PAEROA BOROUGH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5122, 6 May 1927, Page 2

PAEROA BOROUGH.

SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNCIL. CR. EDWARDS DEPUTY-MAYOR. COMMITTEES APPOINTED. A special meeting of the newly elected Paeroa Borough Council whs held on Wednesday night. His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall) presiding over the following : Crs. P. E. Brenan, E, Edwards, F. E. Flatt, J. W. Silcock, H. J. Hare, J. Pinder, EA. Porritt,’ and W. Turner, and the town clerk (Mr W. C. Alexander). STATUTORY DECLARATIONS. The - first business on the order paper was the making of the statutory declaration by the Mayor and signed in the presence of the councillors. The members were then upstanding. and each councillor made his statutory declaration, which was signed in the presence of the Mayor and town clerk. ADDRESS BY MAYOR. Before proceeding with the election of a deputy-Mayor His Worship siad that he was exceedingly pleased to see his old colleagues on the council returned again. He extended congratulations to Cr. Turner, who had taken his seat for the first time that night, and assured him of the sympathy and good fellowship of his colleagues round the table. Cr. Turner could rely on the help and assistance of the councillors, and especially the senior councillors. The Mayor wished Cr. Turner a happy and profitable term of office, and expressed the hope that he would find that the members were merely human, and that they met for the fulfilling and carrying out of public service in the interests and welfare of the borough.

Continuing, the Mayor said that they had met that night as a new council somewhat earlier than had been the custom, but there were important and urgent matters which required attention, and he had called the meeting so that the committees might be formed and could get down to business immediately in preparation for the work of the year and have, things ready for the regular meeting next week. The Mayor and councillors had been ejected to work together in administering the affairs of the borough, to legislate for the control of local community matters, and to do all possible to make. Paeroa a bigger, brighter, and, in the best sense of the word, a better town in which to live. As was his duty, he had enunciated a policy and laid down a programme for the town, and he was in the happy position that night of knowing that, generally speaking, it met with the unanimous approval of the council, and it now rested with them all to see that such matters were accomplished and that the ordinary current affairs were properly dealt with. It was no light task that confronted them to be carried out to the satisfaction of the burgesses and with credit to the. council, and it would tax all resources and make full demand on the collective ability and willing services of each and evSry councillor. The councillors would notice later that in the proposed list of committees before them there was an additional committee, which had been necessitated by the carrying of the swimming baths loan proposal, and it was trusted that the members would agree that the work to be done in t'hat connection warranted the setting up of a special committee, so that the best possible results might be secured.

The Mayor said that in preparing his proposals for the personnel of the various committees he had kept in view three principles. Firstly, to allocate the work so that each member would carry a definite and as equal a shrive as possible ; "secondly, to place each councillor where, by reason of special fitness, he might render the best service ; and, thirdly, consistent with firstly and secondly, to make as many changes as possible- so that new enthusiasm might be brought to bear on the council’s work. In connection with firstly, the members would notice that he suggested that each councillor. with the exception of the new member, should have the chairmanship of one committee, and all the members were placed on those committees. If those proposals were acceptable, and each councillor threw himself unselfishly and unreservedly into his work, there should be no possible suggestion that the council was "a one-horse show.” Ip recent weeks there had been over-much talk, and he did not .wish to start a further spasm that night, particularly of the administration type, for the time had come to cease talking and get down to work in an honest endeavour to make good. He would like to say, however, that he thought the council was starting out together this term with the right atmosphere about them. The members had indulged in frank discussions, and misunderstandings had been removed and he was certain that a genuine desire to cooperate in the interests of the town was the uppermost thought in each councillor’s mind that night. Such a spirit was worth making some effort and sacrifice to keep. The Mayor said that he was beginning on his third term as Mayor, and lie wanted it to be his best term, and was desirous of giving the be.st service of which he was capable. He also had a genuine desire to have the- goodwill, the best counsel, and the help of every member.

ELECTION OF DEPUTY-MAYOR. In moving that Cr. Edwards be appointed deputy-Mayor for a further term the Mayor said that Cr. Edwards had filled that office during the last six years. In asking him to again accept the office the Mayor said it was his sincere desire that he should. Cr. Edwards and he had worked together harmoniously, and Cr. Edwards had never failed to give of his best service with willingness to assist the Mayor.

