Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

TOWN CLERK’S ANNUAL REPORT.

At last night’s Council meeting the Town Clerk’s annual report was read as follows :

In April, tgn, G. H. Stiles Esq., was elected Mayor for the third time without opposition. The election for Councillors held in the same month resulted in the following gentlemen being duly elected in the order named : G. C. Coley, G. J. Adams, A. J. Gibbs, H. Greig, A. Speirs, T. Rimmer, W. S. Carter, J. Chrystall and W. S. Stewart. In October Cr Rimmer resigned his seat on the Council, and at the by-election held on the 20th November, Mr H. W. Richmond was elected to fill the vacancy.

During the past twelve months the Council has held 26 meetings, and passed 191 resolutions. The following is a table of attendance at meetings: The Mayor attended 26, Crs. Cole}' 25, Speirs 24, Gibbs 23, Stewart 23, Ad/.m> 22, Chrystall 20, Greig 17, Carter ifi, Rimmer 13, Richmond 7.

ROADS AND STREETS

While in Wellington in connection with the Town Hall loan in May last, I inspected and purchased the road grader, under offer to the Council for ,£ls; this has proved a very good investment for the Council, since its use, our roads are in very good order, and when the small quantity of metal used is taken into consideration it must be admitted that the grader has done good work. The experiment of tarring the crown of the main street and crossings has shown clearly what a great improvement can be effected in our streets where tar is spread over metal. The drains and outlying footpaths have been kept in order as far as funds would permit. Larger concrete pipes are ordered for Spring Street drain, and when placed in position should prevent any recurrence of flood at the Nor biton Road junction. In July last concrete pipes were laid across Reeve Street junction, Putter St., and Coley Street. In August the sand drift in front of the N.Z. Shipping Sheds was converted into a good metal road, the company contributing towards cost of same, 870yds of metal and limestone, and rsrogal. of tar where put upon the roads during the year.

PUBLIC LIBRARY. The year commenced with 27 subscribers and closed with 22. On the 15th December the Library Committee met and selected 133 new books which have been greatly appreciated by the subscribers. The public reading room is largely used by both sexes. The amount of the Government grant this year was ,£2l 7s, the whole of which has been spent in new books- The library and reading room are kept very neat and dean and reflect credit upon the caretaker, Mr J. Thorpe. RESERVES. Most of the remaining trees on the southern ridge of the Victoria Park weie given last winter to those requiring firewood, in order to prevent the exclusion of the sun from the residences on the north side of Jenks Street. It is proposed to give away two or three more, and the remainder must be kept to protect the ridge from sand drift. Additions were made to cottage on pound reserve, consisting ot washhouse, bathroom, gas service, also re-papering, costing ,£SO ns. The cottage in Frances Street has been re-papered and fitted with gas at a cost of ,£7 Bs. CEMETERY. There is but little to record tor the year in connection with the cemetery, the want of funds preventing any outlay in the making of paths and erection of seats, which are greatly needed for the improvement ot our cemetery. The number of burials for the year was 17, viz., 10 adults and 7 children. The salary of the sexton was raised this year from £5 to £7 ios. The work of the year consisted of grass cutting, repairing of fences and grubbing wattles, etc. SANITATION. The sanitation contractor, Mr F. W. Gardes, continued to give every satistaction in carrying out his duties. At one time the office used to be deluged with complaints about this work, and we have not received any during the past year, that have reflected upon the contractor, a fact that speaks volumes, Owing to the old horse being past work, a new one was obtained for ,£45, selected by Cr Coley, and is doing the work well. This extra expenditure necessitated a grant of ,£6 from General Account. The total cost of this service for the year being ,£371. GAS WORKS. The whole of the loan monies of the Gas Works has now been expended. Of the £ 1011 8s gd balance at the beginning of the year ,£7ll 12s 2d has been paid in interest and sinking fund, and £322 is 6d expended on additions to works and new mains. There has been a considerable expansion of business in the works during the past year as the following figures will show. For the purpose of comparison I have taken half the amount for the year as against the first half year that the works were owned by the Council; Sale ot gas £(366 os yd and £,558 3s, increase £,191 13 s I sale of far and coke, £,'44 13s qd and £36 17s qd, decrease of £7 15s 6d ; fittings, £,44 Ss and £]s3 Bsqd, increase of £lO9 os qd ; expended on coal, ,£lB3 3s 3d and £221 6s 6d, increase of £3B 3s 3d ; pipes and fittings, £75 is 1 id and £256 is fid, increase of £IBO 19s yd ;

meters, £$ and 3s gd, increase 3s gd ; labour, 8s rod and ns, increase 2s 2d, the total expenditure for the year being ,£1844 4 s Sd. Of this amount the General Fund has had to contribute agaiust this must be set accounts owing on 31st March 2S 6d, which if paid would mean only £2ll 17s fid from General Account, and we started the year with a debit balance of ,£lB3 2s Sd. The actual expenditure has been covered by actual receipts and sales, less ,£2B 14s Bd, which must be regarded as very satisfactory seeing that it represents an increase of 91 meters in use since the Council took over the works, the original number being 137 and the present 228.

