PETONE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 70, 17 December 1918, Page 8

PETONE AFFAIRS

WAGES OF COUNCIL EMPLOYEES. The I'etone Borough Council met last evening, the Mayor (.Mr. J.\ W. M'Ewan) presiding., Councillors C. I'. Urocltlebank, W. Cox, J. Churchouse, D. M'Kenzie, E. Tovey, and 3. Newlund were also present.

An application was received from fifteen oi the council's employees asking l'or lis. per week increase in pay on account of the increased cost ol' living, and they further requested a 41-hour week in piaco of the present 48-hour week. For the week of 48 hours the-earnings of the applicants were shown to. range from ,81 ]fls. Gd. to .A' 3 Ills., and for the 11-hour week from £3 Cs. to i:i IDs.

Tho Mayor agreed that the question of increasing the pay of the borough's employees would have to be considered,'nnd ho suggested that it would be advisable to obtain from the neighbouring boroughs a statement allowing tho rates of pay now ruling for men engaged on similar work, in order to assist the council in coming to a satisfactory decision. This was agreed to, and the matter will be discussed.as soon as the neccHaary statements nro received.

it was decided to agree to the request of the New Zealand Society of Civil Jiugincers that tho council facilitate tho nttendanco of (lie borough's engineer nt the annual conference of engineers, which is to be held at Auckland in February.

A communication from the Prime Minister (tho Right Hon. \V. F. Massey) stated that he fully appreciated the' necessity for improving the housing conditions of the people in I'etone anil elsewhere. It, wis intended to rigorously proceed with the erection of workers' dwellings in those places where applications for such dwellings are received, aj, soon as the cost of building settles down somewhat—Received. ...

A suggestion that Christmas and New Year race meetings should be postponed for one month in the interests of public health was received from the Waihi liorough Council. Tho council pointed out that tne more virulent cases of influenza were traced to the race meetings in Auckland, where crowds gathered.—Received.

It was docided'to support the Alexandra Borough Council in urging the Publio Health Department to' undertake the control and cure of all incuralile jiatients owing to tho spread of tuberculosis and the growing practice of tho medical profession in (lending patients to favourably situated country districts. The Chief Posl master advised that tho council's'tender for the carriage of mails to the railway station had hecn accepted. The dog tax was fixed as follows:— Working dogs, 2s. (id. other dogs, 10.5. . It was agreed, on the motion of tho Mayor, that the outside council employees be grunted holidays from' Christmas Evo to the following Monday and New Year's Day. It was further agreed to'place tha outside, employees on the permanent staff in order that they will receive pay durJ ing the holidays. The borough.inspector reported having made 61 visits of inspection, as a result of which three notices wero served for repair to sanitary fittings and three /to abate nuisances in vacant sections whoro horses had been kept. The plumbing 'staff visited 111G dwellings and reported on 1031 cases of sickness. This work was done very thoroughly, and tho men engaged descirved credit, lie also reported several dilapidated dwellings which badly seeded'repairs to bring tliem to a sanitary condition and make theiu comfortalile for the tenants. As a result of the borough engineer's report tiin council decidcd not to agree to the proposed subdivision of ilr. J. Wilson's property in Britannia Street, for the reason that the dividing right-of-way would not be of a. uniform width, this being considered very neceiswy. In connection with tho waterworks tlio tngineer reported that all the slips on the track had been cleared and the bridges repaired where necessary. The plumbing department completed six house services and laid twenty house drains during the past month; No building permits were issued during the month, and inclement weather conditions prevented tarring operations -being proceeded with. .