MORE ROOM WANTED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 446, 11 July 1922, Page 2

MORE ROOM WANTED.

BOROUGH OFFICES ‘^RAMPED

COUNCIL AUTHORISE/ ADDITION'S,

Arising out of a special report: submitted by the town clerk (Mr J. R. Hardio) the Borough, Council, last night took steps which before fong will lend to the provision of more office accommodation for various municipal undertakings. The proposal, which embodies additions to tho present council chamber and offices, has been brought to a head through the necessity in the near future of providing room for the electrical department. Jn the course of his report Mr Hardio said that Ids reason, for re-introducing the. proposal, which was before the council eighteen lyonths ago, was that ho fully anticipated that within a very short time the council wotild be appointing a resident electrical engineer to control the local electrical scheme and power plant, and if such an appointment were made it would necessitate locating a suitable office in which to house the new engineer and his staff. If rooms were procured in a privately-owned building a rental of £3 pec week or even more would have to he met whereas, if the proposal to add to the present building in accordance with the plan prepared by the engineer, and estimated to cost £SOOO. were adopted, interest on such sum at 6 per cent, would only be £IBO per annum. The proposed additions provided for the new chamber, committee room and offices for the electrical engineer, etc.; the offices of tho electrical department should bo in the municipal building so that the town clerk could conveniently supervise the clerical work of tins department. Mr Hurdle emphasised the need for additional room and concluded: The suggestion that the cost of the work, namely, £3OOO. be provided for by reducing by an amount similar to the foregoing sum the item of £SOOO allocated in tho sports Joan tor tho reading of part of the reserves and the said loan proposal altered accordingly should receive the favourable consideration of the council. PROPOSAL DISCUSSED.

In the course of a general discussion the Mayor (Mr J. A, Nash, ALP.), said it would be a good idea if the council could get over the difficulty hy_ housing the electrical engineer and staff in the gas department’s building. Or. Spooner pointed out that there was no room available in that building lor the purpose suggested. He went on to urge the adoption of the town clerk’s scheme, stating that (ho staff at the borough offices could not carry on much longer under the existing conditions. The promises_ were over-crowded and inconvenient. The finance committee saw no alternative but to recoinmend the adoption of the proposals. According to the Mayor the railway station might not be shifted for three or even live years, which was too long a period to wait for the land in I lie Square necessary to erect , a big municipal building proposed some time ago. Something would have to he done to relieve tin pressure in tho meantime.

LV. West said that, the prosecution of the larger scheme recalled by the Mayor was still a very remote possibility. The expenditure of £3OOO. as proposed by the town clerk, would be ample to > tide the borough over its present necessities. A recommendation from the llmuiee committee that, tho report be adopted was carried without dissent, and the engineer was instructed to prepare the necessary plans and specifications forthwith.