PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 84, 17 September 1915, Page 2

PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Monthly Meeting.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Pukekohe Borough Council was held on Wednesday, thoic present being the Mayor, (Mr H. G. K. Mason), Crs J. A. Conine, R. Bilkey, J. Patterson, A. B. Barter F. Hubbard, and J. Beatty, with the Town Clerk, Mr J. V. Deane.

THE SANITARY INSPECTOR. Mr J. Penman, sanitary inspector, wrote renewing his application for an increase of salary, and it was decided that Mr Penman's salary should be raised from £25 to £4O par annum as trom October Ist. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr George Haslim, of East street, wrote applying for permission to cut a road into bis section across the water-table. ~ Referred to the Works Committee with power to ait Mrs W. Moore, of Hazel bank, Pukekohe Hill, wrote complaining ot the dangerous conditio! of the road leading to her property. —Reteired to the Foreman of Works. On beualf ot the Pukekohe Senior Cadets Lieut. Petchell applied for sanction for the erection of a miniature rifle range in the Horse Bazaar.— Granted.

Dr Wake wrote calling attention to the sloppy s'.ate in wet weathe* of the tootpath in E'-st street near bis property.—Referred to ths Works Committee.

Mr W. G. Roulston wrote asking for permission to close the road that ran past his property as it was not in use. —Deferred for further information, it being stated that sandstone was now procured from the rosd. Nitifica'ion was received from the Department of Argiculture that "Goat's Rua" had been added to the third schedule of the Noxious Weeds Act, end could therefore be declared a noxious weed by local authorities. —Received. Messrs J. Pollock and Roberts wait?d on the Council and solicited the use of the Council's steam roller for levelline the Pukekohe West Tennis Club's groucd.—The request was acceded to, hiring fee to be paid. On the motion of Cr Hubbard, the Waterworks Committee was instructed to report on the cost of moving tbe water mains in Queen street from the road to the footpath, in order to allow tbe road being re-formed.

Cr Patterson stated that he had been asked to enquire whether it would be possible to strengthen the two bridges on Hoose-Reynolds road, so that traction engines could pass over them. —The Foreman of Works estimated that in order to strengthen the bridges as suggested a cost of quite £SO would be incurred.—No action was taken. MONEY AVAILABLE.

The Slate Advances Office notified the Council that the application for a loan of £SOOO ut 4 J per cent interest for drainage purposes would be entertained on completion ot tbe necessary formalities.--Letter received.

BOROUGH BOUNDARIES. Particulars (already reported in these column?) of the decision of the Commissioners in the matter of the alteration of the borough boundaries were received from the Department of Internal Affairs STATION APPROACH. The Hon. Mr Herries, Minister of Railways, wrote acknowledging the Council's request that provision should be made by the Railway Department, for the purchase of the necessary land to secure an approach from East Street to Pukekohe railway station in view of tbe line being duplicated and the existing road approach being ÜBed for the double line.—Mr Herries promised to give the matter consideration.

PATRIOTIC RAFFLES

A circular ie'ter was received fmm the Taumarunui Patriotic Carnival Committee asking the Council to support the application to the Goveriimeit not to enforce the Gaming anci Lotteries Act in the case of art unions raited for patriotic purposes.—No action was taken. PROPOSED TOWN CLOCK.

In the matter of the suggested purchase of the time-piece removed from the New Zealand Insurance Buidings in Queen street, Aucklacci, a 9 a town clock «for Fukekohe, the Tosn Clerk of Auckland wioiti stating that the City Council had decided to have the clock valued and offered for sale, particulars of which would be sent later. LEGAL CHARGES. Messrs Eidean and Holloway, the Council's solicitors, wrote explaining that the retainer fee they received from the Council did not caver costs of opinions given, but they had always reduced the cost of the same, and in fact of all legal work on account of the retainer fee, and for the same reason ' there were also many attendances and items not charged for. FINANCE. The Finance Committee reported that there was a debit balance at the Bank ou toe General Areount of £l7l 4s 'id and a credit balance of £lO5 lis 5d on the District Fund Account -Accounts totalling £275 ( Js lid were passed for payment. "A DEATH TRAP." Cr Pattersm a?ked that the Works Committee should give immediate attention to the dangerous stite of a portion of the footpath leading from Prospect Terrace to the saleyards. At the spot in question, he said, some of the path had slipped away, and on a dark night it was njthing less than a death trap, as one might easily step through the gap.—The Works Committee were empowered to act in the matter. POWER HOUSE EQUIPMENT.

