that approximately £550 was in hand for the erection of the baths, this sum having been collected during the past carnivals held. Mr. G. Powell, chairman of the Carnival Committee, pointed out that the baths would not only benefit the town people, but also would benefit the country people. The Mayor stated 'that the erection e,f a maternity annexe would cost somewhere in the vicinity of £9OOO and the maintenance would be approximately £2OOO a year. Il the maternity annexe was erected as a centennial memorial then file district would have to find £BOOO and the Government subsidy would be £IOOO. On the other hand, if the annexe was built by :t)he Hospital Board then the

subsidy would be £4500, leaving the district to raise £4500. The Mayor added ithat he had always, even as a member of the Hospital Board, fought against the erection of a maternity annexe an Wairoa. He contended that if the Department of Health stated that a maternity home had to be built in Wairoa, 'then let it build it. The country was being taxed enough for maternity benefits. Both Sir Apirana Ngata and Mr. E. L. Cullen, M.P.s, had expressed favour with the bath s project, the former advising ithe district not to consider a maternity annexe as a centennial memorial. Of the two, swimming bath or maternity annexe, stated Mr. G. D. Tod, the country people favoured the maternity annexe. In supporting the bath proposal, Mr. R. Buckingham pointed out the safety aspect from the childrens point of view. The river was dangerU “Why not build a town clock and everyone can use it?” he asked. Dr E. B. Jardine pointed out that in expert had stated that a scheme providing for l!he fencing off of a portion of the river was feasible. He was not against the proposal to erect a swimming bath, nor the erection or a maternity home. He thought that a town clock or parlj, would be suitable centennial memorials, and moved an amendment that the memorial take ithe form of a town clock, lne amendment was seconded by Mr. Mclntyre.

Appeal for Unanimity

The chairman of the Wairoa County Council, Mr. A. T. Carroll,;said that what wtes needed was unanimity, and any question of town v. country should be eliminated. At the first meeting, he continued, it was unanimously decided that Wairoa’s centennial memorial should lake the form of a swimming bath, and now the country people had come with a counter-suggestion. The maternity annexe was of vital importance'. They had to rear the children before they could swim in the baths. The question of cost must be considered, and he was of opinion that an unbiased committee should be formed with power to decide the form of memorial, taking into consideration! Mie value to .the district and the cost. “Why not aim at something a little lower?” asked Mr. C. ft. Sainsbury, who advised those present not to think m millions ibut in hundicds. He suggested raising £ISOO and then handing the baths over to a committee, comprising representatives of the school and country, and telling that committee to look after the baths and 1 teach the children to swim. . Mr Sainsbury then moved that the proposal derided at the first meeting be reaffirmed, but that the Centennial Committee make its objective £ISOO. The motion was seconded by Mr. R. M. McDonald. Mr. Tombleson stated that the -ounfry people objected' to the high cost of the project, but if the proposal was modified then there would ho iharmony and' unanimity. “I don’t think our original project ms too ambitious,” stated the Mayor, added that he had enough faithin his district for that. He suggestedmiking the objective £ISOO and- then more -money Was raised' flhe swimming bath could be more elaborate. “The only non-paroeh'ial memorial -•mi can put up is a really good -ooiovrvit.y home,” stinted Mr. P. J. Brewster.

On, being nut to the meeting, Mr. Snin'sbury’s motion that the decision nr the previous meeting be reaffirmed but that the Centennial Committeemake its objective £ISOO, was carried om a show of handg,