AT THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 171, 17 February 1914, Page 1

AT THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Fortnightly Meeting.

There were present at Wednesday night a meeting—the Mayor (Mr C. uK. Lawrie), Cis Comri9, Bilkey, Hurley, Hamilton, Patterson, Abbott, Pollock and Beatty. QUARRY ROAD. The foreman was empowered to fill in the ruts on the Quarry road. DOG TAX COLLECTOR. lhe appointment of the dog t?x collector wa9 deferred until the return of the Town Clerk. THE CLO3ING HOURS. In order to Eolve the vexed question as to whether the closing hour for shops should bs gazetted the Coupcil sent round o:e of their employees to ascertain the opinion of the shopkeepers. The result of his enquires showed that 28 were of the opinion that the hours should not be gazetted, whilst 4 held a contrary view. The Council therefore decided to leave things as they were. ROOSE'S BUSH. , Ur Comrie mentioned that Colonel Boscowt-n had inspected Roose'a Bush and was favourably impressed. He suggested that a deputation wait on the Prime Minister on the occasion of his visit here. The Mayor, Cri Comrie and Hamilton were appointed a deputation to wait on the Prime Minister. So that Mr Massey might easily inspect the Bush the Council decided to employ a man to clear the track of blackberries. BLOCKED CULVERT. The foreman was instructed to clear a culvert near M' Wright's property on the Puni road. GREAT SOUTH ROAD. The Mayor and Cr Comrie werp appointed to represent tbe Council at the conference uf local bodies to be held in Auckland regarding the putting in order of the Great South load. A BIG QUESTION. Wade and Wade applied on behalf of J. Graham for permission to erect filter beds to take the overflow from the septic tank at Pukekohe hotel and to run tne effluent from the filter bed into the borough storm water drain. There was a lengthy discussion over this, several councillors pointing out that if anything went wrong with the effluent there would be no remedy. Cr Patterson suggesttd that if the water was ss cleaTr as was said it should be run along the water tables. Cr Comrie said: If this application were granted what were the other users of septic tanks ROing to do? What was going to happen if they could not get a fall to the drain? All the discussion emphasised the necessity of drainage. He moved, That the matter be deterred and that the Health Officer be asked to come up and report. Cr Abbott seconded the resolution, which was carried.

WATER IN THE CEMETERY. Parkinson and Co. applied tj have the water laid on to the cemetery, and agreed to pay le for every concrete section put in. It was decided to put in the water and that the charge to monumental masons for the use of it be 2s per section. THE METAL CONTRACTORS. The clerk was instructed to write McSheen Bros, stating that the Council expected them to get metal out more expeditiously, as only 2000 yards out of 6000 yards had been got out, the Council suggested putting o.i carts or another traction engine. PUNI ROAD. The foreman's report was as follows: "Puni read: I re:ommend that this road should first be scarified and well rounded up, a coat of broken metal spread evenly over and then rolled thoroughly. Metal required tor this road, ' 500 cubic yards. Approximate cost of work and material, £330. Er.quiries elicited the fact that there was r.o money availatle for this road. Councillors agreed with the foreman that this was the very worst piece of toad in the borough and that every year it was getting worse. Cr Patterson did not think it fair that th° ratepayers of the b'rough should te taxed to pay for reads for people cutside. It was over this road that a lot of the county traffic came and the Coui.ty Council had declined to assist the borough in keeping up the roads. Cr Bilkey: The borough is too big- . ~ ' (_r Pollock oisagre.d with Cr Patterson's views. The people residlrg on the Puni ioa.l were in the borough and were entitled to help. If th 3 County Council would not give anything this Council must do the work themselves. It was resolved to approach the Pukekohe Weet Road Board to contribute a tbird of tie ccst, and that the question be referred to the Finance committee to consider ways and mean?.

FOREMAN'S REPORT. The foreman further reported :- "Motion's Quarry: 1 have received from this quarry two thousand yards of metil which has been placed on the roads as under: Jackson's to Rowe's, 538 cuhic yards; Rowe's hill, 176 yards; West road, 165 yards; Harris street, 506 yards; Seddon street, 286 yards; Manukau read, 165 yards; Queen "sheet, 173 yards; Helvetia read, 11 yards.

"Barter's quarry : 1 have approximat ly 300 yards of broken metal at this quarry and would recommend that tenders be called for the cartage of same ani delivered on to road.

