HAMILTON PUBLIC HALL.

Waikato Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1331, 11 January 1881, Page 3

HAMILTON PUBLIC HALL.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,— Another hole-and-corner meeting has been held on the West side, similar to the underground meeting once held before. The East portion of residents knew nothing of such meeting, even though the Hall site is as much their pioperfcyas the West. ™>hen will the people rouse themselves to put a stop to the encroachments of their rights and privileges by a few selfish individuals who call themselves Hamilton. Have we not a sufficient number of public halls ? Have we not already more than are paying ? I am persuaded that the Trustees of the Oddfellows' Hall would sell it, if they could, for what it cost, and then it could be enlarged for public and volunteer purposes if necessary. But what about the Church of England Sunday-school ! I think the parson shows his good sense in sticking to the funds. Whoever heard of a public and volunteer hall and Sundayschool combined ? Dance and song on Saturday night— Sunday-school in the morning. What an anomaly! Again I say we have more halls and accomodation for Hamilton people than are required. We have the Victoria Hall, Hamilton Hall, Oddfellows' Hall, Good Templars' Hall, which are all open to be let for public purposes. Then we have the Council Chambers and Courthouse, free to them on application to the authorities, which I think sufficient for some years to come. Yet again, we have the Masonic Hall, for the use of that body only. Sir, a lew who would like yet another one at their back doors would not object if it were even close by their front doors, only &o long as it was on the West side. Now, Sir, it is again the old, old cry, ;of AVest against East. If these selfish ppoplo had on the West sido such buildings as either the Hamilton or the Oddfellows' Halls, the parties getting up this agitation, would never move in the matter, as they then would say (which is quite tiuo) we have sufficient already, and more than we can profitably support. What a spirit of generosity was displayed by some of the speakers at the meeting in the Council Chambers, on 4th inst, when Mr Whi taker proposed expending the £100 Bazaar money ou the enlargement of the Oddfellows' Hall for Volunteer and other purposes. One of the speakers said " under the circumstances, would they be justified in expending the money on the Oddfellows' Hall.' ' But the same speaker advocated the money being spent on the Hamilton West side, in building yet another Public Hall — "What an unselfish spirit that ? The East half had subscribed as much to the bazaar ; and more than half of the Cavalry who subscribed were East men. Yet no part of tho money bubscribed " under any circumstances," must be expended on that side. I say it is a bad spirit to foster, and those few who are usin? Eabt against West, and West against East for their own selfish ends, ought to be brought up sharp in the public interests by the sensible portion of our community, rousing themsolvea up. Lot the Sunday-school be built, with the money alieady at the Bank, and so devote it to it.s original purpofee which is sadly wanted, and the Public Hall site West side, will meanwhile not run away, but be available in the future, when Hamilton is moie populous, and will lequiro more accomodation. — I am, <fee, Hamii,toxia.x. Hamilton, Btli January, 18S1.