THE CLOCK TOWER

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1946, Page 6

THE CLOCK TOWER

LARGE MAJORITY FOR TOWN HALL SITE REFERENDUM RESULTS A total of 1240 residents of Greymouth, excluding Cobden, voted in the referendum conducted last week by the Greymouth Ratepayers’ Association. Of this number 1027 signified their opposition to thd site on the hill behind Alexander street selected by the Borough Council for the reerection of the town clock, and there were 213 who recorded votes in favour of the hill site. These figures were announced at the meeting of the Association last evening when it was stated that all the forms issued ■ had been. returned and checked.

The petition, which was submitted to householders with the questionnaire, was signed by 846 persons. The questionnaire showed that the town hall, which it is proposed to have reconstructed in the future, was by far the most popular site for the clock, no fewer than 694 residents recording their votes in its favour. McGinley Park was a poor third, obtaining 1,73 votes, 40 fewer than the hill site. Sixty-six persons were against the clock being re-erected at all, and 85 others made alternative suggestions. It was decided to forward the figures to the Greymouth Borough Council which is to meet this evening with a request that the matter be further reconsidered. Members expressed their intention of attending the meeting. In a discussion on the subject, it was pointed out that the Borough Council might object to the petition and ask how many ratepayers’ names were included. “It would be the stone end of them if they did,” suggested Mr. R. P. Chibnail.

“I’ll be a very surprised man if we don’t receive a letter seeking the number of ratepayer voters,” said Mr. H. Herring. It was resolved not to send the petition itself to the council, though it would be available for inspection at any time, as it had been recommended by the Town Clerk that a deputation not wait on the council. It was reported that no votes were recorded in Cobden, as the Cobden association had considered that there was insufficient time to make a canvas of the suburb. The chairman, Mr. N. Shallcrass, reported that at Timaru the clock had been removed from the Post Office tower and replaced on the town hall, where a tower about 100 ft. high had been erected for only £1,030.