TUAKAU TOWN BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 141, 4 February 1916, Page 4

TUAKAU TOWN BOARD.

Monthly Meeting. The regular monthly meeting of the above authority was hold last Tuesday evening. Present: Messrs D. Fulton (chairman), W. Strahan, J. Pirret, H. B. Free, W. Glasgow, H. Craig, Captain Ryder and the clerk, Mr A. H, Tapper. THE ijUARRY Mr R. Bycroft notified tho Board that he anticipated making arrangements whereby a start would be made to remove the machinery from the flourmill. The removal of tho buildiDg would follow. The letter was received. I'ROrOSED RE-VALUATION "I properties Mr R F. Bollard, MP., wrote stoting that he had forwarded the Board's application for a re-valua-tion of tho Town Board district to the Right Hon. tho Prime Minister asking for his early and favourable consideration. —It was resolved that the chairman and Messrs Craig and Glasgow should wait un the Premier in Auckland to-day in connection with the matter. A RANGER DESIRABLE Tho damage done by horses wandering on the foctpath near Mr McFarland's property, which had recently been repaired, was responsible for Mr Glasgow expressing tho opinion that the appointment of a ranger should be made. Members approved of tho suggestion, and the chairman and Mr Glasgow were deputed to engage a man, POLICE IiUILI'IN'i <iKA.NI

Mr Craig mentioned the necessity of approaching the responsible authorities relative to the grant of £750 for the erection of a police building in Tuakau, which would fall through if not taken up before March next. The clerk was iustructed to write to the Commissioner of Police to remind him of the grant and the necessity of putting the work in hand forthwith as the land was lying idle.

TELEPHONIC DELAYS?. The difficulties under which subscribers to the Tuakau telephone exchange labour was made the subject of a request for better facilities by Mr Free, who said he had had an experience of liaviDg to wait for Auckland for two hours and when he was connected the voices were so inaudible that he had to spell the words over the phone. The result that he was required to pay a fee which, in his- opinion, should have been less as he was not in any way responsible for the necessarily long conversation that ensued as a result of the inadequacy of the service. The Department, he claimed, was losing business as a result of subscribers having their telephones disconnected. Mr Strahan corroborated Mr Free's remarks and mentioned that he also had been called on to pay what he considered was an exhorbitant fee. Mr Free suggested that the Department should bo written to and asked to erect a double wire between Tuakau and Auckland. It was agreed that the deputation that was to wait ou the Premier today should also consult with the telegraph engineer on the matter, and furthur in reference to an outstanding account for a charge levied by the Department for the removal of a pole at Booker's corner for which the Board considered they should not be made liable. KATES .VXD I'EXALXIES. Mr Clias. Drouigool waited ou the Board ant 1 disclaimed liability iu connection with certain rates levied by the Board. The clerk stated that the rating was correct according to the Valuation Eoll, which ho was required to work to. lie had requested Mr Dromgool to put bio objection in writing for th« Board's consideration but he had failed to do so. The chairman pointed out that the clerk was obliged to work to the rate book. It was a matter for the Valuation Department and Mr Droomgool should have acted according to the advice given him by the clerk.

Mr I'roingool furthc-r raised an objection to being culled 011 to pay the 10 per cent penalty on overdue rates, the notice lor which, be said, he had only received that day as it had been forwarded to tho wrong address.

Tho clerk stated that owners were notified by an advertisement in the press that the rates were due last September. The notices were forwarded to the address as contained in the rate book. The rate book was open for inspection by ratepayers in the Board's office, from nine a.m. till live p m. The chairman said that the Board had passed a resolution to enforce the ten per cent, penalty on all overdue rates. He assured Mr Dromgool that if he paid his rates and they were afterwards found to be incorrect the rates would be refunded.

The matter then dropped, Mr Dromgcol stating that he would t>nftr with the clerk later in the week. Mr Pirret mentioned that Mr Feather was another ratepayer who had been charged the ten per cant, penalty although he had not received a notice. The property had been transferred from Mr McGowan to Mr Feather. Iu reply to the chairman, the clerk said that Mr Feather's name was not on the roll. The chairman said that ii' the property showed as a transfer on the Franklin County Council roll it was Mr Feather's duty to have ascertained if it appeared accordingly on the Town Boa-d roll. The clerk was iustructed to ascertain if Mr Feather's name appeared on the Franklin County Council roll before the initiation of the Town Board. MIS' EI,LAN 1.0l : S. It was resolved to notify offenders to trim overhanging hedges and to clean the blackberry from the front of their sections. It was decided to request Mr Nichols, a contractor who was employed napping stones for the Board to nap the metal into smaller pieces. The tender of Mr H. laherwood, of 3 3 per yard, for spiwling and stacking either 1000 or 2000 yards of metal, for the Board, was accepted. repuris, Ihe chairman reported that Mr Renell, owner of the Public Hall, had agreed to make alterations thereto to conform with the by-laws and further that the clerk had written to the Franklin County Councd in regard to the addresses of owners of "absentees' sections" in Tuakau, but had not so far received a reply.