PLUNKET ROOMS AND THE RIVERBANK SITE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18804, 5 July 1929, Page 11

PLUNKET ROOMS AND THE RIVERBANK SITE.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—Evidently your article condemning the effort that is being made to foist that old dilapidated, vermininfected ramshackle known as the old Fire Brigade Station on to the Plunket Society is bearing fruit, and your correspondent in last night’s issue is deserving of thanks in drawing further attention to your trenchant article. Surely, sir, the Mayor cannot by any stretch of his elastic mind hope to get such a Bill through Parliament—then why waste time and waste the ratepayers’ money in fathering such impossible claims? He must know in his innermost heart that the founders of this fair city of ours would rfever for one moment have considered the granting of this site if they considered such an eyesore was to be built with the object of its becoming a permanency. This gentleman must think the citizens have lost all interest in the advancement of Christchurch. Sir, it takes a lot to arouse our people but unless I'm much mistaken, the “last straw” will just about reach the breaking point. At one time I was under the impression that one individual (who has been called all sorts of names) was going just a little too far in his advocacy of city improvements, but I can now honestly say that I have come to the conclusion that we, as citizens, owe him, and his supporters, a debt of gratitude that can only be paid by assisting them to prevent such acts of vandalism being foisted on to our city, such as is proposed in the Bill now in Wellington. "Forewarned is forearmed,” and the arrris nOw required are funds to send a deputation to Wellington to prevent (if possible) the Bill being placed before the House, and thus prevent our city from becoming a further laughing stock for the rest of the Dominion. I do hope, and sincerely trust, as j’our correspondent so nicely puts it, that the time is not far distant when we shall see the Plunket Society housed in a building worthy of them, and their great -work. I also trust that building will be "Bellamy’s,” and as one who has known it from boyhood, and knows every corner of it, I say that under the supervision of a good architect, its interior can be made as suitable as its beautiful surroundings, and that means the "acme” for such a purpose. If accomplished (which it can be) with a united effort, I also agree that the members of the society will yet live to bless those who are out to prevent that which, if accomplished, would be a disgrace to the society and our beautiful city.—l am, etc., STILL HO PI NG.