PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 3, Issue 246, 10 November 1914, Page 3

PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the Pukekohe Borough Council was held in the Council Chamber on Wednesday evening last. There were present —His Worship the Mayor (Mr C. K. Lawrie), and Crs D. R. Hamilton, J. Pollock, T. B. Hurley, R. McGough, J. A. Comrie, R. Bilkey and J. Beatty. BAND TRUSTEES, lhe secretary of the local band wrote to the Council in reference to the vacancies caused through certain trustees of the band having resigned. He invited the Council to appoint three trustees to the vacated positions. The Mayor proposed that Crs Hubbard, Bilkey and himself should be appointed.—This wasjagreed to. FIRE BRIGADE EQUIPMENT. In their report the Fire Brigade Committee advised the Council not to purchase second hand equipment for the Brigade.—The report was adopted, SALE OR LEASE? In the matter of an unused portion of Franklin road, the propeity of the Council, the Mayor and Cr Comrie, acting as a sub-committee, recommended the Council to accept Mr Goodwin's olfer ot £75 for the property, Mr Goodwin undertaking to pay all expinaes incurred in connection with the sale.—The recommendation was adopted, j.An application was received from Mr N. Simpson offering to lease the same property, and , the clerk waß instructed to write to the applicant informing him of the Council 8 decision. COMPENSATION. The Council confirmed the action of the Mayor and Cr Comrie in agreeing to pay Mr Wilde £5 compensation for loss sustained in a recent buggy accident that happened on one of the Council's roads through collision with an obstacle, IMPROVING A FOOTPATH. Mr F. O'Connor wrote asking the Council to tar and sand the footpath in front of his property, from the corner of Hairington Avenue to the Presbyterian Church. In reply to a question the foreman of works said the cost would be about £lO. The Mayor proposed, and Cr Bilkey seconded, that the foreman be instructed to attend to the work.—Agreed. REQUEST DECLINED. An application was received from the local Fire Brigade asking for a subscription from the Council towards defraying the cost of their annual smoke concert. It was decided to reply that the Council could not see its way in the present "hard" times to make a grant, a councillor remarking that public money would be better spent in supporting the Belgian Distress Fund. ALTERATION OF BOUNDARIES. A letter was received from Mr J. T. Stembridge, secretary of the Ratepayers' Asßjciation, stating that at a meeting of his association the proposed alteration to the borough boundaries was approved. DAMAGE ALLEGED. A claim for £1 5s was received in respect of damage alleged to have been caused to St. Patrick's Presbytery through blasting operations carried on near at hand by the borough workmen. The foreman of works etated that he had not been complained to, and had heard nothing of the matter. The Mayor said that if the damage was caused by the borough workmen the claim would hav3 to be paid. The foreman was instructed to inspect the damage and leport to the Council. THE PAERATA CREEK. Messrs J. Adams and J. Hogan waited on the Council in regard to the Paerata creek. Mr Adams asked the Council to give the settlers concerned notice to clear the creek and for the work to be subsequently inspected to see that it was properly done. Some of the settlers, he said, cleaned their portion ot the creek while others only half cleaned it. Mr Hogan concurred. It was decided to notify the settlers as requested, and the foreman of works was authorised to supervise the work. BANK OVERDRAFT. On the proposition of the Mayor it was agreed to make the necessary arrangements with the Bank of New Zealand for an overdraft. FOREMAN'S REPORT. In his report to the Council the foreman of works (Mr S. Clews) dealt with the matter of grading and shifting the Railway road over half-a-cham. He considered that a new road would have to be made. The scoria on the road could not be taken into account as it would hardly pay expenses for the removal. The whole length of the road would, when finished, require to be metalled throughout. In his opinon the work, including new scoria, would approximately cost £240. A footpath as far as the showground gate was included in that amount. The Mayor remarked that the Government have only offered £ll7 to help this work through. Cr Hamilton proposed that in the event of the Government offering £l6O the Council should spend the balance ot the £240, namely, £?0. The proposal was carried. MATERIAL FOK ROADWORK. It was decided to arrange tor the purchase of 500 yards of road metal in older that repairs could be effected to various roads during the coming summer. WORKS COMMITTEE REPORT. The Works Committee recommended the following works to bo done Filling of Cape hill, near railway line.—That £6O of unexpended loan money be expended in widening and fencing this filling. Hewellet's to Rowe's road.—There j being no loan money available for this road the committee recornj mended the Council to grant £;JO ! from the general rate to provide | scoria for necessary patching. Potter'» road footpath. —The cost ot forming the footpath from Queen street to Potter's gate and placing chips thereon would probably exceed I £SO. The committee could not ; recommend the Council to have the whole of thai work done, but Bening lhat tho residents on that road had offered to contribute £8 the committee suggested that the Council Bhould grant l£l6, and that would make

a total of £24. The work to start at Queen street and then be completed as far as money would all ( >w. Pollock's road. —Some £l3O was handed over from tbe Road Board to be expended in repairing metal on this road. The committee recom mended that the work be started at Potter's corner and continued towards Queen street , the road to be well scarified, a coating of metal put on and to be well rolled. Hill Top road. —The committee recommended that the £BO handed over from the Road Board be expended in ooing the necessary formation on this road. The report was adopted.