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THE TOWN HALL
[Welland Tribune, 9 April 1874]
To the Editors:-
I noticed that the TRIBUNE of March 12th said that the town hall would, “as it should,” be built in the village of Ridgeway. In the issue of March 19th you give your reasons for having the hall located in a town, which I agree are quite correct, as I have always been in favor of shooting two birds with one stone, as you remark. At the same time I am in favor of fair play. The question should be decided by the ratepayers and, whatever the decision, I would not say a word. As regards the centre of the township, if you will look on the map you will find Stevensville as near the centre as Ridgeway,-and, as you very properly suggested, it ought to be built in a town, why not give the township the privilege of voting it where they choose. The Ridgeway people had petitions going the rounds for months, but never circulated any in the vicinity of Stevensville, until the people of that place got wind of what was going on, when at a late hour some little counter action was taken. If the Council had taken Mr. Councillor John Hershey’s plan to give the ratepayers an equal chance, all would have been satisfactory to the public, though for my part, I am a great stickler for good roads, and under present circumstances would rather see the money laid out on a road from one thoroughfare to another.
Yours, &c.,
A ROADMAKER
Stevensville, March 23rd, 1874.
The writer of the above, if we recollect aright, at first wanted to have the town hall built in the exact geographical centre of the township, but we are pleased to see that, struck by the cogency of our reasons for building in a village, even if not exactly in the centre, he has somewhat changed his mind in this respect, and now confines his demands to having a vote taken between Ridgeway and Stevensville. We thought this matter had been settled-and by the ratepayers themselves. We have been informed, and we believe correctly, that a large majority of the ratepayers petitioned the council to build the hall, and to build it in Ridgeway. With a petition before them endorsed by a majority of the ratepayers it would have been sheer nonsense and a piece of extravagance for the council to have asked a vote, and they, having the money on hand, very properly resolved to comply with the prayer of the petition, and, after passing a resolution to that effect, proceeded further to instruct the reeve to procure estimates, &c. If the facts respecting a majority petition having been presented are as stated in the foregoing, and we believe they are, the plea of “A Roadmaster,” had been fully forestalled and falls without weight. If the ratepayers cannot agree between two or three sites for a town hall, there is no earthly chance of their ever agreeing upon the roads which the money should be spent in case it was determined to lay it out on roads. Money has been justly propounded by good authority to be the root of all evil, and we fancy the sooner the money-the bone of contention-in this case is spent, the matter will place reign within the building of Bertie. TRIBUNE
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