PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24227, 20 February 1940, Page 6

PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting of the Port Chalmers Borough Council was held last night, there being present the Mayor (Mr T. Scollay). Crs Cook. Leftwich, Macdonald. Mead, and Sutherland. Resolution of Sympathy A resolution of sympathy with the relatives of the late Mrs Euphemia Anderson and Messrs Gordon Keenan, William Clark, and Michael Mulqueen, was carried. Correspondence Two petitions were received from residents of Reynoldstown asking that improvements be carried out on the borough section of the Port ChalmersWaitati road.—The Mayor stated that work was already being done on the road. A letter from the New Zealand Defence League asking the council to express an opinion on the subject of universal .compulsory national service, whereby all citizens might be allotted the tasks to which they were best suited in wartime, whether as combatante or otherwise, was received, the Mayor stating that recruiting was a matter for the Government and was no concern of the council’s. ■ The retiring general manager of railways (Mr G. H. Mackley)' wrote expressing his deep appreciation of the pleasant relations which had existed between himself and the council during his term of seven years as general manager of railways.—lt was decided to send Mr Mackley a message of good wishes on his retirement. Standing Committee The Standing Committee reported as follows: — The committee had given consideration to a statement received setting out details of expenditure on the DunedinPort Chalmers road for the quarter ended December 31, 1939. The propertion payable by the council, viz.. £7 12s 3d, was recommended for payment. A further communication had been received from the Minister of Railways in regard to the steps which the department was taking to deal with the sand drift nuisance from the railway area on the Mussel Bay reclamation. The committee realised that the steps so far taken by the Railways Department had not improved the position and was forwarding a reply to that effect. It was considered that the only effective means was to level the sand off and cover it with clay or other suitable material so that the sand would not be disturbed with the wind. Considerable improvement had been effected to Slant street, and in order to 1 preserve the surface the committee recommended ' that the lower end be tar-sealed with local prepared tar for approximately 3SO square yards at an estimated cost of £l3. It was also decided to seal the footpath in this street if tar was available. Authority had been given to seal with tar the intersection at the junction of Scotia and Grey streets. At the present time the road metal was distributed over the pedestrian crossing from the steep grade in Scotia street. The report was adopted. Borough Bates ' The town clerk (Mr Blackman) reported that out of a total of £5538 16s Id levied in the borough for the year, the sum of £5268 Os 5d had beep received up to Thursday last, which was the final date before the penalty for late payment was imposed. The amount received represented 95.1 per cent, of the total. He also stated that the borough valuation ■ had increased by £2OO in the year. Praise for Navy The Mayor referred to the fine exploit of the Royal Navy in rescuing from the German vessel Altmarck some 400 British seamen who were being held prisoner, and it was decided to send a resolution of appreciation of the' navy’s work to the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones). Engineer's Report The borough engineer (Mr F. J. Williams) reported that the portion of the Dunedin-Port Chalmers highway in George street from the monument to the gasworks had been primed and sealed, and that portion from the monument to the boundary at the railway bridge had been sealed. Grey street from George street to Currie street and the intersections of Island terrace, Grey, Mary, and Constitution streets had also been sealed. The surfacing of Wickliffe terrace from George street to Bernicia street having been completed, it was sealed with prepared local tar the full width of the carriageway. While carrying out this work the interesecting streets—Currie, Mary and Bernicia streets—were sealed half a chain from Wickliffe terrace. The total quantity of tar used was 1364 gallons, and 60 yards of half-inch screenings were used to blind the tar. A 400-volt mercury lamp had been installed in King Edward square, taking the place of three ordinary lamps. The lighting in the borough is now 79 incandescent lamps and two 400-volt mercury lamps. The light in King Edward square was a great Improvement on the former lighting. The report was adopjed.