PROPOSED LIBRARY SITE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1934, Page 4

PROPOSED LIBRARY SITE

COUNCIL’S ACTION CONDEMNED. PROTEST FROM VOGELTOWN. I Condemnation of the New Plymouth Borough Council’s action in purchasing building sites pposite the railway station for the purpose of erecting a new public library was expressed at a meeting of the Vogeltown Progressive Association last night. The. co-operation of other ratepayers’ associations is to be sought in an endeavour to convene a meeting of the combined associations to review the proposal. There were four members present at the meeting. The chairman, Mr. W. F. Short, said he had discussed tha council’s proposals with several business men and had failed to find one person who favoured the building of a library on the site suggested. He was of the opinion that the site was too far L um the centre of the town and the proximity of the railway station would have a detrimental effect on the building and its valuable contents. He suggested th t a more suitable site could be procured, such as, for example, the council property on Carrington Road near Vivian Street. The ouncil proposed to spend £15,000 on a building and gardens that would he ruined by the smoke from the railw y tation. The idea of a garden so close to a station was absurd. The site should be used for the erection of business premises and not for a building that would rever be revenue producing. “This is a matter for the ratepayers afe a whole,’ - continued Mr. Short. “The position at present is that tha Borough Council can go on and build without any further reference to the ratepayers. I would like the ratepayers to have a say.” Similar comments were made by me others pres: .it and on the motion of Messrs. J. 17 Thomson and T. Innes it was decided to take action.