PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 20134, 26 March 1929, Page 15

PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

COUNCIL MEETING The fortnightly meeting of the borough council last night was attended by the Mayor (Mr T. Anderson), Crs Bell, Willmott, Watson, Scollay, Campbell, Love, ana Lunn. CORRESPONDENCE. The Rowing Association acknowledged a donation of £3 towards cost of sending eight-oar crew to Lyttelton.—Noted. Mr W. D. S. Sutherland asked the council to put on two men to cut grass and clear the ground round the old town hall in Currie street; _ The lessees had had the building painted. The cost of labour would be refunded.—-It was decided to employ men for the job. 4 . Mr J. Pearson applied for permission to erect a small merry-go-round on a vacant section in George street. —Request granted. a x The Otago Motor Club advised that it had decided to comply with the council’s request to arrange a conference of the bodies concerned in the upkeep of the Dunedin-Port Chalmers road.—Noted. Mr E. If. Roberts, engineer, reported that he would call for tenders for the reconstruction of the south end or George street, as instructed by the council.—The matter to stand over for a fortnight, legal advice to he obtained meanwhile in regard to permanent levels, REPORTS .

The Works Committee reported: During the past fortnight the foreman and staff have been engaged on general maintenance work about the borough. A further twelve yards' of rubble were spread in Bellevue place, and twentyfour yards in Beruicia street. A start was made with the work on Fairbairns road, and up to the present forty-one yards of rock have been spread. Two yards of ashes were carted and spread in Meridian street. The stones which were lying in the old channel on the Sawyer’s Bay road have been removed. Preparations were well in hand to proceed with tar spraying, hut wet weather recently experienced has put this work back, and for some days the services of the staff are required in repairing damage caused by the heavy rains. Several slips occurred, the worst being at Carey’s Bay, on the high road, and one in Wickliffe terrace adjacent to the new bowling green. The work of cleaning up the damage is proceeding as quickly as possible. In the matter of the drainage connections in George street, the committee recommends that in order to save cutting up the street after the new surface is completed, that the drains be laid from the sewer to the fence boundary of the properties occupied by Mrs De Mans and Airs MTherson. The house connections can then be made at a future period.—Cr Campbell said that the committee had not been advised of any washout at the inlet of the reservoir. The General Committee reported; During the past fortnight the manufacturing plant at the gasworks has given no trouble. During the period 10 tons 11 cwt of coal was carbonised, yielding 137,100 cubic feet of gas. This gives an average of 13,000 cubic feet to the ton of coal carbonised. The station meter shows the make at 141,000 cubic feet. Mr C. Parker, retort setter, visited the works regarding the proposed new bed of retorts. The foreman in a recent report recommended the using of the retorts which have been lying in the gasworks yard for some years, also the ironwork. Mr Parker confirms this recommendation, and advises that the retorts are quite good and can be used in the new settiiig. He estimated the total cost of the new setting at approximately £275. The usual price of such a setting is £475, but by using material on hand a saving of about £2OO wi]l be made. The committee recommends that authority be given to have the work put in hand, and that the services of Mr C. Parker be secured to do the work. The committee further reported that in the general account the expenditure amounted to £599 5s 4d, and the receipts to £ll4 9s, leaving a. credit balance, including road reconstruction credit, of £BIB 15s 2d. In the gasworks account tho income was £8 15s 6d. and the expenditure £lßl 11s sd. —The Chairman said the year’s expenditure had exceeded its income by about £6OO, which deficit would have to bo met from the sum set aside for road reconstruction. The deficit on tho gasworks was about £6OO for the year, and had to he met from the general account. —Cr Lunn said the old retorts now about to be used, had been regarded as unsuitable when new retorts wore installed a few years ago.—After a lengthy discussion on the financial position the report was adopted.