OUR MUNICIPAL MARKET.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 30, 5 February 1908, Page 3

OUR MUNICIPAL MARKET.

Til Till; rjDllOn. Sir,-rTho City Council having again deferred the question of a suitable tite for (lie above, and it boing, in my opinion, one of special importance to tha majority of residents hero, I bog emphatically to prcuesr. against the dillydallying of the council in this matter. Surely-sj sir, in a cily where it is abGolutoly necessary that the great majority of citizens must take 111 a few boarders, to eko out their income, owing to, on the one hand, ths hign price ot the necessaries of life, and on tho other, to tho exorbitant rents charged, somothing should be done at once whereby they can procure fruit, vegetables, ana fi&h at a reasonable cose, and not remain, as .they are, cither at the mercy of the wholesale man, who sells on commission, qr the retailer, either European or Chinaman. These poor unfortunate people are between "Iho devil and the deep sea." Unlike tho large notel-keepers or boardinghouse keepers, who cater for a quantity, they cannot go to the fruit market ( ?) and buy wholesale, so arp compelled porforce to buy from the retailer. Wo call ours a progressive city, and yet we are, and will continue so for some time yet, without a municipal market. With regard to the. difficulty as to site, what's tne matter with that portion of tho reserve dividing Kent from Cambridge-terrace, Courtenay-place end ? For a few hundred pounds <v temporary market eottld be erected thereon, until such time as the council, in its wisdom, had decided on a permanent site. Truly we are a long-suffering community. Trusting others may take this subject up, and thanking you for your article anent this question in a recent issue. — I am, etc., JOSEPH GOSS. Wellington, 2nd February. TO THE EDITOB Sir, — Evidently the majority of City Councillors are antagonistic re establishing markets. For many years past the people of Wellington have cried out "Give us fish, fruit and vegetable markets," but apparently to deaf ears of those in power. The matter has been hung up and shelved by our present city fathers for -a considerable time, and onco .-.gain they have shunted back the committee's report which, if carried, would have resulted in the peopSo having) an urgent want supplied. The local in last night 3 Evening Post re want of foresight, surely applies to tho present City Councillors, who should wake up- and nofc dilly-dally, but settle this question, which could be done in a very short time. The main bone of contention with them is that it is hard to get a desirable site, and even so the price wanted for it ;would bo too greet. All I can say is' that this idea is an erroneous one, for the longer the delay the greater the difficulty. The people will, I am sure, demand by vote, sooner of latsr, a market, and then tho council will havo to pay the piper. Some .of them say that the citizens cannot have their produca, etc., dumped down in close proximity to their bark door. My experience ia that in Melbourne and Sydney the markets aro most central — right in the heart of tho city ; and the people do not mind going a libt!» dittanea tt long as ther can pro Gum ch»ap product, etc., first hand. Sir, I hppo many of the sentiments expressed in your subleader will find favour with tho council, and more especially the remarks urcinjj that markets should be established without further delay. Heaps more could be said im this binning question, but in conclusion J voulcl like tv say tlmt lor obvious i»e:isons the mo&t suitable and central site, and at least cost, v. ould bu v, portion of the Keutternce ipserva mar Coavtenay-pUce. Such ,i building as the Victoria Markets ot' Sydney -could be built thrre. llov.-fvr, I hope that the adverse wind of today '.\ ill be the popular breezein the near future. — I am, <tc, W. A. WOIiTH. AVellincton. Ist, February.