OTAHUHU.

Franklin Times, Volume 9, Issue 742, 27 June 1922, Page 2

OTAHUHU.

OTjWHJRU borough. The Otahuhu Borough Council held its bi-monthly meeting in the Council Chambers, Otahuhu,, on Thursday ■lagtb There were present : His Worship the Mayor (Mi 1 R. B. Todd), Councillors Brady, Clements, Dinnison, Hall, Nicholls, Prestop, Shepherd, ancj Whiteley, and the Town Clerk (Mr. Wood).

Messrs J. i Wood and Hamlyn (chairman and member respectively) of Ithe Mount Wellington Road Board, waited! on thq Council with regard to the' state of Pontage Road which is jointly controlled by the Council and the Board. Mr Wood suggested that tenders be called for carting scoria for the road and that each body should put on a man to spread same. It was decided that the Works Committee should meet the Board’s representatives on the spot with full power to act. The deputation, then withdrew.

A letter was received from the State Advances Office stating that the office had decided to entertain the Council’s application for loans totalling £5250 for waterworks extension works: and the erection of workers’ dwelling, the term of the loans to be 3614 years and the rate of interest 4Vi per cent. The letter asked wden the money w r as required, and it was decided to 'ask for it in October next. The Minister of Finance wrote stating that Ithe Council’s application for his consent to the Antecedent Liability Loan would: receive early consideration. The letter was received. Mr A. W T . Cummings wrote complaining as to the action of tdc ranger in charging him 2s driving fees on reihs'ng his cow which the ranger was taking to the pound. Mr Cummings contended that a fee of Is only should have been charged. The matter was referred to tike ranger for a report. Mr E. A. Rotter wreste asking the Council to endorse a resolution protesting agaiitnst tdc present method of making levies for hospital maintenance and asking the Government to make such maintenance a charge on the consolidated fund. The Mayor staecl that the Government had already been approached several times With regard to this matter, without result. He sugguested the Council endorse the protest against the present method of levying hospital subsidies, but that, instead of ■asking Ithe Government to take over the whole maintenance of the hospitals the Government be asked to amend the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act so that Hospital Boards would assess contributory local bodies levies on the basis of the capital vale of the districts as at present, it was pointed ou,t that under the present system a district with at small population, frequently contributed much more than the thickly populated districts which was manifestly unfair in view of the fact that the hospitals contributed what might be termed a personal service. It was decided to adopt the Mayor's suggestion and to reply to ithe Taieri Counity Council accordingly. Mr E. J, Finn wrote asking the Council to attend to the open drain in Canal Road. It was decided to refer the matter to the Works Committee for a report. The Medical Officer of Health at Auckland wrote reporting as to the result of his inspection of a number of premises in the Borough and asking the Council to serve notices on the persons concerned,. It Was decided to serve the notices accordingly.

A, petition was received from a number of ratepayers requesting the Council to carry out a number of improvement works in that part of the Borough between Nixon’s Monument and the Tamaki bridge. The matter was referred to the Work's Committee for a report.

A letter was received from, ithe Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association forwarding particulars of tde demands died by the Auckland a2id Suburban Local Bodies Labourers’ Union on behalf of the men. ■The Council was asked to send delegates to a con ferenece with regard to the matter. The letter was received.

A report was received from the Legal and Finance Committee of the Council recommending the payment of accounts totalling £376 Is 9d, and the adoption of the estimates for the current year as submitted. The estimates provide for the same total rate as for last year—ithe decrease in the Hospital': rate brought about by the reduced! hospital levy being balanced by a corresponding increase in the general rate. The new rates are as follows (last years rate being given in parenthesis after each item : -General rate, 2 29-64(1 (2 24-64(1 ; hospital rate 31-64 c! (156-6 Id);

j interest rate 1 7-16 d(1 7-.16d) water rate l-144th of ald (l-144th of a Id) : water rate non-consumers 28th of Id (.1-288th of ;a Id) ; sanitation fee 25s (255). The report was adopted. A report v/as received; from the Works Committee recommending the Council to construct a storm water drain in Mangere Road and to clear the footpath litn Goff Avenue and coat same with ashes. The committee also recommended the prosecution of all persons having noxious weeds on their road frontages. fFhe report was adopted. The Water and Drainage Committee recommended that the Rev. H. Mason be asked to make a tour of inspection with a view ito locating other sources of water supply. The report was agreed to. The formal resolutions striking the special rates offered as security for the two loans recently authorised totalling £5250 were passed by the Council. Cr Dinnison brought up the question of a, footpath in Wallmsley Road and proposed that an estimate be obtained from the Borough engineer for 'the formation of a 6 foot footpath from the Middllemore Store to the railway station, the work to include the filling of the mud holes on the south side of the road. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Hall pro forma, and after considerable discussion was put to ithel meeting and carried. Cr Dinnison! proposed fthalt the attention of the Gas Company be drawn to the| fact that the street lamp near the Middllemore store had not been lighted for the three nights past. Cr Brady, in seconding the motion, stalled that several other street lamps had been unlighted recently. The motion was carried. It was decided on the motion of Councillor Whiteley, to request the Health Department not to lose sight of the proposal' to have the effluent pipes from tde works al, Westfield carried further out into the stream.