OTAGO EARLY SETTLEES' ASSOCIATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 83

OTAGO EARLY SETTLEES' ASSOCIATION.

A uicet'-ig of ladies of the Otigo Early Settleis' A-sociation was held in bonrc" 1 ' rcovu Xo. 2 ot the Agricultural Buildings on Friday ftterioon. Mrs \V. H. Ferens was \vted to the ciia.r, and all anargenicnts for celebrating the fiilj-s"vtnth anniversary of the settlement of Otago on Mai- -h '23, 1005, in His Majesty's Theatre, at vhich his Excell°i:..y the Governor vas expected to be present, were completed. With regard to the j-ioposed carnival, on a suggestion that the pioceeds of the la^t carnival were for the eiec'ioi. of a hall. Mr Langlonds exp'an.ed t'ru t befoie thai carnival was opened the committee ha^ been givn to understpncl the Government lin~ permanently ahenatpd a portion of the railway reseive "at the foot of the Triangle for the erection of a band) rotunda. The . oinimttec considered itself just ficd in thinking: no objection would be macie to presenting their with a site for the erection of a hall in waich their meetings could be held, and valuab c lecorcls and relics of the early history of the settlement safeguaitfed. All the Otago members of Paxliament were written to on the 'übjeet^ and a large and influential deputation waited on the^E'remier and Minister of flailw&ys to urge the claims of the pioneers for a site for f-uch purposes. It was then found the com rmttee in the first place, had been misled 1 . The Minister of Railways informed ttu deputation it was piohibitive to have a peimanent building on a railway lescrve, or. in view of future wants, to alienate any portion thereof, that the part promised for the band l-ifunda was to be at a peppercorn rent until resumed for railway ptirposes, and pr.y bui'dinsr placed thereon would have to be removed on rotice It became, therefore, the first cli'ity of tha commit'es to secure a site, and tins ) io^ cd r veiy difacitlt matter, as owners -n Lnneclm ore averse to celling; but eventually <; most valuable and central site was obtained and paid for, and bow, althoitgh lying .die, it is earning enough to pay its own rates ard taxes. This explanation was considered =>atisf \ctcry.