APPEAL TO PUBLIC

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 77, Issue 6974, 6 October 1948, Page 6

APPEAL TO PUBLIC

PURCHASE OF PATRIOTIC HUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES , The mayor, Mr G. Spinley, by request, presided at a public meeting on Monday evening when arrangements were commenced for an appeal to the people for funds to complete the purchase of the Patriotic Hut at the Air Force Station from the National Patriotic Funds Board. It was explained that the building had been purchased at an auction sale last May and that in the interval there had been unsuccessful correspondence with the Funds Board on a proposal to pay only the actual book value, so as to in effect not take from the National Fund anything by way of grant, but at the same time not add to the National Fund a profit value caused by material or permit shortages. The Board had declined to depart from the realisation price at the sale. The Department of Internal Affairs had been most helpful and a Government grant would be made in due course on the basis of subscription raised voluntarily. Meanwhile finance to discharge the debt to the Funds Board had been arranged by the issue of debentures, a number of citizens having assisted by the taking up of debentures.

A meeting of public organisations had made a recommendation that the building be vested in the Borough Council, so as to place it fully in public ownership and for public use. The Borough Council had consented to these proposals, but the law did not allow the Council to do so while a contingent liability remained. The first necessary step, therefore, must be to discharge a debt, and when that has been done the building will pass to public ownership with a committee representative of the Council and the public organisations regulating its use. When this committee is appointed questions of location and furnishing to accord with the needs of public organisations actually needing the building will be considered. It was decided to form a carnival committee to take up fixtures for the financing of the project. Mr E. D. Edhouse was appointed secretary and Mr H. T. Millar treasurer of the carnival committee.

A fairly full calendar between now and the end of the year made difficult the selection of a day which would not clash with other activities for a day carnival between now and the end of the year. Eventually it was decided to put on a gala night on the first Friday in December. Messrs A. J. Tailby, V. Marshall, M. Barnett, L. Spence, G. Galloway, G. Carter, B. Irwin, with representatives of other organisations; were appointed a carnival committee. A further meeting next Monday will be held to consider the draft programme.