A MUNICIPAL MARKET.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 132, 27 February 1908, Page 8

A MUNICIPAL MARKET.

THE SITE DIFFICULTY. ROWING SHEDS AREA NOT ACCEPTED; The question of municipal markets was again before tho City. Council last night.: The Markets Committee oiico more presented the report which they had submitted on" two previous occasions, and which' had been each t-imo referred' back to the Committee for further consideration. " , .Tho.report was as follows:— "The Committee have to recommend' that the land occupied by the Wellington Naval \ olunteors, Wellington Rowing Club, the Star Boating Club, ho resumed by the Council for tho purpose 'of a' market." •11 I JJ e ™bers' of the; Committee wero Councillors Smith, Ballinger, Carmichael, Hales, Hmdmarsh, M'Lareu, and Murdoch. DEPUTATION OF ROWING MEN. In connection with this matter a. strong deputation from .tho Star Boating Club,, the Wellington Rowing Club, and' the Naval Rowingi Club,' comprising active and honorary members and officials, waited on tho Council last evening. '.' Mr. E. P. Bell, a former captain .of the Wellington Nayals, went-into the history of the three Wellington': rowing 'Clubs', and'.their vicissitudes, and showed how from time to time they,had-had to bring their'buildings *u.P to the water front.' Coming to comparatively recent times, .'lie said that a lease, of the present site had been obtained with the belief that, at last, they had an'''abiding place. ■■Under-that belief, considerable feums of money had been.spent. It. was.also mentioned that the clubs understood a renewal of the lease had been 1 prepared, and had been virtually drawn lip, and now they were suddenly faced with the possibility of tho frontago being i taken for ' fish markets. He referred to tho-clubs' rights in the matter, and showed that ,if the, site, were- taken it would mean a- serious blow to rowing owing to the impossibility of obtaining another site near at hand. Ha pointed out in this connection the value of rowing to the' Wellington youth -as exercise. J. Hutcheson. vice-president of the Wellington Rowing Club, referred, to the clubs 111 tho past, as.being like "a snail crawlfrom place to place- with its shell on its • back." Ho also emphasised tho blow that would bp, struck -at the valuable exercise of rowing in Wellington. In answer to Councillor Fisher, he said that tho working men in the clubs would ! not have the time to go far away to the sheds for practice. The Mayor informed tho deputation that tho Council _ would ■ carefully consider the matter, tho importance of"which they ■fullv recognised. . -

. DISCUSSED BY THE COUNCIL.. - Councillor '.Smith, chairman of the Committee, in moving the adoption of the "report, asked if the citizens were to,bo shut out of tho only, site-suitablo for a fish market. It had been set aside for the purpose many years ago. xAs an old rowing-man, lie sympathised with the boating clubs, but thought the interests of. the citizens, generally should bo paramount. Councillor Hindmarsh seconded the motion. _ He' said the records showed that the land in question was held in trust for market purposes. He submitted that there was. no other part of tho city' so suitable; Tho Council owned no' other site on tho waterfront, and'its proximity to the Power House would bo helpful in providing cold storage. The deputation had given no good .reasons why the land should not be taken,'and ho did not believe that tlio sport of rowing would die out if "the sheds'were removed; All tho Council, excopt- Councillor' Ballinger rind'oiie or two others, had declared in favour of the principle of a market, arid' he hoped thoy would ' now do their duty arid act up • to their principles by .giving a straight-out ; vote. " ' ; " ' ' AN< AMENDMENT.

Councillor Luke said lie still'thought the Committee had. not' met. the ''question satisfactorily. The market should embrace much .more' than/ fish, ■ whicn would be only a comparatively" sniall feature. He was not so optimistic as many .people about: the market, but he'thought r tlie' : idea should bo given a trial. He hoped the Council would not deal with the matter 'in «ny narrow spirit.' The best site would be somewhere in the area bounded by Taranaki Street, Cambridge Terrace,' Courtonay' Place, and Vivian Street. , He'moved to refer the rpport back to the Committee, with an instruction to seek another'site, preferably in tho block indicated.

Councillor/'Morrah seconded the amend' mailt. Ho censured the Committee for trying to dispossess the rowing .clubs , before they knew what the people'wanted in the way of a market. Ho felt sure that if'a poll were taken the'voters would reject any proposal for a market;. He believed"'that' there would be no difficulty, -in getting 'another site for a market, hut. there'was'lio other siiitable place-for'■ the rowing sheds. The reclamation at Kaiwarra would be faced with a stone, wall, where.it would bo.impossible' to place boat skids,, and. at .Eyans Bay the proposed reclamation would ' be' an obstacle. Ho. was sure : that' the markets would ,'not be used by the people.' Nobody wanted to pay :4d. in tram fares in order to save, a penny on! a cabbage. - ANOTHER SITE SUGGESTED, .' Councillor ■ Biss said lie had given notice •to move,-"That it .is not desirable, that markets be erected." .' In' "tlifii meantime, ho ../would discuss.. only the> site question, which was now before ;the'.Council,.'lt seemed 'to him that, iho site, difficulty "was being' raised :x in order/'to shelve" "the 'project altogether. A'market site to .be useful must he near the homes of the people, and there could j be no' better site"• than 'in 'Adelaide Road, on' Corporation land, either the tram--way site .or- where .certain old'shops stood. ■If the .market' ■ succeeded ■■' at Newtown, another could then be' erected "at- Thorndpn'. He ' considered 'the! boat shed site a very bad one for afish market, ■ because ■ the water was dirty, and'tlie air was*full Of smoke from the ships - and •adjacent 'worts.. It.".was, about the filthiest corner in Wellington, and therefore unsuitable' for the sale of-fish,' fruit, or milk. His sentiments-were entirely with the "deputation,' but there were other sufficient reason's" for ; . opposing' *the selection of that site for 'a marfset.- ;•

; VARIOUS VIEWS. ' Councillor, McLaren said . the, site ; was; the real difficulty in. regard to a municipal market. He supported the ' recommendation of the •Committee, contending that the boat-shod site was the best for ' a frtiit as well" as a, fish ■ market, being central.. and convenient. Councillor Balliriger said lie always, had been and still was against .a. municipal .mar-, ket. ' The Melbourne market was run by the Chinese, and it would be the same here. Councillor Cohen. was in favourof a market, but not of tlie boat-sheds site. Councillor Carmichael opposed the Committee's report. He - did not. think a market would bo a success. . : \ The amendment was carried by nine-votes to six. ■ -