PAEROA BOROUGH.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5276, 18 May 1928, Page 3

PAEROA BOROUGH.

o monthly council meeting. The monthly meeting of the Paeroa Borough Council was held last night, His .Worship the Mayor (Mr W. Marshall) presiding over Crs. E. Edwards, W. Turner, F. E. Flatt, P. E. Brenau, J. W. Silcojck, H. J. Hatje, J. Pinder, the town clerk ('Mr W. C. AlexDUMPING iOF METAL. A letter wa&. received from Mr JL. Mclntyre, Hil,l St reef, pointing out that several draylpads of metal, had . . "been dumped in front of the gate at his residence, blocking the outlet to the road. As there was ample room to deposit metal on the opposite side \ of the street he failed to see why his /Outlet had been blocked. He asked ’ that the metal be moved as : early as possible. In answer to Cr. Flatt the Mayoli] said that it was a, pity themetai was not tipped on the other side of the street. As soon as the weather was favourable it would, be removed. The metal had arrived by rail, and had to be can ted- without delay. Cr. Pinder said that there was certainly an obstruction', and; he could not understand why it had 1 not been tipped on the other, side. The Mayor said >t was to be regretted that Mr, Mclntyre had suffered any inconvenience, but it did not warrant the spending of the ratepayers’ money on removing the meta, 1 , especially as it would be removed as soon as the weather permitted. r The Mayor moved a absolution to that effect, and it was seconded by Cr. Pinder and carried.

PUBLICITY NOTICE. A request was also received 1 from the, resident inspector of an insurance company for permission to eirect a publicity sign on Mr F. Tierney s property at the corner of Station and Thames roads. Cr. Turner, said he thought that the council should keep an eye on the granting of such signs. Other conn cils were, placing a ban on signs ajid hoardings. Cr. Platt said the council should see that the. sign was not an unsightly one, or such a one as would inter* s4fere with the interests of 'natepayers. ’ It was agreed to grant the applica- . tion subject to the approval of the Mayor. ACCIDENT-INSURANCE. A letter was received from thq Main Highways Board advising that it had been decided that in 1 future payments made by local authorities as premiums on accident insurance pol ieies covering workmen, and other risks in connection with any work on main highways, would be regarded as part of the cost of the work, and would be subsidised by the board on tlie basis ruling for each Work. In canes, where local authorities elected to take their own risks, and did not insure, the board would not iiecognise claims for subsidies on any compensation paid by or damages , against such local, authority. In Omer worjds, loca,l authorities not effecting insurances would be presumed to be carrying their own risks entirely. The board’s subsidy would not be payable on premiums on policies covering staff whose salaries were not •ill the tfsuafl course subsidised by the ' board, noi; would it be payable on any premiums or policies covering items not usually regarded by the board as incidental, to* tlie work. In reply to Cr. S’ilcock the Mayor, said that there might be a l.ittla money in the scheme for, the council. In any case it was an advantageous f measure. ../<■ . The, letter was received and refe>-. ■red to the town clerk. U' HIGHWAYS IN BOROUGHS. ’ ( ’’ The Levin Borough Council in' W circular, letter asked to be advised' of the position the borough found itself in as a result of the continuation of main highways through the smaller boroughs. The particular information desired, was : (a) Whether the co-uncil was, prior to the Gazette tPtice of January 26 last, receiving any subsidy on account of maintenance; (b) whether, prior to that date, thq borough main had been formed in some permanent manner, such as bitumen, tar, etc., and the position in regard to subsidies of the Main Highways Board as a result of that work. In 1924, said the letter, the Levin Borough main highways were penetrated with bitumen withoiut assistfrom the board 1 . However, the Council had during the past 'two years received a maintenance subsidy under section 25 of_ the Main Highways Act, 1922, which,’ owing to the fact that maintenance expenditure had been nil, had gone towards lightening the burden of interest charges. Upon declaration of those particular str.eets as main highways the council was informed that subsidy w i oul ( d be paid in future only on actual sums spent in maintenance, arid no allowance woujld be made in respect of the work done pre-vious'Jy—obviously a most unfair decision, and one adversely affecting those borojughs which did their work lone-handed. The council’s: object in sending out the questions was to find: those borWftughs similarly situated, with a view ' to taking concerted action to remedy a, most unjust position. The Mayor said that Paerda’s position was n'ot quite the same as that of Levin. However, there were some circumstances that were similar. It was agreed to supply the information asped for. z OHINEMURI BRIDGE. liijllteply to the council’s inquiry the resident engineer. Public Works Department, a.dvjsed: that the cost of . painting the bridges over the Ohinemuri River, at Paeroa for the two coats put on after the bridge was put in posi.tio'n, wa.s £154 10s 9d. This amount was made up of wages-, £lO3 y 9s 9d, paint £36 9s 6KI. red lead £9 I 4s, oil, £4 12s, sundries 15s 6d. The Mayor said that he diad obtained,. the figures so as. to have guide ■a& to the cost of f,utlu(rp maintenance. The figures did not quite disclose the true position, because no provision had been made for the -erection °f staging, which in itmelf would be fair item.

To Cr. Pinder the Mayor; said that the (Ohinemuri County Council could be sighted in the cost of maintenance. The bridge would require painting in about five, years’ time. A subsidy would be received from the Main Highways Board, at the rate of £.l 10s to £l. In the opinion of the Mayor the cost would be about £2OO. The council, was now responsibly for the care and maintenance of the bridge. He moved that the resident engineer be thanked for the figures supplied, and that the mattelr] bq referred to the- town, clerk, and also that a bridge fund be created, the sum of £2O to be set aside each year. In answer to Cr. Edwards thq Mayor said that if future council® disapproved of the present .councils action, it would have, to do it deliberately, but he thought the creation of a special, fund was a Stafeguard. The resolution was carried. LEASE OF RESERVE. A letter was received' from Mr, James Pennell advising that he would no ..longer require the use of the Rawhitiroa reserve after June 15. On th® motion of the Mayor jt was agreed to receive the letter and to refer the matter to the, Domain Com' mittee for the purpose of arranging to re lease tlie reserve.