PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 70, 16 August 1915, Page 1

PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ihc usual monthly meeting il the Pukekohe Borough Council was held on Wednesday evening. Present. The Mayor (Mr H. G. K. Mason), Councillors J A. Conirie, K. liilkey, J. Patterson, I. Motion, A. B. barter, J. Beatty, C. Clarke and the Town Clerk, Mr J. F. Deane. A MEMBER'S ABSENCE.

A letter apologising for absence due to indisposition was received from Cr F. Hubbard. THE BLACKBERRY PESI.

The Foreman of Works, Mr Clews, reported that notices had been served on several owners calling on them to remove obstructing blackberry bushes, an:l the matter was being duly attended to. THE SANITARY INSPECTOR. Mr Joseph Penman, the Borough Sanitary Inspector, made further application for his salary to be raised. He stated that he found that it was impossible for him to sit for a registered plumber's examination as he had intended owing to the fact that he had not served an apprenticeship. He believed, however, that the Health Department would not interfere if the duties were being properly carried out. The Mayor stated that the position was that the Health Act compelled them to appoint a registered plumber for inspection work.

The letter was referred to the Sanitary Committee for consideration.

WATER WANTED

Application was made by Mr James McCormick to have the borough water main extended to his properly on Puni road. He stated that if the main was extended there would be two other consumers, viz., Megsrs William Russell and S. MnNally. The application was referred to the Waterworks foreman Mr Wyatt, to report as to the cost of the proposed extension. A SUGGESTED PURCHASE.

Mr W. Wyatt, the Waterworks Foreman, wrote asking if the Council would be prepared to purchase his residence, adjacent to the power house, it he decided at any time to dispose ot it. He pointed out that it was an asset to the Council to have the pumping engineer resident in the immediate vicinity of the power house. The Mayor remarked that the suggestion was in the Council's interests and moved that Mr Wyatt should be informed that when money was available the Council would be disposed to favourably consider the purchase if a suitable price was agreed upon.—The motion was carried. TREE PLANTING. Premission to plant a row of ornamental trees along the top uf the bank of the railway cutting facing the Pukekohe Hotel was received from the Railway District Engineer. Permission was also further given to fill in the ditch which runs along the top of the

embankment, but the letter stated that the Department could not allow the storm water to be diverted on to the level of the line.-It was arranged that the planting of the trees should be undertaken forthwith. NEW FIRE STATION PROPOSED.

Reporting on the application of the Fire Brigade for the provision of a new fire station, the present building being practically beyond repair and letting water in freely whenever rain occurred, thus damaging the equipment, the Fire Brigade Committee recommended that a new leuntu structure should be erected on the existing site at an estimated cost of £55, or £24 additional if a sleeping room and lavatory accommodation were provided. Cr Patterson proposed, and Cr Motion seconded, that the report should be adopted, the cost to be limited to £SO. Cr Comrie moved as an amendment that consideration should be postponed until a decision was come to as to what loan proposals, if any, should be submitted to the ratepayers. A building such as was proposed, he said, would only be of a makeshift character, whereas out of a loan they could erect a decent structure. — Cr Barter seconded. The amendment was carried, Crs Patterson, Motion and Beatty dissenting. NEW FOOTPATH APPROVED.

A petition signed by 30 residents requesting the Council to level the footpath from the Dairy Factory to Mr Hewlett's corner, and to put a coating of chips or gravel thereon, was forwarded by Mr James A. Blake.

Councillors agreed that the footpath was most desirable, and was warranted by the traffic to and from the factory. The Foreman of Works was instructed to have the work put in hand.

V CTORIA STREEI. The Works Committee, in their repirt, recommended that aa previously decided upon scoria should he laid on the portion oi' Victoria street nut alresdy rm tailed. It waa explained that the absence of scoria on the part of the road rcferrid to handicapped vehicular traffic thereor, whilst the absence of a footpath was also the aubject of complaint from iiedestrians.

Alter a good deal of discussion it was decided to construct the footpath hut to postpone action in regard to the road. A BLOCKED DRAIN.

Messrs R. H. McGougb and Dulton waited on the Council and complained that the fret running of the culvert on property in Nelson street was blocked by Mr G. Attewell refusing to clear his portion of the drain.—lt was resolved to call on Mr Attewell to clear the part of the dram on his proprety.

