THE MARKET.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19805, 18 December 1929, Page 10

THE MARKET.

COST OF BUILDINGS. M.E.D. RESISTS PAYMENT. CITY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. Anions; the vouchers which recently came before the Electricity Committee of the City Council was one for £S3-"> tor payment for the market buildings. The Committee reported to the Council last night that it wished to protest against this as a charge which should not rightly be borne by the City's electrical undertaking. When the matter came before the Council, Or. E. 11. Andrews asked for an explanation. Or. E. It. McOombs said that exception had been taken by the Committee to the voucher, and it had been decided, therefore, to bring the matter before the Council. Or. E. H. Andrews said that he had always understood that the market had paid for itself. The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) said that he was in the dark about the matter. He understood that the amount concerned was to come out of the purchase money. "Why should it?" asked Or. J. A. Fleshcr. "Why should it not?" asked the Mayor in his turn. Cr. A. W. Beaven said that he was sorry that Cr. P. W. Sharpe (chairman of the Committee) was not present to answer questions. Cr. F. R. Cooke said that the market site was sold for £9OOO, and that fish was still being sold at the market.

Market, Not Only Site, Sold. Cr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., said that it was the market itself which had been sold, not only the site. The Electricity Department had been paid for the site. He felt that the Committee was ungrateful in regard to the matter. What was once a liability had been converted into a cash asset. Cr. M. E. Lyons said that Cr. Sullivan had given an undertaking at the time of the sale, that the market would be closed in two or three months. Cr. Sullivan denied that he had made such a statement, and the Mayor remarked that Cr. Sullivan had no right to make such a statement. Cr. Lyons said that the Council had been led by Cr. Sullivan to believe that the market would be disposed of in three months. Cr. Sullivan intimated that he wished to categorically deny that he had made any such arrangement or undertaking. "Hush. Hush" Methods. Cr. Lyons referred to the "quaintly hush,-hush methods adopted in connexion- with this transaction.'' He suggested that it was juggling with the funds of the Council, and the Electricity Committee had everything to complain of. He added that the meanderings of Cr. Cooke would not lead the public to believe that the Municipal market was anything but— Cr. Cooke: Fishy. . "Yes, fishy," agreed Cr. Lyons, "and conceived in an atmosphere decidedly fishy." Mayor Makes Objection. The Mayor took objection to (.'r. Lyons's words. He exceedingly resented the suggestion of juggling, and if Cr> Lyons could not speak without using words of that kind he had better keep his seat or keep his mouth closed. As a matter of fact the opening of this market was one of the finest things that they had done for Christchurch. Several Councillors: Oh! "Our only mistake," the Mayor continued, "was not in opening it, but iu allowing it to be closed. My idea was that we should exchange it for a market suitable for the City. We should abolish the Electricity Committee, and turn it over to private enterprise, because some of the members seem to have lost the idea that the Electricity Committee is a Municipal service. The idea that it is a separate entity from the City Council is false in fact. It has not a penny, it has no property, and no investments. The whole of the property belongs to the City, and the idea that it is a separate entity is nonsense. I believe that there was a time wdien the Committee would have accepted £6500 for this site." Sceptical exclamations were heard from several Councillors. Mr Archer added that the site had been a white elephant until they had had a Labour Council to deal with it. That offer of £9OOO had only been made to help the market out. When it was decided that the market should be closed down, the offer of £9OOO was never repeated. The people who offered the £9OOO never offered it as a bona fide offer, but only to help the market out. The Council had gained tremendously through this market, and this £835 was a mere trifle compared with tire money' the Department had reaped from it. Hot Words. Cr. J. Parlane was speaking of the negotiations leading up to the sale of the market when he said that he believed Cr. Sullivan had been guilty of deliberately attempting to mislead certain members of the City Council. Cr. Sullivan said that Cr. Parlane's statement was a lie. On being pressed to withdraw his remark, Cr. Sullivan did so. and said that Cr. Parlane was guilty of a "gross, unjustifiable misrepresentation of the truth." Cr. Parlane repeated that it was his belief that Cr. Sullivan had attempted to mislead councillors in the matter. Cr. Sullivan rose to his feet to demand a withdrawal. The Mayor (to Cr. Parlane): Do you withdraw that? "If it is unparliamentary J do,'' replied Cr. Parlane amidst laughter. An Amendment. Cr. H. T. .T. Thacker moved as an amendment that a balance-sheet concerning the market be made out, and that the present occupancy of the market be terminated. At present, he said, the market was a "red rag to manr bulls, - ' and it seemed as though councillors could not keep the peace when the subject was mentioned. The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer) said that the Council was now in negotiation with the purchasers of the market and he was afraid that the present discussion was likely to do harm. He suggested that Cr. Thacker should divide | his motion into two parts. i Cr. J. W. Beanland said that the I Mavor and himself had been negotiating* with the purchaser of the property, and he was very sorry that the discussion had taken place. He hoped I that the Mavor would request the Press ! not to publish the discussion, as it was ' likely to prejudice the negotiations. Cr \. E. Armstrong said that he ! would have supported the market had it been municipally controlled, but as the market was now being used as a i competitor to Christchurch business peopha he wanted it to be closed *t > once.