TOWN CLOCK

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19451, 28 March 1933, Page 9

TOWN CLOCK

ectric system proposed. lUNCIL TO SECURE REPORT. j { e Timaru Borough Council last I t decided to secure a report on the t biiity and cost of installing a l m of electric clocks in the town. | } ngthy discussion ensued on the wing motion, which was moved by g iciUor G. Benstead: j ‘That the electrical engineer be ted to make a report to the uncil on the establishment and proximate cost of a system of elec- { c clocks for the Borough. , moving the motion. Councillor stead said that sooner or later they £ d have to have a town clock, and ' Council had agreed to seek a man- c from the ratepayers on the ques- -

. He thought it would be folly to E hemselves down to the re-erection ie old clock. ie Mayor (Mr T. W. Satterlite): “We decided to do that.” suncillor Benstead said that as t nessmen. he thought they should at ■ t obtain data regarding the in- r ation of electric clocks. The idea , by no means a new one. There ( ] ! at least 19,000 such clocks in , j don alone, and he thought they j all been put up by one firm He ( eved also that there were nearly . ty municipal corporations and local j les in New Zealand who had a . em of electric clocks. Such a , em was operating in the Wellington , t Office, and in the Auckland and , ledin railway stations. In asking : engineer to give them some idea , the matter, it did not preclude the ( isation of the chimes which had so j erously been donated by Mr James j igie to the town. The Council had 1 f 1 £SO a year for the winding of the 1 ] clock, and £7O a year for lighting j j Under the new system, they could ( away with the £SO for winding, and | at least for lighting, because the , t system would be entirely different. | did not know what the actual | , enditure would be, but he did not j ik he would be far wrong in saying . t the capital expenditure would be , tieen £4OO and £SOO, plus the cost of | iting the tower. He held no brief i any firm in this class of business, he thought they would be wise to : ire a report by the engineer. Before v committed themselves to re-erect- ; ’ the old clock, they should have a , ort He did not think they could re- j ct the old clock under £4OOO but j new scheme could be done probably

£ISOO all told. • 1 he motion was seconded by Coun- l >r J R Hart ) he Mayor asked how soon Coun- \ >r Benstead desired the report, and c r he thought the scheme was going t be financed. . . ‘ ouncillor Benstead said that he ( ught the report should be furnished i the earliest opportunity. When they ; nved the report, they could go into ; financial aspect. The Council had i ided to ask the ratepayers to sane- < l a farthing rate, but that had been i the assumption that the cost would , i in the neighbourhood of £2OOO. ] ten they received the engineer’s ] ort. it might be wise to ask the j epayers to vote on alternative ; ernes They had a unique oppor- ; lity to install a system of clocks j Ich never lied, and at a cost which , lid be considerably less than that ( re-erecting the old clock. c ‘he Mayor: “Better a devil you j >w than one you don’t know.” ] iouncillor Mathers: “It is not an old j ok. It‘is a new one.” Jouncillor Benstead: “There is not , ch sentiment about the old clock, ause we hardly know who owns it.” ’he Mayor: “It belongs to the town, e old clock was taken away, and a v one was given in its place.” iouncillor Hart said that he did not j isider they had given the matter ■ mgh thought in the first place. ?he Mayor: “That’s your own, lit." ! Jouncillor Hunt: “We only had one, ect in view before. We have been ; wise to a better system.” Che Mayor: “By whom?” ' Jouncillor Richards: “The papers.” I Jouncillor Hart: “In different ways, j :onsider we would get an up-to-date ithod of time-keeping which would ; more efficient and less costly, and ■ ,ich would be appreciated by the , izens.” He said they could have eight i ten sets of chimes in different parts the town, and it would be more conaient for citizens than the old ithod. If the old clock and chimes re placed on the Council Chambers, ey did not know what effect they mid have. Councillor Hunt also spoke in suprt of the new system. The Mayor said that the proposal is news to him, but he had accepted e resolution. Councillors had evintly gone into the matter with an pert, but they had also made statesnts which were not correct. He ggested that the mover of the resolu- | >n should add the words: “For the j irpose of submitting, if necessary, is scheme to the ratepayers in con- j nction with the other scheme.” He j Ided that he had no time for the ectric system whatever, but there uld be no harm in securing inforation. The plans the re-erection the old clock were nearly ready, id they would be placed on view, ‘hen the plans were ready, they could scuss both schemes on their merits, hey had placed the matter in the inds of experts, and they expected lent to give the Council a scheme hich would be safe. Councillor Hart: “You trill never tow until afterwards.” The Mayor: “We have not decided t the Municipal Buildings, but peraps someone will nominate a better te.” Councillor Benstead’s motion was irried. Councillors Hawkey and lathers voting against. The report on the electric system, nd the plans for re-erecting the old ock are to be discussed at a meeting > be held on April sth.