The Globe. MONDAY, JULY 16, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 954, 16 July 1877, Page 2

The Globe. MONDAY, JULY 16, 1877.

The recent opening at Timaru of a commodious building for a Town Hall suggests the enquiry whether it is not time Christchurch possessed one also. The present building is neither convenient nor handsome, in fact it is the reverse of both, and how the city officials manage to discharge their duties in the small and ill-ventilated rooms allotted to them is a mystery. There are many reasons in favor of the building of a Town Hall apart from the convenience of the city officers. At present there is no place where a meeting of the burgesses can be held without hiring a room and having to suit the date and time of meeting to the convenience of the lessor. Besides, every meeting so held is a considerable charge on the city rates, and unless in matters of extreme importance, the Mayor for the time being might well be pardoned for hesitating to convene meetings which involve outlay from the ratepayers on each occasion. Again, the city is rapidly growing in importance, and something surely like a blush of shame must rise to the cheek of a resident, when asked by a visitor whether the dilapidated building on the Terrace is indeed the Town Hall of aristocratic Christchurch. The city possesses a site which may be made suitable for the purpose. It will therefore be seen that land is at the disposal of the ratepayers whereon to build a Town Hail worthy of the city, without going to enormous expense in the purchase of land. It is a central site in close proximity to all the public offices, and a building upon that vacant space would add very greatly to the beauty of the city. Another point winch must not be overlooked, and for which provision might be made, is that no place appears to have been found in the G-overnment scheme of buildings for a new Resident Magistrate’s Court. The urgent and crying necessity for such a building is apparent every day, and as the General Grovernment do not appear to contemplate building one, let the City Hall be so arranged as to afford accommodation for the Resident Magistrate and his officers. Jn course of time the Mayor’s Court, like that in other cities, will no doubt be established here, and thus the rooms added to what may be required ' for strictly civic purposes, will not be - when the Grovernment decide to buiid a themselves. The Government we b , ellere t “A he too glad to pay a f “' accommodation, and this wo.. some way towards recouping the cosu of the building. Besides, there are other means of revenue which will arise, such as letting the Hall for oratorios, lectures, &c., which will bring the expense to be incurred in the erection to a minimum. What we have said is merely a sketch of the general idea; of course the details would require to be carefully considered. But all will agree with us that it is quite time something was done in the matter, and if the suggestions above made be acted upou, we believe a Town Hall can be secured at a very moderate cost to the ratepayers. We commend the scheme to the earnest consideration of the members of the City Council, in the hope that something practical may result therefrom. There can be no doubt of this, that the time has come for action in the erection of a new building, and we incline to the belief that the suggestions made point to the easiest and most economical mode of obtaining it.