Meeting re Town Hall.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 89, 27 December 1900, Page 3

Meeting re Town Hall.

The following is the discussion at the meeting on Friday night, and which we were unable to give in full - last issue .* — Mr Mb ncbester 'asked if Mr Beckett," who seconded the motion, were & j Borough ratepayer, and was answered in the -affirmative. Mr Manchester went on to say that there were two sides to every question. Dr Baiclay had laid his proposal bofore them in a masterly manner. He esteemed the latter aa a professional man and as a private gentleman, but * ha didn't see eye to eye with him here. They had not one scrap of guarantee that the assets were reliable in the \ future, or cf auy real advantages which would accrue to the town. These few committee meetings were not worth the expenditure. They needed a thousand and tne things for the hdli and those who had to <pay the piper ] would not benefit one iota. The pro- . posal was wild and badly thought out ; if there were such immense advantages to be gaiued, let them form a company and issue shares. They weie . rated to death now, and if they had a poll, he would advise them to allow those who wanted these luxuries pay for them. Mr Maberley asked the present amount derived from leasing the* land. The Mayor explained that £3 per year are now derived from the Couajfy Council, but cut up into building sifcos it would briug in much more. Besides she Boiough council had not thorugllly recognised its right to the land. Mr Maberley thonghl the value of land itself about £-30, let alone £30 {or rental. Mr Hamilton said Ml 1 Manchester had d«velt on the Town Ilall a.s .a luxury for a small section of the com munifcy. He did not see why the providing of a Town UaH for meetings was a luxury ; in. taoi^ml other places, larger and smaller toon" this,' a Town tHall was esteemed a r.ecessity. They' Ala&not buch a hall in Waiuiate foi' entertainment of those on whom the townspeople de,pe^tded for their" livelihood. The figures ' Supplied by Dr Baxolay were said to be wild,, but thi£ was au^unj&jignorted statement.' 4s for a guara^ntee^there was bone in any bu'ames/'thVr inoiiey'-would continue to be paid* 3Cf the societies alluded to ceased to exis"t others would arise and would supply the deficiency. As the town advanced, the renting value be relied upon to rise. They always would have enter bainrftents, and they should Havou a commodious and safe buildiSg 4o& the purpose. Were a fire to occur-in the Oddfellows' Hall, a Very serious calamity would follow, and on this ground aloneoit was a necessity. The -more conveniences provided in Waimate the better for the pluce. Had Mr Manchester gone on be same lines a 9 he wish 3d the Borough to go, -he would have kept his business in the old premises. Instead of this he had built commodious buildings, a credit to the town. Mr Manchester said he objected as a ratepayer to ant his hand in his pocket to p*ay for what he did not need. He increased *hi8 r< business, because it suited liiuiVbut U8 didnojb ask the ratepayers topay fp£,itu. s ~ ' ! Mr Middleton hoped the ratepayers would not allow Mr Manchester to throw dust in their eye 3. That gentleman had no more compassion for the ratepayers than he had for a dead rat. The speaker urged that the town bring itself into line with other boronghs. Mr A.twill said Mr Manchester had 3poken at length. He did not wish to ace the town advance. If it did more business people would come and they had to live. Let them compare theprices of articles now and fifteen yeara back and see what was the cause of the stagnation. The Borough Council should ba the leaders of all enterprises in the town. They wanted to keep the money in the town and there were the people in it who wculd see it go ahead. There were none who lived for themselves alone. The day had come when they had to go ahead, and if the Borough Council did not erect the hall, private pc/sons would. He, himself, would lay J65 on the foundation stone, Mr Pinnell thought Mr Manchester improved the town with the money he earned, but companies outside getting the money sucked the town dry. Mr Milsom rose to support the motion. The" Mayor's figures appeared to Mm very feasible, "and besides, they were not throwing away the money. They still had the building, a oonaiderabl» asset, and a source of entertainment and instruction. They must try and attract custom to the town, not meet its wants in a spirit of ridicule. Dr. Barclay had handled the subject j in a masterly manner and it was a great shame the way he had been handled. A good point had been raised regarding escapes in the event of fire in the Oddfellows' Hall. Here they had a beneficial scheme which had been opposed on purely .personal grounds. Everything showed a fear that the ratepayers should get the chance to vote whether the scheme should be considered or not. Mr Beckett said in reply to Sir Man* .cheater that the A. and P. Association

had the use of the Council room for general and committee meeting, but not as a club room, which they most needed. Mr Loach said that it had been said "Mr Manchester erected buildings and" improved the town, while large com panics took the money out of the place but that was purely to benefit him * self. Mr Foweraker said Dr. Barclay had not included staging, scenery and asphalting, all considerable items. Dr. Barclay 'said that stage and proscenium were iacluded, aud if the' gallery were left -out the peica would b8 kept Well within bounds. TnCestiuaate of the land w<as Mr Baxter's. It was nearly double tho area of the Library sections, which were -vorfclr £600. He was asked to tuttke the present a private venture, bul he had not baexi willing to allow a syndicate to monopolise it aud charge ratepayers" exorbitant prices, Tno Library had brought forward a good suggestion that i lavatories should be erected, and the speaker thought the non existence of such in the town was a disgrace. The ; scheme might be a little premature, but it was brought forward while there was an opportunity of joining with the Library. None of his figures w«r-' attackod by Mr Manchester, aud this he took as a compliment from a man of his 3tandiug. Hi 3 objections wer& the 3ame as they had always been in regaid to any scheme yet brought forward. If Mr Manchester, one of 48Q. ratepayers, did not patronise an I 'entertainment there was no reaaon i vfhy trie bulk of the ratepayers should be guided* £y him, The Rev. George Barclay rose to speak, but Mr Ooltmaa rase to a point of order. The Rev. Barclay said he had not heard auy intimation that the discussion was closed, but he had a right, to speak. Re paid mora taxos tlaan many there. The chairman ruled against Mr Barclay and ha was not allowed to proceed. He sat down with the remark that there wore a number present who would bd pleased he was not able to speak. The motion was then put and carried by 51 to 34. ■.„ Following are the figures submitted by Dr,; Barclay :

Dr. £ s d insurance ... ij ...^\^ 0 0 :Jalf salary hall- keeper 26 0 0 jight 5 0 0 .nterest ...»' ... 100 0 0 juuddes ... >,• 12 10 0 Total £153 10 0

£ s a Saving of Subsidy^" ".?. 25 0 0 Library Rent ... 25 0 0 Caledouian Society „. 12 lp 0 A. ana F. Association ,"' 45 b 0 Cycling Club 2 0 0 Horticultural Society. 5 0 0 Other Societies :.. 3 0 0 Lease of Land .Y. 30 0 0 Lotting Hall 3G 0 0 Total £163 10 0