MUNICIPAL HALL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 April 1944, Page 3

MUNICIPAL HALL

NEED FOR RESTORATION ' STRESSED DEPUTATION TO BOROUGH COUNCIL. “ALL REASONABLE STEPS TAKEN.” Thaf the Borough Council was as alive as the Chamber of Commerce to the need of the Town Hall being restored and that the council had taken all reasonable steps to meet the position, was’emphasised by the Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, when a deputation representative of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce and other interested town organisations waited on the Masterton Borough Council at its meeting last night. The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr J. H. Cunningham, said that in addition to the Chamber, representatives of the Wairarapa Interhouse Association, the Masterton Beautifying Society, Horticultural 'Society, Little Theatre Society. Wairarapa Badminton Association, St. John Ambulance Social Committee and other organisations were present. He said the town and district were under a handicap because both the Town Hall and the Opera House were damaged in the earthquakes of 1942 and had not been available for public use since then. Mr Cunningham contended . that steps should have been taken long ago to either repair the Town Hall or provide for a new Town Hall with provision for a concert chamber and plant suitable for theatricals. The Chamber of Commerce had heard that the council proposed to erect a crematorium before rebuilding the Town Hall and it protested against that on the ground that it was the duty of the council first to look after the living. Mr J. Macfarlane Laing, vice-presi-dent of the Chamber of Commerce, suggested that the Trust Lands Trust and the Borough Council could combine in the erection of a new Opepa House and a Municipal building, instead of each body spending thousands on reconstructing old (buildings.. Mr G. Daubney, chairman of the Wairarapa Interhouse Association, said his association felt strongly in the matter. The Borough Council had lost in 1943 at-least £l9O in rent from his association alone. The association was concerned with improving the health of business girls by providing healthy recreation and the association was cramped in its work by a lack of hall accommodation.

Other speakers for the deputation were Messrs H. L. Esau and W. G. Lamb. Mr Jordan said that many were over-critical without knowing the facts. The council was just as alive to the situation as the Chamber of Commerce. The council was guided by its engineer in the matter and the engineer had his hands full to the limit. They knew that for a greater part of the time between the earthquakes and now. a permit for the restoration of the Town Hall would have been out of the question. It was a matter either of' repairing the hall or pulling it down and erecting a new structure. Mr Jordan said he did not know then, and he did not know now, which would be the better thing to do. He had not yet considered it in detail, but to patch up the building and bring it up to earthquake resisting standards would cost about £ 17,000. The engineer had been waiting also to probe and watch the building to judge the extent of the damage The council should be given credit for what it had done It was as alive to the loss of revenue as anyone. Mr Jordan said he hoped that members of the deputation would come forward as new councillors and get the job done It was their opportunity. He was content with what the council had done and the present council would continue in office for another month. The council had always done what it thought was in the interests of the community. It was a question of what the ratepayers could stand and what the community could stand for. In the past they had voted on loan polls in accordance with their pockets. Mr Jordan said he hoped that the council and the Chamber would co-operate for the benefit of the community.