THE REST ROOM

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 115, 19 May 1925, Page 8

THE REST ROOM

VERY MUCH DISCUSSED

ANOTHER CONSIDERATION MAY ARISE.

The erection of the women's rest room on Market square reserve, at the back of the Royal Oak Hotel, is a very much discussed question in certain quarters just at present. Plans wore drawn up for the building some time ago, and over a month ago a contract was signed for the erection of the rest room. A good deal of publicity was given-to the matter of the policy of placing the building upon the reserve, and the details of the plan were also referred to in the Press at sufficient length to give a very failidea of what was intended in the general design and arrangement of the rest room, It was not, however, until a few days ago, when the actual construction work had been put under way, that objections were raised to the building as proposed, in fact, as decided upon. Those objections were voiced by a committee of business men, who contended that the worst feature of the rest room 'was that it would afford no privacy, fronting as it would upon Courtenay place. On behalf of one of the women's societies,. it was contended that this feature could be overcome by a judicious planting to afford a screen between roadway and rest room, and, further,-by reserving the whole area of the triangle for .women and children.

"If the suggestion that the building should be screened off by shrubs or small trees is carried into effect, as appears very probable, remarked a member of the_ committee, "it would seem that the design of the rest room—a carefully considered design aiming at something more than the conventional—will be so much labour wasted, and also paid for. It is probable also that a counter-move will be made to the proposal that the full area should be reserved for women and children, first, for the reason that if the rest room is adequately screened there can be no legitimate reason for such a decision, and, secondly, that the one ■open space in the city between the Government Buildings and Courtenay place should be made available to all citizens who wish to rest awhile: During the' luncheon hour the reserve, when, properly dressed up with lawn and flower beds, would undoubtedly become extremely popular to city workers who lunch in town and have too little time to move far from their places of business to sit down and watch things go by. To reserve such an area, in the midst of the city, for women and children would not be in accord with town-planning ideas of other cities." UP IN THE AIR,

Another ' extremely important consideration may shortly arise in connection with the Market square reserve, and generally, the position is that things are rather much up in the air. It is understood that the contractor has intimated that he would not claim compensation in the event of a decision that work should cease upqn the building, but that, as the question was one of city improvement, he would merely present an account for expenses incurred as fax as the work had gone. A decision which will end activities, or will push them ahead towards the early completion of the rest room, will presumably be made within the next 24 hours or so. If the rest room were the only consideration that decision might be arrived at very much more easily.. : '