The Waterworks Committee repored that the waterworks engineer ha.l installed at the power bouse for the more economicl working of the plant, the following appliances, viz., pressure Ruage, air receiver and small pelton wheel. He had put these appliances in at his own expense, and the Committee rfcommended that he should he paid thr cost of same, which he valued at £l2. The engineer had been instructed by the Committee to make certain alterations to the roof of the power house, at a cost of 30s,

to enable a derrick to be erected t'j raiau and loner oipee, etc., into the bore hole?. At present when this work has to be done it was necessary to remove a sheet of iron from the roof, thus causing damage to the roof as well as waste of time for the engineer. PROPOSED NEW ROAD. The Foreman of Works reported that be estimated the cost of forming and culverting the proposed new road from Franklin mad to Cape crossing at £514 18s. The matter was adjourned to be considered in connection with loan proposals. NEW FIRE STATION. The Fire Brigade Committee were authorised to call for tenders for the erection of a new fire station on the existing site, and it waa agreed that the cost of the same should be refunded to the Geneial Accouot trom a prospective loan ROAD WORKS. A notice of motion by Cr Comric, that the by-law providing for owners of properties to pay their proportionate cost of kerbing and channelling the footpa ns opposite th?ir premises th >uld be resciadsd, lapsed by reason of Cr Comrie having at an eariler stage in the meeting I resigned his membership, as reported elsewhere, and having left the meeting. Cr Patbrson, however, gave notice that at the next meeting he would move the motion that stood in Mr Conine's name. It was res lvad that Edinburgh street, frcm King street to Roulston's Avenue, should be kerbed and channelled. It reply to Or Patterson, the Mayor stated that the owners concerned would be debited with their share of cost of the work. Cr Patterson rerrarked that such would be very unfair, as no such charges had been made in the past, and h2 trusted that his proposed motion would be adopted.

Cr Patterson then proposed that Edinburgh ttrcet west from King street to Tubin street should be reformed in tbe same way as the works in progress in the eastern portion of the street. He pointed out that such was authorised prior to authority being given for the wuik in the eastern portion. Cr Hubbard contended that no money was at present available for further expenditure. Cr Patterson urged that an injustice was being done to the residents in Edinburgh street west. All of them, he Baid, were ratepayers and yet nuney was found for tbe other portion of the street where only one ratepayer was concerned. The resolution was carried by four votes to two, Crs Hubbard and Bilkey b.inc the dissentients.

PUBLIC WEIGHBRIDGE SUG-

GESTED

Cr Hubbard proposed that tbe Finance Committee should report as to the advisability or otherwise of a public weighbridge being erected at the station end of Harris street. He considered that the time had arrived when a public weighbridge should, in the interests of residents of the district, take the place of the machines at present privately owned, as users would naturally prefer to have weights recorded by a public official than by interested parties. Further, a site in Harris street would relieve King street ot a good deal of tbe existing heavy traffic of waggons going to the present weighbridges. Cr Bilkey doubted whether a public weighbridge would be a payable proposition, and he mentioned that it was Mr W. Roulston'a intention to erect a weighbridge in Harris street. /

'1 he Mayor having pointed out that Cr Hubbard's motion ia ro way pledged the Council, as a report only was asked for, the resolution was adopted. IMPROVING THE DOMAIN. The Mayor proposed that the * Auckland City- Council should be asked whether they would permit, and ii so on what term', their Landscape Gardener, Mr Pearson, to report on tbs laying-out of the Pukekone Domain.

Cr Hubbard considered that the expense incurred in a visit from Mr Pearson would be useiss seeing that there was no prospect of money being availabe for come years to comt for developing the Domain. The Mayor explained that there was a balance of £IBO loan money available, and, further, he pointed out that even if work was done gradually expert advice would be advantageous for a permanent scheme to be started instead of improvements being effected that later on might prove ussless. Bis motion moreover was not for improvement works to be carried out, but simply to sse if expert advice could be obtained. The resolution was carried, Cr Bilkey dissenting.