TATTERS ALL’S SITE MAY BE PURCHASED

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19034, 1 April 1930, Page 3

TATTERS ALL’S SITE MAY BE PURCHASED

CITY COUNCIL SETS UP SPECIAL COMMITTEE. The City Council decided at its meeting last evening to set up a committee to go fully into the question of buying the Tattersail’s site for the city. Councillor Cooke’s motion was as follows:—“That the necessary steps be taken to acquire the property having a frontage of G6ft to Cashel Street and a similar frontage to Hereford Street, and known as Tattersall’s, for the purpose of providing rest rooms and conveniences and the provision of other municipal utilities, and that a special committee be set up to go further into the matter.” Councillor Cooke, on rising to put the motion, said he would ask for a committee to be set tip to inquire into the price of Tattersall's. Lie had an option, but it had run out. He would like to submit the advisability of acquiring the site for the council. A committee was looking for a place for a women’s rest room costing about £/000. They wanted a rest room worthy of the city. At the corner of Cashel and High Streets there were conveniences which would certainly

have to be shifted. Country people used Cashel Street for business, but if Tattersall's was taken- the conveniences could be put put of sight; and an arcade could be made. So far as a municipal market went—an up-to-date municipal market—he had seen mar- 1 kets covered in. with large, windows, j Such a market could be established in i the arcade. If £55,000 was spent on the land, that, with another £50,000 for buildings’, would make £105,000, which

lat per cent with 1 per cent sinking fund, would be a splendid investment. The city had been trying to get the 1 1 centre away from Cathedral Square. I The centre of the city was moving south, and the land suggested would soon be the most valuable piece in the city. COMMITTEE ASKED FOR. Councillor M. E. Lyons: Looks as if we are going to have two land agents on the council. Councillor Cooke urged that a committee be set up to consider the whole question with Matson’s. It was a move to give the women an adequate rest room, with satisfactorily placed conveniences. Councillor Cooke amended the original resolution, moving that a committee be set up. The Mayor suggested that the motion be put as follows: —“That a committee should be set up. consisting of the Mayor. and Councillors Andrews, Beanland, Sullivan and Cooke. SCHEME OPPOSED. Councillor Lyons said he would oppose the motion, for if £55,000 was spent on the land and £50,000 on buildings, that would bring interest charges at 7 per cent up to £7350. Allowance would have to be made for depreciation at 5 per cent. The ratepayers would not sanction a loan of £IOO,OOO at present. The scheme was also condemned in that it was suggested that the rest rooms would be on the top of the building. He considered a committee would be wasting its time. Councillor A. W. Beaven said that want of capita] for enterprise was the cause of much of the unemployment. The farmers were handicapped by the high rate for loans, and it would be a .shame to borrow money at the present time. Councillor D. G. Sullivan, M.P., said he thought it was quite reasonable that a small committee should be set up to collect all the facts and refer them to the council for consideration. Councillor Beanland said that it appeared to him that it would be a waste of time referring the matter to a committee. He regarded it as a wild-cat i scheme. The owners of the property were asking about £OO.OOO for the property. and the Government valuation was only about £34,000. Tlie whole thing was, he considered, quite ridiculous. The Mayor said that no harm would come from referring the matter to a committee. It was decided to accede to, Councillor Cooke’s request that the matter should go to a committee for a report.