BOROUGH COUNCIL

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2445, 24 June 1922, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL

SPECIAL MEETING,

TWO GANGS TO BE EMPLOYED,

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held on Thursday night to go into the question of relieving unemployment in the borough. The Mayor said that in his opinion the Council’s attitude in providing work for unemployed hinged on the amount of loan money granted to the Council by the State Advances Office for this financial year. If the Council was to be limited to £5,000 they would have to be very careful in undertaking any work and very little could be accomplished. He would suggest that a deputation wait on the Prime Minister with a view to increasing the Council’s loan for this year. Nothing could be done, though, until the money in hand was expended.

Cr. Boss considered there were only two things to do: <l Do nothing, or go on with the work on the assumption that the £IO,OOO would be forthcoming.” If they went on with the work a strong case could be put- up to get an increase of loah money. The Council has at present made commitments in excess of the loan money in hand so the money was as good as spent. The Mayor said the first step was to arrange a deputation to wait on the Prime Minister and get his .-.auction of an immediate increase. The Mayor was sympathetic with the proposal of relieving local unemployment. He considered the Council had done a good deal to absorb labour already by pushing on with the water and drainage work.

The Mayor again urged that they should wait until they found out if they could get the extra money from loan. Cr. Ross said that every effort should be made to do this. The water and drainage scheme should he pushed on with. The sewerage system would not he used until the water was connected up. He would move that the deputation to wait on the Minister consist of the. Mayor and Cr. Whiblev.

Cr. Whiblev said that he -was of the opinion that they would have no difficulty whatever in getting a further advance of the money.

It was decided that the deputation wait on the Prime Minister and endeavour to have the loan of £5,000 increased to £IO,OOO for this financial year.

Cr. Smith asked if it was true that there was not enough work in the present circumstances to keep Mr Reid’s gang going.

The Engineer (Mr Climie) said that Mr Reid was reducing his gang practically daily.

Cr. Smith continued that there was no reason why the work of laying the water mains should not be gone on with immediately and the gang kept employed. They had .»ufficient money in hand to do this and Mr Reid could supervise two gangs. This would provide employment for at least a month nr six weeks. The Mayor said the Council had already been committed for more money than they had. Cr. Ross said if they were to look at the matter : n that light they should slop nil works. It would be better to.spend all tlie loan money for this year’s advance in a couple of months on more men than drag it out over twelve months with one gang employed. There still reinaied a certain amount in hand to spend.

C'r. Bryant said that the drains should he done while the dry weather was here, but they should he sure of a further advance before exceeding this year’s limit <>f loan monev.

Cr. Coley said that if two gangs were to he employed there would have to lie two overseers.

The engineer said that it would not take long to finish the laying of the wtiter pipes in Main Street. The laying of the sewers in Lady’s Mile would have to be undertaken by day labour.

Cr. Smith moved, seconded by Cr. Ross that in addition to rite work of laying water mains in Main St., it gang of men it Iso he employed in laving the sewerage pipes in the Lady's Mile.

In speaking to the motion, Cr. Ross said that he did not anticipate any trouble in obtaining the £lO,000. In his opinion the employing of three or four gags would work out just, as efficiently and economically. Mr Reid was quite capable of supervising two or three gangs. The Mayor moved an amendment altering the motion to read “conditional to obtaining*’! lie money.” He considered the main difficulty was finance. Cr. Martin said that there was evidently more in the matter than appeared on the surface. He wanted to see the work pushed on with. He also wanted to see that the men were given a fair trial before they were “sacked” on this class of work. A man had to get used to the work. He objected to this patch-work that was going on at present. He would support the motion as he wanted to see the work pushed on with.

The Mayor’s amendment, was seconded by Cr. Walker, that conditional to the additional £5,000 being promised the work of laying sewers in Lady’s Mile be proceeded with simultaneously with the laying of the water mains. Cr. Smith said that Mr Reid was quite capable of managing two gangs at once. He considered that if the amendment was carried and the deputation failed that it would c-ut out future work. He would support the motion. The Mayor said that the Council would know in a few days whether

the deputation was successful not. The amendment was then put and lost, Crs. Martin, Boss, Bryant,/ Rand, Smith and Whibley voting Vagainst. The motion was then carried. INSTALLATION OF SERVICES. Cr. Walker moved, seconded by Cr. Coley that the Council endeavour to raise a short-dated loan for £5,000 for, say ten years, or issue debentures to instal the water sewerage and lavatory into private properties and make an annual charge towards repayment together with interest, to the owners until such time as the amount is liquidated, Town Clerk to make inquires into the matter. Cr. Walker in moving the motion, said that he had been speaking with a number of ratepayers lately and he didn’t think that more than half would be able to pay immediately the amount required for the instal- ■ ation of services (somewhere between £3O and £4O). It was useless for the Council to talk about being able to enforce their installation if householders were not in a position to pay immediately. The money market was easier now and he would suggest, that a short-dated loan be raised, or debentures issued for the amount required. The Council thus would be able to do the work cheapcr than if carried out by individual householders.

Ci’. Ross said that there shouldn’t he any delay in the matter. If the money was raised a time should be stipulated by which the connections should be made.

The"motion was earned unanimously. REGISTER. FOR UNEMPLOYED.

Cr. Martin moved, seconded by Cr. Smith that a register of all unemployed he kept at the Council office of those desiring work and that the Council requests that preference he given to ratepayers and that married men he employed where labour is required for carrying out any works that the Council are at present undertaking in the borough. Cr. Martin said single men were being employed on borough jobs. Ratepayers and married men should have the preference.

The motion was carried unanimously.

ENGINEER. It was decided that the Mayor and Cr. Ross meet the Engineer and discuss the proposal previously outlined that the resident, engineer should be employed by the Council with a view to a workable arrangement being arrived at. TENDER.

It was decided that Mr Speirs’ offer to saw up timber as per offer of 4/- per 100 feet superficial, including cartage, be accepted. WATER. TOWER. It was decided that Mr Huntley . he instructed to erect a fence round the hill on which the water tower is erected and that the hill be planted with pinus insignus trees as op--portunity offers and that a survey he made by Mr Climie.