A MUNICIPAL MARKET.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1908, Page 6

A MUNICIPAL MARKET.

Municipal abattoirs and a, municipal market — these are two questions which threateii to be interminable in die hands of tho Wellington City Council, a,nd the second of Lhehi unfortunately received a fresh lease of aimless life at the meeting of the council -last night. In neither caso, as it seems to us, is the principle opon to reasonable, dispute, but in both objections in dotai> are incessantly taken by thoso who are opposed to the principle, but realise that it is beyond .the reach of frontal attack. Tho treatment accorded to ths._ leport of the Mark its* Committee of the City Council is d, good example of tho procrastinating tactics which may delay indefinitely a reform which they cannot defeat. No doubt tho selection of a site for the proposed mark&t is one of considerable difficulty, and may reasonably divide those who have no difficulty in accepting the principle. But it is clear that the task of selection would have been accomplished before now if it had not beer complicated by hostility to the whole proposal. Tho recommendation of the Markets Committee was that the water frontage at pro?cr f occupied by the Wellington Naval Volunteers, the Wellington Rowing Club, and the Star Boating Club .should^ be resumeU by the council for tho purpose of a market. This site, which was reserved for a iish market many years ago, is admittedly thoroughly suitable for the purpose, and its unfitnoss for general purposes seems to ug to hay© besn greatly exaggerated. But the motion tor tho adoption of the committee's report was met by Councillor Luke with an^amendment which declared "that tho site suggested by the committee is not the best for the purpose," and referred tho report back to tho committee, ,with a direction to find a more suitable one. It is noteworthy that in his motion Councillor Luke- did not declare that the proposed site was unsuitable, but only that it was not the best, and that in his speech he put what In his opinion is apparently a fatal objection to the selection of a- better one, viz., the ground of expense He spoke in favour of Courtenay-place or its immediate neighbourhood as the only place for a market, but at the same time spoke against it when he urged that the council would not be justified in going to great expense in the matter. If it costs nothing, it will be worth nothing, and if it costs something, it will cost too much — this convincing logic clearly raisos no detail objection, but goes to the root of the whole matter. According to Councillor Smith,' the other site recommended wonld cost £900 a year, and this would clearly please Councillor Luko no better. By the singular accident of Councillor Murdoch's unintentionally voting for the amendment after ] seconding the original motion, the former was carried by 7 votes to 6, and the matter is before tho committee orico more. Wo trust that the committee will lose no time in piesenting a fresh report, and repeating their previous recommendation. For fruit and other imported produce, as well as fish, the water frontage will offer an immense advantage, and it is abs\ird to speak of a site which is within two or three chains from the tramway, and not much further from the Town Hall and the central point of tho tram system, as though it were inaccessible. Tho bito appears to us to be not only the be<;t that is reasonably available, but to be an excellent site in itself, and if the committee sticks to its point, it will win.