THE TOWN HALL PROPOSAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 149, 25 June 1908, Page 3

THE TOWN HALL PROPOSAL.

In order to remove any. doubt as to .whether it was ever previously proposed to raise a loan for the purpose of erecting a new Town Hall on the Railway Reserve, we reprint without comment our reports of Council proceedings in September last. They" speak for themselves:- — September 7th, \

What seems to be regarded by the Mayor, at least, as a coming event, cast a big shadow over the Borough Council last night. An innocentlooking- letter, typed on a foolscap sheet of paper, dated 21st August, and signed by W. Brown, Box 506, .Wellington, was read by the Town Clerk. It's full text was as follows:

" When our representative was in! Blenheim a short time ago he was surprised to find that it was a matter of impossibility to secure vacant ■business premises, and we learn today from one of your residents that your Council intend leasing for business purposes the present Town Hall, .which they find is unsuitable and not to their satisfaction. We are now about 'to take ovar the agency of one of the. leading Hardware houses in Sheffield, and we are anxious to start branches in different parts of New Zealand^ We have been for many years in business as plumbers and iron merchants, and would be glad to offer you credentials. Should.your Council "desire to grant, a lease fora term of (say) seven years, we shall be glad to give full consideration to the same." - ' .; , , ~ Councillor White said he thought the letter should merely be received. He moved to that effect. > " Councillor Griffiths, seconding. pro forma, said it was, in his opinion, a matter worth considering. There was no doubt it would be a good thing to get rid of the Town Hall, , and build a proper theatre on the i Railway Reserve. The present hall was not suitable.. . Councillor Patchett did not/think the letter should be taken seriously. The Town Hall was quite good enough for Blenheim for many years to come. Councillor White thought it would "be wasting time to discuss the letter. He proceeded to treat the matter -facetiously. They hardly needed an-J other liardwa,r») house, especially as -they had Councillor Carr's establishment in the same line right opposite the Town Hall site. (Laughter.) • " Councillor Brown thought the letter -was merely a hoax. Councillor Ching said it would be a good thing if they could sell the Town Hall and build another in ai

more suitable place. . Councillor Macey said h& was cer--fcainly going to take the matter seriously. Some time ago he had' been -talking with some others, and it was remarked that it would be a good .thing if the Town Hall could be " leased at a good figure as business premises, and £8000 or £9000 borrowed to build a proper hall. with. Council offices and library on tho Bailway Reserve. Then the Reserve could be beautified by laying out and planting. The Institute building could be modified and let as business premises at so much per year. Wdth the extra revenue gained by this means the cost of a £9000 building•would fall no heavier than the £5000 now on loan for the Town Hall. The Mayor: Does anyone else wish to speak ? Councillor Birch: I can assure you I don't. The Mayor said he bid something to say on the question.! He did not ] know whether the letter was a hoax, j

but he hoped it would lead to something that was not a hoax. Now, he considered the Town Hall was a dead letter.. There was no one who bared to sing in it, or speak in it eisier. It was not a good hall. He did not know whether they should treat with the letter, hut he did think it would be a good thing to treat with the suggestion of Councillors Ching, Macey and Griffiths. It would get them over a difficult question and save a great deal of friction, besides giving them a valuable town hall. The extra revenue gained would go a long way towards paying for the improvements to the Institute and the present Town Hall. He would move an amendment as follows:—" That the Council entertain the proposal for leasing the; present, Town Hall upon the erection of the proposed new Town Hall in High and that a Committee^ comprising the members of the Finance Committee be set up to frame proposals on-the following lines:—(l) The setting apart of so much of the ReWrve in Hish Street as may be deemed suit- i able for the site of a suitable\.Town' Hall £ov Blenheim ; (2) the raising of ! a loan/of at least £8000 for thelpurpose of erecting a Town Hall on §uch site; (8)' the terms on which the «ent To^n Hall in Market Strfeet should be\ leased, so thai> the same I>e let by public anctiori or terider.^ Councillor x Macey said it v/aa a

large order-. He suggested ca notice of motion. ;•-;.

The Mayor agreed to this course, and made his amendment a notice of motion for next meeting. Councillor Griffiths asked what re-ply-was to be given to Mr Bjown? He would not like him to get the impression that the whole thing had been shelved. , . h It was decided, at the instance of the. Mayor, that the Town Clerk inform Mr Brown that the whole, question is under consideration. THE PLEBISCITE- ;'

Messrs.E. H. Penny, A. Wiffen, F. Smith, Alfred Rogers, J. J. White, J. Brown, and R. D. Martin wrote stating that a poll of the burgesses taken this week on the question tof leasing the Railway Reserve or retaining it as a reserve had resulted so far as follows:—For retaining, •i6l: for leasing,:'.. 161;' informal, 2; total voters, 579. It was stated that the poll would he continued, so as tb ,get a full expression of opinion. Specimens of the voting papers and envelopes were submitted. \ The Mayor said his notice of motion in reference to the new Town Hall project dealt with this matter in the meantime. ; In reply to Councillor Macey, Councillor White said the voters who ■ bad poiled were on the burgesses' roll.

