The Proposed Public Gymnasium,

Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 44, 23 February 1886, Page 2

The Proposed Public Gymnasium,

♦ A meeting of members of the Wellington Gymnasium Association was held yesterday evening in Messrs. Kohn and Co.'s rooms, Lambton-quay. About 30 persons were present, Dr. Hntohinson in tbe chair. A lettor was read from the Town Cleric stating that the Conncil had no power to dispose of the site on the market reserve except by public anotion or publio tender. Mr. Kohn said it was thought the matter had all been arranged, and now this difficulty cropped up.

Mr. Gully, in answer to a question, said ho believed the difficulty was thia -. the Corporation leaseß had to be disposed of by auction or tender, and could not be disposed of in any othor way. It would be, therefore, very inadvisablo for them to aocept a lease (evon if it oonld bo granted) that would he bud on the faoe of it. It wonld lo yalael«B for the pnrpose of raisingmoney. The difficulty, however, was not a very cerions one. If tho Corporation offorod the lease to tender, it was very unlikely that thero wonld be any competition to prevent the Association obtaining tho leasehold. H« thought they might arrange with tho Corporation to put th« leue np to tender. Mr. Kohn Biid he did not think tho Corporation wore bound to accept the highest tend or. As he understood tbo Town Clerk's letter, the Counoil had aotod Tory fairly in the matter, and only wished to provont the Auooiation from taking the site upon nnsafo conditions. He did not think they would, meet with opposition from the Conncil. Dr. Newman Raid tho Counoit hod no power to dispose of the land axoopt by tender or anotion. -If tho Association obtained it othor wise and Bpsnt money upon it, i.they would bo liable to bo turned off 'by another Counoil. Of oourae, even if obtainod by tender, tho leaae mijrht.be hampored with conditions whioh would be nnfavonrable to them. It might be stipulated that the gymnasium should be built of briok, and thrown open to tho publio throe nights a week. Mr. Kohn remarked that Boma of the Councillors wore in favour of throwing the gymnasium open for only one night in the week, and thon it wonld bo strictly under the rules of tho Association. After some further dismission, it was resolved on the motion of Mr. Kohn, seconded by Dr. Newman, that the meeting form themselves into a company. It was then deoided that the shares should bo fixed at XI each. Tho following oommittee were then appointed to mako preliminary arrangements :— Mesßrs. Kohn, Firth, King, Gully, Campbell, E. C. Smith, A. Cooper, and J. Stagpoolo, and Dra. Hntohinson and Newman. Mr. Gully promised to interview the Town Clerk on the subject of the propoicd site The mooting then adjonrned till next Monday, at the same plaoe and hour.