OTAKI TOWN BOARD.

Otaki Mail, Volume 26, 7 March 1919, Page 3

OTAKI TOWN BOARD.

j MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Board as held last night. Present: Corns. .Byron Brown, (ia the chair), J. Meads, P. Rikihana, li y M. D'Ath, W. H. Reynolds and H. Nicolson. Leave of absence was granted Com. Olliver. Correspondence was read and dealt with as follows: — Permanent Roads.

Prom Waipa County Council, forwarding the following resolution, and asking to bo supported:—"l ani in-' strueted to write you as follows: —In the opinion of my Council the time has arrived when some system of building permanent roads has become nocessary, and, further, they consider that Buch , roads should be constructed largely at , tho cost of the consolidated revenue—automatically given. That, in order to get the Government to bring in legislation in this direction (either by adopj tion of the Victorian system or some j modification of it), it will be necessary j

J for local bodies to take combined action. My Council proposes as a first step that a joint request from county councils be sent to the chairman of the Counties' Association, requesting him to hold a session of the association as soon as possible—before Parliament j s it s _go that arrangements may bo | made with individual members of the House to insist on immediato Government action. My Council furthor considers that motor traffic is now assuming such proportions that it can no longer be permitted to escape taxation, and further that a tax of at least 10 per cent should be levied on all tyres imported, the tax to be collected through tie Customs and drwidod by some equitable system of distribution between ihe local bodies who havo to construct and maintain the roads. The Waipa County Council intends writing to tho Counties' Association embodying the above suggestions, and hopes that your Board will bo able to make

\ a similar request, and so strengthen , 'the. position." .j 1 Tho Chairman considered the matter } one of the utmost importance, and j pointed out that it was a question that j had been previously discussed by the j Boßard. He favoured a direct tax of £lO or £ls per year on cars, the amount to be earmarked for the upkeep of roads. He thought the tax would be a good investment, as owners of cars would have better roads and the up-1 keep of their cars would-be much less. There was no doubt' in his mind but that motors did more harm to roads than any other class of vobicle. » Other commissioners agreed,'and it was decided to support the principle of' the resolution, and to suggest' - that steps ho-taken to have a direct tax of, say, £lO per year on cars. \\ Plan of Township Needed. j

Prom Department of Lands and Survey relative to tho proposed plan of the Otaki town district, and stating It waa prepared to undertake the preparation of a plan, to bo compiled from all available records and lithographed on a scale of chains to the inch, provided tho Board contributed £25.

It was agreed that a plan was necessary, but the question of forming Otaki into a borough was raised. It was thought, however, that such a move would not materially interfere with a plan of the present area. It was decided that the matter: Of securing a plan be left .to the chairman, who would also make arrangements) for a number of lithographic copies.

A Craao Wanted. From W. H. Fioia, M.P., stating he had again written to tho Minister of Railways to supply, a mUch-needed crane at Otaki Railway, Mr Field suggested that the Board form a resolution supporting his claim, if they deemed the same desirable. '

It was agreed to support-Mr Field,' as on previous occasions, and to write and ask the Minister to act as expeditiously as possiblo in the matter. A "Legacy." J From Clerk to Horowhenua County Council, enclosing account for interest on loans (£l4O 14s lOd), and 6tating a cheque by March 31st would be appreciated.

It was pointed out by the chairman j that this was one of the' "legacies" I left by the now defunct Road Board.» On his suggestion it was decided to as- : certain when the loans expired. i Insanitary Pa& - j Prom the Tauranga County -Council, j forwarding the following resolution, and asking to be supported in the mat- j t er: —"That this Board is unaniiaously 1 of opinion that a number of native pas are in such an insanitary state as to bo practically hotbeds of disease and a, menace to public health. All kinds Of - infectious disease arc generated in. localities spread broadcast, through various towns in the vicinity, j' We would therefore request that a , thorough inspection of these pas be made, and an adequate-sanitary system , be inaugurated, otherwise the work of • the inspectors is, practically useless. _ We believe that a movement isjon foot to clean up the ■ slum portions of the ! I cities. We would therefore ask that * j the native villages be also taken into j , consideration in order tq reduce the ! menace to" country towns, which suffer . annually from tho insanitary conditions i j prevailing."—To be supported. i | Request Granted* 1 From E. Granfield, asking for the j "location of a grave.—To be attended] 'to, it being pointed out that enquiries

had been made into the matter, and ar- [ rangements made whereby the grave would be located. > ,j Roadman** Report. \ •The roadman (B. Webby) reported that despite the long spell of dry weather the roads were holding well, but in places showed sighs of breaking up. He"reported unfavourably on the con-" dition of the mngapouri «eek, 8»d-

suggested that the dam at tho Convent be removed. He pointed out that he had inspected the creek on soveral occasions, had removed the flood-gate, 'which had been put back as often as : he removed it, and otherwise attended to the trouble. Tho water was now ! backed up, an offensive smell was pre- | valent, and lands were flooded. ) It was decided to request the dam to i be removed, and the water thus given j access to flow freely along its channel. Increase of Wages, > ; , j R. Webby also wrote asking, for an increase in wages, viz., Is 6d per day. A similar application was made by tho . clerk.

It was pointed out that as the cost of living was high, and work had increased, to give the clerk an extra £lO per year, and to increase the roadman's wages as asked for. Lighting Matters.

Com. Brown, while giving particulars of his trip with tho party that viewed the Mangahao, stated that he was assured that the Board would havo to do all local work, such us reticulation, etc., ' if they waited the electrical scheme, and he felt confident that a plant for Otaki would be self-supporting—ju i fact, a paying proposition, after tho first year. He, however, had been unsuccessful in raising the necessary loan, and in consequence the proposal had to be left in abeyance. It was agreed that the question of lighting'the town during tho coming winter had to be faced, and it was resolved to get quotations for various lights. > Footpath Improvement. A notice of motion that the tar, to have been used on Aotaki road, b<v now put on the southern footpath from thgfi corner section towards the Bank or*' Nuir Zealand, was carried. The matter of purchasing a tank for boiling the tar was left to the clerk to enquire into. Soldiers' Monument. It was decided to give a grant of £5 towards a monument for soldiers who had been- on service, and to ask Cho

UtaKi i/arriotic cocieiy to uei xuruicr in the matter. Peace Programme. The quostion of arranging for the peace celebrations was held in aboyancc, it being agreed to hold a special meeting when required. Accounts. The following accounts were passed for payment:—K. Webby £l7 lis Gd, H. Knox £l2, M. H. Ayre £l3 is 2d, G. Gallagher £l, J. Ingram £1 Is. S.. Norgrovc £2 10s, Minister of Justice (further payment on Government section) £125, "Otaki Mail" £3 13s, Harold Coekrell 19s 3d, Bills and Moore £2 Is, Wise and Co. 21 10s 6d, ValuerGeneral £4 15s, Horowhenua Council 5140 19s lOd, W. Giddcns (cemetery account) £1 1b 6d. WIIMII II»UIII lIIMIHIT