TOWN CLERK S ANNUAL REPORT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 979, 13 April 1911, Page 3

TOWN CLERK S ANNUAL REPORT.

At Monday night’s cottuc l ! meeting the Town Clerk’s annual report was read and adopted and is as follows :

“In April, 1910, G. H. Stiles, XCsq., was re-elected Mayor without opposition, while the Council has remained unchanged. During the past twelve months the Council I has held 26 meetings, and passed I 165 resolutions. The folic v. ng is a table of attendance at meetings : The Mayor attended 25, Cr Speirs I 25, Cr Gibbs 24, Cr Coley 23, Cr i Riramer 23, Cr Stewart 21, Cr i Adams 19, Cr Ross 15, Cr Robinij and Cr Bevett 14. In August, 1910, a committee appointed by the Council consisting of Crs. Coley, Gibbs, Speirs and the Town Clerk went to Wellington and negotiated the purchase of the Foxton Gas Works for the sum of £9,000, subject to a poll of the ratepayers. On October 6th, the Council submitted a proposal to the ratepayers to borrow ,£9,000 for the purchase of the works, and £,2,000 for additions and extensions, which was carried by a majority of 99 votes, 107 voting for and 8 against. The gas works committee found it necessary to take immediate steps to get a new bench of retorts (six in number) from Kngland; these have now ai rived in the Dominion and are expected to be ready for use about the beginning of July, the estimated cost being between £SOO and ,£6OO. The works have been enclosed all round with a six foot iron fence, a coal shedbuilt, and a well sunk for water, the stream not being sufficient during the summer months. The engine at the works having broken down, the committee decided, upon the advice of the manager, Mr H. Stunnell, to purchase and install a larger engine, which will probably cost from ,£l4O to ,£150; in the meantime the smaller engine has been repaired and is now running again, so that the works will always have a second engine available in case of a breakdown, or necessary stoppage for overhaul. Several new services have been installed, and it is anticipated that the works will in the near future be a paying concern. In November last the old Public Hall, which has been iu existence for something over thirty years, was burnt down, and the Council took up the subject of a Municipal Town Hall to take its place, aud after making full enquiries and conferring with Mr LG. West, architect, of Palmerston N., decided to place a proposal before the ratepayers to borrow ,£2,800 for the erection aud furnishing of a Coronation Town Hall, the Prime Minister having promised a subsidy of £250 towards same, aud on 15th March the poll was carried by a substantial majority, 198 voting for, and 43 against. Tenders have been called for the erection of the hall, aud from the plans prepared by Mr West, the hall should when completed compare favourably with any other of a similar size in the Dominion. A conference was held iu the Council Chamber iu July last, between the Mauawatu County Council, Foxton Borough Council, Foxton Harbour Board and tenants at the Mauawatu Heads, re the proposed road to the beach cottages, aud an agreement was ultimately arrived at whereby the Mauawatu County Council agreed to construct the road, the money to be raised by the County aud the Borough in equal shares, aud the interest and sinking fund thereon to be paid by the County, Borough, Llarbour Board aud tenants conjointly; it is expected that the road will be available by next summer. The borough roads and streets this year have taken up a very considerable amount of metal and labour; no less a sum than ,£854 19s rod has been expended on them, being only ,£1 2s 5d less than the whole of the general rate; the most noticeable items being : concrete kerbing and water tables in Clyde street, recrowning about two-thirds of Main street aud the formation of footpaths in Norbitou road, the Avenue (north side), Johnston street aud cuttings. The trees planted iu Clyde street aud Park street, which died off, have been replaced with larger aud stronger trees, but do not seem to have done as well as they should. During the year 27 building permits were issued by the Borough Surveyor, representing the erection of buildings to the value of ,£6OIO. The cemetery has been greatly improved by the removal of a deal of overgrowth of wattle aud bracken iu the north-east corner, shrubs and trees overhanging paths have been trimmed back aud one ot the principal cuttings has been lowered some six feet, and the sides of same fascined with manuka; the easier grade is much appreciated by those having occasion to go through the cemetery ; the large overhanging branches of trees on the western boundary have also been removed close up to the trunks ; the above work has involved an expenditure of ,£33 9s 3d. The sanitation service is now being carried out iu a far more satisfactory manner than at any previous period since it has been under the control of the Council. From the date of the appointment of Mr F. W. Gardes on 6th February, every dwelling in the night soil-area is visited weekly, hotels aud lodging houses more frequently, aud every pan iu use has been twice thoroughly disinfected, while all old leaking pans have been replaced. And I am iu a position to state from personal inspection that the nightsoil depot is attended to iu a very efficient manner, the contractor disposing of the refuse iu trenches 4 feet wide aud 5 feet deep, and 1 carefully covering and disinfecting

the same, while the cart is thoroughly washed and disinfected daily, at the well reremly put down at the depot, which is equipped with force pump, aud it is worthy of remark that not a single complaint has been made since Mr Gardes was appointed. In December, 1910, Mr E. J. Martin was appointed Inspector of Nuisances, and has proved to he a verj r zealous and capable officer, and is untiring in his efforts to see that the provisions of the borough by-laws are carried out. The library has had an addition of no new books purchased from the Palmerston North Fire Brigade Library iu November last, and the Government subsidy being restored this year, there is an amount of £2O to be expended in the purchase of new books for the ensuing year. There can be no doubt that the year just past has been oue of the most important ones in the history of the borough, and though the polls taken will increase the public debt from £7215 X2S 8d to £21,015 12s Bd, that need not cause any fear for the ultimate welfare of the borough, as both the Gas Works and the Town Hall will be reproductive aud should in a few years reduce rates, and add to the wellbeing and prosperity of the town and district.”