PETONE BOROUGH

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2760, 2 May 1916, Page 6

PETONE BOROUGH

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL,

The ordinary meeting of the Petonft' Borough Council was held last evening, when there were present the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) and Councillors List, Cox, Brocklebank, Anderson, M'Kenzie, M'Dt.ugall, and Jones. The Deputy Chief Health Officer asked the council to defer consideration of a condemnation certificate regarding a, certain shop in Petone, pending the roturn of Dr.- Smith to Wellington, lie request ,was agreed to.

The Wellington. City Treasurer forwarded accounts for £427 ss. 10d., being tho council's proportion of cost of maintenance of Hutt Road. It -was decided that the amount should be paid: if in order.

_ The secretary of the Wellington- Hospital and Charitable Aid Board forwarded a statement of levies made on local bodies for the ,year ended March 31, 1917, showing Petone's apportionment to be £1156, an increase of £156 on last year. The Mayor quoted figures showing the increase in hospital levies from 6s. 2d. per head of population in 1905 to 10s. 63d. in 1914-15, an increase of 4s. 4}d. per head. The number of persons . treated had risen from 1.54 per' thousand in 1905 to 2.16 in 1914-15. The expenditure in connection with the hospital services was consequently greater, and Mr. M'Ewan instanced the addition of the dental department, and the engagement of two inspectors, the latter being brought about by the provisions of the Health Act. The increase in the use of the hospital by the public, the Mayor considered, was due either to the inability of the people to pay doctors' fees, or that they had confidence in the institution. It was resolved that the apportionment should bo passed for payment. ■ An employee of ■ tho council was granted leave of absence whilst in camp on "home service." It ivas decided to inform the secretary of the British Red Cross Society, who asked that the committees engaged' in Red Cross work should combine with; the societv, of the work that was being done in tho borough, and that the amount of £15 Ss. 6d.'had been raised for the fund. Permission was granted the Grand Theatre to ereet three signboards on th® walls of the building. In this connection it was decided to call the attention of tho borough inspector to the amount of paper accumulated 011 footpaths from signboards, and also to the habit of "chalking" footpaths.. If it should be found that the council has 110 power tfl avert the nuisances, then a by-law ia to he framed for the purpose. The Finance Committee reported that, having considered the eartago tender received from Messrs. King Bros., it would recommend that the council do'not accept the same. The' report was adopted.