The Town Hall,

Southland Times, Issue 19103, 21 July 1903, Page 2

The Town Hall,

A ..special meeting ~of tho ihy6rcaigill Borough Council was hei^^ast evening, to consider matters iiijcpnnection with^.the, town hall designs ;. : The Mayor (Mr G. Froggatt) preiided, and all the councillors were

iii reply to the 'tei^raiii - sent* %o Mr Charleswprthi, of^ Wellington, j he announced that he was a competitor, p.nd was therefore not in a. position to afccept the offer c<f the Council to report on the designs. ;

Before a motion was put before the Council, Councillor Crosby-Smith made a personal- explanation^' ;"-. Tho day after last meeting a friend of his iri another part of the colony had; unthinkingly sent him a telcgi'dra' giving him thename of the designer of the plan, recbixiriierided by the 'committee. Tiiis had. piit him into Rich a position ithat -.' felt barred from voting, iiiid;. though he would attend meetih^s-he wished the, Council to notice that ho would alh: stain from voting, as he did not thinK. ho could conscientiously db so,. —Councillor J. Stead thought Cdimciilor Smith was taking an extromo view of the matter if he. abstained froril his responsibility because somo onechad sent him a telegram:

Scane .considerable discussion took place as :to";the architett 1 to be asked to nepoi-t on the plans. The -Mayor, in reiSl'y to ' Counciiipr . < McKay, said that the Council riot be bound by the decision ofxany arcKitect who 1 might be appointed —Councillor Mcir Kay said th«&, in hi? opinion, the expenditure in t|iat case- was Useless Ho thought it would be much hetter to get expert advice, and -■': mako it binding: on the" Cpuiiicili^(No.)^rho Mayor said that it was . distinctly understood that the ; Council shbiUd riot be bound; Tlie expert would report on four-; plans, pointing' out their - Strong atift weak -pt'Ults; and the Council /would ; then consider -them.'- : ' ;V- ■ : ■■•:■■. :? --: . , ;-: ; .-., '■'. -"-'"'" .-.■"■-■

Councillor Roche moved, and Courteilldr Scandrctt seconded, tbat tho matter Toe referred back to tho com"mitlee for consideration, so that a definite proposal could be laid before the Gauiicil at next meeting:

Councillor Lillicrap urged that tho Council, should deal tvith the question at once, and suggested that tho assistance of a Melbourne or Sydney expert should be secured. Mistakes had been made in other public"T^iiidings in InyercargiH, and they should do them best to avoid aii^thiflg of the :: He^ ; ■■lnoved[^th«tt; enquiries be^ made in Sydney^^ and "Melbourne with-- a Tiew of Ascertaining whether some recognised theatrical experjt was available, the plans tP be sent to him if so arranged.-—Council-lorC.W.: Stead seconded, this. :

-■"■.'"' douncilivr .^cGiHiergaye ; notice of a fufthei* amendment- He deprecvxSed going outside of Ke\y Zealand f or advice. , : '..'-/'::- v ' : : : •. ';.'[':"■'■]": 'vS'S.-:* .'"'■ - :^*"V ; ;.; ! x ; The amentlmeht" losf, and "Councillor McXJruer then moVed :Xhat the, Gburicil ask Mi* ? Salmond,' archt tfetit; Dunedin,^ arid Mr James AnnV and, building contractor,-- of Morn' ington, Dunediii, to inspect the four plans and report on their merits,;— Councillor McDonald seconded. He understood that Sir Salmond had had considerable experience under a gentlernah whV'had' coristriieted somo of thie^fihesli buildings in Dunedin^ and that he enjoyed a^ yery high rp- 1 putation/ ; He felt Vvery /averse ty a person outside New Z*a--; land if they coiild find one able ''■■-tof the task set before him, and he d}d not-think -the task was such ;a. ;wori-; derfuliy difficult one.; it was : a ; slu'r og^the «ompeting^ ;■;. architects^jtb ysay that thej r had not ; jnade provision for . what was required in»a v flrst-.. class "thciatrc!^ :Wtoat the c^p^rtf-woiild be^ required vti) do would be 'to: report; on the building best suited to accpninaodate the public, cpn^istent with; publicy safety.— Ccwncitlor Rbcho briefiyS replied; l obj(jctihg,j to. anj'ono from being engaged, a he; {ygaendment- was i-carried.-^AyieS :.;:. Colincillt^rs. McGrUei%;\ J. Stead; Stirling, acahdrett> ;^fcKay, .and Mc< Donald ; Noes : GounciUor/s.'- - Bochc.\ Cleave, OH, Lillicrap, and; W. S^en^l.