Town Hall Site

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 3

Town Hall Site

Sir, —Your leading article on the town hall site is special pleading. Law recognises that the club holds a good title against all the world—you apparently do not. Commercial morality based on the doctrine of "willing seller, willing buyer” is not satisfied by compulsory acquisition, while reference to fair and just compensation under such duress is merely fine writing. Assume that you have taken legal opinion in support of your certitude of the council’s power to acquire under law, can you cite an instance of a concert chamber, as distinguished from an administrative centre, coming within the definition of a “work” under the Works Act? Your faith in expertise is answered by Professor Parkinson. Occam’s Razor may yet have you.—Yours, etc., E. WESTON. July 24, 1960.

Sir, —I’ listened the other day to a group of people discussing the town hall site. These people were ratepayers, proud of their home town, but travelled and farseeing. Any central position was unanimously discarded—too small for'future expansion, and parking too difficult. Two proposals emerged: (1) building in Hagley Park facing Park terrace so that the park could be used as originally intended—by all, not only as a sports ground; (2) building on, say, a 20-acre block of land a few miles out This block would be beautifully planted and spacious. Either site could be served by town hall buses, running from the Square. (?) or from each suburb.—Yours, etc., NEXT HUNDRED YEARS. July 27, 1960.