PAEROA BOROUGH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVI, Issue 4822, 13 March 1925, Page 2

PAEROA BOROUGH.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING. The regular meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council was held last nignt, His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall) presiding over the following: Crs. T. P. Vuglar, H. M. Shand, F. E. Flatt, G. P. Lamb, P. E. Brenan, J. W. Silcock, E. Edwards, and the town clerk (Mr Win. C. Alexander). LOAN MONEYS. The A.M.P. Society, Wellington, advised that it could not. consider applications for loan moneys as .all available money for isome time to come had been pledged. The Superintendent, State Advances Office, telegraphed that in connection with the water reticulation and sewerage loans, Orders-in-Council consenting to the borrowing or money and prescribing the rate of interest not exceeding 6 per cent, were in course of preparation.

The Mayor said that matters were apparently in order, and as soon as authorisation was received the work would be proceeded with. With reference to an application for an advance of £2OOO for house sewerage connections, the Bank of New Ze.aland advised that it approved of a temporary limit of £lBOO against.’ hypotnecation of 20 debentures of £lOO each, with currency for ten years and carrying interest at 6 per cent., the security to be' prepared by its head office solicitors, whose charge would be £lO, including the necessary deed of hypothecation. It was decided to accept the terms, and as soon as the necessary debentures were received applications for sewerage connections would be dealt with in the order in which the?' were received.

In reply to Cr. Flatt the: Mayor said lie hoped that the council would be in a position to undertake the work within a few weeks. The Rank of New Zealand also wrote in reference to the water reticulation loan, stating that it could place the first instalment, of £2006 on a currency of 36% years at 6 per cent, per annum, with a sinking fund of 1 per cent.: the debentures and coupons to no domiciled in Paero.a, but to be negotiated at any place in New Zealand free of exchange to the holder. The bank's commission would be 1 per cent, plus solicitor’s fee of £lO, and about £2O for the cost of printing 60 £lOO debentures. —Offer and terms accepted. SCENIC RESERVE. ‘ The State Forest Department wrote in connection with the proposed scenic reserve near Karangahake and advised :hat the area was included in the block of 4886 acres, in blocks 1, 2, anil 6 Areh.a Survey District which area was proclaimed a provisional Stato forest on March 25, 1920. C-. Flatt saitl he could not see how ihat position came about, aS there were residential sites on either side of the reserve. The matter was referred to Cr. batt to make further investigations. RAILWAY SETTLEMENT. The architectural branch of the New Zealand Railways wrote requesting that repairs be carried out on the road leading from Thames Road to the new railway settlement. The Major said that much as he would like to have .the work done, ne did not think that more urgent works should be left while that work was done. A promise had been made to the department to do the road, and that promise would be fulfilled as early as possible. In answer to Cr. Flatt the Mayor said that the estimated cost for the formation work was about £l5O. The matter was referred to the works committee, with power to acr. CLOSING OF MOORE STREET. . The district engineer, N.Z. Railways, wrote advising that as the department proposed starting work on Moore Street it would be> necassary to close that street to traffic. During the progress of the work access to the various properties adjoining the street would be maintained by the department. The Mayor intimated that the necessary notices had been served on the persons concerned. CORONATION STREET. The district engineer, Railways Department, also advised that no drain taking water from the swampy areas near Coronation Street had been blocked. When labour wats available the culvert would be lowered to drain the swamp, but owing to the large amount of work in hand it might not be possible to do the work this summer. In answer to Cr. Flatt the Mayor said he had looked into the matter, and he believed the department wfts doing its best. INFECTIOUS DISEASES. The Minister for Health forwarded an extract fr.oni the N.Z., Gazette advising that three forms of venereal diseases were now notifiable under the Health Act,. 1920.—Referred to the health committee. LABOURERS’ AWARD. The Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association forwarded a circular containing the new award, which had been approved of by the Conciliation Council on February 4. The award would come into force on April 1 next. ALTERATION OF BOUNDARIES. The Department of Internal Affairs wrote in reference to previous, correspondence relative to the alteration of the boundaries of the Borough of Paeroa and the County of Ohinemuri, and onclctsed a copy of the N.Z. Gazette notice containing the redefining of boundaries of the areas affected by the alteration. WATER CHARGES. The Paeroa Brewery Co., Ltd., sought a remission of the water charge on the brewery premises for the jear ending March 31, 1925. The letter rtated that the charge of £l7 a year included a charge for a waterwheel, but the brewery had b.een closed down entirely since January 1 of this year, and prior to that no brewing had been done since July, 1924.

