PROPOSED NEW TOWN HALL

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 295, 4 July 1929, Page 4

PROPOSED NEW TOWN HALL

ALTERNATIVE SCHEME. Deferred Until Later Date. The question of the proposed new Town Piall and the alternative scheme of altering the present structure to bring it up to date has been before the Putaiuru Town Board on several occasions, and it again figured as the principal topic of discussion at the July meeting of the board on Monday evening. Mr. Barr Brown submitted the re-

port of the sub-committee—Messrs

Barr Brown, McDermott and Tomalin—set up at the June meeting, and the report was accompanied by an elaborate plan setting forth the proposed alterations in detail. This report outlined th“ alterations, which , were estimated to cost approximately | £IOSO. I Speaking as one of the sub-

committee, Mr. Tomalin thought the proposals were all right as an alternative scheme, but no further. Ke contended that the cost was all ! wrong, and he was also opposed to ' cutting up the hall into small divisions. i Mr. Yandle confessed that he had I not studied the question to any great extent. In speaking to the plan Mr. Barr Brown said that in regard to the width the span of the building was as much as could be carried at the present moment. By adopting the suggestion they could get an extra 15 feet full width of the hall, which would make a huge difference. Mr. Barr Brown then entered into a detailed explanation of the plan. After hearing the previous speaker Mr. Neal said it was all right as an alternative proposal. The chairman (Mr. G. G. Griffiths) took it that they were discussing the principle of the thing. Mr. McDermott was in agreement with the report with the exception of one or two alterations. They might also consider the question ot a gal-

Mr. Bent said if it were adopted as an alternative scheme it looked like being a long-gutted affair. If the roof was to be altered they might- as well build a new hall. The question was, were they going to have an alternative scheme ? a statement agreed to by the chairman. Mr. Barr Brown said it was for the board to say if it were suitable for an alternative scheme. The chairman said an impression had got abroad that he was opposed to an alternative scheme, but this was not so. He looked at it from the town point of view in getting people to come to the town. If they could not provide a new Town Hall at no cost to the ratepayers then go in for an alternative scheme. He suggested holding up the alternative scheme until it was ascertained if they could provide a new hall at no cost to the ratepayers. Mr. Barr Brown said that to provide a picture theatre was to provide for a section of the community only. The chairman said they could use the present hall for dances, to which Mr. Barr Brown replied that it was not big enough, a statement with which the chairman disagreed. Mr. McDermott instanced Cambridge, where the two were combined jin one building successfully. By ; building a picture theatre alone at | no cost they were going to lose reI venue. To suggest shops in the building as revenue producers was wrong, for Putaruru was overj burdened with shops, and it would ! mean emptying shops of present

ratepayers. The chairman asked why object to try and find out if they could get an un-to-date hall at no cost to the ratepayers. Mr. McDermott said the question was one for the ratepayers to decide, to which the chairman replied that thev would not turn it down if it could he shown that the hall could be erected at no cost to the ratepayers. A discussion then arose as to the business likely to be brought to the town as a result of the hall being erected, and later Mr. McDermott said that two meetings ago the chairman thoua-ht the alternative scheme a good one. hut Mr. Griffiths denied this and reiterated previous statements that he could not see anv objections to a scheme that could be got for nothing. Mr. McDermott said the alternative scheme would not, affect the main scheme, but the chairman disagreed. Mr. Ynndle stated that if thev built n new Town Hall they would lose the revenue from the present one, and there ensued a discussion on the houefits of an un-to-date theatre in bringing people to a town. Mr. Yandle said they would have

to cut out the idea cf shops, for the Government was opposed to local bodies and State departments entering into competition with private owners.

The chairman suggested tabling the alternative scheme for later reference and going on with the legal opinion, which was to the effect that tenders could be called for the letting of the new hall on condition that it was stated that such tenders were called in anticipation and without any liability on the board’s part as to the acceptance of any tender. Mr. Barr Brown said they were going to vote on something they were not clear on. The chairman said it was the principle they would be voting on, not details. It meant holding the alternative scheme over until tenders were called. The discussion continued for some little time, with the result that the chairman’s suggestion was agreed to, and the alternative scheme stands over until tenders are called for letting the new Town Hall. During the discussion it was revealed that the water scheme would be deferred until next March, the idea being to place the Town Hall and Recreation Ground proposals before the Local Government Loans Board at the earliest possible moment and to place the water scheme before the Loans Board after March of next year. In speaking to this Mr. McDermott said it looked as if water, which was the first thing, was now to be relegated to the rear