£400 GRANT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 175, 11 August 1937, Page 10

£400 GRANT

Our Own Correspondont.")

CHANGING TELEPHONE SYSTEM

(From

WAIPUKUKAU, This Day. At yesterday 's meeting of the Patangata County Council, a grant of £408 17/6 was made to cover tho cost of changing the telephone system in the Patangata, Mangatarata) Tamumu, and Pourerere coast areaa into a ruetallic circtiit grouping the lines of present keld by private subseribers. At preseiit tho ph'ones are operated on eartkworldng liues but, with tho comlbg of the power line to Omakere, • subscribena fear their phones will be rOndered inefficient. The causes liecessitating the thange were out" lined by the ridifig member, Cr. McHardy who was supported by Cr J. D. Ormond, jnr. The ckairman, Mr 0. Pattison, said that, under the circumstances, he was ready to agree that the change was necessary, but he suggested that an anixuai charge, something like £'J, be made for maintenance costs, if the council were to be iii charge. He added that he, for oue, would Very tnuch prefer that ^thc council should hav-e nothing to do with private telephones. However, ho did not seo wliat elso could bc done. Cr. A. W. G. Longley said he Wa3 not antagonietie to Ihe proposal^ but Jie did think that the maintenance costs should be recognised as a liability. ou the particular ratepayers concerned. Cr. A. McGaffin suggested that the 'phone users in that area (about 40 in numberl should form their own committee to take the matter rigkt out of the council 'a kands and run it themselves. He considered the proposal was oUtside the county work. Cr. McHardy aud the' ckairman botk pomted out, liowever, that the council would be in a better position to collect maintenance charges than a private organisation, the latter stating that collecting money from one's neigkbours was always a very unpleasant job. Cr McHardy then moved that the council rnake the grant, the subseribers to bear the cost of renewals and maintenance. Cr W. T, Kittow seconded the motion. Cr E. H. White: It can be done for that iigure, I presume? Cr. McHardy: Tho estimates arc, if anything, liberal. Cr. Longley suggested that the annual levy should be £2 10/-. That would only be about 1/- a week, he pointed out. Cr. McHardy: That would be all rigkt. He added that soiue of the subseribers had wanted a rate on the uaiinproved value, but the majority, with whom he was in agreement, thought the flat rate would be better. Councillors supported this view, and a charge of £2 10/' per annum was agreed upon for the Tamumu-Pourerere section^ but the rate for the Patangata and Mangatarata linea has not bcen fixed yet. ' *