Levin Borough Council.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 25 April 1918, Page 3

Levin Borough Council.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening to discuss several matters of importance. Present — The Mayor (in the chair) and Crs Matheson, Mackenzie, Lancaster, Ryder, Bull, Parker, Broome and Aitken. SANITATION. The Mayor said he had seen the Borough Sanitary contractor (Mr J. Cameron) that afternoon and in view of the state of his health, he had resigned the position. This would clear the ground and enable the Council to deal with the matter. The Council might perhaps consider whether the contractor was entitled to any consideration in view of the possibility that his break- ; down might in part be due to the nature of his work. He would j suggest that half-pay be granted | for a further period of three mon- ] ths. It had already been in operation since March 1. Councillors considered (the allowance a fair one and it was adopted, the contractor's resignation being accepted. After further consideration it ' was decided to call applications for the position of sanitary contractor, that the wages be ,£2OO per year, with free house and the use of the reserve of ten acres, on which th depot is to be situated. The Sanitation Committee was authorised to inspect the Council's reserve and plant. It was decided to give one month's notice to the present lessee or occupier of the Bartholomew road reserve of the Council's intention to resume possession of the same. STAFF SALARIES. The Council went into committee to consider the matter of staff salaries. On resuming in open Council it was reported that the following increases. had been agreed to:

Mr A. Burrell, manager of the gas works, increase of .£2O to £225 per annum. Mr H. Channings, Borough overseer, increase of 2s per day to 15s per day. Mr D. Braid, assistant at the gas works, increase from 10s to lis per day. Mr ,T. Daniels, custodian of baths, increase to £6 per month during the summer, and to 25s per month during the winter. Miss Dempsey, clerk in office, increase to £52 per year. Mr B. R. Gardener, lown Clerk, increase from £220 to £240 plus war bonus of £10. The Borough carter, who provides the horse and dray, was given a rise to 16s per day, on account of the great rise in the cost of shoeing and horsefeed. The Borough surfacemen were given an increase of Is _ per day recently so no alteration was made in their case.

The Council adopted these increases and decided that tliey should date from April Ist. STRAYING CATTLE. The Borough Ranger (Mr H. Channings) wrote asking to be relieved of the duty. He said he was able to look after the roads at night but with his other duties was unable to satisfactorily attend to the ranging. Cr Lancaster said a good deal of the trouble the Council experienced was because interested parties were the offenders. The matter would never be satisfactory till the Council did as they did in Karori and Brooklyn—employ a man to go round and take proceedings against offenders. Stock was loose all over the Borough and was doing damage to the drains as well as to private property. "We should do thing properly or not at all'" emd Cr .Lancaster, and either appoint a man to take proceedings against offenders or open the streets to all. . , The Mayor said he was always against throwing the roads open officially, but he thought that the way Mr Channings was carrying out his duties now was fair and reasonable —that was keeping the roads as clear as possible at nights and allowing a little latitude in the day time. Cr Ryder: Hear, hear. Cr Sfatheson: In view of what j Cr Lancaster says about damage 1 being done to the t Borough drains ? , The Mayor said there was something a little inconsistent in j this argument because at certain seasons the Council allowed grazing on the roads. In many a household just now it was a big help with the- present cost ox things if they could manage to keep a cow going, and it was a question in view of that whether the Council was justified m allowing so much grass to go Ao waste on the roads. But they could not let it go too far and cattle should be kept off the roads at night very strictly. They should make examples of hardened on enders by prosecuting them. : Cr Lancaster: There are plentj of hardened offenders. , Cr Matlieson said it was hard for the man who was trying to keep his place in orde*- *Tid his . hedges shapely to have them tiestroyed by straying cattle. ! The Mayor: Such cases can be reported to the Town Clerk or the Ranger. . ' Cr Matheson said it was often a neighbour's cattle that did he damage and one did not feel like taking such action. 1 Cr Lancaster said there should : be no exceptions. What lie ob- J iected to was that one man s cat- . tie were impounded and another man's went free. He was in tavour either of everyone having the use of the roads or no one. j Cr Aitken said it was time the , Council took a stand and eithei let the stock on the roads oi cut it out altogether. I Cr Ryder disagreed with the statement that, distinctions were i"lf a man put his stock ! out they were collared and that was the end of it. Cr Mackenzie thought there should be an unwrit'ten law that

people in poor circumstances should be allowed tlie benefit of tlie grass on the roads. If the cattle were tethered or herded he did not think much damage would be done.

Cr Bull considered tlie true solution was the appointment of an inspector with instructions to summons offenders. They were always having a battle-royal over the question and got no nearer finality.

Cr Parker complained that the nuisance caused by wandering stock was very bad in liis quarter of the town. One man. let 15 beasts out on the roads and the only thing they were herded off was the railway line_ where they might get hurt. "Ask anyone about where I live," said Cr Parker and they will give you a very straightforward opinion about this sort of thing. The theory and practice of grazing stock on the roads are two very different things." There were, of course, people who only grazed a cow pr two, but there were others who made unfair use of the roads.

The Mayor: "AVe are all inclined to take a personal view of the question, but as Councillors we can only say that the roads should be kept free of stock. He suggested enquiring whether the County Ranger would be prepared to take over the work for the Borough, and on his motion the Streets Committee was authorised to enquire a-s to the possibility of this, and also as to any father suitable person for the position.