BOROUGH COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 345, 15 March 1911, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of Te Kuiti Borough Council was held on Monday night at the Council Chambers. Present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr James Boddie), and Crs Lusk, Julian, Hetet, Somerviile, King, Young and Stevens. A special meeting of the Council was held prior to the ordinary meeting, at which the district electors' roll was approved and signed. ORDINARY MEETING. General Purchase Agents. —Messrs Coward and Co., Ltd., of London, offered their services in the purchase of any plant required. —Received. Noixous Weeds on Esplanade.—The inspector again wrote asking for a clearance to be effected. —Received. River Bed Gravel. —The District Engineer gave permission to take gravel from the river within the boundary of the railway reserve, at the rate of 4d per yard.—Received. Licenses for Explosives. —The Town Clerk, Auckland, wrote that the Collector of Customs had no authority to issue licenses for explosives within that city.—The Mayor said it would be well to let the business people of Te Kuiti know that licenses for explosives would have to be under the control of the borough. If they took them out elsewhere, that was their look out. —It was moved by Crs Lusk and Stevens that users of explosives in the borough of Te Kuiti be notified that fees for licenses would be collectable from April Ist, next. —Carried. Crossing Railway Line. The District Engineer gave the Borough permission to cross the line with sewage pipes, etc., subject to certain conditions. —Crs Young and Somerviile moved that the terms be agreed to. — Carried.

Te Kuiti 2 B, No. 1.- -The Borough solicitor wrote that he had looked into the question of roads and fouund those coloured brown on the tracing were public, but those coloured red were not. His Auckland agents stated that they understood that prior to Te Kuiti being formed into a borough, the Sur-veyor-General intimated to the Waitomo County Council that upon any further subdivisions in Te Kuiti town extensions being made, a general scheme of subdivision as regards new roads would have to be conformed to, and suggested the roads coloured red should be decided upon and parties subdividing be made to adhere to the proposed scheme. The department, rather than see all its labour of months wasted, has approached the Borough and suggested that the scheme proposed be carried into effect, but the department, it would appear, cannot compel the Borough to do so. So far as making the roads public roads, j the usual provisions with regard to | forming, etc., would have to be observed by owners before the Borough need adopt a dedication. All that the department desired to secure was some uniform scheme with regard and the position of new streets and the compelling of persons desirous of subdividing their lands, to subdivide in accordance therewith. ■ — Dr Zobel waited on the Council with reference to the scheme. —The Mayor said that any mistake made on their part might land them with a great share of the roads without a sixpence having been expended on them. If, after consulting the Surveyor-General, the Council found it possible to approve of the general scheme, they would know much better where they were. Before the Council could accede to the dedication of those roads the parties offering them would have to see that they were formed and metalled. No decision, however, would become to until they had consulted the Surveyor-General.-It was moved by C'rs Julian and Stevens that the Mayor and Cr Lusk be appointed to make enquiries of the Chief Surveyor in Auckland. —Carried. Sanitary Contract. —The District Health Inspector wrote that he had received numerous complaints of negligence in carrying out the contract, which, if proved, rendered the contractor liable to penalties. He urged the necessity of acquiring the nightsoil and refuse depots without delay.--The Mayor said they had had a few complaints lately, but unfortunately no absolutely proved case of downright neglect. The Borough solicitor had received instructions in the matter of acquiring the nightsoil depot, etc., and that was as far as they could go at present.—Received. No. 2 B Section 10.—Mr C. Eriksson wrote, on behalf of Mr H. R. Macdonald, offering the Council the right to quarry metal on his section at a royalty of Is per yard, if the land was left clean and level. As an alternative he offered the Council the freehold for 4"<125. —Mr Eriksson waited on the Council and said he thought they were in rather a hurry in taking the land under the Public Works Act. He did not think they could do it. Pie asked them to wait until the owner could get in to Te Kuiti. —The Mayor said that the Council had every right to take the land if it found it necessary to do so. The Council was acting in the public interest. He reminded Mr Eriksson that the Borcugh engineer and himself had waited on him and asked his.: price and told him that the Council would purchase U reasonable. Mr Eriksson hud altered the lam! at ciouand said the Council couid I gef'the freehold for about a further i .'thou. Mr Eriksson promised to let them know, but the iirst intimation the {speaker gut was that the land had been sold to someone else.—Mr Eriksson said he had forgotten that he hiid promised to sell the land 12 months lie fore.-- '1 he matter was left to tcd-ie its ordinary course. Infectious Disease. —A case of suspected enteric fever, was reported. The patient, a woman, had been removed to the YV'aikato Hospital. Passenger Car on Goods Trains. — The Minister of Railways replied to the Council's request, that he would carefully consider the matter, and reply in due course.—Received. Waiteti Road. —Mr J. F. Lever asked the Council to take sufficient land under the Public Works Act, to