It was decided to reduce the charges from £l7 to £lO in view of the fact that the premises .were.not pecupied. LICENSING OF DRIVERS. The Department of Internal Affairs forwa''ded a copy of the draft regulations relative to the issue of licenses to drivers of motor vehllces under the Motor Vehicles Act.—Referred to Cr. Brenan and the town clerk. MOTOR LORRY REGULATIONS. Tli“ Engineer-in-Chief. Public ' Works Department, forwarded' a revised draft of proposed motor lorry regulations and asked for the council’s comments thereon. BELMONT ROAD FOOTPATH. A petition bearing the signatures of ten shopkeepers in Belmont Road requested that tarring and sanding of the footpath be carried out as soon as possible. The Mayor stated that the footpath had received the first tar and sand dressing, and the work would be completed as time permitted. BILLIARD ROOM LICENSES. Billiard room licensee were granted to W. Bain, W. Smith, and H. E. RaffiU. REQUEST FOR FOOTPATH. J The Paeroa District High School Committee .applied to have a footpath formed and metalled from the intersection of Kenned?' Street and Miller Avenue to the new manual school building. It was agred to do the work when circumstances permitted. N LIABILITY FOR ACCIDENTS. The following opinion in regard to the cuuicil’s liability for accidents in coitnection with the volunteer fire brigade was forwarded bj r the counsel to tiie Municipal Associations of New s Zealand : “1. In my opinion a member of a. voluntier fire brigade is not a worker as defined in the Workers’ Compensation Act, 1925, and accordingly the council would not in my opinion beliable under that Act for accidents . occurring to such a member. “2. The employers’ liability Acts referred- to b? - you are repealed. “3. The Workers’ Compensation Act does not exclude liability at, law in cases not covered bj’ the, Act. The members of the brigade .are not emplovees of the council in an?' sense, ■seeing that there is no contract of service, expressed or implied, between the council and them. The council, therefore .would not be liable in the capactt.v of an employer. But any person leading another into a ‘trap’ known of b? r the first*person, but not .. bj- th-.’ tsecond, is liable’ at common law foi an accident .thereby occasion-: ed. For example, if the council furnished or lent any plant to the brigade, knowing b? r itself or any of its officers that there was some, secret defect in it, and a member of the brigade, ignorant of the defect, met with an accident b?' season thereof, the council would be. liable. “4. By section 30 (4) of the Fire Brigades Act, 1908, the board is empowered to appoint officers and mem-' bers of the brigade, anil to pay them salaries or other remuneration. Offi; cer<- and members so employed would come within the definition of ‘worker’ within the Workers’ Compensation Act 1922. “The board, through its guperinteiulent, can control a member of the brigade not only as to what he shall do. but also as to how he shall do it, which is the test that a ‘contract of service’ exists.” The matter was referred to the town clerk. NAHUM STREET. The Mayor intimated that the resi-' x * dents in Nahum Street, together with Messi's A. R. Gorry and A. T. Jones, had approached him and offered to y ; form the street and donate the. sum of £lO, provided the council would find a s t further £2O and utilise the £3O in metalling the road. The Major said he considered the offer was a gener-_ outs one, and the residents in that area were entitled to some consideration in view of the; fact that the road led to the pound: Crs. Flatt, Silcock, and Edwards agreed with the Mayor. Cr. Brenan said that it was neces-i x sarj’ to see that the formation work was of a permanent nature before spending the £3O on metal. < The offer was accepted and the matter referred to the works committee and chairman of the finance committee, with power to act. THE MAYORALTY. Cr. Vuglar said that as he was the oldest sitting member of the council he wished to ask His Worship if he would consent to (stand for the Mayoraltv for a further term. The speaker euogised the work done by His Worship, and said that although it was realised that the Mayor had made a considerable sacrifice of his private interests in- furthering the work of the borough, he( the speaker) felt confident that if His Worship would accept the office for a further term he would receive the hearty co-opera-tion of _ the members, and it would meet with the general approval of the ratepayers. In endorsing Cr. Vuglars’ remarks Cr. Flatt said that, in view of the ap- . preaching municipal elections, would welcome an answer from the Mayor ap to his intentions. It had . , been the custom for previous Mayors to hold office for four years, .and nQ would like to see His Worship carry 011. Replying, the Mayor isaid that ne wished to thank the speakers fortheir kind remarks, which he appreciated.. He had given the matter anxious thought, and had come to the conclusion that he could scarce!?' afford to sacrifice his private interests for a further term of' office. His feelings at present were that he should not accept, but he would make his decision known definitely during the comihg r T week.. Continuing, the Mayor saiu’*’ that he was far from satisfied with some of the borough undertakings, in • spite of the undoubted progress that had been made recently. He believed, • in Paeroa, and he belived in its tn>e, but very much more to he done.. /•