CIVIC SQUARE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1936, Page 5

CIVIC SQUARE.

[to the editor.] Sir, —Your description of the proposed Civic Square scheme as a luxury is, one with which I fail entirely to agree and I hope to show, that on the contrary, it is a necessity which the ratepayers of Greymouth cannot afford to ignore. No one will dispute the fact that the Town Hall itself and also the theatre are in a bad state of disrepair; nor that a new women’s rest room and also an up-to-date men’s convenience are urgently required. May I express the hope also that a children’s library will not be sneered at as a useless adjunct to our civic enterprise, and that the widening of Albert Street is a matter of no importance. All those improvements and many more, are covered in the comprehensive scheme set out in Mr. Harman’s report and if their upset price appears at first sight to be excessive, it is only on account of the many benefits suggested which would cost much more were they dealt with sepsi*a.tely« The introduction of shops on the Mackay Street frontage is warranted because of the unique position in the heart of the town and there is little doubt that these would be filled immediately. Contrary to your statement, there are no up-to-date shops avail: able in Greymouth, and every week sees a start being made to pull down, old premises for better building and I contend that the filling of the Town Hall block on Mackay Street with up-to-date shops will enhance the street considerably and also benefit the surrounding landlords and tenants because of the filling in of an otherwise dark corner and the coincentration of the business area. The demand is here and the people of Greymouth can utilise the opportunity to their mutual benefit. ’

I must again correct your statement that “apparently no provision is made for the repayment of principal” in the suggested loan. In the same issue of your paper you published the figures showing how the principal was to be repaid at £lOOO per annum and interest of £1,155 for the first year, which interest is of course on a reducing rate for succeeding years. The Town Hall is at present bringing in rents exceeding £5OO per annum and the Council stands in grave danger of losing this entirely unless something is done imrftediately to bring it to an up-to-date condition. If the Church block is not purchased by the Council it will probably be sold piecemeal and as Albert Street is only 33ft wide the boundary of the Church block will be required to be set back 161 feet. This will call for very considerable compensation and also require the present Town, Hall frontage to Albert Street to be set back a similar depth to conform to the new building line. This must be seriously considered as an offset to the original purchase price. I also object to your statement that the women of Greymouth have been “sold a pup” in the matter of the rest room and such, I feel sure, is not their opinion. The scheme proposed will offer the best and also the quickest solution to their problem because the present site is unsuitable for the purpose of re-erection separately and a new site would he required, which in itself would present serious difficulties and heavy cost. ■ I cannot further intrude on your space to go. into greater detail at this stage, but I do most firmly believe that if this scheme is carefully considered and finally, I hope, adopted, the whole of the benefits outlined may be enjoyed in the very near future at practically no cost to the ratepayers, whereas the provision of any single item separately would be more costly per annum and would take many years to complete. Finally may I suggest that had the reception to Miss Jean Batten been conducted on our proposed Civic Square how much more impressive it would have been and also more worthy of our desire to honour a very gallant lady.—Yours, etc., F. F. BOUSTRIDGE.

We repeat that there is no provision in Mr. Harman’s report and estimate of £35,000, for the repayment of capital. There are, to-day, several empty shops sufficiently “up-to-date.” We made no reference to the Children’s Library, and are more concerned about liabilities thrust on ratepayers than benefits to landlords. Indulging in City tastes on a Borough income is imprudent, especially when so much of the Borough ‘’income” does not materialise. —Ed. “Star.”