In seconding, £r. Brenan said that his reason for so doing was because during the past six years Cr. Edwards had rendered good service, with credit to himself and to the. townspeople.

There being no further nominations Cr, Edwards was declared elected.

In responding, Cr. Edwards thanked the Mayor for his flattering remarks, and said he hoped sincerely that the confidence again reposed in him would not be misplaced. The speaker also _____ thanked his colleagues for the. honour they had again conferred on him and for their help and co-operation, and said it would be hi.s earnest endeavour to give of his best service to His Worship the Mayor and the ratepayers ELECTION OF COMMITTEES. The election of committees was as follows, the first-named member being the chairman in each instance’. Finance: Crs. F. E. Flatt, P. E. Brenan, and H. J. Hare. Works: The Mayor, Crs. Brenan, Edwards, and Porritt. Buildings : Crs. Pinder, Edwards, and Flatt. Health : Crs. Hare, Pinder, and Porritt. Fire Prevention Council, Crs. Edwards, Silcock, and Turner. Domain : Crs. Brenan, Hare, and Turner. Library: Crs. Porritt, Flatt, and Silcock. Baths : Crs Silcock,’ Pinder, and Turner. PAYMENT FOR SERIVCES. W. Forrest applied for payment on behalf of himself and mate for work done on behalf of the council in connecting a house to the. sewer nearPoland Street. The Mayor said that with Cr. Edwards he had looked into the matterand for the work to take two men three days was a bit solid. It was resolved to allow the. applicant £3 12s for the services rendered. REPAIRS TO KERBINGi An application was received from Robson Bros, for repairs to be made to the wooden kerbing and footpath in front of their premises in Normanby Road. It was pointed out that the - filling-in, kerbing, and asphalting had been originally done by the applicants in the County Council days, and so far as was known the Borough Council had contributed nothing towards the upkeep of the area, since its inception. The. Mayor said that it would be difficult to put in a conerrete kerbing, as the footpath was a long way above the roadway. The matter was referred to th< Works Committee for a report. SUPPLIES OF METAL. , Cr. Edwards said that in view of the contractor closing down the quarry it might be advisable to take advantage of the lower price of. metal, which was being offered at 12s 6d a yard delivered to any part of the borough, and purchase as much as possible. The .Mayor said that the suggestion was a good one so long as the metal was what the borough most needed. The contractor had interviewed the speaker with reference to taking further supplies. The Mayor said that he was in favour of purchasing at tne hopper, and that the, cartage should be tendered for by the local tradespeople. It was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the Works Committee, with power to act, provided the metal was of such size and nature as would meet the borough’s requirements. SEWERAGE EXTENSIONS. Mr W. Forrest wrote with reference to an extension of the sewerage system in Poland Street, and pointed out _ that the matter was now of great urgency, as the system dealing with the effluent from the septic tank had become exhausted and the. contaminated water was covering the surface of the ground near the back door of a newly erected house in Poland Street. *

It was moved by the Mayor that the application be declined for an extension, but the council agree, to let the applicant have the 4in pipes taken up from the branch originally laid into the stationmaster’s house, provided Mr Forrest gave to the council one 6in syphon pipe. • The Mayor explained that the applicant was in rather an unfortunate position in that the front of his residence faced Puke Road while the rear portion and outbuildings faced Poland Street. In seconding, Cr. Edwards said he thought the exchange was not a big matter, and it would help materially to tide the council over the difficulty. Concerning a request for an extension of the sewerage system to Hill and Kennedy streets, Cr. Brenan said that the application was Interlocked with other similar applications. He thought that the request should be held over to enable the Health Committee to look into the matter. He was not desirous of hanging the work up unnecessarily, but he did not think the request should receive priority over other applications. He moved that it be referred to the Health Committee. Cr. Hare, chairman of the committee, said that, with his colleagues, he, intended to go into the matter and bring down a report as early as possible. After discussing another request for an extension of the sewerage, system to take in three houses in the tern to take in thre houses i.n the same locality it was resolved that standing orders be suspended to enable the previous resolution on the matter to be rescinded. The Mayor then moved : “That the council lay a 6in extension across Kennedy Street and connect an inspection chamber inside the property and supply Mr R. W. Lowry with three Buchan traps and eleven 6in pipes, and that Mr Lowry construct the balance of the work" to the satisfaction of the council. On completion of same the council to declare it a public drain up to the three Budhan traps.”

Seconded by Cr. Brenan. and carried.