HALSWELL QUARRY PURCHASE.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20647, 9 September 1932, Page 16

HALSWELL QUARRY PURCHASE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE I BESS. Sir, —In the General News column of The Pkess of August 26th there is a paragraph reporting Cr. M. E. Lyons's version of how Christchurch became possessed of the Halswell Quarry. It en me about in this way. When motorcars first came into general use the Canterbury Automobile Association held a meeting to discuss the question of good roads, and it was reported that the Halswell Quarry Company was going to raise the price of metal by one shilling per yard. The Association discussed the question of a municipal quarry. I saw the report o' the meeting in The Pbes*. I was at that time working for Mr F. G. Birdling, of Birdling's Flat, and I suggested to him that he let the City Council open a quarry at sixpence a yard royalty, and he gave me permission to write to the City Council, making that offer. The City authorities came and bought the quarry and sent some men out to break two trucks of metal, which was. I presume, a demonstration to the Halswell Quarry; and if the City Council never takes another yard of metal from its quarry at Birdling's Flat, it has already saved its cost many times over by the commanding position it gave the City. This culminated in the City purchase, of the Halswell Quarry, which has just resulted in a profit of twelve thousand pounds. It was a simple service I rendered the City Council, when I gave it the tip Which has turned out so profitable; and I think it would le a graceful act on the part of the Council to acknowledge it, as it has paid many a big fee for a smaller service.—Yours etc., F GREAD. Ataahua, September 7th, 1932.