WOMEN’S REST ROOM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26543, 19 August 1947, Page 4

WOMEN’S REST ROOM

Athenaeum Building to be Leased CITY COUNCIL DECISION A women’s rest room will be provided in the Octagon as the result of a decision by the City Council last night to lease the Dunedin Athenaeum premises for this purpose. The council approved the transfer of £SOOO from the Water Account to provide the finance for the necessary alterations to the Athenaeum building. The chairman of the council’s General Committee, Cr Jolly, said he hoped that a start on the work could be made as soon as possible, so that the rest room would be ready for the Centennial year.

Details of the agreement reached with the Athenaeum Committee and approved by the council last night were as follows: — The lease to comprise the present Athenaeum library and women’s retiring room, together with the use of the entrance vestibule for access. A rental to be paid by the council of £3OO a year, together with the rates on the whole of the rear portion of the ground floor (approximately £72 a year). The term of the lease to be 21 years, with a right of renewal. Heating and lighting of the leasehold portion to be provided and paid for by the council. The council to be responsible for the maintenance and repair of the leasehold premises, including the roof. The council to pay the cost of removal and replacement of all fittings and shelving. The opuncil to strengthen the floor of the existing reading room if found necessary. Financial Arrangement The preliminary estimate of the cost of fitting up the rooms in accordance with the agreed conditions was £SOOO, Cr Jolly said. As no financial provision had been made in the estimates for this year, a report was sought from the council’s Finance Committee in terms of the standing orders The chairman of the Finance Committee. Cr Taverner, reported that it was not possible to provide such a sum from the current estimates of the General Account. The committee was of the opinion that, as prospective expenditure in the Water Account was likely to be less than the estimated provision as a result of the difficulty in obtaining stock, it should be possible for the Water Account to find the sum required. The Finance Committee recommended. and the council adopted the recommendation, that the transfer from the Water Account to the General Account for this year be increased from £6OOO to £II,OOO. Site Commended

Councillors, generally, commended the central site for the new rest rooms. Cr Connolly, M.P., said he hoped that, before the first 21 years of the •lease had passed, the. council would have obtained the freehold of the property, but he did not wish to see the Athenaeum go out of existence, because it had been' doing a worthwhile work. Cr Taverner had found the money for the new rest room, and all that remained to be acquired was the building permit. ' “ The proposal to provide a new rest room will receive the endorsement of all women’s organisations in the city,” said the Mayor. Cr Ireland drew attention to the laci that money in the Water Account, from which finance for the rest room was to be provided, had been set aside for the purchase of pipes for the Water Department. Considerable delay was being experienced in obtaining pipes, lie added. A few pipes which arrived recently had been ordered three years ago. There was no ’ sign yet of the Silverstream pipes, which had been •ordered 12 months ago. After the Mayor had congratulated Cr Jolly on the work he had done in bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion, the recommendations of the General and Finance Committees were adopted unanimously.