TOWN HALL FOR TURUA.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4620, 2 November 1923, Page 1

TOWN HALL FOR TURUA.

TOWN BOARD TO BE APPROACHED A public meeting was held in the Turua Buildings on Wednesday evening to discuss a suggestion that a public hall be built in Turua. There was an attendance of about twenty- ' five. ivlr G. Gray, president o£ the Turua Biitlding Company, presided, and >n his opening remarks said that there was no question that a new hall was required. Mr G. Walker said the cost would probably be £3OOO, and the *na»e.l cost for interest and other charges would be approximately £260. Hall hire, ec., might realise £2BO per annum. He thought that the proposition would be a payable one. The sub-commitee of the Turua Building Company had gone into the question and recommended that the Town - Board take the matter up. 1 The chairman said that the meeting had been called to discuss ways and means with a view to approaching the Town Board. Mr Madgwick said that if the Town Board would not take up the matter he was sure that ample support from the outer arba would be forthcoming. Mr Gray said that the Building Company had thought that the Town Board would be the ifight body to undertake the proposition. The company also thought that this would be the quickest method. Mr J. Mules, chairman of the Town Board, said that the Board would have to approach the County Council to raise a loan. The County Council would consent if the ratepayers were favourable. Mr Johnson said that there was no doubt a hall Was required, amd in his opinion it would be a paying proposition. He quoted the case of Otorohanga, where the profits from the hall paid the wages; of a Town Board employee. =’ A small rate had been leived as security but had never been collected. Mr Madgwick was not in favour of a rate for the purpose. He advocated a joint and several guarantee, the town hall to be vested in the Town Board. Mr J. Mules said that the Town Board would jump at a proposition like that. The profits could be used to pay off the debt. Mr Madgwick suggested as an alternative that debentures should be isr.ned. Mr Walker was doubtful if the money could be raised locally. There might also be a difficulty in obtaining guarantors unless they were given some say in the management. Mr J. A. Bennett opposed the idea of vesting the hall in the Town Board. Tne chairman said that he doubted if the necessary money could be raised by issuing debentures. He thought a scheme could be inaugurated by which settlers outside the town board area would be rated pro rata with the townspeople.. Mr J. L. Brownlee that there wafer no doubt that a good public hall would be an asset to the town. It would, therefore, be an asset to the ratepayers of the town area. In his opinion the best manner of financing the proposition would be a loan with a rate over the town area as security. • If the Town Board did not erect a hall a private company tnight step in and the, townspeople might have to pay heavily for hall hire. Mr W. Madgwick said that he saw no reason why -a special rating area could not be created. The chairman said that in the event of that happening the County Council would be the controlling authority. 7n reply to Mr Mules Mr Walker said that Mr Bagnall had stated that the present hall would be closed up immediately a public hall was erected. Mr G. Walker moved that a deputation of three be appointed to wait upon the Town Board and urge that body to consider without delay the question of the erection of a town hall, and that it be a recommendation to the Board that the money required for such a building should be raised at the earliest possible date, with the consent pf the County Council, by a special loan over the land in the to.vn board arpa. Mr S. Mercer seconded the motion. Mr J. A. Bennett moved as an amendment that the rate be over the residential area only, but lapsed for want of a seconder. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. Messrs W. Madgwick, G. Gray, and J. A. Bennett were appointed the* deputation. Mr G. Walker suggested that a petition be circulated to strengthen the hands of the deputation. This was agieed'to, and a list circulated in the room was largely signed.