PRODUCE BOARDS’ BUILDING

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27094, 18 July 1953, Page 3

PRODUCE BOARDS’ BUILDING

Farmers Criticise Proposals

FEDERATION TO RENEW NEGOTIATIONS (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 17. The Dominion conference of Federated Farmers today criticised the Meat Producers’ and Dairy Boards’ proposed eight-storey building in Lambton quay, Wellington. The federation passed a resolution saying that the joint plans of the two buildings did not comply with the original proposals to house all farming organisations under one roof, and did not provide for an adequate meeting hall, which was urgently needed. The federation’s Dominion council was asked to renew negotiations with the boards.

The general secretary (Mr A. P. O’Shea) said the federation’s Dominion council had already protested to the boards that the building would be inadequate. It had also objected to the rent of £1 a square foot a year which the boards were proposing to charge the federation for 3000 square feet of office space. The rental was far too high.

Mr O’Shea said the boards had replied that they intended to proceed with the present proposals, but that they had another site in mind on which they might erect a second building. Mr D. Brown (Invercargill) said the farmers supplied the funds for the boards. Adequate space for the farmers’ organisations at a reasonable rental should be provided. The president (Mr John Andrew) said the boards had known that the federation was not satisfied. It had been suggested that they were building palatial offices for themselves, and then saying to others, “You can have a back room.”

He thought it essential, said Mr Andrew, that there should be enough space for all farming organisations to .obtain accommodation in the new building, and that a. meeting hall should be provided. There was often considerable difficulty in getting a suitable hall for farmers’ conferences in Wellington.