THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC HALL AND LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1816, 26 February 1884, Page 2

THE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC HALL AND LIBRARY IMPROVEMENTS.

A MEETING of the ratepayers of the Cambridge towndistrict was held in thoPublic Hall there on Saturday evening last at 7.30 o'clock for the purpose of discussing the borrowing of £600 for the carrying out of the abovo work. There was a fair attendance, and the chair was occupied by the chairman of the town board, Mr T. Vvells. The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said that in bringing the business of the meeting before them he would endeavour to give them an outline of the proposal, and the subject matter for discussion. The question of improving both the Public Hall and the Library had bsen under the consideration of the respective committees of both institutions for the past two or three years, but the carrying out of the contemplated works had to be held over until the Government had given a title to the sites and buildings, which, as they were doubtless aware, had now been done. On the town board receiving 1 the certificates of title they at once informed the committees of the Library and Hall and invited suggestions on the matter <»f improving both properties, from these bodies. It seemed to be tho unanimous opinion ot these gentlemen that enlargements and improvements of an important character wore imperatively necessary. They met and passed resolutions recommending the borrowing a sum of money and carrying out larger improvements and additions than thoso now fi\ed upon. The town board, thinking that they were somewhat extensive, referred the suggestions back to the respective committees thattheymightmodify the proposals if possible, and at the same time convened a joint meeting of the committees and the board at which the entire question could be gone into fully, and properly discussed. At that meeting, after mature consideration, it was agreed that a less sum than that proposed to be borrowed would be of little service in providing the requisite accommodation. The allocation of the £000 was fixed as follows :— Library, £17-> ; hall, £325, and £100 for the standing liability on the hall in the shape of an over-draft at the bank. He had little to say in addition to this on tho merits of the case, except that it seemed to be the unanimous opinion of the joint committees that the funds accruing from the revenues of both institutions would be sufficient to dischaige the interest and sinking fund on the loan. The speaker then referred to the powers with which tho rt ct invested the local b )dy in these matters, and the cour»e to be pursued by that body, in giving effect to such proposals ; and also that in this case the law had been fully complied with. Having thus introduced the business of the evening, he now declared the matter before the meeting, open for discussion. Mr E. D. .Stewart proceeded to address those present, remaiking that as no other person seemed inclin sd, he himself would take the initiative and endeavour to some e\tcnt to disciuss the proposals laid before them. He would draw their attention at the outset, to the fact that their liabilities at the piObcnt time were unu&ually laigo. In proposing to bin row f urthei moneys they were incurring a further liability, which it was all very well for the gentlemen who bi ought forward these propoitions to tell them would be met by the revenues of the two buildings sought to be impioved. Now, there was a possibility at least of the revenues of these institutions failing to do all that was expected of them. In that case the town would have to face an extra liability of £(500, which meant a further rate of 1W in the £ on all rateable property. Now in point of fftcb were these improvements necessary ? The hall on every occasion had always proved itself equal to the requirements of the place. In fact on ordinary occasions the building had been too large if anything, as it was very seldom tilled. Again, weiethe gentlemen to whom they were asked to give permission to raise this loan fit and proper persons to undei take such a duty ? What had been the method which these gentlemen had adopted in the past in carrying on the affairs of the town ? They had run us into a debt which they now found themselves unable to pay. The financial recklessness which had characterised the boaid in the past ought to be condemned in the most severe teinis. Did they e\er see a piece of gross mismanagement more flagrant than the building of the, Karapiro budge. (The chiiM man hero called Mr Stewart to ordpr, and lemmded him that the meeting was not discussing the matter of the Karapiro bridge, t<> winch Mr Stewart replied that they were discussing how the town board had in the past administered the finances of the place, that they might the better judge how to manage their finances in the future.) What guarantee had the ratepayers that the board would spend this money wi.sply, and to the general benefit of the town when they got it? None whatever. Past experiences had afforded the ratepayers a lesson, and he was quite sure they would sanction the borrowing of no such sum a-, that proposed. They would all admit the wist usefulness of a library to a community such as Cambridge ; but it was quite possible that the utility of this library might be perveited. At the present time a large proportion of the books in the library were novels, and novels were not a particularly good investment for the funds of the town. In the principal towns in tho old country only a certain proportion — and very small proportion too— of tho funds of the library was devoted to the purchase of novels. The Chairman here diew Mr Stewarts attention to the fact that the money to be borrowed was not for books, but for the libiary building. He would again ask Mr Stewart to be kind enough to confine his remarks to the business before the meeting. Mr Stewart, in reply, urged that if they were not talking about the books they were talking about the building that housed them, and one was equally as much to the point as the other. However, he did not see the force of rushing the town into deeper financial difficulties than at present. He would, therefore, move, " That in the opinion of this meeting it is very desirable that no fuither borrowing 1 powers should ba sanctioned by the ratepayers to be conferred on the town board." Mr Reid, sen., wanted to know what was the amount of the tariff they expected to derive from the hall, so that they might understand what to expect to help to pay off the proposed loan, as it had been repre sented that the revenues of both the hall and library would very likely pay the interest and sinking fund without having to collect the extra rate. He could not understand why the board should seek to strike another rate on the town when they were not able to pay off their present liabilities. Their present debt amounted to uearly £800, and why should they add an extra £000 when they could do very well without it. He thought the library might be improved by a very little expenditure, but certainly he did not think it was at all necessary to go to any expense on the hall. They might erect a supperroom, or something in that way, but the main building was quite large enough for some time to come. He for one would not consent to the proposed loan being raised, and would do everything in his power to prevent it at the poll. Some time ago, when they were assembled together in that hall to give consent to the Town Districts 4ct being brought into force, they were told of the great advantages and blessings which that act would confer on them ; it was going to be the making of the place and all that sort of thing ; but, he would ask, was this— their trying to get the ratepayers' further into debt— one of these socalled advantages? He thought it was preposterous, and he hoped that when the proper time came the ratepayers of Cambridge to a man would stand united and oppose the borrowing of this money, The Chairman informed the meeting that it was not proposed to enlarge the hall, as Mr Reid seemed to think. The building as at present was badly in need of repair, the floor was in a bad state and giving way in places, the room was unlined (though it was not proposed to do this) and many other minor improvements required to be carried out. They proposed to erect a suitable supper-room, improve the atnge, erect proper dressing-roqms, and to paint the building, v/hieh' had not been touched since the day it had been erected. They only proposed to spend about £300 on the hall, and not £600 as Mr Reid thought. When they took to talking about being prepared to resist all this sort of thing, and to allow things to stand as they are, he would ask them whether they knew they sat there that evening by £he courtesy and consideration of those who built the place by subscription, and were now liable to the bank for the overdraft of £100. Mr Reid said he did nqt YttHfc fc» sjfc there at all, an,d, waited t,Q know why he was called, tjhe,re ? The Chairman proceeded: The Hall was built mainly by public subscription. , A few gentleman had agreed year after year, to act as Hall committee and 'had become personally responsible for the overdraft. The building and everything in it together with tho site had been b*n<tod. qy« to $q r»tep»ywi fttwgh tfas tawa

