MEETING AT FAIRLIE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13393, 17 September 1907, Page 6

MEETING AT FAIRLIE.

WELFARE OF- THE TOWXSKIP. A public meeting was held in Fuirlifl on .Saturday night last lor the purpose of discussing " several matter's which were considered of interest to the; welfare of ths township. . Mr R. Guthrie, who was voted to the chair, said he understood th-s meeting had been, called to discuss certain subjects relating to the welfare of the district, but what- these subjects were he was not quite certain. He reminded those present that what xros now a, township would before many years be a big inland town, and where there was now one settler and one homestead there would eoon be three or four. Anything which was to be done for the benefit of the: township should ba dona from the beginning, and as there was no town board, a- public meeting was the only way of ascertaining public opinion. The meeting had been called for the good of the township generally, and he hoped they would ba 2)reparecl to give and take, and discuss matters from a broad point of view. Mr J. King said he had been asked to call the meeting, and the chief motive which prompted it was the County Council's proposal to subdivide and sell by auction their section at the corner of the Main .street and Bridge street, part of which was occupied by the public library, and by the Council as a storage yard.

Mr W. Black, a member of the Council, said that in proposing to subdivide and sell the land in question the Council were only doing what they considered would be of benefit to the township iu throwing open good building sections. ■Mr 3. Goodwin hoped that the Council would reconsider the question of selling the library site. It was a very necessary institution, and should bo backed up and helped in every way by the County Council. If they ?;old the prosent site he did not see where the- library could be put; and he was sure it would be an unprecedented move for a public body such as the County Council to sell a public library taction. He thought that they had done things rather suddenly and hoped they would reconsider the matter.

The chairman said that so far as he was concerned he was strongly oppce-ed to selling at all. If the land was put up for sale and bought and held by speculators it would bz a great deal better for the Council to hold it- themselves. What he hoped to see in the near future. would be new Council offices on. the site, combining a public library. Mr A. S. .Smith said so far as public opinion went he had not heard on a person • speaking in favour of their proposal to sell, and many had enquired if the Council had become speculators-. It was his opinion, and that of many others, that for ail the Council made out of it, they should hold it, and he b?gged to move: " That this meeting emphatically protest- against the Council's proposal to part with any of the sections."

Tlie motion was seconded by Mr J. Riddle, put to the meeting, and carried by a larga majority. Mr Pilkington said his offer to the Council for the land in question ::-:«med to be the caune of the meeting. It seemed to to him that all the tvctincs iu the township were locked. up, and if anyone wanted to buy he mu.'.t go down below the station or off flic Main street.

Mr J. King thought the Council might lease th-s sections for a definite period, with power to build if necessary, but they should certainly not part with the land.

The chairman said that eo far as he could see the chief objection was against selling the library site, and they must remember that whatever was clone mus-t be- dons for the good of the countv and not the -township alone. Mr J. Riddle, referring to the chairman's suggestion of building Council offices on the section, pointed out that by so doing they would be able to have the Council offices and yard adjoining, which would be a great convenience both to themselves and the public. The chairman then enquired if any one else wished to say anything on the matter, and no one responding ho said they would proceed with another matter which Ik, understood they wished to discuss thatevening, that was getting the railway, which after passing the station, -ran down one side of the main street towards Eversky, shifted nearer the centre of the street inordvr to leave more room for traffic. Mr Black said he was isure the Railway Department would not move it at their own cspense if they could help it, and the only chance of getting it- doi] ? was to bring pressure to bear by getting up a large petition signed by a-ll'th.' resident:--in the district.

Mr King said he understood the worli would cost very little, and uie predominant public opinion was that it v.a.s a muchna;d'ed alteration.

Tile chairman understood thai. several property owner 1 ; on tiie side of the street opposite to that on which th.' railway at pra-ent ran obiscted to th.- pioj.osai on the ground thai it. would cieu. a-'e the value of their pioi.e/ty. He did r.ot ,<it !:ow this couid lie !■!; • <•;•■; . ar-J he eon-suk-rcd tlisy were looking ai i; ine.i i verv nanaw peint of view, if she i:n!way was niov.d the nine nr i n feat they iii(|iiirel. it would 1 have .plenty of 100:11 on botl: ;i'cs . Besides which prop-.rtv owners on tile pr-.scnt railway side would be more likely to put up large buildings, thus concen!rating- tin-- busbies-- centre of th.' town and bent-h'ting both side.- of th-j '•hee\ Hi; could nut help thinking that t::- f.;ditig whii.h wa-' at, the holjotn of their r.-bjeetion w;-s that th-- otlifiß were down in the mud a.nd thfy n;a;:nt. to l:e:n Mr King s:;id it, w;-; !:-•! *.. iriatiei of

pounds, shillings and ponce which prompted tlv desire to have the, line moved, as manv seemed to think, but entirely tor public safetv. A-; it was people who hao! built, on the railway side had been comnell d to put their frontage several let'., off the street line in older to leave tlnm room for a verandah, otherwise their verandah would have been almost on the •aiiwav. 'l'iiev only wished it moved about 10 f-.-et, and that would be detrimental to nobody. Another mutter which was brief.y discussed was the question of acquiring asuitable recreation ground. Mr Hosking said he. considered they oui'hl to improve the present alhlevic ground instead of spending money mi the so-called park, which for athletic purpose,-, would never be any good. Mr Smith said he considered the time had come for the Agricultural Society to acquire a ground of tlv.ir own, and if they could secura 10 or 15 acres adjoining the athletic ground the two might be amalgamated. It was then moved by Mr King a.nd carried—" That a public meeting by called on Thursday, September 26th, to discuss the question of acquiring a suitable recreation ground." After a. hearty vote of thanks to thy chairman, tho nveeting closed.