BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4639, 17 December 1923, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

THE MONTHLY MEETING. The regular monthly meeting of th? Paeroa Borough Council was held on Thursday evening last. There were present His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall), and Crs. P. E. Brenan, H. M. Shand, G. P. Lamb, W. Bain, E. Edwards, J. W. Silcock. The town clerk, Mr W. C. Alexander, was also in attendance. WORKS INSPECTOR. Messrs Lockie Gannon and Worley ■ wrote advising that Mr C. Clarke had been appointed inspector of works on ■•. the sewerane contract. " * STREET IMPROVEMENTS. The councils’ engineers advised that they had interviewed the Public - Works Department with reference to the post office site, and had gone fully into the matter, but ’nothing could be done until the district en.gineer returned and the plans were • 'received. BOROUGH BOUNDARIES. 'l’he Assistant Under-Secretary for the Department of Internal Affairs wrote acknowledging the councils objections ty exclude .certain lands ' from the Paeroa, Borough, and advised • that the matter was receiving careful consideration. The letter stated - that the department regretted it could not allow certain ratepayers’ names to be withdrawn from the peti- - tion. —Referred to legal and finance committee. BEAUTIFYING SOCIETY. . The Paeroa Beautifying Society requested permission , to use the hose for watering the flower beds at the Wesleyan Church corner after 3 ■ pm. and before 8 a.m. —Granted. The council was also asked to provide .two standpipes with taps on the railway station section, and it was ..suggested that a lead of hose should be taken from the refreshment room connection, and also from the railway .' water tower, leading them north and south; to convenient positions. : .The Mayor said that it would be . quite impossible to give the water ' ’ from the sources suggested. He ' thought that water might be brought some ‘distance, and the bubble fountain moved, which would cost about ’ £B, and of that sum the society was < prepared to contribute £3, and he moved that the work should be carried put. , ' - Cr. Brenan seconded the motion, , and said he thought that the public- - .spirited people who were looking after . the -flower beds in that area were de■/'i. serving of the highest,commendation, and should receive all the help possible. . The society also requested that an. < eptrance gate to the Domain should be-provided at the corner of King and Arney streets.—Deferred until the allocation of the domain loan money was made. • \ du S.T NUISANCE. The Chamber of Commerce wrote piS : 4sking the council to take steps to -abate the dust nuisance in. Normanby -’Road during the summer months by more fret]uent use of thdHiose. The council had a water sprayer, nad did not agree with the suggestion to water twice daily on ac---count of the, extra water used by ■ the residents and because it was an /• 'unsatisfactory method. The council ' f’uily realised the nuisance, and to minimise it had made provision to reJay and .seal with bitumen a portion of that road. LADIES’ REST ROOM.' The following resolution was presented from the Paeroa Chamber of Commerce: “That the attention of the Borough Council be drawn to the urgent need of a ladies’ temporary rest room in Paeroa, pending the pro- ' vision of a permanent' one, and that steps be taken at once to provide one.” ‘ The Mayor said that the council : .quite recognised the necessity, and :had also to consider the financial aspect, but the matter would be considered, probably when the estimates > were being prepared for the year. , i - WATER SUPPLY. •The Chamber of Commerce also wrote stating that it had been informed that the Hauraki Plains Counts ty Council proposed to convene a con- ■ ference of local bodies to discuss a proposal for obtaining a high-pres-sure water - supply from the Wai- ' taw.heta Valley. The council was / asked to Consider the question of be- ■ ing’represented at the conference. It was.pdecided to deal with the \ •’ matter in' the ordinary course of the council’s business. STATUTORY CLOSING DAY. . The Chamber c£ Commerce wrote . . -stating that its members had discussed the half-holiday question, and now asked the council to take the necessary steps to have a poll; taken on ; the question. s The Mayor said that he strongly . objected to correspondence being admitted 24 hours before the meeting .was held. Personally, he had not had an opportunity to go into the matter. Or. Edwtyjds said that a lead from /"'-the. chamber was acceptable, but he . would like to see a petition placed . before the council. • Cr. Brenan said that the council should be prepared to consider emj-' ployees as well as employers, and he -' thought that if a change of holidays - was desired opportunity should be .given to those interested to take the necessary stops to place their views before the council at its January meeting, when the council would deal • fully with the matter, and'give its . decision. , Cr. Silcock supported. Cr. Bain -was of the opinion that a > , poll should be taken. The Mayor said that a poll cost mo»iey, and it could not be taken unjess a petition was lodged with the council and signed by 10 per cent, of « the ratepayers. S’ PLAINS WATER SUPPLY. ■ > The. Hauraki Plains County Council ' wrote and asked if the council ■would be prepared to confer on the matter of a water supply with a view

