“Taranaki Central Press” MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1937. THE STRATFORD TOWN HALL.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 336, 18 January 1937, Page 4

“Taranaki Central Press” MONDAY, JANUARY 18, 1937. THE STRATFORD TOWN HALL.

In its present state of dilapidation, it is probably fortunate that the Stratford Town Hall is so little used. Disuse begets decay, we are told, and decay develops by a process of geometrical progression if measured in terms of mathematical maintenance. Be that as it may, however, the community concert by two noted visiting artists last Saturday night certainly drew attention to the tragic state of the municipality’s only effort to provide a civic centre for the cultural and entertainment life of the borough.

Let the civic authorities defend as they will, their financial policy of maintaining, or not maintaining, a Town Hall in keeping with the size, position and dignity of the town, the simple fact remains the present building is nothing short of a disgrace to the town and reflects litle credit on the administration of the Council in matters which cannot be measured in terms of £.s.d.

Let us agree that the revenue of the Town Hall does not warrant the expenditure of money upon the building. But let us point out that the civic life of a town should not be based upon the profit-earning capacity of its cultural amenities.

At the risk of wrathful attacks from ail directions, we claim that Stratford is woefully deficient in community spirit. For a town of this size it has fewer community organisations than probably any other town in the Dominion. There is a tendency that all developments in the town shall be material and that progress is a matter of finance or bricks and mortar. The fault of this lies, of course, with the people rather than with the Council, but if the Council adopts a policy which only aggravates this material outlook, it is hardly leading our civic life in the direction of real progress.

Civic authorities were once looked upon as City Fathers. Maybe the Stratford Borough Council would disclaim such a close relationship with its citizens, but the analogy is none the less true. If democracy is to mean anything, it should mean that our elected representatives should guard the civic life of the community they govern as closely as they guard the £.s.d. they so ardently collect.

May we suggest, with all the deference due to the venerable ’’Fathers" of the town, that the value of the Town Hall cannot be calculated by the simple process of adding the various rentals which accrue from its letting? It should, on the other hand, be a centre round which certain non-miterial aspects of the life of the town may gather, a centre from which should emanate entertainment, education and cultural activities. Is r chness of civic life not preferable to richness of civic accounts?