CORONATION TOWN HALL, On the xoth April the Council accepted the tender of Messrs Sherratt and Co., for the erection of the above, at ,£2195. The building was completed on the 17th October, and has cost with picture plant and furniture n"d two sections for site, 9 7s yd. The Council be/--wed from the Public Trustee,,£23o 4s 6d was raised by public subscription (ids° °f which was subscribed in the Council Chamber, the balance being collected by Crs Greig and Coley) and the Government gave a subsidy of ,£250, totalling ,£3300 4s fid, leaving ,£429 33 id to come out of the General Account. The financial result of the Picture Shows at the Hall must be extremely gratifying to the Council, as after months working, no less a sum than ,£589 15s was received from them alone, while the hire of the Hall, etc., to others brought in ,£72 10s fid for the same period. The net profit balance to 31st Maach was ,£364 7s xod, which has been transferred to the General Account. Mr H. McArtney, the operator and custodian, receives well-merited praise tor the very fine pictures projected by him, and tor the uniform courtesy displayed to those with whom he comes in contact. GENERAL.

During the year 21 building permits were issued, representing the erection of new buildings to the value ol £6337. The rates collected for the year 1911-12 amounted to £2393 ios yd, an increase on last year ot £991. The difference is accounted for by the Gas Rate £514 7s nd, and increased valuation £477. I am able to report, and lor the tenth year in succession, that there is not a penny of the rates outstanding.

The Council agreed to meet Shannon delegates in August last, tor the purpose of hearing their proposals tor a joint water service, but the Shannon people failed to fix a date and the meeting fell through.

Since the election of the Licensing Committee last month, Foxton Borough Council has ceased to be the controlling authority for the Manavvatu Licensing District, which has ceased to exist, and the Borough is now a part of the Otaki Licensing District, the Horowheuua County Council being the controlling authority. The Beach Road is now nearing completion and should, next summer, be the means of inducing a far greater number of visitors. Of the £1250 borrowed (this Council’s share) £712 8s has been paid to the Manawatu County Council, who are constructing the road, and the first half-year’s interest, £3O 9s sd, to the Stale Advances Department. The Public Debt of the Borough has increased irom ,£18,215 12s Bd, to ,£22,265 I2S Bd, but I am sure that need not cause anyone any anxiety, as the Town Hall is a splendid asset, and the Gas Works are fast approaching the period when the necessity for a rate will disappear.

The Mayor moved, and Cr Coley seconded, that the report and balance-sheet be received, and that the Town Clerk be thanked for his excellent report and for again collecting the whole of the rates for the tenth consecutive year.

In speaking to the motion the Mayor said it should be a source of satisfaction to Councillors to have the opportunity ul listening to such a healthy statement of the Borough’s affairs, ft was a record of progressive work for the Borough. Me desired to express his appreciation ot the good work of the Town Clerk, The year commenced with a debit of and they had paid out ot the General Fund to the Gas Works Account and something over to the Town Hall lyoan Account and had then finished up the year only behind. Uf course, an extra had been received on account ot rates. The reports in connection with the gas works and the Town Hall would be read with interest by ratepayers, and citizens would be pleased to learn that the gas works were rapidly approaching the time when it would be a paying concern. Recently a canvass for consumers was made, with the result that 91 new services were laid. As an instance of the increase in consumption, he had taken the mouth of April ot last year and March ot this, and found that last mouth the amount of gas manufactured was 64,6001 t. more than that ot the previous April, and the prospects were that the consumption this winter would be very large indeed. They would notice that the receipts tor the 3 ear pracli caliy covered the expeuditiue, and as the latter included some tor meters and fittings, it would be seen that the works were not very far off meeting all expenses, including interest and sinking

fund. It would be a safe policy to collect part of the gas rate again this year,' as there were a number of new services to make, but he was confident that this would be the last year that a rate would have to be collected. He paid a tribute to the good work of the manager, Mr Stuuell. He was delighted to hear that the Town Hall had been a pronounced success in every way. The receipts for the five and a-half mouths that the building had been erected were ,£742, which, after paying all expenses, including interest and sinking fund for that period, left a clear profit of about ,£330. Apart from revenueproducing, the Hall and picture shows had a splendid influence for good on the place, as the young people who previously stood about the streets now attended the entertainments given in the Hall. Crs Gibbs and Chrystall also spoke, and the motion was put and carried.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19120416.2.10

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1031, 16 April 1912, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,968

TOWN CLERK’S ANNUAL REPORT. Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1031, 16 April 1912, Page 3

TOWN CLERK’S ANNUAL REPORT. Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1031, 16 April 1912, Page 3

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert