ELTHAM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LVII, Issue LVII, 20 August 1910, Page 8

ELTHAM.

TOWN HALL PROPOSALS

(From Our Own Correspondent.) A statutory public meeting of ratepayers was held last night, tor the purpose of considering tlie proposals Co raise a loan of £6500 for the purpose of orecting a town 1 hall and municipal chambers and public library. 'l'he Mayor (Mr E. Parrott) presided over a meeting of about seventy ratepayers. In opening the meeting the Mayor referred to the urgent necessity 01 a suitable public hall tor the town. The Council had appointed a committee to | carefully consider the question of plans ior a suitable hall. Two practical builders (Crs Araoore and blackball) were members of the Town Hall Committee, and had visited Alanaia, Hanera and luarton in order to inspect the public halls in those towns and to glean any iutorination which they could. At ±iaHera the committee were fortunate in meeting Messrs Conroy and Tom Pollard, who hud both given the committee valuable information. The hall, Avhich the Council would like to build, .and for which plans had been prepared, would cost- about £3000, anS would have seating accommodation for from 91)0 to 1000 people, and would have stage accommodation suitable for the largest theatrical shows touring New Zealand. The Mayor quoted the returns supplied by the Town Clerks of Hamilton, Greytown, ftlarton and Stratford, which showed that small profits had been made in each case by the halls during the past year. His Worship ;ilso pointed out the need of a suitable library and public reading room for the town. The installation of the gas works would also create a need for more office accommodation than the Council had at present. A show room would also be needed in which to display gas stoves and fittings necessary to the consumption of gas. It was proposed te convert the present borough offices into a show room for the display of these appliances. Taking into consideration the amount which would be paid out of the gas loan for the present borough office buildings, when fitted up as a show room, ' and -the amount of rent which would be received from others who would "have the use of part of the offices ; interest only have to be provided for £750 ,of the amount required for the erection of the municipal chambers and public library buildings. He did not consider % that it would be necessary to collect the special rate to pay interest oh these logins. He' thought there would be sufficient surplus from the drdinary revenue to provide for this, as last year -the revenue amounted to about £400 over and above the expenditure. His Worship concluded by moving, That the proposal be submitted to a poll of the ratepayers. . Mr N. Muir seconded the resolution. Mr C. A. Wilkinson asked why tenders had been called by the Council before they had the authority of the ratepayers to do so. — The Mayor staled that this had been done to mako sure as to the cost of the buildings. Air Wilkinson also wished to know if the tenders received were witliin the architect's estimates.— The Mayor stat- . ed that only two tenders had been received, and both of these were informal, but were above the architect's estimates. Mr J. Andrews wished to know if the architects had allowed a liberal margin for contingencies on their estimates.—The Mayor said that the Council had been assured by the architects that they had allowed a liberal margin, and that the building could be built within the estimates. After some further criticism in respect of site, the motion was put to the meeting. Thirty-five voted for it, whilst there was not a hand held up against the proposal. The poll of ratepayers will probably bo taken about September 7.