THE TOWN HALL.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3471, 27 April 1920, Page 6

THE TOWN HALL.

(To the Editor.)

Sil.___ln >fh'é"i-fiiort of the meeting of tlie éorough Coimcil, as published in your paper on 24th inst., appears the following extract. from we report of the Finance Commiftee:——“That the secretary of the St. Patrick’s -Day Sports Club b‘e infornied that as the amended schedule of Town Hall rents for special nights ap.pliesvlo,3lge'g.le institutions, tlie charge. ..re_ferl'ed to in his letter of 25th March is correct, »ana consequently no reduction can be made in the amoTl‘nt of the accgunt.’,’ As thelreport containing the fabove; was adopted, and as only Cr. Timbs and the Mayor were favourable to a reduction being made,‘ I am forced to the conclusion that the majority of the»? other membersiof the Council were not‘ aware of the real position, as-...repre-i sented to the Council in my letter, which \\.l..\‘ considereclby the Finance Committee. In order that the public

F may be made acquainted Witlrthe real § position, it will be necessary for me’ to "state briefly that the le‘tteF"ffz:.s\ to

i the efifedt that the scale of charges for l? the use of the Town-Hal} is practically f the‘ same scale as was -adbpted soon after the completion of the ‘Town. ‘1: Hall; that the inclusion of a charge of £B, plus ‘fighting, etc., ‘for the use

of thé 112111 on‘New Year ’s night, show

night, and St. Patrick’s night, was intended to prevent outside companies from securing the hall on those nights to the exclusion of the local sports’ clubs, and A. and P. Society; that the scale had always been interpretedrto give effect to ‘the obvious intention of ‘the? Council to protect the local clubs, and that the sum of over £9 was an unfair charge to make for the use of the-hall by a local sports -club. 4 In support of these contentions, it may be stated that the charge which had always previously been made to the Hibernian Sports Club and others was £3 10/, in spite of the fact that the scale had not been amended so far as the, rates for the three special nights; were concerned. I think, sir, that‘ l every ratepayer must agree that in the lcircunistancesf we were fully entitled to protest against being charged more than £9 (Which_is more than the rate charged to any outside company) for lthe use of the Town Hall for a single I ‘lnight. It is obviously unfair that We! hshould have been made the victims, lnot of an amended scale (as contended by the Finance Committee), but of an amended interpretation of the same ‘scale, which has been in force.for

earus. V, Does the Council seriously think that they are entitled to charge the tum of £9 for the useof the Hall by a jocal sports club for one night? It is iessential that all sports clubs shoul-ti “possess a certain amount oti capital to Wnable them to carry on, and it should he the duty of the Council to encourI ge sport, not. to restrict it, by greed'ly pursuing the clubs for as much as ‘tt can. get out of, them. The charge linade is utterly absurd, and it is not I he first time the Council has displayed ‘inch greed in demanding. excessive [ents for the use of the Town Hall. \Dn New Yeafsinight-, the charge made ‘to the Returned Soldiers’ Association vas £9 0/6, -and on other occasions there have been some difliculties in onnection with the hire of the Town all. . i . A

One wonders at the reason for these i llhings, especially as there has been in I flast negotiation;s_zi‘ tendency to unluly ‘consider ‘the interests ' of the ulessee of the Town Hall. Is the Coun- 4 lil imbued with the idea that the public of Taihape should be compelled to luubmit to picture entertainments, ‘and ‘tsget a chance to appreciate other-, llasses of entert:iinment.~? Tl‘h_er.zten_d;.~_‘» ncy of the Council has been rtonpro-J the lessees at -all costs, "alndrthisi lhort-sighted policy ‘has"h:ld“thc- effect 1 fpreV.el.l’t.ing travelling c‘ompa~.niesdl 1} from visiting Talllanc. One compmlyr ltavclling south had ‘to pass fl‘ai}l%gfi,l ‘how at Marten, return to ‘Taihape eiit dag. an: then :0 soimlth €l(,;‘{ll}_l!,lilT;hi§‘;.}. ”' 3’ reason eing t at t e Town" 9. 1 ‘lould not be leased on a Thursday‘ .Ight. Another company which Med 'lO ‘appear here on :1 Sut.ur:d'ay‘ ight was aslfed to compensate the; Hssee to the extent of £2O. On anther oCC'c'lSloll I went to the Borough Ml ce to book the Town Hall for a. Relrned Soldier)’ entertainment” but mm informed the Borough Council ‘ uld not let the hall. I was referred‘ Me» the lessee, and told that I would t.o make -termswith him. The I 38“ k d 20 h’ ' tefiff ole fiighis §Z£§LZ‘Ze§§ 1’ 135 ll l .s . » ltme acquainted with the terms of the ll?-Se, which provided that the Council: M“ d‘ the right to let the hall on six t1tt.11I”<1I:y :11-ghés in ‘the year. A depu-_ 3 1011 9 « e own Clerk resulted in a. pmproniise, and we wired the lessee" We offer of £8 for the use of the hall ‘W that 0999-51013; but the ofi'er was declined. After a. special meetlg of the Town‘ Hall Committee, we ;t:§.nz;gt[3E 1*: Se('31:.1I:‘8 tFhe hall Con ‘tighe ill rm . Q inanee ‘ ommi ee Ppnrently has en idea that’ the scale {charges and regulations cannot: be

iufelipreted in any other way than in the interests of the lessee. One of the conditions is that. sub~letting of the hall is strictly prohibited, but if sending an applicant for the use of the hall to the picture proprietor to make terms with him is not 8. direct sanction of a breach of the regulations, then what: is? This pampering of the alleged rights of the lessee is all very well in its Way, but why should there be any collusion between the borough «staff, or any member thereof, and thelcssee in trying to force me to make terms with the lessee, when the Council alone had the right fo'let the hall?

However, those in oflice have aplparently achieved their object, which was.to enable the proprietors of the pictures to have a monopoly of the -“holiday nights, as I am convinced that no local sports homes will hire the hall‘ at £9 per night in future, The action of the Council in this particular {case has been to place local sports ‘clubs on the same footing as outside companies on the only three nights in the year on which the hall is likely) to ‘be used by those clubs.’ If.‘ _those interested deny :that they are giving special considerallion-. to the giicture people, why make‘ 5, special charge for holiday nights at all? The fact that

there was :1 special charge for those nights proves conclusively that Q. proTection of local clubs was intended, and the fact that the intention was zilways previously given clfect to strengthens our case; and the fact that the new interpretation. of the old scale is only recent, strengthens our czfse still more. J

Siilcekbur first difiercnce with the Town Hall ComnlitToe over the hire of the hall, the returned soldiers have been informed :thzlf“in future they will have to pay full rate for the use of the hall. In 1918, the returned soldiers and patriotic bodies were informed that when they used the hall a rebate of 50 per cent would be gratitcd, and it is only I‘CilvSOllZlblC .to assume that there was :1. motion recorded to that effect in the minute book. I have

not. seen any notice ‘of motion trelating to the rescinding of that resolution; neither have I seen any report relating t'o"‘rhe“ adoption of a resolution to the eifect that in future the returned. soldiers will have to pay full rate for the use of the hall. If the old resolution was rescinded. the Council

Ewes apparetntly so much ashamed ‘O? its action that it managed to keep tlie "mtter very quiet.» As far‘ as I have been able :to ascertain by experience. What the Town Clerk says in regard to letting the hall goes; but in View of the troubles mentioned above, 1 think it is ‘time that the matter was satisfactoz-113,7 adjusted. Thanking you in afiticipation.--I' §"m, ea.c., E. LENIHAN.