PUBLIC MARKETS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 49, 27 February 1908, Page 3

PUBLIC MARKETS.

BOATSHEDS SITE AGAIN RECOMMENDED.

INDIGNANT ROWEES PROTEST. NEW SITE INSISTED ON BY CITY j COUNCIL. \ The Markets Committee of (he City Council laat night placed the following report before the council :—: — "That ihe committee has to recommend that thp land occupied by (he Wellington Naval Volunteers, Wellington Rowing Club, and the Star Bonting Cl;ib be resumed by the council for the purposes of a. market." A large deputation from the rowing men of Wellington waited upon the City Council to urge that the report of the committee be not given effect to, so far as acquiring the present sites of the boating clubs were concerned. Mr. E. D. Bell, the spokesman, referred to the manner in which the Star Club and thj Wellington Navals Association had been forced to change the location of their sheds, and put stress upon the fact that when they came, to their present lo »•» • tions it was understood amongst all parties that they bad at last secured « permanent home, and on this assumption a good deal of money had been spent in making the sheds the substantial buildings they now were. Mr. John Huteheson, as a vice-presi-dent of the Wellington Rowing Clul-, said that the deputation asked the council, as fellow citizens, to give favourable consideration to the moral claims of those who were concerned m tiio sport of rowing. It was one of the wry few sports that had not been -s : tiated by gambling, and everything should be done j to keep it going. He was in f ivour of the principle of a fish market, but h* | thought the council, should not uiiKe j this site away from tho rowing iykmi, a* to do so would be a very serious blow to the prospects of the rowing clubs. The Mayor assured the deputation that the council realised the importance of the subject, and that it would give the matter full consideration. INTERESTS OF CITY PARAMOUNT. Councillor Smith, who moved the adoption of the report, said the question was whether the citizens of Wellington were to be put out of the one suitable place on the foreshore of Wellington that could be acquired at a reasonablo cost for purposes of a fish market. As j an old rowing man, he sympathised with thosa who would be inconvenienced by giving effect to the recommendation of the committee, but he felt that tho interests of Urn citizens should be paraamount in such a matter. ' Councillor Hindmarsh seconded the motion for the adoption of the report of the committee. It was the most suitable site, "ho said, that could bo procured. No arguments had been ad. vanced that "should sway ths council to reject ihc committee's recommendation. If the clubs wore called upon to quit tho site ,they would soon find another suitable one. The question was a. straight-out one : were ths men on tho City Council going to do their duty? He knew Councillor Fisher would not; Councillor Fisher's devotion to a fish market began and ended on the hustings. He was not like Councillor Ballinger, who was out-and-out in his opposition. AN AMENDMENT. Councillor Luke thought tho committee 1 should selsct a better site. The site of a market should be suitable for. a good deal more -than fi&h. Ho did liofc think thnt markets in Wellington would be' a. great success, but he did think that a trial should be givon to them, ,ia deference to the' long -sustained demand made for them by a lurpp rcction of the people. He moved as an amendment :—: — "That the report be referred back to the committee, with a suggestion that they select a sito somewhere between Cambridge-terrace, Vivianstreet, Taranaki-sticet, and Courte-nay-place." Councillor Morrah.- who seconded the amendment, said he believed that if a poll of tho cituen.< was taken the proposal for public markets would be thrown out. Th^ro was no real demand for them. As for the assertion ,tkat the site recommend ;d by the committo for the fish markets was the only practical one, that war. nonsense.. From what he knew of trade around Wellington, ho was convinced that there would be very little produce sent into them, and that it would bo hard work to get the people to come to them. > Councillor Biss gave notice that he would move, at next, meeting of the council, "That the question of establishing public markets afc Wellington, bo not proceeded with." He did not like the way that councillors were beating about the bush on this and kindred matter*, and ho objected to this question of a site being used as a means of evading a straight-out- decision on these questions. He certainly thought tho proposed site was an unsuitable ono, and ho considered that if a market had to be established in Wellington it should bo put on the council's property in Adelaideroad, near the ola tram sheds location. Steamers, trains and chimneys poured out their smoke near the boatßheds site, and tho amount of grime and dirt in the vicinity made it one of the most unsuitable places for a food market that could be picked out in Wellington. Councillor M'Laren, commenting upon the statement that the rowing clubs were to be squeezed out in terms of the committee" f, recommendation, said that tho city had been squeezed out of site after site, and it was timo a firm stand was made against objections to selected sites. The council should consider the interests of the citizens; not only a single section interested in one side of sport. It had been already affirmed by the council that tho public markets should bo established, and thoreforo the council fchould proceed seriously to give early effect to the council's decision. Councillor Ballinger said he had never been in favour of a market and lie never would be. In Melbourne he found that tho markets were run by Chinamen. There they bought tho vegetables from the market gardeners, and sold them in the markot. We in Wellington did not need to back up the Chinamen in this manner. As for the proposed site, he was of opinion it was altogether unsuitable. Councillor Cohon paid it seemed lo rtim some councillors were wholly c.oncerned about a fish market, whereas it was a general market that the council had in view vhen it passed its favourable resolution. Councillor Carmichael opposed tho committee's recommendation j tho site he Eaid wa& unsuitable. • THE VOTING. The amendment was carried by vine votes to six. The ayes were Councillors Ballinger, Bisr-, Carmichael, Cohen, Fifher, GodbtT, Lako, Morrah, and Shirtcliffe. Tho noes were Councillors Fletcher, Hales, Hindmarsh, M'Laren, Murdoch and Smith.

Commissioner M'Kir, of the Salvation Aimy, will hold conferences with Wellington officers to-day and to-morrow. Thi.' meeting open in the Wellington Citadfl thib eveniiiEt, and will be iosumod in tho Young People's Hall, Jo&s'e-street, ut 10.30 v.vi. to-morrow,