to allocating the cost of the scheme, etc. The Mayor said that the present supply was adequate, and there was ample room for further development. On the motion of Cr. Brenan, seconded by Cr. Bain, it was decided that the Mayor should be appointed to represent the borough at the proposed conference. NOXIOUS WEEDS. The inspector of Noxious Weeds, sent a formal notice to the council instructing it to deal with the blackberry on its areas.—Referred to the for eman for attention. SEWERAGE CONNECTIONS. St. Paul’s Vestry advised that. it had had the vicarage connected with a septic tank, and asked that the effluent be discharged into the main outfall drain in Arney Street. The Mayor said he thpught the request was a reasonable one, and that it might be granted without precedence and without prejudice. A Cadman wrote stating that for financial reasons he could not link up with the sewerage at present, and asked fof time to do the work.—Deferred. Mrs J. Coote also asked permission to have the work carried out at a later date- —Deferred; • BOWLING GREEN LIGHTS. The manager of the Thames Valley Power Board wrote advising that his board could not grant the request to reduce the cost of electric light for .the Paeroa bowling green. Cr. Edwards suggested that the board should be asked to reconsider ■the matter at its next meeting,- when the borough’s delegate on the board would have an opportunity of speaking on the matter. The Mayor said the consumption did not interfere with the board’s peak load, and he thought the board was adopting an unreasonable attitude. He thought the council might well consider purchasing its electricity in ( v CLAIM FOR DAMAGES. A Paeroa solicitor wrote intimating that he intended to claim damages from the council on behalf of a client whose horse had shied, at some drainage works on Puke Road, causing the ho:-.~.g, with gig and occupants, to fall' into an unprotected drain on the left side of the road. NIGHT-SOIL DUMP. The might-,soil contractor wrote asking the council to secure another dump, in the event of the one near the racecourse not being available. A reduction in the cost of the nightsoil cart was also asked for. Cr. Brenan said that the contractor had on several occasions had .the cart repaired when it might reason; ably have been a charge on the council, and he recommended that the rent should be reduced. Referred to the health committee, with power to act. DONATION. A donation of £5 was received from the Ohinemuri Club towards the cost of tarring and sanding the footpatn in front of the club. STREET CROSSING. Dr. W- W. Little applied for a crossing to his garage on the Te Arohff road. —Referred to foreman. 1 WATER CONNECTIONS. F. Battson applied for permission to have water connected to the premises being built for D. McWatters in Belmont Road. The requisite fee was enclosed.—Granted. Rihitoto Afataia applied for a water connection to a paddock in Junction Road, Paeroa. —Granted.

TIMBER PESTS. A circular from the Engmeer-in-C’lnef, Public Works Department, was read* relative to the burning of all bark from • hardwood timber infected with pests. BITUMEN. An Auckland firm wrote submitting a quotation and particulars of a particular brand of bitumen. FIRE PROTECTION. rhe Council of Fire Underwriters’ Association wrote stating«that it appreciated the civic spirit which was animating the Paeroa Prevention Council in its efforts to provide efficient protection from fire for the citizens of the borough. The letter stated that with reference to the reticulation plan of the borough it was shovzn that outside of the main streets there were quite a number of streets with merely a domestic water supply 2in, in diameter. It was suggested that those unreticulated streets should be protected by mains of not less than 4in. The matter was referred to the fire council. DOG REGISTRATION. It was decided that, the fees for the year 1924 should be 2s 6d for dogs kept solely for’the piurose cf herding and driving sheep or cattle, rnd 5s for all other dogs. x COST OF BY-LAWS. It was decided that copies of the bo/ough by-laws now on. issue, should be retailed at 2si 6d a copy. WORKS COMMITTEE’S REPORT. ” The work done during the month has been as reported by the foreman. After consultation with Ine finance' committee tenders were called for chrting of sewerage pipes, and the lowest tender, that of Messrs Short Bros, at 3s 6d per ton, was accepted. Aramgements were made with the sewerage constructors to eart the pipes to the nearest convenient places, in return for which they are to pay 40 per cent, of the cost of the cartage and provide a man to assist in unloading, so that the cost to the borough will be 2s 1.2 d. Satisfactory progress is being made with the sewerage works. Nothing has so far been heard from the engineer in way of giving effect to the resolution to carry out street improvement works, but the engineers have been written to and asked that the work be expedited with a view to getting an early and definite start after ths hohdays. Two small contracts were let. one for the clearing and burning off of the ti-tree in Bennett Street to Mr Grant at £6 10s, and the other for the removal of the fence around the trees on Primrose Hill to T. Chapman at £6 10s.”