TURRET CLOCK FOR THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9306, 15 September 1893, Page 6

TURRET CLOCK FOR THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

The report of the Finance Committee submitted to the City Council last nighb by Mr. Trenwitb, chairman of the committee, contained the following recommendation: — "Your committee recommends the Council bo set aside £100 from the library fund and balance from general account, and that the engineer be instructed to prepare plans and specifications, and call for tenders for a four-dial turret clock." In moving the adoption of the clause Mr. Trenwith said that they bad already on hand a fund of over £400 for the purchase of this clock, bub they required about £200 more in addition to what was on hand, and they proposed to take £100 from the library fund and the balance from the general account. They thought it desirable bo have steps taken to procure bhe clock before the Mayor left the chair, as he had taken a great interest in the matter, and had inaugurated the fund for the purpose. The clock would have four dials, and would chime the quarters of each hour, and it would be nob only an ornament bub of greab use to bhe citizens. He moved the adoption of the report. ' Mr. Holland said he was in favour of the clock, bub he bhought the resolution was in the wrong direction. Their engineer could not be supposed bo know sufficienb aboub clock? to prepare plans and specifications. They wanted a practical man for that. They could obtain designs with price, weight of bells, etc. They had men here quite competent bo furnish them, and they could obtain designs, if required, from Australia. He moved, " Thab designs be called for a burreb clock, with prices, weight of bells, etc." The Mayor said the post-office clock for Invercargill had been constructed in Wellington, and he had a copy of the specifications, so that they might save a good deal in the cost of advertising, by adopting those specifications. The cost of that clock was £625. Mr. Atkin asked whether they could legally take £100 from the Library fund. He did not think they could do so legally, but he did not make bhese remarks in opposition to procuring the clock, only to prevent trouble arising in future. Mr. Hewson moved, " That the whole of bhe money required be taken from the general account," for he was certain they could nob expend the Library rates on clocks. Mr. Atkin seconded the amendment. Mr. Paterson point out that the clock <ras for the Library building, and the Library fund could therefore properly be charged with a portion of the cost. The Mayor said they had recently procured a clock for the interior of the Library, and no exception was taken. Some people who frequented the Library were I under the impression that the whole of the Costley fund revenue and the halfpenny library rate must only be expended on books, bub the Finance Committee held quite a different opinion, and they thought £100 could well be spared from bhe library fund as a contribution to this clock. ,- Mr. Wright spoke in support of the clause of the report. He thoughb they were justified in taking this £100 from the library fund and so relieve the general account. , The amendment was bhen pub and lost, only Messrs. Hewson, Swales, Atkin, Holland, and Warren voting for ib, and bhe remaining councillors against ib. 1 The original motion was bhen pub and carried.