BOROUGH COUNCIL

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4426, 12 June 1922, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council was held last evening. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr, P. E. Brenan), and Cr?. E. Edwards, W. Marshall, WBa’n, F. E. Flatt, G. Lamb, D. Leach, F. McDonald, T. P, Vuglar, and the town clerk, Mr. P. C. Furley. AMUSEMENT TAX. A letter was received from the Gore Borough Council asking the support of the Council to a remit to be placed before the next conference to the effect that all the amusement tax now collected by the Government be handed over to the local authority. It was decided to support the resolution. PAEROA TOWNSHIP ROADS. The following letter was received from the,, Minister for Public Works, the Hon'/J, G. Coates : "Referring to the representations made by a deputation from your Council and the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce, which waited upon the Hon. Mr, Guthrie during his recent visit to Paeroa, when a Government grant was requested towards the cost of forming and metalling streets in that portion of the borough known as the “Government Township,” I have to inform you that this matter was fully investigated op a previous occasion in connection with similar representations made by a deputation which waited upon myself at Paeroa in June, 1920. "You state that it is assumed that when the Government sold these sections that the upset price included the cost of reading and metalling. This is not so. It was riot a custom of. the Lands Department at that time to load town sections for rpading, although it is now being done in the case of any new Government settlements. “The position is, therefore, that the sections were sold at a price which recognised that no reading facilities were provided, and the public were thus able to acquire the sections at a much cheaper rate than had the cost of roading been loaded on to the capital v,alue of the land. “It would be quite inconsistent to dispose of the land at a low value in recognition of the lack of rpading facilitiec, and a few years later considerably enhance the value of, the land by giving Government grants for road formation, metalling, etc. I regret that under the circumstances I cannot make any grant for this work. It appears to me that the settlers themselves, with the assistance of the local body, should bear the cost •of roading.” The Mayor remarked that it was the same old unsatisfactory reply, so far as the Council was concerned. “One of the legacies that we have to put up with,” added another councillor. The letter was received. PROGRESS PAYMENTS. An application was made by the sewerage contractors for fortnightly payments instead of monthly payments. In discussing the matter His Worship said that seeing the contractor has had a bad run, he was in favour of having fortnightly payments on the engineer’s certificate. The matter was referred .to the Finance Committee, with power to act. £5OOO LOAN. Advice was received that the last £5OOO loan had been gazetted. £.lOOO DOMAIN LOAN. The matter of raising the £lOOO Domain loan which, was authorised by the ratepayers some time back was referred to the Finance Committee. MAIN TRAFFIC BRIDGE Cr. Marshall moved : “That in view of the statement reported to have been made by Mr. Furkert to the effect that the Criterion bridge was due to fall down at any time, a letter] be sent to Mr. Furkert asking him 4 o kindly explain this remark and indicate what cause, in his opinion, is likely to produce this result; and as the matter has caused considerable concern in the town, the engineer ba requested to treat the matter as urgent.” The motion was seconded by Cr. Flatt. Cr. Vuglar thought that the Council should let the matter drop, and take the cue from Mr. Furkert and improve the bridge. He considered that when an engineer gave a lead the Council should act on it. The motion was carried.

SEWERAGE BY-LAWS. Cr. McDonald stated that ihe Health Committee had drafted a se>: of by-laws that would be brought before the Council at a special meeting on Thursday next. In the meantime, and to prevent any delay in connecting up with the service, he moved : “That the town clerk be authorised to grant provisional licenses to registered sanitary plumbers and drainlayers approved by the Health Inspector, and permission granted to *instal sewer connections and sanitary plumbing in accordance With the draft by-laws prepared by the committee in conjunction with the Health Inspector, al] work to be subject to his approval.” <Jr. Marshall seconded, and after some discussion the motion was carried. BOROUGH BY-LAWS. The Mayor said that it was necessary to consolidate the by-laws, and as a special meeting had tc be held on Thursday next he proposed to deal with the matter then. FOREMAN’S REPORT. The foreman of works reported as follows: “The following footpaths have been chipped and cleaned: Flora Street, including cleaning of; drain; and Te Aroha Road, which has been patched with metal chips where required. The Old Te Aroha Road has Ween cleaned where required, so as to let the water off. The footpaths ip Railway Street, and Junction Road have been patched with chips where urgently required. The staff has now commenced on the work passed by the works committee last week. Re application tor crossing by R. R. Lowry George Street. I beg to re-

commend that, as desired by applicant, the pipes for the crossing be found by the Council, applicant to complete the crossing to my satisfaction.” FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT. The Finance Committee reported as follows : The revenue for the last three weeks has amounted to £l3 Ils, and expenditure £229 4s lOd, including the attached accounts, which your committee recommends for: paymen:. The district fund account will show a balance of £255 12s sd. A demand of? £558 3s lOd on account of interest and sinking fund on the £17,000 at present raised for sewerage and £lOOO for reading is presented for payment with the accounts. Of this sum £ll2 3s 4‘d will be drawn from the 1920 Loan Sewerage Interest Account, £22 6s 2d from the 1920 Loan Roading Account, and the balance, £423 14s 4d, from the 1920 Sewerage Loan Account, being interest and sinking fund for part of the first year. The two latter amounts are drawn from the loans raised, and not from the interest, accounts. In accordance with your instructons the engineer has been instructed to inform the Council how muchi of the Corbett Street-Station Road sewerage area can be completed for £5OOO or £6OOO.