THOSE PUBLIC CONVENIENCES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 79, 20 August 1912, Page 8

THOSE PUBLIC CONVENIENCES

QUESTION RECONSIDERED BY TIIE COUNCIL. BROUGHAM STREET SITE TO BE RETAINED. The question of the erection of public conveniences in Brougham street was reconsidered by the Borough Council List night, and. led to considerable discussion. At the last meeting a deputation opposed to the proposal had waited on the Council, -asking it to stay its hands in the matter. The Mayor said that after going into , the objections raised, he was still of the opinion that the conveniences should be erected in Brougham street .The only thing on which he agreed wit.'. , the deputation was that a caretaker should be put in charge of the structure when erected. He did not believe ■that there would .be any depreciation of property. In- reaffirming his conviction that it was necessary that the site should be in a public place, the Mayor said that in other cities and towns in New; Zealand, in nearly all cases, conveniences of the sort were .placed in the most public and conspicuous positions, and nobody raised any objections. Mr. Brown also ridiculed the suggestion tlw.f it would be a nuisance to passers-by. The most serious objection was the] threat of the deputation to take steps to prevent the structure being erected. The Council, however, had full power to erect the conveniences if it wished. He was opposed to the Council being put to the expense of purchasing a site elsewhere, even supposing it was suitable, He warned the Council that if it acceded to the wishes of the deputation,it would establish a bad precedent,' Once it gave way in one single instance, every individual ratepayer could wait on the Council, and it would have to submit to him. He moved that tho Council should adhere to the site already fixed upon. The motion was seconded by Ci\ Hartnoil.

Cr. Stock-?r enquired if it was absolutely necessary to put tiie conveni enees in Brougham street, to which tho Mayor replied that the Council had gone thoroughly into the pros and cons of various sites. and the borough engineer had reported in favor of this proposed site.

Cr. Stocker also if it would not be possible to enlarge the present strue ture at the Tear of the Borough Chambers, and thus avoid the construction of new conveniences.

According to the Mayor, it would be unwise to adopt this suggestion. The municipal buildings site was a valuable one, sufficiently large to. erect new bor ougli chambers and a museum, and he was opposed to encroaching upon it, It was a most unfortunate thing that provision was not made for requirements of the sort when the town was originally laid out. As it was, the Council had done what was best under the cixciim-' stances.

Cr. Clarke emphasised that it was absolutely necessary to have a permanent caretaker in charge of the premises dur ing the busy hours of the day. This question should be settled before the site was selected. Cr. Jackson held that it was time enough to consider the appointment of a caretaker when the structure was erected. He urged the Council to stick to its guns. A lengthy discussion ensued, which was productive of several -amendments, Cr. Ambury moved that the order for the plant l>e cancelled, and that the whole question be deferred for this year, and that when the time is opportune the conveniences be erected on the septic tank sit.

This was seconded by Cr. Stocker

Upon the borough engineer explaining that the plant could be erected on either site. Cr. Ambury deleted that portion of his amendment having reference to the cancelling of the order. Another suggestion was that of Or Clark's, that a plebiscite should be taken on the question -when the Council next approached the ratepayers with loan pro posals. Ultimately 'the Council adopted the Mayor's motion in ifavor of the Brougham street .site by seven votes to three. The dissentients Atere Grs. Ambury, Stocker and Mannix.