RICCARTON TOWN HALL

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 55, 11 April 1914, Page 13

RICCARTON TOWN HALL

NO REFERENDUM TO BE TAKEN.

A special meeting of the Ricearton Borough Council, called by Crs White, Foster, and Stokes, to rescind the motion passed at last. Council meeting, by which a referendum wars to be taken under the heads: (1) Whether a town hall should be erected in Ricearton; (2) whether it should be built by day labour or by contract, was held on Thursday evening. There were present the Mayor (Mr J. Reynolds), and Crs W. Helliwell, J. Dempster, G. D. White, T. J. Stokes, E. J. Foster, and A. D. Ford. An apology for unavoidable absence was received from Cr T. Waddell.

In moving the motion to rescind the previous resolution, Cr Foster, who had been absent from the last council meeting, "said he was astounded when he read the report. He could not understand the decision in view of the fact that the council had been so unanimous in deciding that a town hall should be built. Two meetings ago a deputation had waited on the council and had quite properly been treated with contempt. Subsequently another deputation had appeared, and as a result the council had thrown overboard all its previous resolutions. If the Crs were going to be intimidated and dictated to by any deputation' that liked to come along, they should not be there. The hall was needed very much and only the deputations; objected to it. Even from them there had been no objection raised until the question of day labour had come in. The speaker did not object to a poll being taken, but to bring in the question as' to whether the hall should be built by day labour or contract was ridiculous. The council Avas there to manage the affairs of the borough, and as long as they considered they were doing their best for the Borough they should not allow themselves to be dictated to by anyone.

Cr Stokes, in seconding the motion, said that the action of the council showed a serious lack of backbone, and he was willing to stand or fall by the original suggestion. Cr White diagnosed the case again, stating that the chief cause of trouble had been the raising of the day labour question. Ricearton was greatly in need of a town hall, but if they let this chance go by they would 'probably never get another for years to come. He agreed Avith previous speakers that at any rate there was no need for a poll to be taken.

Cr Helliwell, in supporting the motion, said that rather than lose the hall for Ricearton he was willing to agree to its being built by day JAbour, although he had previously opposed' that clause. However, a side issue should not be allowed to interfere with the building of the hall. Cr Ford opposed the motion. In his opinioirthe council could not ignore a petition asking that a poll should be taken. He believed that if the matter went to the ratepayers they would get the hall all right, but not by dav labour.

The Mayor sSrld that it was a waste of time to discuss the matter. Those who had called the meeting had counted heads beforehand, and he knew the motion would be carried. He supported the building of a hall, being convinced that it would be a paying proposition, but in his opinion the council could not

ignore a deputation such as had waited on the eouucil at their last meeting. The Mayor instanced the Paparua town hall, which showed a net profit on the year's working of £4O. Riccarton should be in a better position even than that, seeing that the council would be a permanent tenant, thus dispensing with the rent they were at present paying.

The motion was then put. to the meeting and carried, the divfsion being:—For: Crs Helliwell, Dempster, White, Stokes, and Foster. Against: The Mayor and Cr Ford.