MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 254, 24 September 1940, Page 10

MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS

CITY COUNCIL MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Palmerston North City Council was held last evening, there being present the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) and Crs'J. Hodgens, M.P., G. Tremaine, J. r i. JHeatley, D. F. Smillie, H. E. Towhshend, \V. G. Black, W. B. Tcnnent and W. Mouldey. Leave of absence was granted Cr A. Grigor. On tho motion of the Mayor, the council decided to express its sympathy with the relatives of the late Mr H. J. Canton, a former member ol the council who passed away recently. The Mayor said Mr Canton had taken an active part' in the development oi the city. The council also placed on record its appreciation of' the services ho had rendered. -Leave of absence was granted Messrs W. K. Wilby, C. McVicar, H. Lang and G. P. Barrett, of tho council’s staff, who are proceeding on active service, and they were congratulated on their action. . A request that the footpath in Botanical Road be extended two chains to reach his property was made by Mr A. L. Fletcher, applicant to pay half the cost. This was agreed to. The electrical engineer (Mr J. AV. Muir) reported that tho number ol consumers totalled 6890. Tho power station returns showed an increase of 13 per cent. The diesel generating plant at Terrace End was not being used in the meantime. Following a request from Mr P. Aekins that a street light be placed in Aroha Street, near Featherston Street, tho engineer recommended that one be placed there. The librarian (Mr H. Greenwood) reported that the membership stood at 8370. The number of hooks issued in the mouth totalled 29,306, averaging 1085 a day. The number issued in August of last year was 23,373. The book issues for August constituted a record for the library'. The highest daily issue in the month was 2035 (on a Friday) and the lowest 739 (a Saturday morning). The library committee reported that Mr W. Weston had been appointed caretaker and that Miss BSalmon had been appointed to the staff. The reserves committee reported that the Mahawatu Baseball League sought the remission of £5 rental of a ground used last season and asked for the use of a ground fot the coming season. The committee decided to reply that the payment of the £5 had to be made. Tho'use of grounds would be considered when this was received. It was decided to paint the pavilion at the Manawatu Bowling Club’s green and match-line the bowlers’ room, the club to contribute £34 of the cost, £49 15s. Tho recommendations were adopted. The traffic manager reported that a road marking machine had given satisfactory • service. Marking of various streets had cost £22 13s 6d as against £34 12s bv the former manual method. The work at the Esplanade took 18 minutes, as against ■9O minutes bv the former method. Cr Black asked if the transit committee had considered the marking of pedestrian crossings- in coloured concrete or a similar substance, as had been done in other centres, and Cr Smillie (chairman of the committee) said the results of such steps were being noted. The report of the works committee, which was adopted, recommended that a petition from residents in Karaka Street seeking the tar-sealing of the roadway he considered when next year’s estimates are framed. The Oil Fuel Controller asked for comments on a scheme for the zoning of milk deliveries in Palmerston North and the council decided to reply that it did not wish to comment until full detail# of the scheme were known. A letter from the Milk Vendors’ Association stated that delay had .been occasioned bv some vendors not coming into the scheme. The report recommended that the city engineer be authorised to effect improvements in Church Street West by re-grading and re-forming the street, piping a part of a drain and providing piped crossings for other houses. The committee also recommended that asphalting of footpaths at the Palmerston North Golf Club he carried out, as requested by the club, at an estimated cost of £34. Plans for a new bridge over the Mangaone Stream are to be submitted to the Manawatu Drainage Board and if that body approves of them, the bridge is to be built. The city engineer (Mr J. R. Hughes) reported on works carried out during the month, these including street maintenance (which had been restricted) regrading in College Street and the continuation of work in Haydon Street. Footpath maintenance had been proceeded with and footpaths topdressed. Kerbing and channelling had been placed in position in connection with tho widening of Ashley Street. The new part of the roadway had been put in order. The abattoir manager (Mr A. J. Spelman) reported that in August there were 299 cows slaughtered, 96 heifers, 220 bullocks, 10 calves, 638 wethers, 1372 ewes, and 250 pigs. The stock condemned were: 16 cows, 1 heifer 14 sheep and 3 pigs. The fees received totalled £436 14s 3d.