"West road: I have started the work of patchirg this road and if the metal comes to hand it will not take long to complete.

"Footpaths : As the work of tarring and sandirg and concrete kerbirg, etc., is row almost finished I will now have the opportunity of attending to some of the footpaths authorised to he done.

"Gaol metal: I have made e:quiries from the maosgor and find that they ran supply broken ' metal lrom the gad for 4s 6d per cubic yard, Auckland. —The foreman was instructed to get as much metal as he required.

"Plates: I have made enquiries in reference to crossing plates and find that we cannot get the plates delivered here at a le D s sum than previously paid. I am cow waitirg for a reply for a lighter plate suitable for side strctts to carry up to 30 cwt.~ Left to the foreman.

"I would especially draw the attention of the Council to the fact that in the event of an early winter, and not being able to get metil from Motion's quarry, the Council should secure what me'al they require from elsewhere, as I have every reason to exp-Lct that we will not have metal enough for our requirement". "Metal required is as follows: To ccmpltte Harris street, 950 'yards; to complete Seridon street to dip before hill, 230 yards; for Queen street, 300 yards; West road, 4CO yards. King street requires attention before tbe coming winter. WATERWORKS ENGINEER'S REPORT. "I have pumped 783,250 gallons of water. All the machinery at the power house is workng satisfactorily.? The authorised extension from Moore's corner to Mr King's paddock is now complete. "All the excavation necessary for the erextion of the c.ke shed has been completed, and I will endeavour to get the ehed erected during the course of the coming month so as to enable us to lay in a tupply of coke for the wet months and to prevent carting of same over the roads during wet weather. "Six new meters have been added to the supply; four services have been laid to the fence boundary. "The Fire Brigade have had the usual wet practices.

"Two building permits have been issued during the month."

BARTER'S ROAD. Mes-rs A. B. Barter, E. G. Phillipps, F. Jsguish am! J McCormick were a deputation to the Corncil. Mr Barter, win acted as spokesman, explained that the deputation wished to bri r g under the Council's notice the condition of Barter's road, "ihcugh I can assure y.in Barter i.i not proud of it." The rain had washed out gullies on each side of it ar.d had cut out two ruts in the centre. At the foot of t-e hill was a water-table "which shortly would piewent them from getting off the hill." A man had been sent up but had mistaken his orders ar.d had run the water off the read into Mr Phillipps' prcptrty. He asked them tJ form the rond before metalling it. He hal htard rumours thai the metal from Bartet'a quarry w?s rot to tc put on barter's road but was to be diverted elsewhere. He hoped that the lo'jnol would allay his fears. He hoped that the Coencil would blind the metal. He sNo wished to draw the Council's attention to Queen street, "the worst street ii the Borough; if the id is anything worse it must be bad.'' lhe read need.d repairs, whilst the engire was forming a bank aloDg the summer track. In winter this would either be a water-table or a lake. He asked that this be rounded olf. Cr Abbott endorsed Mr Barter's complaint*. Cr Pollock said he had intended to bring up tie matter of Baiter's and Pollock's roads. 0;e had b:en started se.en weeks ago but work hrd been knocked off. He thought if the foreman sculd not complete the work he should let it by contract. Nothing bal been d.cided ab:ut tbe metal from Barter's quarry, but Bat r's had no claim to it.

Cr Bilkey considered the wisest •hing to do was to put what metal there was available ou Barter's road.

Tha foreman doubted if there was sufficient metal to do both Barter's and Pollock's roads.

Cr Patterson said the ruts had been there for many years and cccasknally had been filled in. He did not see hew they would prevent the washing out unlees terraced with stumps or kerbed acres?. Cr Bilkey said the gullies at the side of his road once were seveWeet deep. He bad tilled them by throwing in docks. If rubbi?h were thrown in it would retain the tilt. On the motion of Ct Pollock, seconded by Cr Bilkey, it was decided that the foreman be instructed to proceed with the two roads, if not able to do it himself tenders to oe called. It was resolved to call terders for carting 300 yards of metal from Barter's quarry to Pollock's road; an amendment that tenders be called for carting half Ihi metal frtm Barter's quarry to each of these roads bring lost. Later on it was decided to put 300 yards cf metal from Motion's quarry on Barter's road.