—————— — — 1 — - • ,' , J tt ' 'Il'/I 1 '/ board, and the chattels alone in the way of seats, scenery, piano, &c. amounted to considerably over £100 in valne. The town therefore having received such » munificent present it was aa little as they could do to keep it in decent repair, and there not being any money available from the ' ordinary revenue of the town it was necessary *,o r.-M-e the money by lo*n. They had " carefully gone into all sorts of schemes on the matter, but found they could not bring the expenditure within the amount named. Mr Sharkey : You want some practical men in your company. One of you don't know anything about a d thing at all. Go and look at the sewer there you spent nearly £100 to suit you and Hewitt ; nothing else. Look at the mess you made up at the Lake there, where you chucked away a lot of money. You want some person among you to know something about work. Mr Reid rose to second Mr Stewart s proposition. „ Mr Master enquired was the public library not sufficiently large to accommodate the public of Cambridge, as it was only two people on an average went into it in the week ? . The Chairman replied that the Library Committee considered it was not. Mr Brooks addressed the meeting. Some gentlemen had said it was not desirable to spend any money on the improvements of the hall. He would ask these gentlemen if they had giveu the matter any serious consideration, and if so, had they any better proposition to bring forward than the one before them ? It was an easy thing to en- ! deavour to upset a project, but it was not so eaby a task to bring forward a better one. The hall had, since it was erected, been af great service to the town. It benefitted no one class of the community more than another, but all alike had enjoyed its advantages and conveniences. The building now required a good deal of money to be spent on it. It required improving and renovating in many respects, jpossibly the gentlemen who objected to the money being raised by loan would subscribe the money privately themselves Having been connected with the hall as a member of the committee for a long time past, he could speak authoritiyely regarding its finances, &c. As the building during the past year bad been monopolised by the Land Court for some considerable time, the revenue was not so large as usual, as the Land Court paid no rent. But during the previous years there had always been sufficient to pay working expenses, wear and tear, &c, leaving about £40 over towards improvements and the reduction of the overdraft. He believed, therefore, the ordinary revenue and sinking fund on the portion of the loan devoted to improving the hall would be paid out of the revenue of the hall, and the rate would, therefore, not require to be collected. Mr Houghton proposed, as an amend* ment, " That m the opinion of this meeting the proposals of tlie town board are highly necessary, and that the householders present pledge themselves to support the same at the poll." He thought every member of the community should exert himself to make the Public Hall a more presentable building than it was at present. It was not reasonable that the old committee should be looked to to incur the proposed responsibility. The town having now acquired the freehold, it was nothing but right that the town should take over the responsibility of the proposed improvements also. Some of the quibbles raised by people that evening seemed to him of a most nonsensical kind. Mr Lewis seconded Mr Houghton's amendment. He did not think the present building was in any way in keeping with the general progress and standing of the place. It was only a hall in name, and in point of fact to call it such was a misnomer —a mockery. There were no necessary an ti -rooms, nor anything else in the way of internal accommodation. It was like coming to spend an evening in the barn. He considered the town quite equal to the liability proposed to be incurred. In reply to a question, the chairman stated that for the past six years the rate levied throughout the town had been c*« actly the same, and notwithstanding their increased liability, which had been so much spoken of that evening, no e\tra rate had been levied. Again, they h:id spent £1200 other than for keeping the streets in repair, and on important works within the town, and the ratepayers had not been called upon to contribute one extra penny in the way of fin additional rate. Some pernon of the name of Morse here addressed a few insulting remaiks to the meeting. Mr Brooks referred at some length to the advantages which the business people^ of Cambridge had derived through the sitting of the Land Court in the town. Had it not been for the hall the court would poHsibly not have sat at Cambridge. This should ba borne in mind by those who were now oppoMng the proposition. Mr Stewart a<*am addressed the meeting. For the amondment 18 voted, and for the original motion 8 voted. The amendment was therefore declared carried. Saturday, Bth March, is the day fixed for the poll. The meeting then terminated.