THIRD APPLICATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26770, 13 May 1948, Page 3

THIRD APPLICATION

KAIAPOI BUILDINGS LEASE SOUGHT BY R.S.A. A third application for tire lease of the Kaiapoi Woollen Mill buildings" for use as a temporary clubrooms is to be made to tlie Oamaru Borough Council by the Oamaru R.S.A. This was decided at the monthly meeting of the association on Monday night, when a letter was received from the Oamaru Borough Council stating that in view of the possible extension of the Municipal Library a lease of the buildings to the association for temporary clubrooms could not be granted.

Mr W. C. Burdett said that Cr Hamilton should be complimented on the stand he took at the meeting of the council when the recommendation wds received from the commit lee. Not one councillor would second the motion pro forma. The council made a poor excuse, as at the present time only half of the Athenaeum was used. He expressed the opinion that the matter should go before the annual meeting of the association.

A “ Lost Cause ” Mr J. M. Macaulay said it appeared to him that the last annual meeting of the association gave the executive considerable , time to arrange something definite in the matter of temporary club rooms, but because of unforseen circumstances arrangements could not be made for the Kaiapoi site, which seemed to be a “ lost cause.”

Mr E. M. Freeman: The last annual meeting asked us io get temporary club rooms, and we have been unable to get these.

Mr R. E. Dimick: According to the Mayor no one would be refused the temporary use of the Kaiapoi site. Mr Freeman said the Kaiapoi Woollen Mill buildings were not a “ lost cause." The council had the idea that the association wanted to pull down the buildings and erect new club roorns, but that was not the case. He thought the association should write back to the council stating that in view of the remarks of the Mayor and Cr Hamilton the council should reconsider its decision. Mr C. Zimmermann: We are now finishing our term as an executive and X don't see. any use in discussing the question further. I move that a recommendation be made to the annual meeting that the Itchen street site be adopted as the site for the club rooms. Mr Dimick moved as an amendment that a recommendation be made to the annual meeting that the Medway street site be adopted. Mr Catto: A motion was passed at the last annual meeting that the Medway street site be abandoned. After further discussion it was agreed that the motion and the amendment were unnecessary, and they were not put to the vote. Criticism of Council Mr D. H. Scott: It appears to me that the council is only hedging. One time they tell ,us that nothing is good enough for the boys, and the next time they tell us they want the Kaiapoi buildings for possible future extension of the library. They are just hedging. I suggest we write to Cr Hamilton thanking him for his stand for the R.S.A Mr Zimmermann: We are just wasting time and making fools of ourselves. We; as an executive, have to carry out the directions of members at the annual meeting. If they say the Itchen street site should be used for clubrooms we have -to go to that site, and if they say any other site we have to go there. It was stated that the members had asked the executive to make an endeavour to obtain temporary clubrooms, and it was suggested that members at the annual meeting should be advised that the executive had been unsuccessful in this connection.

Mr Freeman moved that the association should make a further application to the council for the use of the Kaiapoi Woollen Mill buildings as temporary clubrooms.

Mr Zimmermann moved as an amendment that the executive take no steps whatsoever regarding temporary clubrooms or otherwise until the wishes of the annual general meeting were determined.

On being put to the vote, the amendment was lost bv six votes to three, those voting in favour being Messrs Bremner, Zimmermann, and Macaulay. The motion was carried.