THE LIBRARY SITE.

Waikato Times, Volume LVII, Issue 8004, 8 September 1906, Page 2

THE LIBRARY SITE.

♦ POLL REFUSED. STONEWALLING TACTICS INDULGED IN. At tha Hamilton 13 irough Council mooting Last night a petition signed by dr Bobt. Parr and 261 others praying for a poll of tho ratepayers to be taken oil the question of changing tho site of the library was received.

His Worship suggested that tho matter hi deferred until tho question of calling for competitive designs wis dealt with. He did not wish to burke the matter, but it would facilitate business to do s •.

Cr. Elgocumbo protested that this course should not bo followed. He considered that the signatories to the petition had eveiy right to ask for a poll. If the Council desired to borrow money, a poll was imperative; practicUly, to his way of thinking, the proposal wr»s borrowing, because tho Borough would have to piy yearly an amount equal to interest on the .£2OOO given by Mr Carnegie. He was surprised to had the Council inclined, as was reported, to refuse to consider what he maintained wore the wishes of the majority of toe ratepayers of Hamilton. Tho majority of the Council seemed to desire to ignore these wishes; he for one would not take up that position. Practically they were borrowing £2)00, at any rate Vho ratepayers would ho li*b o for £IOO per annum. ; herefore ho considered the petitioners were entitled to a poll. He moved " that the prayer of the petition be granted." Cr Barton had great pleasure in seconding tho motion, for he had always held the position that the ratepayers should have the right to vote on thi-} question. As Cr. Edgecumbe had properly put it, the transaction would be practically borrowing, for the ratepayers had to pledge themselves for the payment annuvlly of the sum equal to 5 per cent interest on .£2OOO. Mr Carnegie was practically lending the money for all time ; it might be called a gift, but the ratepayers were responsible for £IOO per annumn. They would have to forego this amount on r.ads and footpaths, and those who had to foot the bill were certainly entitled to say whether the money should be expended. The Major said he had to oppose the motion. He had a plan showing the area legally available. Here Cr. Barton rose to a point of order as to the Mayor making use of the word "illegally" instead of" legally," His Worship retorting that he was there not to quibble but to do justice to every ratepayer, and to consider each question on its merits. Continuing, His Worship said the public thought the area enclosed by the fence was the area available, but really the section encroached on Grantham-street. Cr. Barton : Gjon ! We know all abjut that.

His Worship: No! you do not; ev-n some of the councillors did not kuuw tint until it was explamol to theui. He for one did not want to oppose the wishes ot the ratepayers ; but ha believed the movement was not spontaneous on the part of the ratepayers, many would not have subscribed to the pe : ition had they not been canvassed to do so. d'he signatures nutuI ered 262, while there wore 830 ratepayers on the roll. Councillors oould justly act on their own opinions on the matter, for they were representatives of the ratepayers, not dolegates. The Council had voted surus to the Technical School and the Exhibition, without taking a poll of ratepayers.

Cr. Edgecumbe: In that case they were not asked to pay interest. His Worship: We pay a contribution of £3O per year to the upkeep of the library, and Mr Carnegie merely makes a stipulation that our contribution shall in future be not less than £IOO, The present subsidy would not answer the growing requirements for all time. Cr. Edgecumbe asked whether Mr Carnegie stipulated that the Council spend £IOO a year? On nceiving an affirmative answer, he said it came to the same thing as paying five per cent on a loan. The Mayor pointed out that the proposals had beeu considered monthj ago, and were carried unanimously by the Council T 'he proposals had also been considered at the conference between the Council and the Library Committee, and it was only when the question of sits arose that there was any talk of taking a poll; it appeared to him to be an afterthought. Cr. Edgecumbe : The ratepayers thought the site would bo the present one. Cr. Barton found fault with some details of the plan submitted, <uch as where the measurements were ia liaks and not feet, and in pencil, which he said could bo erased *t any time. Cr. Young opposed the motion. He was acting in what he coasilerel the best iutorests of all concerned, and was not going to alter his opinion b=ciuse of an agitation got up by a few. Cr. Edgecumhe contended that the present Council had no right to claim that it possessed all the brains in the place. Among the petitioners were as able men—probiblymore able men—than were to be found around the Council table, and because six men out of ten favoured one thing they should not thwart the wishes of a large number of ratepaye-s. He would like to say that if the case were not analogous to borrowing a loan, he would not press the question. He could not understand the Council taking up the stand adopted. It was said the agitation was worked by a few, but he would say that if a vot? were taken on the question, 500 ratepayers out of the 830 on »he roll would be found to be against accepting the money. The motion was lost by uto 1, Crs. Edgecumbe, Coates, Stone and Barton voting for it.

When tho question of inviting competitive designs for the library came up at 9.50 p.m, Crs. Edgecuuibe and Barton protested against the mattbr being discussed at that meeting, saying that if the discussion were taken then it would moan staying till z o'clock.

Or. Young contended that £2O was too high for a second pnz), Cr. Btrtjn stating that this was one of his many objections to the proposal. Cr. Mason advocated taking the discussion that night, whereupon Crs. Birton and E Igecuuibe left the Chamber. After a short discussion on Cr. Young's motion it was decided to award the second designer tho sum of £lO, and the .Mayor and Crs. Young and Davis were deputed to confer with the Library Committee on the matter. 'I he advertising will be done in the local and Auckland papers.