RE-BUILDING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 58, 24 October 1914, Page 8

RE-BUILDING.

SPECIAL COUNCIL MEET^JC.

SUNDRY PHASES DISCUSSED. A special meeting of the Bbrougli Council was held yesterday afternoon in the temporary office in Mr P. Thomson's building, there' being present: The Mayor (Mr W. P. Kirkwood), and Crs. J. Masters, R. McK. Morison, J. W. Boon, J. H. Thompson, J. Fredric, and N. J. King. The Mayor said the Borough had suffered a severe loss. The building had cost somewhere in the vicinity of £2500. Everything in the building had been lost, including all the plans in the overseer's room. The rate books and valuation roll had been lost, but the.v could be replaced with some labor. All the contents of the Town Clerk's office (outside the safe) and of'the Chamber had been destroyed. There was one aspect of the fire which needed attention—the water pressure. Mr*Grubb stated that when the five leads were going the pressure went down to 351 b. If it had not been for the brick walls and the absence of wind the whole town would have gone—the water would never have saved it. There should be an examination of the present pipe-line. It was unquestionable that it would be necessary to bring down another pipe-line in order to properly cope with fire, and there was an increasing demand for extension of the reticulation.

Cr. Fredric said he had been urging for a new pipe-line for two years, and it seemed bad that it was necessary to have a big fire before the need became recognised.

Cr. King said the waterworks loan submitted to the ratepayers had been defeated.

Cr. Fredric said that loan was merely for reticulation and he had opposed it because^reticulation was useless without a sufficient water supply. Cr. Masters said that in his opinion the building could not have been saved, no matter how much water there bad been—the fire had too good a hold. When he.reached tlfe fire he.had asked i how the pressure was and the firemen had said it was good. Cr. Boon said he saw the water goin p; over the parapet. The Mayor: That may have been so when there were only two leads, but it is different when there are five leads. Cr. Boon: The time I speak of was when the five leads were going. The Mayor: Captain Grubb says the pressure went down to 351 b. Cr. King: How did he know what it was. The Mayor: I did not question him on the point. Cr. King said that he saw the water going over the parapet when the five leads were going.' Cr. Boon said everybody agreed that the pipe-line was too small—the thing now was to set the matter right. ■ » The Mayor mentioned that Mr Thomson had placed a room at the Council's disposal. • Ci*.' Boon' ; said be ''w'otiKl'prefer if the Council could be accommodated in some building of their own—there was a Tood room at the 'fire station. Tt was decided to accept Mr Thornsop's? offer and touse his room in the meantime; and a committee consisting of the Mayor and Cr. Boon was set up to inspect the room at the fire station and report to next meeting oh its suitability for use as office and meeting room. The Mayor said the matter of rebuilding should be gone into at once. It was necessary to reinstate the shops to carry out the terms, of the leases, and if the leases were to be continued they should consult the lessees before re-building. Cr. Fredric said a quite different' type of building might be decided on. The Mayor said he did not want the Council to decide right away on the re-building scheme, but Jje-Had brought the matter up because it would have to be proceeded witli without delay. ■ Cr. King suggested that shops should be so arranged that at any "future time a Town Hall could be built at the back. ; The Mayor said that no doubt the | question would crop up whether the i time was not opportune to consider | the building of a Town Hall worthy of ! the town.

Or. Masters said the Town Hall should he so placed as to be an orna,ment to the town.

The Mayor said that in his opinion a new Town Hall should have a frontage to Broadway.

Or. Thompson: What would be done with the present Town Hall?

The Mayor: It would make an excellent library building". Cr. Fredric said that if the Town Hall was built on the Broadway site the Council should secure access from Miranda Street.

Or. King said that in view of the progress of the town the new Town Hall should be of an imposing design. Or. . Morison was opposed to the theatre and the Council'chamber being in the one building. The Mayor said the fact of the Broadway site being free of buildings naturally brought Town Hall question to the fore. They had to consider, where, if the Broadway site was not utilised, they could place a new Town Hall.

Cr. Boon said the site was too valuable for a Town Hall. He would favor going a certain distance up Broadway North.

Cr. Fredric did not see the necessity for a new Town Hall. The bottom bad fallen nut of the show business, and the present building would amply suffice for the shows that did come and for the town's social ' functions. Ho favored shops and Council offices being erected on the Broadway site. It 'was incumbent on the Council to dispose of their property on business principles.

The Mayor repeated that' it was imperative to have ah up-to-date Town Hall. .. ,

It was decided to meet again oti Friday evening next. Councillors present approved the suggestion of Cr. Masters that the Council should reimburse the overseer for instruments destroyed by the fire, valued in the vicinity of £SO. Cr. Masters said that as the instruments were used chiefly on the Council's work the Council should hold itself responsible for them. The passing of/a resolution om the .matter was deieried until next meeting. The Town Clerk said he felt responsible to a degree for the destruction of a considerable number of books and papers in the fire. Really all the Council's books and papers should be put in the strong-room each evening, but as the strong-room had been downstairs this had not been done, as doing so would mean something up to an hour's work twice a day. Councillors were unanimous in absolving the Town Clerk from blame in the i matter; and the Mayor said that when the new office was built there would be a strong-room on the same floor as the Town Clerk's office.