The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, February 17, 1945. TOWN CLOCK.

Grey River Argus, 17 February 1945, Page 4

The Grey River Argus SATURDAY, February 17, 1945. TOWN CLOCK.

Familiarity, aural as well as visual, breeds among the townspeople so general a regard for the town clock that scarcely any other public utility is calculated to become so conspicuous by its absence. Greymoutli for some few days past has had this experience, with the removal of the clock, in preparation for the removal of the tower, from the Post Office. That site was central. but, earthquake risks having dictated, a resort to one less dangerous, the choice of some, other elevation has had to be made. The Town Hall would bo equally central, but were it there to be equally elevated it might be reckoned almost equally risky. In this particular matter of the elevation, however. Greymouth happens to be quite exceptionally circumstanced, bill country being so near the heart of the town that there is a very wide choice of levels- It therefore is. only natural that such a location should have suggested itself, and been made the

subject of a recent test with a’ facsimile clock face. This has' demonstrated a very wide range j of visibility, the only question being as to whether it does not greatly exceed the possibility of making the hands of the clock discernible nearly as distantly as the face would be. No doubt a hill site of the kind is something of a novelty, and is such a contrast with other towns as might dispose many to think it too ’llllOll out of the ordinary. Yet it is not unlikely that many another centre would utilise such a site were one available. The Borough Council has, at anyrate, adopted the recommendation of its special committee on the matter, and decided to plan the erection of the clock on the hill site with which it has experimented. With a face enlarged to 12 feet in diameter, and hands in proportion—the width of which should be the maximum properly usable —the time should be seen easily by a person of normal vision not only in the business centre of the town, but also in some suburban areas a,s well. In that event, any disadvantage arising in the vicinity of the Post Office through the removal of the clock might be more than compensated for the community generally by a greater range of visibility over the town as a whole. As some site other than the Post Office had become imperative, no other might serve in exactly the same way. In the case of the Town Hall, it would be a matter of some time before erection could be 'Completed, not to mention the question of expense- The choice of the hill site lias partly been dictated by economy in the erection outlay, and partly by the goodness of the foundation. one, incidentally which, going by past experience, is less subject to the effect of earthquakes than the lower levels of the town. Accessibility is not a serious difficulty, and if the presence of the clock on the chosen site should lead to the commencement of roading in the locality- it should be a lasting advantage for the community. The essential tiling, of course, is that visibility shall be satisfactory. If it could be demonstrated that the proposed site would in that respect be defective as regards the business section of the town, it is questionable whether any greater utility for the remainder of the town would justify the site. The matter might have been made the subject of a plebiscite, but, the Council being satisfied to rely on its own judgment, if doubtless has confidence that the result will prove equally satisfactory to the great majority. It is an advantage that, at least, the clock will thus resume its activity with less delay than if there had been some other decision. As earlier remarked, familiarity is a dominant factor in the regard of citizens for the town clock, and, as soon as it is again going, people will naturally become accustomed to a new location if it enables them to tell the time as easily as did the old one.