PAEROA BOROUGH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4975, 17 May 1926, Page 4

PAEROA BOROUGH.

MONTHLY COUNCIL MELTING. ROUTINE business. The monthly meeting of the Pa.eroq Borough Council was held on Thursday evening, His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall) presiding over the following; ’Crs. E. Edwards, J. W. Silcock; G. P. de Castro, F. E, Flatt, J. Pinder, H. J. Flare, EJ. A. Porritt, P. E. Brenan, and the town clerk (Mr W. C. Alexander).

> PETROLEUM STORAGE. The British Imperial Oil Co. wrote approving of the suggestion to enter into an agreement with. the. council to. safeguard the corporation in the inajtter'of laying pipes for the calliage of petroleum products from the railway' siding ,to the bulk storage tanks., ‘'The company also stated that it ’was prepared to pay a nominal fee. for the right to lay .the pipes, but as the excavation work, lighting of trenches, and. reinstatement of the excavations would be carried out by the company .it was not anticipated that the' council, would press for a large amount. The letter wa,s received, and it was decided to obtain a draft form of agreement from the company and forward, it to the council’s solicitor for his opinion.

KERBSIDE PUMP. - 1 n reply to the council the chief inspector of explosives advisied that the department would; under the circumstances, take no exception to the installation df the petrol .tank with a cover of 18 inches only. With regard to the testing of the tank, the department had asked all oil. companies to arrange for a 51b pressure test to be made during the installation of .the tank, and ha.d received an undertaking that the request would be complied with on futura occasions.

TRAFFIC and taxation. The 'Hamilton Borough Council forwarded the following resolution and asked for support:— “That this council, views with the gravest concern the increasing burden which, is being placed on its ratepayers. in '-.respect to the formation and maintenance of the streets, and is unanimously-of the opinion: (1) That such'increased charges, are due solely to the demands of, and the. damage caused by, -motor traffic ; (2) that it is totally inequitable to burden the ratepayers with, the whole of these charges:; (3) that the. Government be strongly urged to introduce the necessary Legislation during the coming session as a matter of urgency,. traps,fe,rring an equitable proportion of. this burden from he ratepayers to the users of the roads and streets.” - , Cr. Silcock contended that .the Government Was alive to the position, .and would move during the coming seos,um. He moved that the letter be 1 eceive.d.

Seconded by Or. Flatt. ' The Mayor moved amendment that the resolution be supported, because he. could not sen that the Government was going to assist the! boroughs. The burden of maintenance of the streets had been increased by the motor traffic, .and was being borne •by the, borough rate.payeii.r.

Ur. Brenan seconded, and pointed out .that the Government was giving' with one hand and taking ti.way with the other. New regulations governing the maintenance of " borough! streets were absolutely necessary. Cr. Sileock said that having heard the views of the other speakers' lie would ask leave to- withdraw his resolution. J.r ’ , ; . This was granted, and it was agreed to support the. Hamilton Borough Council.’ ' c HEAVY -TRAFFIC LICENSES. Two,taxi-drivers wrote complaining that, being the.-holders df heavy traffic -liceni-es, they 'were compelled by tlie boiough to take out 'additional licenses to' enable them to ply for hire during the two days’ race meeting r.t Paeroa in March last. ,i Cr. de Castro said that he had some doubts- about , one of the -applicants, who. had beep specially engager! to- do one job. It was understood that the

applicant had conveyed the totalisator staff from the wharf to the racecourse and return. He had not actually plied for li ire other than the definite engagement. - ~ The Mayor sia,d that it was _ not competent for the council to suggest the.*applicant had not plied for hire. The Act governed the council, and tl)e work df the applicant came withill the Act. Cr. Brenan said that the Sooner the Act was amended .the. better, as it was unreasonable. However, .the Act as it stood had to be complied with, whether it was- an injustice or. not. He moved tha ; t Hie council regretted it could net comply with the request to refund the fees,. —Carried. STORMWATER OUTLET. The district engineer, N.Z. Railways, wrote complaining that .there was no outlet 'for the stormwater on two sides of the railway cottage situated near the site of the new engine shed.—Referred to the Works Committee, with power to act; HILL STREET BRIDGE. The N.Z. Railways Board wrote as follows ■ “Further to the letter of February 24 last conveying the board’s decision that a, vehicular overhead bridge at Hill street crashing, Paeroa, could only be provided at the cost of your council, and in reply to your letter asking that in the circumstances the erection of the footbridg&—the original propose,l—be now expedited, 1 am directed .to state that the board notes your council's: decision .to relinquish any proposal to erect a vehicular traffic bridge on the terms aidvised. The district engineers have been advised accordingly, and instructed to push, on with the footbridge. The trusses,, and ' piers for this bridge arc already completed a,nd on the ground, and the material for the ramps is being assembled.. The work, therefore, should be brought to a, conclusion at an early] date.” Cr. Edwards asked .that his protest against abandoning the efforts to obtain a vehicular traffic bridge be recorded. A traffic bridge might appear hopeless on the face of it, but lie could not agree that the council should give in so easily

HOSPITAL LEVY. The Thames Hospital Board advised that the contribu'ion required from the council for the year 1926-27 was £630 75.4(1, being .409 iof a penny i» the £ on the borough. valuation of £369,870. POWER LINE POLES. The. Thames Valley Electric Power Board wrote acknowledging .that it. had placed poles in unsuitable situations, qt Pa.eroa. The distributing engineer had been instructed to consult the council anfi have the work'carried out immediately. . ', USE iOF CHAMBERS. The. Pa : eroa. District High School Committee, wrote thanking the council, for the-i’.se df it©: chambers in which to hold meetings in the past and req nesting that the privilege be extended at .the. new municipal offices. The Mayor moved that the council retain the chambers exclusively for its own use. . ' Cr. Hare seconded, and said it was only right and fitting that the council should retain the chambers solely for its own use. . Cr. Sileock said that the matter had been discussed in committee, and he supposed it was a case of falling .in wire the Mayor's resolution. -He: thought that the. Committee should bo. assisted by th© council, and if the application was declined he would use his endeavours to see that no other local, institu.tiiotns were granted the privilege. . The leisolution was carried without further discussion.