THE EXHIBITION

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 69, 18 September 1936, Page 3

THE EXHIBITION

RONGOTAI SITE SLUM AREA PROPOSALS The view that the Centennial Exhibition project for Wellington should not be "tied up" with any scheme for the clearing up .of slum areas was expressed by the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) at the meeting of the Wellington City Council last night. Councillor W. Duncan asked when the council was going to get a report on what was ; being done about the Exhibition.

"You will know a great deal more about that after next Monday," replied the Mayor. He referred to the necessity of certain documents having to be prepared for the formation, of the. public company to provide the funds and explained the steps that had been taken. On Monday a meeting was to be held, when the documents were to be signed by the original shareholders, and after that the company would be registered. Then it would be possible to invite subscriptions for capital. Councillor Duncan suggested that representatives of the business community should be called together to get them interested. "You haven't taken them into your confidence at all," he declared. Councillor Duncan added that in the case of the Dunedin and South Seas Exhibition the ' people had been interested in the proposal . before the formation of the company. The Mayor said that Councillor Duncan was not quite right. A committee had been set up representative of the Manufacturers' Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and other interests, and since then he had been in touch personally with many people, retailers and others. £60,000 PROMISED TO DATE. "We will get the interest all right," said the Mayor. "I have got £60,000 promised to me already." In reply to Councillor Duncan, the Mayor said that no building plan had been adopted yet. The drawings that had been prepared were purely to, show lay-out. Councillor A. Black asked whether Councillor Duncan suggested the adoption of Mr. Anscombe's scheme. "I don't know about that scheme," replied Councillor Duncan. "I know' about Captain Holm's scheme, which is a good one and could be easily fixed up." Councillor Butler said he was particularly struck with the suggestion put forward to clear up some of the slum areas. 'He asked whether" there would be another opportunity of discussing that. The Mayor said that actually the Te Aro flat scheme was really just the other side from the Anscombe scheme. While it was an eminently desirable thing: to clean up these areas, to his mind the first thing that was wanted in connection with the Exhibition was to have a site that could be dealt with and a site that from an exhibition point of view was available just when it was wanted. The negotiations, etc., in connection with the clearing of the site for the milk station had taken about two years. It would be a huge proposition in the case of an area of 50 acres. He did not think they should attempt to tie up clearing work with the Exhibition. The clearing .could be done gradually. Actually by holding the Exhibition at Rongotai the clearing of slum'areas-could be done cheaper. ' S