FREE USE OF SUPPER ROOM.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 292, 13 June 1929, Page 4

FREE USE OF SUPPER ROOM.

PRIVILEGE CHALLENGED. Town Board Discussion. The relative values of the Plunket Society, the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union and the Workers’ Educational Association to the national life of the country were incidentally drawn into a discussion at the meeting of the Putaruru Town Board on Monday evening, when a letter from the Putaruru branch of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union was received. The letter stated that it was understood that the Plunket Society occupied the supper room of the Town Hall free of charge, and asked that the same privilege be extended to the W.D.F.U. As the payments for the use of the room were in advance up till September the division would be pleased to receive the concession asked for in the coming year. Mr. A. E. Barr Brown opened the discussion by regretting that he was net at the last meeting of the board, when the free use of the supper room had been granted to thd W.E.A., and he asked where was this sort of thing going to cease. The chairman (Mr. McDermott) said the Plunket Society and the W.E.A. were public bodies, open to every section of the community, while the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union was open to farmers’ wives and daughters. Mr. Tomalin said the letter was the outcome of the grant of the room to the W.E.A. The Plunket Society also got the supper room free. Mr. Tomalin, after characterising the W.E.A. as an association catering for “ work dodgers,” said the W.D.F.U. carried the burden, for it paid in advance and was far more important than any other body. At this stage it was pointed out to Mr. A. E. Barr Brown by the secretary of the W.E.A. that the association had not asked for the free use of the room but for a donation, and in order to save the board’s un- ! authorised expenditure the free use [ of the room was given by way of a s donation, and this caused Mr. Toma- ' lin to ask why not give the free use of the room to the W.D.F.U. as a donation also.

Mr. Tomalin : Stop the lot, for if this goes on you can get a new member in my place. I will not be a parj-e to it.

Mr. Barr Brown said two bodies had had the privilege granted. The chairman pointed out that both the applications were granted at legally-constituted meetings, and both organisations were public bodies. Mr. Tom-din thereon affirmed that the W.D.F.U. was also a public body, for it had town women on it. Mr. Neal pointed out that the Plunket Society and the W.E.A. were subsidised by the Government. In reference to the W.D.F.U.. it was doing a good work for the town in collecting money to erect a ladies’ rest room work that, the Town Board should he doing. The W.D.F.TT. was such an asset to the town that consideration should be given to its request for the free use of the room, but the danp-er lav in the question of where it is going to end. The chairman r-ked. if the W.D.F.U. was o-iven the free use of the room, would the Farmers’ Union come along and ask for the same concession. ?

Mr. Tomalin said al' should pay for the room. It was fashionable to nander to education. He reiterated his statement that if this sort of thing was e- o ing to continue he would get off the board. Mr. Barr Brown was of the opinion that they had to look at the question from the public viewpoint. After a little desultory discussion Mr. Tomalin gave notice of motion that he would move that the resolution relative to the free use of the supper room be rescinded. He added that the W.D.F.U. was the only good payer the board had, for it had paid in advance. Furthermore, where would the Plunket Society and the W E.A. be without the farmers ? Mr. Barr Brown asked what the W.D.FTT. was doing for the nation. Mr. Tomalin said the division was formed for social intercourse among farmers’ wives and daughters, the sending of libraries to backblneks, and the provision of domestic help. The discussion then ceased.