PARNELL LOAN PROPOSALS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 250, 19 October 1907, Page 7

PARNELL LOAN PROPOSALS.

•SWHDII>~G BATHS AND LIBRARY. PJJBLIC MEETING UNANIMOUSLY : APPROVES. The ratepayers of Pamell gathered to the" number of a hundred or more in the, Oddfellows' Hall last night to discuss the ' recently croposed loans by the Mayor •(Mr G- W- Basley) for the purpose of ' ertctmg swimming baths for the borough, -and for the building and equipment Of a public library and reading room, a site for-which has been granted by the Government. The suggested loan totals .- £3000, ot which sum it is proposed to devote £1000 to the baths. Mr Basley occupied the chair. The chairman said the proposal respect■'jUg the baths emanated largely from the voonger members of the community and from the school,committee. Population had so.increased and the old bathing • places of Farneu had become narrowed so nearly out of practicability that a proper and adequate place for sea bathing could be iooked upon as almost a . necessity. Beyond this there was the . serious" consideration of an increasing jnnnber of sharks in the harbour- for wMch reason a closed-in bath was cmi- - nently desirable. A plan had been prepared" (shown in front of the platform), aad the architect considered that £600 " -vyonld cover thercost of baths suitable for the borough. In order to provide for emerseneies, however, it was proposed to borrow £1000. The erection of such f,aths would also tend to increase the value of property in the borough. The obfect was " unquestionably a good one for which to borrow, and he trusted the ' proposal would be carried by the ratepayers. (Applause.) The Harbour Board had promised to grant a sit:*, subject to the approval of the engineer. (Renewed applause.) -- Mr Scott, headmaster of the Parnelic EchooLrieartily supported the movement. He thought there was nothing which the 'ratepayers could better expend "a reasonable sum upon" than the provisions of Ewhaaring baths. - The Chairman of the School Committee •'(Mr. Thomas) warmly supported' the proposal for, as did Messrs CWood, B. Lnsk and F. Fitt, who, speaking of the borough's ability to finance the matter, l - declared that the borrowing of a sum necesearv for the baths would not mean - more than one-third of a penny in the

•VTt- G. Thompson, said they wanted haths for the women and children, with " a sloping concrete floor, not a. -wooden ""strnctnre that -would rot in about 40 vgars. He was prepared to contribute £5 if necessary toward baths in -which their cHdren. could be taught to swim. 3£r Wood explained that the bath floor -would he a sloping one. -while in •iiswer to a question the Mayor explained that the Harbour Board had practically' agreed to a site just off 1 Campbell's Point, on. the eastern." side of •tte breakwater. " One gentleman, expressed the opinion -. that if the new city sewage proposals , -were \iiairie3.* into "effect the suggested : "baths'womi riot *bV3. desirable swimanother and vpunger that such would" not Wthe'casei as the tide run . tos sufficient to avert any objection in .•. that -Erection- ■ .. • - -.' 3£r Briggs moved "That the meeting approve: the proposedloan for the erectiQii of swimming baths, and ask the -Sayor.to obtain a" poll on the proposal," .anniLloud applause, the motion being ehtimsiastically seconded by Mr Thomas. .3Jr Thompson" moved as an amendment "That -these particular baths be- not erected,"', but no seconder came forward. The motion was then put and carried antid cheers. In. advancing the cause of the library . iloaa of £200Q, the Mayor explained ; that through the efforts of Mr "Wood, the oH Post Office site had been obtainr , ed from the Government, and vested in the borough. Some said that the free library m the city -was sufficient, but I let them look at Ponsonby. They had . tie Leys Institute with a good lecture hall, over there, and why should J&eynot have as. good in BarneU 1 He ffid not thm£ it necessary to say more , m support: of such, a proposal, which really went hand in hand with the previous one, providing for health of body ■with, health of mind. Mr Wood urged the worthiness of the proposal. He had been identified with a scheme for a horary over 20 years ago, but it had unfortunately fallen tfaragh. He appealed to them* on behalf of the youth of the community, who ' Wrald he ennobled in mind and widened m intellect by easy access to a good collection of the great minds of literature, ■shorn he hoped to see represented on &c shelves. If only a few take advantage of the library and reading room, ile wort would be well done. But he lad every confidence that it would be s of by large numbers; and in. gJnig young and old an opportunity of mentally benefiting themselves they Wold secure the blessing of posterity. Mr Thomas moved "That this meeting asqnests the Mayor of the borough to °w*-a pod of the electors to be taken ™ the question of raising £2000 for aa erection of a public library." The -."SHE was seconded by Mr Pickford, *Mle Mr Scott, as schoolmaster, warmjystrpported the proposal. The meeting cain ed the suggestion unanimously.