rrJ ve [)im a full width roar] to Lis proi perty 51 l his oxpensu. —The matter was * referred to the Finance Committee for report. ' Asphalted Footpath. —Mr Darrow : waited on the Council with reference to the permanent levels and asked ; l'or permission to asphalt the foot- ! path' in front of Green and Cole- ; brook's at once, subject to correcting | any error in the levels afterwards if necessary.—The Borough engineer said in a few weeks he would take the permanent levels.—Crs Lusk and Stevens moved that permission be given, subject to an undertaking to alter the levels if required.— Carried. Municipal Buildings.—The Mayor said they would have noticed that the Premier, before leaving for England, has stated that £1 for £1 subsidies, up to £250 would be available to enable public bodies to commemorate the Coronation in some public work. Taking the present rate of expenditure on the two offices, and the ultimate necessity for a permanent engineer, they could not count on any less expense in rents than £1 a week. He therefore thought the Council would be well advised to take advantage of this subsidy of £250, by including a sufficient loan for erecting offices in the new loan. It was for the Council to decide what land and buildings were required and whether to include a reading room, or what, in his opinion, was a necessity—a small hall, so that for public purposes it might be let free and at a reasonable charge for private functions. It would yield a revenue and taking the rent they were paying at present, they could afford to erect up-to-date borough offices, a hall and probably a library, and not ask the ratepayers for anything. He submitted the proposal for their consideration. £I3OO represented the interest on £1 a week and the subsidy, but it could be done at probably less. If £750 was added to the present loan and the Government subsidy of £250 it would be well within the mark. The proposed loan was £3OOO, to which should be added £SOO to cover first year's interest, commission and 10 per cent, contingencies.--Crs Lusk and Young moved that the sum of £750 be added to the new loan for the erection of municipal buildings, together with interest and contingency charges.—Carried. Works Committee. —Cr Lusk reported that the Committee recommended that he should be authorised to interview Mr Bowler with reference to acquiring the freehold of certain sections for a site for municipal offices, fire brigade, gas \vork3, etc.; that Matai street be formed and metalled up to the turn: and that Mr Mussen's application be left to the engineer to deal with. —The report was adopted. River Deviation. —Cr Lusk mentioned' that they could have a breastwork made which would widen the road at the south end of Eora street to 40 feet at a cost of £4OO. Later on they could carry the river back 15 chains, giving it practically a straight course.

Aharoa Road. —With regard to joining this road to a Borough road, it was proposed by Grs Lusk and Somerville that it be carried on William street to ultimately join Matai street. —Carried. The Half-chain. —The Mayor and Cr Somerville moved that the Clerk write the Minister of Railways asking when the formal transfer of the halfchain in Rora street would be effected. —Carried. Rora Street Footpath.—The Borough engineer said the question of making the Rora street footpath wider would become an urgent one before another twelve months went by. Rora street was a one-sided st'-eet and the great majoriy of the business would be transacted in that street. Now was the last opportunity to widen the footpath. He thought it would be well to face the matter right away and put un at least five feet. The town would repent it for ever afterwards, if it was not done. It was a big question, but would be a much bigger one in a very short time. Even if the present verandahs were not shifted the footpath might be extended and all new builidings put up their verandah posts at the new curb. —The Mayor gave notice of motion that the matter of widening the footpath would be considered at tho next meeting. Loan Proposals.- —The Mayor said the new regulations did not require a public meeting calling for raising a new loan, but he thought it would be just as well to have one and explain matters. Accounts. - Accounts totalling £541 lis lid were passed for payment. These will be met chiefly out of loan moneys, of which the first year's instalment of £15,000 is new lying to the credit of the Borough with their bankers.