PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 99, 22 October 1915, Page 2

PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Monthly 'Meeting.

The usual monthly meeting of the fukikohe Borough Council was held on Wednesday last, the members present being the Mayor (Mr H. U. K. Mason), Councillors C. Roadley, C. Clarke, 3. Patterson, I. A. Motion, A. B. Barter, t. Hubbard, and J. Beatty. with the Town Clerk, Mr J. F. Deane. NEW MEMBER.

Cr Roadley, consequent on his election to succeed Mr J. A. Cormie (resigned), tcok his seat for the first time, and was appointed a member of the Finance, Works ,"and Drainage Committees, of which Mr Conine had been a member. FIRE MATTERS. A letter was received trom the Fire Brigade nominating Mr H. J. RollinsoD, the secretary, for the appointment of Fire Inspector, and turther asking that one or both ot ths additional ttrebdb. recently purchased, should be erected.—Tha appointment was made as recommended, and the Fire Brigade Committee were requested to repurt aa to the erection of tbe nrebells. • A WAIUKU REQUEST, The Waiuku Town Board, wrote asking if the Council would be prepared to allow them to hire the borough steam roller for some weeks.—Referred to the Finance Committee with power to act. A RATE REFUND. A letter was received from Messrs Edmund Mahony and Son on behalf of Mr C. H. Whitmore asking for a rebate of a proportion of rates paid in respect ot Lot 116, parish of Pukekohe, which had been sold ti the Railway Department.—lt was explained that Mr Whitmore bad paid his rates expecting that he would be" repaid the amount by the Railway Department, but as he found 'that the Government paid no rates he was a loser thereby.—The request was acceded to. BOROUGH BOUNDARIES. A letter was received from Mr F. V. Frazer, S.M., who was tbe chairman of the Commission that decided on the revised borough boundaries, intimating if both the County -and Borough Councils agreed to the date being brought forward for the revised boundaries to come into force such couid be arranged for.

KAILWAY STATION APPKOACH. In farther reference to the Council's enquiry re tbe Railway Department's intentions as h alterations of the approach to the station when the duplication of the line was effected, the Minister for Railways, the Hon. W. H. Berries, M.P., wrote stating that st°ps had been taken by the Departmennt to acquire land which would provide for the present 33ft road from East street to be extended for a distance of about six chairs, so as to provide a 66ft wide road to tha junction with tbe main road, consequent on tbi conversion of tbe , station into an island platform station. in view of the fact that the existing 33ft road referred to was on railway land, and as tbe Department was giving up a farther strip to provide tor a 66ft road, Mr Heme* considered that thj Council should acquire sufficient' land to form a road 66ft wide to the point where tbe Department would be widening it, the Council to take over the Control and maintenance of the road.

In reply to a letter from the Council asking the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, M.P., if he could consult with the Council as to the proposed new railway approach and other matters affecting the town, a reply was received that Mr Massey hoped to shoitly visit Auckland and if the opportunity arose he would be glad to receive a deputation. It was agreed that the Council should interview the District Engineer so as to get a definite idea of tha Railway Department's plans. WATER Af DAIRY FACTORY. The [New Zealand Dairy Association wrote asking on what terms the Council would be prepared to supply water as a reserve supply at the 'Pukekohe dairy factory.— Referred to the Waterworks Engineer, Mr Wyatt, to report on. RECOMMENDATIONS CONFIRMED.

The following minutes of a meeting of tha Council held in Committee on the previous Monday were submitted and adopted, viz. :

(1) The Committee recommend that the application of Mr W. Rouhton to back waggons, etc., across the footpath in Hall street, to obtain access to his store there, be acceded to provided he constructs a temporary footpath acrosß tha road and along the frontage of Mr Webster's property on esst side of road tor the convenience of pedestrians and that the footpath in front ot the store in 'left in good condition at the end or the period, the whole work to be done and completed to the satisfaction of the Borough foreman and chairman ot Works Committee.

