TURUA TOWN BOARD.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4573, 11 June 1923, Page 1

TURUA TOWN BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting o£ the Turua Town Board was held on Thursday last. There were present Commissioners J. Mules (chairman), C. Ansford, C. Scott, J. T. Davies, A. P. Gai’diner, F. Olsen, F. Beck, and the clerk, Mr J, E. Green. The manager of the Bank of N.Z., Thames, wrote asking for a copy of the Board’s balance-sheet to enable the bank to arrive at the Board’s legal overdraft limit. Mr W. White, Thames, wrote forwarding a donation of £lO towards the cost of having the road between Turua and Orongo put into repair. ,-The clerk had replied that the Board would accept t,he donation and would expend it in purchasing broken metal for use on Hauraki Road within the Board’s area. On the motion of Mr C. Scott, seconded by Mr F. Beck, it was decided that it be placed on record the Board’s appreciation of Mr White’s donation. The Government Statistician, Wellington, forwarded a circular letter asking for information concerning the township for publication in the Municipal Handbook. Mr C. Ansford was apopinted to negotiate with the Power Board, with power to act. Mr J. Mules and Mr J. T. Davies were authorised to sign cheques on behalf of the Board. Accounts totalling £4B were passed for payment c STREET LIGHTING SCHEME. The Turua Concert Committee wrote stating that, a concert would be held shortly in Turua. They asked that the Board accept the proceeds to help on the street lighting scheme, and for an assurance that the money would be used for the work stipulated. ' Mr C. Scott said that Mr Bagnall offered ia give £25 towards the lighting scheme provided the people found the balance. The sum needed was £47 10s, He had taken r,ound a sub-; scription list among the business firms and had collected about £l2. The clerk said that the fund was to establish the lighting system. Mr Bagnall had suggested that the Board should, take over the lighting next year. If the Board did not do this the amount .would again have to be raised by subscription, or the lights would be removed. Mr Scott guaranteed that the balance needed would be raised shortly. The clerk pointed out that the charge of £47 10s was an annual one. Mr J. T. Davies said that as the money was forthcoming he would move that a lighting fund account be opened, and that the Power Board be asked to put the wonk in hand immediately. Seconded by Mr F. Olsen and carried. On the motion of Mr A. P. Gardiner, seconded by Mr C. Scott it was decided to place on record the offer of the Turua Concept Committee, and that the Board would be pleased to accede to the request. LIABILITY ADJUSTMENT. The Clerk said that some finality in connection with the adjustment with the Hauraki Plains County Council should be arrived at. It was embarrassing the Board very much. The Council had been approached on several occasions, but so far it had done nothing. It was suggested that another deputation should be sent to the Council, and Messrs Mules, Gardiner, and Beck were finally appointed the deputation to discuss this and other matters, such as the tar road liability. SUBMITTING REPORTS. The clerk suggested that in future the reports of the finance and the works committees should be in writing so that they would be a record, and so that the Board would know beforehand what it was committed to. The present system was not satisfactory. For example, a recent job had cost mor-e than was thought, and the Board wasjn financial difficulties for the rest, of the year, He expressed -the • opinion that in future they should go more carefully and cut down expenditure to the lowest possible amount. The Boai;d had made a grave mistake, and had been unfortunate. However, the Board now had over £lOO worth of metal, which had been obtained at a fair price. It also had 15 first-class 12-inch pipes, worth about 10s each, from the drain in front of the post office for which they had no use. It was decided that the pipes should be sold, and the matter was left, in the hands of Mr Davies. Mr Davies asked if anything could be done to the road at, the corner of Hauraki Road and Awa Street. A few pipes would be required, This and several other small jobs were left to the works committee, with power to act. All the members promised to either turn out themselves and do the work on send a man to represent them.