POST OFFICE CLOCK.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 9304, 18 November 1901, Page 2

POST OFFICE CLOCK.

Is it not time that some movement was commenced by the citizens of Gisborne for the obtaiiunent of a clock for the new post office ? The walls of the build--ing are now going up rapidly, and there will presently appear above the rest of the building a fine tower, with holes m it, which, unless filled by the timepiece for which they are intended, will be as unsightly as the cavity of a decayed tooth, and will testify to the lack of enterprise and love of municipal adornment displayed by people of the town. There is no hope of gettiug the Government to put a clock there for us, though they will defray half the cost. . The brilliaut idea of tbc/ Liberal Association some time since that the clock should be givuu by the .Government as a memento of the first visit of Mrs 'and Miss Seddon to Gisborne is not likely to receive* oftiriul endorsement, and we are afraid that it would be useless to ask Mr Seddon, when he shortly visits England, to buy us a clock to be erected m commemoration of his attendance at the King's coronation. There is no hope for it, another subscription list must be drawn up, and a sum' of between £150 and £200 raised. There should be no difficulty iv securing this amount, for we think it will be generally recognised tuat a town clock is a. public necessity, and if the requisition is spread over the whole community, with moderate subscriptions, the amount will quickly come. As an incentive to the movement, let us recite what has

been done at Huwera. The local paper writes : After a little necessary Uelay, the town clock, purchased by the people of Hawera for erection m the post oltice tower, lias arrived at tue railway station, and will be put into position iv v lew days. It is a tine piece of machinery, the bells weighing oewt.,. each of the lour dials licwt., ana the clock itself cost £327 m London. It will be fitted with automatic lighting and extinguishing apparatus, for the varying suasons, besides all the latest improvements m turret clocks. It is confidently expected that, under favorable circumstances, the bells should be heard m Manaia. As an ornament of extreme usefulness, the value of the clock cannot be over-estimated. Messrs. Stevens (the postmaster) and Sutton were instrumental m raising the money for the purchase of the clock, and m spite of pessimists they, m ten days, accumulated £177, which was subsidised by the Government to the extent oi £150. As an example of the success of the efforts of these gentlemen, it may be mentioned that for a great portion ot the time the money was collected at the rate of £1 per minute.