URENUI POST OFFICE

Taranaki Daily News, 7 June 1930, Page 13

URENUI POST OFFICE

ARGUMENT CONCERNING SITE. CLIFTON COUNCIL’S OPINIONS. In connection with the proposal to re-build the Urenui post office Messrs. C. Wilson, J. Murray and S. Topless waited on the Clifton County Council yesterday and the council agreed to write to the Postmaster-General protesting against building the new - pest office elsewhere than on the main road. Mr. Wilson detailed the proposal to build the post office on a by-road. He considered it would be a great mistake to go away from the main road. If such a proposal were carried out the Clifton County Council would incur an extra expense amounting to something like £2OO in constructing footpaths and a road to the new site. Mr. H. A. Foreman assured the spokesman that the members of the council understood the position. It certainly would be a mistake to take such a step. When the matter of metalling the road cropped up it was hardly likely that the Postal Department would shoulder the cost- and there would necessarily be required a widening of the road to allow ears to turn. The main objection .to the old site was that it was too high above the level of the road. Nevertheless it was more convenient to have the post office on the main highway and he considered the best site to bo where Mr. Handley’s building was now situated. Mr. Wilson replied that Mr. Handley had offered to exchange the site, but the offer had been turned down. Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P., favoured -the old place and had considered the space adequate for the purpose. Mr. Murray was informed that the Postal Department would be unable to secure any of the adjacent land owned by the Education Board. The fact that Urenui was growing was stressed by Mr. C. H. Barnitt. He considered it was essential to have a permanent postmaster. It might be possible to build on the opposite side of the road, where there was : more room.

Mr. Foreman considered .that if the old site were used it would be necessary to excavate to get down, to the level of the road. That would mean an earth wall on one side of the building, which was' not desirable, As considerable extra expense would be involved in the proposed new site the members of the council agreed that a letter should be forwarded to the Postmaster-General protesting against taking the post office away from the main road.