OTOROHANGA.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 713, 17 October 1914, Page 2

OTOROHANGA.

Own Correspondent. The laying of the foundation stone of the new Municipal Hall took place on Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock. The ceremony was performed by the chairman of the Otorohanga Town Board, Mr John Ormsby, before a large and representative gathering of ratepayers and settlers from the surrounding district. Mr Ormßby said that this wag a red-letter day in Otorohanga as this building marked the progress of our growing town, and when complete would fill a long-felt ■want and be a lasting credit to the ratepayers, who by voting in favour of the loan, had been the means of the hall being erected. The building i was one of which they could be justly proud, and further owing to the foresight of the meinberß of the late Council, it waß being built on a freehold section which belonged to the ratepayers of the town. There had been some talk a little while ago of a hall being erected by private enterprise, but in his opinion the raising of a loan for that purpose by the town itself, was much the better way. The building would in course of time well warrant the expenditure, and place Otorohanga on more of an equal footing with its sister townships. Undoubtedly Otorohanga had a bright future, and would become a large centre before many years had paused, as it had some of the finest dairying country round it which could be found in New Zealand. There were other important questions, the speaker continued, which were to come before the ratepayers in the near future, Buch as sanitation, water supply and Btreei lighting, but such were the natural conditions of Otorohanga that these workß could be carried out at half the coßt that other centres had been compelled to spend. Great assistance had been given to the town in the past by private enterprise. He quoted Mr Turner's hall as an example, which had been of great convenience to the residents for many years past. He regretted that during building operations one of the contractors, Mr Moore, had met with an accident in which he had the misfortune to have one of biß legs fractured, but all would be pleased to hear he was progressing as favourably aa could be expected. The speaker concluded that the Council had expßCted Mr C. K. Wilson, member for the district, to lay the stone, but his Parliaentary duties had prevented him from being present. Amidst cheers and applause, Mr Ormsby declared "the foundation stone of the Otorohanga town hall to be well and truly laid." Cr Vicary, in a short speech, congratulated the people on possessing such a fine building, and said he hoped to live to see the time when the hall would have to be enlarged, for which eventuality ample provision had been allowed in the plan;. Cr Benner said he felt proud to be present that day and would feel prouder still on the opening day. Cr J. A. Ormsby, as junior member of the Council—Cr C. Phillips being unavoidably absent owing to a motor car accident—said that the previous speakers had left him very little to add. He congratulated the architect and the contractors on the expeditious manner in which the work was being carried cut. He advised the ratepayers, aB there were other important schemes to be carried out in the near future, which had already been touched upon by the chairman, to keep their eyes on the Council and keep them moving, as it was high time a mora progressive policy was adopted if we wißhed to keep in line with our sister towns. The town clerk, Mr C. J Johnson, speaking as one of the oldest settlors present, drew a vivid picture of Otorohanga in the early days, comparing it with the Otorohanga uf today, ani congatulated the member of the Council on the economical way in which the loan had been expended. Mr Mountjoy said, as architect he felt a little out of place as he could not very well praiße hia own work, but he would, and could say, that everything going into the building was of New Zealand or British manufacture. The foundation stone was a piece of New Zealand marble which he was assured would last for two or three generations. No favour had been given him when his plans had Deen accepted. He. had come among them as a stranger, and the members oE the Town Council had treated him aa a gentleman. He eulogised the contractors, Messrs Clarke and Moore, who were doing good work and were giving him no trouble whatever. He only regretted that there had not been about £3OO more to expend, so that improvements could have been made as regards the supper room. Mr Clark, on behalf of himself and fellow contractor, Mr Moore, said the architect had done his beßt and they, on their part, would do their level best to make a satisfactory job of it, a:j in doing so they would not only be carrying out the wishes of the Council but would also be building a standing advertisement for themselves. The proceedings then terminated, and hearty cheers were given for the Council, the architect, and the contractors. The hall Twill be completed by the end of November.