MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 89, 8 January 1908, Page 8

MUNICIPAL MARKETS.

* COUNCILLOR SMITH'S VIEWS. i AN* APATHETIC PUBLIC : Noticing somo symptoms of :pnblic interest in tho question of municipal markbts, a re-' presentativo of Tiie Dominion 'called upon Councillor J.,. Smith, 1 who -, was'."chairman . .of a conrmittoo appointed'?'some; itimo ' ago' by tho City Counoil to go into tho'subject.'' Iho , chief difficulty, that ' the committeo was faced with," said Mr.v Smith', <'was tho Vint of a suitable site;''.'Wo" felt that it' I ought to bo between Courtei'iay Place and | the harbo.ur, so as to : bo. central i and ' also near tho shipping;. It..wouldlprobably require about an aero of-land,-and-that'would-cost moio than £20,000; : The expenso was regarded as prohibitively I. don't suppose & smaller aroa would -serve,-.the :purpose, bocauso- everything ou«hti.torbo on 'the ground level. It was suggested that. thi. City sh'buld acquire Haining-.Stroet.-for tho (purpose, 1 but that would, have cost £30,000 without tho corner sections" ' "(£"d' li wh a t would tho* building , cost?"i ... . . ml depends. on - the stylo .and' materials. There, are very., greaV differences in the cost iof existing- market halls m other cities. :It noed not.bo/very expensive; It is tho cost of tho land that is tho'obstacle ''' WHAT THE COMMITTEE DID :It was about a-year a^o'-that: tho committee set to work. Tho ' publiordidniot scdm to bo much interested,' anil. Mr: EJmith said • that though-they, advertised, calling, for evidence, and • sat .'in the evenings, for the purpose,' only two witnessesi came forward, and they .were interested parties. Evidently tho demand for. the .market had como from only a sectionrof the public. -Hie committeo was,'therefore, bound; to ; present an adverso report. t IN OTHER CITIES Asked ifor. an.■■■■ expression' .of hisownopinion, Mr. Smith showed cohsidefable reticence. Ho Said. that in-.-other, parts of. the world,, and m .other..towns; m liew: Zealand, municipal markets r had' not,: always -been a success.' In Auckland and Sydney.; the market houses, had become a collection of sec-ond-hand shops. They were hot markets at all-in the true- sense of thfr; w6rd. ' Some of 'the Melbourne 'markets-- wore;; however, very successful, but they wore , Surrounded by growing , subifrban populations. ■ Henco quantities of vegetables werA 1 raised-in the neighbourhood, .whereas vegetables came from as . far, Afield; as. Napier, Wiinganui, Christchurch, and, wherever fcWe were Chinamen within roach by rill or seji That state of affairs fitted m with the wholesale, trade, , rather than witli the municipal •market' system.;.-. ■■' ... HOW TO .DO WITHOUT IT. '■■■'■' "Individuiiis can and--do often buy from the wholosale pooplej!':?;smd -;:Mi-. ■ "Smith"Large -suchvas .hotels and restaurants, generally do so.' . Often threo or four families living in the- same street combine to buy a- bag of potatoes at the wholesalo price, and-save'cartage. They .fcould not do better,, if .we had'■ a markot. The retailers selling ■in the; - market , would ' havb' to buy. from the' wholesalers,, or if. they- bought from the growers, thoy.would have-to pay freight aiid the. ront;;of u thoir. stallsV's;. ■

A FISH MARKET

"Then do you .think nothing can : be done ?" ,"I' do not see 'in what"'.\vay wo could moVo, but if the. people really showed that they wanted something tof 'the'- sort I wbuld be prepared 'to try'; and-.see what could be done. ■ I think it would have to be on a comparatively small ! A ; fislr • rtiarket' would be tho best'thing to begin with. We are very badly off. for fish,' though there are plenty in our .watdrs.- A suitable site, lif it were available, wotild be a portion of the City< property at Clyde' Quay; north of the destructor,; but tlie' ehgineor says that it will all be required for other municipal purposes." -WHEN THERE WAS A. MARKET. Mr. Smith recalled tho interesting'-circum-stance that there was : in- the early days a municipal market ,in ': the' city.; The 'triangle of land bounded by - Cuba . Street, Dixon Street, and Mfinnors Street;; was reserved for' tho purpose, and! a. building , was erected there>,in the ; early .sixties, but.it ,was destroyed, in the great.-fire of-that !perio'd. The population at that time was iiot such as. to require a market of the/ kind. The '.'building, therefore,; was not replaced, and the land passed-to other uses. U-, ...