Hastings Town Clock

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 162, 25 June 1935, Page 8

Hastings Town Clock

(To the Editor). Sir,—The letter of “One of Them,’’ with its Philistine sneering at Mr K. B. Hammond’s advocacy of “architectural balance’’ in the laying out of the Civic Square, and its sneering at every other principle than the principle of money-getting, must have turned the stomachs of many of your readers.

The principle of balance is the principle adopted in various forms —architectural, moral, spiritual, literary and musical—in Westminster Abbey and the Edinburgh War Memorial (neither of which, sad to say, is profit-making); in Christ’s teachings; in such ceremonies as the burial of the Unknown Warrior, the Anzac Day Observance (if those observances were abolished what a lot more money we might make!); and in Shakespeare’s sonnets or any other great literature. There are other things than shopkeepers’ ledgers in which balance is longed for by the hearts of the people. It should be realised, so far as the town clock is concerned, that its importance as a time-piece is almost nonexistent. As a clock, it will serve to tell people the time, but there are other ways of discovering what time it is. So far as that goes, the present clock at the railway crossing will serve quite well.

The only significant point is that the tower, which was the subject of a competition throughout New Zealand, is an architectural feature and a potential adornment to the town. The council itself must have considered it in that light, or it would not have sought to obtain the best design. Commonsense, to say nothing of artistic sense, or any eye for effect, suggests only one type of place in which to display such a feature —a place where it will bo set off, as the Auckland War Memorial Museum, for instance, is set off as an architectural feature. To toss it into a side street cheek by jowl with a public lavatory seems to me an act of folly— that is a mild term for such a lack of “intellectual balance.’’

Much as I respect our Borough Councillors personally, I have little faith in them as an adjudicating body when it comes to such questions as are involved in the placing of the town clock. If managing our town is a business matter, then let us have men of business on the council. But heaven preserve us from the results of business men’s dabbling in aesthetic problems. With all respect to them, I must say that they are not competent to make decisions for us in matters appertaining to artistic problems—and the proper placing of the clock tower is such a problem. Let us have a committee to deal with this problem, and with others like it, composed of a properly qualified personnel. I suggest, for instance, two or three architects, and a man of artistic attainments and ideals such as Mr W. A. (1. Penlington. But heaven preserve us from the shopkeepers and propertyowners, without whose obstruetiveness, blind folly, and misguided covetousness we should by this time have had a main street of more noble proportions, undisfigured by elephantine garden stakes in the shape of telegraph poles, and more fitted to be the main street of what will soon cease to be a small country town of one-storeyed buildings. With our shabby railway station and its revolting environment in our minds, let us make the most of what possibilities for beautifying the town lie ahead, and widen the street as Mr Hyland suggests, and put the clock tower in it. Let motorists drive into it if they must. A present none of them seem to fail to see even the tiny trains domes, so perhaps they will see a 60-foot clock tower just as easily—Yours, etc.,

“ONE OF THE OTHERS.” June 25, 1935. (To the Editor). Sir, —Some great men have spoken, and some have remained in oblivion. Mr Denny Hursthouse condones the erection in its present position, but suggets it be built up higher. A party of unemployed went one better than him by suggesting it be built on top of the present “conveniences” in Railway road, as that -would save building the foundation. Mr Hursthouse also asks why there was no objection to the town clock when it was in Russell street. There was no comparison in the existing conditions. When the Post Office was built in Russell street the Postal Department built their own tower, with an empty space for a clock. A public benefactor in Mr E. H. Williams kindly donated the clock and chimes to the town, and that was the finish.

The present clock tower is being built by the Hastings Borough Council from moneys contributed by ratepayers, and the present Mayor is only a trustee for the ratepayers, and it is up to him to see that the best site is secured for the erection. As there has been such an outcry against the erection on the present site, surely the Mayor and the councillors can have no logical objection to calling a meeting in the theatre, and explaining just why they are so determined to proceed with the erection in the present out of the way place. Personally, I think the clock should have been built on top of a massive archerection over Heretaunga street. The arch could have been built from the footpath on one side, to what wo call Maddison’s folly on the other. There would then be no need to get land from the Railway Department. Then a massive tower built on that, and wo would have had a monument which we could have named either Maddison’s Masterpiece of the Jubilee Clock Tower. It would have boon a construction to be admired for all times. The clock would have been visible for nil from anywhere, whether anyone was coming or going, or listening or sleeping. 1 remember a few years back when Hastings had a carnival, and an arch was erected to act as a welcome arch to visitors. All visitors to Hastings thought it was a grand idea, and a lot were of opinion that a permanent arch would be a great erection to have. Although the contractor has dug deep down into the earth, it is not too late to stop him now, and the loss of money would be nothing, for 1 can remember three distinct occasions that this site has been exploited by “excavators.” The first was to build those well tube remembered ' ‘conveniences.'' Then than they were scrapped, the eicara-

tion for a water tank, or shall I call it the “Eel-breeding aquarium” of Hastings youth in 1900, and lastly this bungle. If the present site of excavations is discontinued, and an arch-clock constructed, the Mayor will probably criticise it by saying, “Where’s the extra money to come from!” My answer is, why worry about the money, as the borough may just as well twist the ratepayers’ taxes into a decent' monument to themselves as waste it On many of the other side lines they are at present tinkering with.—Yours, etc., “STILL LOOKING AHEAD.” June 25, 1935. (To the Editor). Sir,—I, like many others, do not approve of the present clock site, and I think Mr Hyland’s idea is quite the best, yuite a lot of the people were under the impression his scheme was to be followed out. I was wondering if the ratepayers could have a vote about it. It could have been done at the last election. 1 think so many people are interested in the town clock, and I am quite sure if we all paid Id for a vote the funds could go to the Mayor’s relief fund. But it will indeed be humourous if the clock stays where it started and gets named Maddison’s Mistake. Imagine anyone making a meeting place at Maddison’s Mistake.—Yours, etc., JANE. Juno 25, 1935.