NEW CHARGES FOR WATER. In accordance with notice of motion, the Mayor moved that a ntw scale to consumers of water should come into force as from October Ist next, such charges to be as agreed upon at the previcus meeting. His Worship explained that with the new charges the burden of the actual cost of the wfctsr would be borne by those within the area served by the waterworks aB oppos;d to the eld artificial line known as the old Town Board area. At the same time the Special Rate in the old area would not be totally abolished but it was estimated would be reduced from £7OO to £3OO per annum and with increased consumption would further steadily diminish. Cr Patterson second d. In anwssr to Cr Patterson, the Mayor Btated that the half-rate to non-consumers could not be charged to such persons in regard to proximity to a private line. Mr W. P. Hopkins, solicitor, waited on the Council and 011 behalf of several farmers on Pukekobe Hill stated that the new charges as proposed would be unduly severe on parties, who at their own expense had paid for private lines by which water was supplied to them. He instanced the case of Mr Robert Wilkinson, whose line had cost him £2OO, and who with the new scale of rates and taking into account interest and depreciation on his outlay would Inve to pay £3O per year. The Mayor pointed out thst the £2OO leferred to by Mr Hopkius had been expended by Mr Wilkinson in taking water to all parts ot his farm and not only for taking it as far as his property. Thus the Council could hardly take that into account.

The motion was carried unanimously. LIBRARY SUBSIDY.

It was decided to pay the usual subsidy of £25 per annum to the Public Library. OLD RAILWAY TRACK.

The District Ergineer, Railway Department, forwarded an agreement fr.r execution by the Council with regard to the lacd to be handed over Ly the Railway Department for road purposes, the same beinfi the old route of the railway track on lbs north side of Franklin road. Cr Patterson claimed that the track was a road prior to the construction of the railway line and that therefore the Council should not, as proposed in the sgreement, express willingness to hand it back to the Kailway Department it calied upon.

The Town Clerk explained that the Council's solicitors looked into the question of the claim of an old road when the matter first arose, but could find no trace of a road in the plana at the Deeds Office. The Mayor Btated that by reason of the fact that the Railway Department had been in possession of the alleged road for more than 40 years no claim on behalf of the public could now be enforced.

The agreement was accepted FRONTAGE OWNERS' RESPONSIBILITY.

The Mayor asktd whether it was the Council's Hsh that in accordance with the by-laws all persons should be called upon to pay their proportion of the cost of kerbiny and channelling the roads so far as it concerned their frontages. Claims in that way could not be enforced if the work had been carried out more than two years ago, and therefore owners in King street would be exempt. Cr Patterson considered that it would be unfair to make any claim in respect of work done in the past us ratepayers in other streets would pay for their own frontages as well as for King street. Cr Comrie suggested that action in the way mentioned by the Mayor should be limited to future road works and a resolution to that effect was adopted. FINANCE.

Accounts totalling £-172 4s Id were passed for payment.

LEGAL FE&S

Included in the accounts, as submitted by the Finance Committee, was one of £2O due to Messrs Endean and Holloway, the Council's solicitors, in respect of legal fees. The Town Clerk explained that the same included a retaining fee of £lO per annum aa arranged by the 1 ate Council, aud in return fcr that sum the solicitors gave advice on various small points without making an extra charge. Cr Patterson proposed that the retaining fee should be abolished, and that the Council should instead pay for all opinions obtained. He considered it unsatisfactory for the Council tot to know what advice they were entitled to in return for the retaining fee.

The motion was not Beconded but it was decided, on the suggestion

uf Cr Barter, to aecu.e information from Kesars Endean and Holloway aa to the extent of advice recdered for the retaining fep.

PROPOSED NEW RO*D. fhc Works Committ e r.ported that they had viewed the site of a proposed nc* road, viz,, from the rid railway t-ack off Franklin road to Cape Hill, for which Mr Joseph Adams hid offered to give tfcc land provided the Council lormed an er trance to lis property, but they had no recommendation to make in regard to the matter.—No action was taken. "DE4D" ROADS.

With regard to unused roada in temporary occupation of frontage owners the Works Committee recommended that such roads should not be sold but a rental for the same should be charged, failing payment of which the roads should be thrown opei*. —lt was decided to a°k the Committee to submit a hat of the roads in question.