(2) That Mr F. O'Connor's application for perm ißßion to make a right-of-way on bis premises in West road be granted, provided a gate bs placed at entrance, the right-of-way to be properly metalled and formed to the aatistaetion of Foreman and chairman of Works Committee, and that no residential frontage shall be acquired by such access. ,

(3) That the Council institute a refuse collection for the part of tha town from railway bridge to Harrington Avenue, the Council to supply tins to householders at coat price, and to collect rubbish free of cost. Tenders to be called locally and in Auckland for supply of tins. STREET IMPROVEMENT CHARGES. As the outcome of the Councils recent decision to enforce the . bylaw whereby owners would be called upon to pay a half-share of the prcpoitiouate cost of kerbing and channelling roads fronting their proper ties, Cr Patterson, in accordance with notice of motion, moved that (he lesolution should be rescindec', and no charges be made. Seeing that the work in half of the town had been carried out without any charges being made he claimed

thht the 'resolution, unless retrospective, was Distinctly unfair to those owners whose roads remained to be dealt with. Cr Clarke seconded.

The Mayor considered that if part coat was forthcoming there was more probability of the Council being able to expedite work thin if the whole cost had to come out of rates.

Cr Roadley was of opinion that injustice would arise if inferior valued properties in the by-itreets were now mulcted in cost after the mora valuable properties in King and other streets had escaped free. Ihe Mayor remarked that changes were awlavs attended by some hardship, but after a change was made all was ptain sailing. Pukekobe had only a small past, and a much greater future waa before it, and therefore th?y should lok to the future.

On a vot! being taken tha motion of rescission was carried, , the Mayor and Cr Hubbard dissenting. STREET WATERING.

Cr Hubbard suggested that to obviate the dust nuisance arrangements should be made for watering King street in tbe summer montba by means of a short length of hose to be attached to tbe fire piuga. Be remarked that he did not know whether sufficient water was available tor tbe purpose, but « new reservoir ■ would certainly supply abundance of water, and the obvious advantage of street watering would, h 3 thought, prove ao incentive ti ratepayers to vote' for the water loan proposal that the Council intended to submit to them.

Cr Patterson proposed that street watering, as suggested by Cr Hubbard, should be instituted forthwith. ' The Council, he said, failed in that direction to act up to "sanitary principles which they were sappoHsd to uphold, with the result that goods in batchers' and'bakers' shops were affected by dust Cr Motion seconded. Cr Koadley advocated . that, a revolving horse-broom should be purchased in order to remove the . mod in wet weather, as also 'to ,

minimise th» dost in dry weather. The Mayor considered that particulars of cost should be ascertained before tbe 'proposal «as adopted. Further, he remarked, it might be found more economical to adopt tar spraying, -which would last longer than, water and thus reduce labour employment. He moved as an amendment that the Foreman should report as to cost of watering and of tsr spraying. '* \> A seconder not being forthcoming the amendment lapsed, whereupon Cr Roadicy proposed as an amendment that tbe Waterworks Com* mittee should report on the matter, the Mayor seconding. In answer to a question, tbe Waterworks Engineer, Mr Wyatt, said that be did not anticipate shortage of water but a difficulty arose in using the tire plugs owing to the defects in the pressure-valve previously reported on.

Voting for,the amendment being equal, viz., tbe Mayor, Cn Koadley, Hubbard and Barter voting tot < with Crs Beatty, Clarke, Patterson and Motion against, it was carried on the Mayor's casting vote.

Cr Koadley gave notice of moticn that at the next meeting he would move that the Council should purchase both a watercart and a revolving horse-broom.

THh. COUNCIL'S SOLICTORS.

It was decided tbat as from the end of the current quarter toe arrangement to pay a retaining fee of £lO per annum to the 'Council's solicitors, Metiers Endeau and Holloway, should he determined and that ordinary fees should alone be paid. TIME OF MEETING. It was agreed that the present hour of meeting, viz., 7 p,m., should be altered to 7.30 p.m. - FINANCE. A debit balance ot £lßl 8s 5d was reported on the General Account and a credit balance of [£l3o 15s lid on the District Fund Account Accounts totalling $697 3s 4d were passed far payment. '