FITZROY HALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 254, 25 March 1914, Page 6

FITZROY HALL.

A I\'KW si'i l-: WAXTIiD. TUKXEI) l)()WX ACALX. The much ilist'iissi'il <|ui'slion of Ibo provision of a. new sitc for t In- Filzroy llall, received a further airing at the meeting o.f the l'orough Council on A - diiy night, when Cr. Jackson moved the rescinding of the former resolution pro viding that no steps lie at, present taken to acquire other land for a hall site. In speaking to his motion, (!r. Jackson reminded the Council that the rescinding of the portion of l.lie resolution referred to would ntirelv non-commit-tal, The question would he re-opened, and could he discussed on its merits and dealt with l>v a committee of three, of whom Cr. C'ollis (chairman of the reserves cominitt.ee) should he one. 11 is idea was that sonic, new mctliod mi,i»lit lie arrived at of linancing another site for the hall, lie thought the Council would be ghul to re-open the question, as they must surely have considered the Fitzroy people entitled to some compensation, provided it could be financed without being too big a tax on the finances of the tramway scheme. Cr. Collis seconded the motion. Or. Kibby said lie would not weary the Council with the details of the question again but content himself by observing that the Council would be only doing the right thing in rescinding that part of the resolution referred to by Cr. Jackson. Cr. Wilson: I should like to know what is at the back of this. There is lio reason advanced for altering the previous resolution. He had, he continued, mi open mind in the matter, but could not agree to Cr. Jackson's motion without knowing the reason which prompted it and the new proposition which it was intended to support. Cr. Clarke agreed. The Council should know why it was asked to turn somersaults in this way.

Cr. Jackson replied that it was difficult for him to indicate wliat course should be taken if his motion should he carried. He had thought that part of the cost of the new site might have been met out of the reserves fund, and for that reason he would have proposed that the chairman of the reserves committee be a member of the sub-commit-tee to Jeiil with the question. Some more satisfactory solution of the difficulty than that put forward at the previous meeting was needed. Cr. Wilson suggesti I that Cr. .Tacksoil should defer his motion until he had consulted the chairman of the reserves committer, and had got some definite proposition to put before the Council.

Cr. Jackson again pointed out that his motion was non-committal. Cr. Clarke wanted to know where the reserve funds were to come from. Cr. .laeksoin I don't know exactly. Cr. Clarke: Neither does anyone else.

Cr. Jackson saiil he was prepared to waive the erection of a new hall or the moving of the old one. A committee report might put a different as'pect on (he matter.

Cr. Collis said his feeling was that as the people of Fitzroy hail acquired the hall and site, some compensation should be. given them, but the proposal at the previous meeting had been found too expensive. Perhaps a cheaper section could be found. The Fitzroy people certainly had a moral claim on the Council more than they were getting. Cr. Clarke: Who are the Fitzroy people ? Cr. Collis: Well, they own the hall. Cr. Clarke: No they don't. The ratepayers of Xew Plymouth do. Cr. Collis: It was not bojight out of rates, and as , far as I am concerned there is nothing behind this motion beyond what has been slated. Cr. Kibby said that the resolution standing was an injustice to the people of Fitzroy. They had spent about £3OO on the hall and site from IS!). 1 ) up to time of merging. Ho would not ask that the hall be removed or rebuilt, simply that a new site be bought. Cr. Maunder said that there, was no good reason for altering the resolution, indeed it would be against the interests of the Fitzroy people to do so. As it stood now it implied that a site would be supplied at some time, and a future Council would be bound by it. There was no intention of robbing Fitzroy. A site would he found when required. Cr. Clarke: The section belongs to the ratepayers of Xew Plymouth. I don't care a straw how they got it. .Vow wo are going to use the site for the benefit of the ratepayers. I am opposed to building a, hall in the suburbs while the Council sits in this building. Cr. Jackson was surprised to hear Cr. Clarke didn't care how the hall was obtained. It had been bought by a private club and transferred to the Fitzroy Town Board simply on trust, implied if not expressed. It had certainly been bought by the Board, but at an unadvertised mortgagee's auction sale, arranged so because that whs the cheapest way of doing it. It was nonsense to say that a future Council would buihl Fitzroy another hall. The Mayor: Certainly it would if there was need for it. Finally, the motion was lost by eight votes to four, the division resulting: Ayes: Crs. Collis. Ambury, Jackson, and Kibby; Xoes: The mayor and Crs. Healy, Sykes. Clarke, Tabor, Wilson, Mannix, and Maunder.