• September 28th. At the adjourned meeting of the Borough Council, ; the Mayor, in accordance with notice, i moved the motion quoted above. The report proceeds:—The Town Hall 'was a very, very sorry affair, compared with halls in other towns he had seen. Besides, the situation of the hall was unsuitable. It was to be regretted the ratepayers had not been invited to vote on the Railway Reserve site. If the motion was carried, the Finance Committee would have to consider' the whole matter and report. Councillor Ching seconded, and thought the motion did not go far enough. It should provide for selling the hall. If they carried the motion they would have to go to the I ratepayers for more money for a new; ! hall. They should, therefore, get the 1 £6000 or so sunk in the Town Hall ' back first. They could then build a hall, with Council Chambers/ and Municipal offices and Literary'lnstitute. They could turn the site of the Institute into money, which would go a long way with the £6000 towards the cost of the new scheme. He had been discussing the matter, with a citizen the other night, and he had offered to buy it at what it had x cost. Councillor Brown: What about the land? ' ' Councillor Ching hadn't considered that. > Councillor White: You cannot sell

it. ■'.•■. Councillor Ching suggested a 999 years', lease of the land at.a peppercorn rental. . , , , , Councillor Brown, said he had not much to say on the matter, but he disagreed^•■■with the motion, on all points. 'The Mayor was the only person he had ever heard say the hali was not a good one. He had sat in the gallery on Wednesday, and heard plainly even what the children said. He could not understand the Mayor's remarks. Perhaps he was speaking, of the architecture. It was a good strong building, anyway. The Mayor: It's over a bogholo. Councillor Brown admitted there had been a there; but now there was something else very different.

Councillor Griffiths said the acoustics of the hall were very bad, despite Councillor Brown's words. Mr Pollard had spoken very nicely of. the place, but then he had been comparing it with the old Ewart's H«7 He did not know what was wrong with the building, but it was bad in acoustics. Councillor Brown did not wish

to atmse the Kailway xitserve. Wiiai) were* they to do with it? Councillor Brown: Put it into Seymour Square. Councillor Patchett thought the Mayor was not serious. (The Mayor: You shall see that I'm serious before the thing is through with.) He thought the Mayor was backing down on what he originally proposed to do with the Railway Reserve. • Councillor White did not think that. He agreed with Councillor Brown, though. No one would be more pleased to see fine public buildings on the Reserve, but he did not think there was any likelihood of the ratepayers voting the money. As to the-acoustics of the present hall, he thought they were rather good, whenever it was well filled. If not quite satisfactory, let them secure the ser- t vices of an expert to set up soundcarrying rods. 'He thought they had better accept Mr Pollard's advice, | and be satisfied with the hall for some years. He was against the motion. Councillor McKinley favoured the motion. The fact of the matter was the building was too deep and too narrow, and they would always have the inconvenience of not being able to see the floor of the stage over the heads of those sitting in front. He was glad to hear Councillor Cbing coming out for the new scheme. It' the ratepayers voted against the proposal, very good, they must rest content .with* the. present building. Councillor Macey supported the motion, and spoko of it, as a feeler. The Council would in no wav le committed. The ideal he had in mind was the erection of public buildings embracing a town hall, free, library, reading room, Council Chambers, und municipal offices, on the Railway Resery.©j with the plantation of the remaining portion of the land. 'Councillor Birch said that the Councillors who had taken up the idea ot subdividing the Railway Reserve seemed to have taken a rightabout turn, and gone off in another di rection. (Councillor Ching: Compromising.) He thought the order was too large for the ratepayers, who were not progressive enough to vote £8000 for what he admitted .was an idealistic scheme. . . Councillor Macey explained that.he had always been in fayout,6f placing the hall on the Railway., Reserve. Should the scheme mis-carry, he was fully determined to adhere, to the cutin g-up t scheme. , . ;' ; Cotincillor Birch: That is satisfactory, I think. • ; The Mayor said he was pleased to, think the motion was to be giv6n a; chance, and as it was to come back from the Fiance Committee with a report, he would not speak again. The motion was carried, the voting being as follows:—Aye: Councillors McKinley, Griffiths, Macey, Birch, Ching. and the Mayor: No: Councillors Brown, Patchett and White. Tha Mayor then stated that he would be absent from next Friday's meeting. Ho moved that. Councillor Ma,cey be Deputy-Mayor. \ Councillor McKinley seconded, and the motion was carried.