PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 175, 19 May 1916, Page 2

PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL

The usual monthly meeting ot the Pukekohe Borough Council was ht Id on Wednesday evening, the members present being the Mayor (Mr U G K Mason) and Counollo'.s F Hubbard, C Roßdley, K Bilkey, J Pattprsor, A B Barter, (J Clarke and Ivan Motion, with the Town Clark, Mr J F Deane A COUNCILLUKS RESIGNATION • As recorded elsewhere, Cr Patterson soon after the start of proceedings resigned bis seat on the Council anl left the meeting ROAD MUTALLING A letter was rcc ived from Mr W C Motion asking the Council to lay down scoria on the road leading to his property roar Belmont. He estimated the cost at £lO and offered to pay half of the expense, expressing the opinion that if the principle of ratepayers trying to assist the Council in dealing with roads in a similar position were adoptel it would not only be a benefit to themselves but would hHp the Council to undertake work which otherwise they would be obliged to leave undone The Council agreed to accopt Mr Motion's otter and to have the work carried out, Cr Roadlcy remarking that Mr Motion's sction was a good precedent for other ratepayers to follow ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS Notification was received from the secretary of the Auckland Provincial Employers' Association to the effect that tbe Commissioner ot Awards had been asked by the Labourers' Union to make an award to cover all local bodies in the Auckland Provinciil District Cr Hubbard thought that tbe Council was quite prepared to make the same rate of pay as oth-r local authorities It was decided, on the motion of Cr Barter seconded by Cr Koadley, to take f.o action in regard to the Arbitration yroceedirga since the Council was not a la'ge cmpbjer if labour and was content to abide by the Commissioner's award HOSPITAL HOAKD'd LEVY Tbe Hospital and Charitable Aid Board notified the Cturcil that its levy for tha current year would be at the rate of one-sixth of a penny in the £ on the borough's capital lateable value, £402,555, us against two-thirteenths of a penny in the £ on last year's rateable value, £ 361,755

Tie Town Clerk rpxlained that the valuitiors as stown by the Hospital Hoard would have to tie adjusted with thi Franklin County Council in conscqusr ce of ths recent alteration of boundaries MARRIED MEN'S WAGES RAISED

Three employees of the Council, viz, Messrs J lagers, E D Mansfield and D waited on the Council a-d ask°d that the wages paid to them should be raised from 9s to It's per day. They explained

that [they were married men and owing to the increased cost ot living it was almost impossible to maintain a wile and family on 9s per day Cr Barter advocated the ciuse oi the married men, and moved that the wages of all married men in the Council's employment ehould be raised ore shilling pet day Cr Bilkey seconded, and the motion was unanimously agreed tu FIKE BRIGADE MAINTENANCE Cr llubbatd referred to a recent decision of the Council that free service at fires should only be rendered by the Fire Brigade within the area of the old Town Boird and that attendance at fires outside that area should be paid for by the owners concerned. He chimed that it was unfair that ratepayers in the "outer'' area snoi/il jiay any portion ol the cost of the maintenance of the Fire Brigade, which averaged about £u'u per year, if they were also rtsponaitl; fi.r charges tor tire attendance. He proposed that the Finance Committee in framing its estimates \'ot the current year should to instructed to strike a rate, limited to the ol J Town Board" ana. to covef the expenditure incurred by the Brigade Cr batter seconded 'pro forma" The Mayer was of opinion that the proper course to pursue was for the Brigade to be authorised to opera'e over the whole ci the borough and then the present anomalous position would be removed. It that was agreed to arrangements should be made to include a loon of £31)0 over Hie vvht If of the boruugh tor Fire Brigade purposes in the loan pro possh in course uf preparation in substitution for the £3OO loan recently authorised by the ratepayers and restricted to the Town Board area. The point, ho adi'ed, was raiinl Hut ■■ imi> parts of the lioi'iiii.",li. where watir wan n<»l avail able aid come<|Ucitll} where the Brigade's servic s would be of no avail, would be rated, but his idea

was that if it was worth while in the borough one bad to take tlwjj "* good and the bad together '•"' ' Cr Motion, in support of the Mayor's latter argument, oointed out that even in the area of the old Town Biaid ir stance existed, more particularly in (he vicinity ot the Dairy Factory, *here ratepayers had to pay . t the Fire Brigade's up'<tep although there was no wa!er main in tha near vicinity Cr Hubbard intimate 1 that his only object in moving the resolution was to demonstrate the foolishness of the Council's previous decis on. He was quite prepareJ to wi:bdraw the resolution if any councillor gave notice of motion to rescind the previo is r. solution Cr Ko3dlcy expressed his willingness to act n accordance with Cr Hubbard's suggestion, and, further, to move to adopt the Mayor's proposal re substitution of loan The Mayor explained that the £3OO concerned the Brigade's equipment and had been paid for out of the general rate pending transfer from loan ac:ount A KECENT FIKE Cr Hubbard rsported that it> respect to a recent tire on Mr John Bilkev's prope ty an account for £8 tor expenses incurred by the Fire Brigade, includirg the cost of repairs to motor cars occasioned by damages to the same in conveying the firamsn to the scene of the lire, had been sent to Mr Bilkey, who cousiclered that he ought not to be asked to pa; the full amount. He (Cr Hubb.rd) understood that wheo it was agreed 10 forwarJ the account to Mr Bilkey it was understood that Mr Bilkey was only expected to make a contribution. He eccorrfingly proposed that Mr Bilkey should be asked to make a c mtrkbutioi and should not be held responsible f r th? full amount Cr Barter seconded, and the motion was carried MISCELLANEOUS. On behalf of the Karaka Road Board an application was received frou Mr John Schlaepfer for the Council to hire out to his Board its steam roller at a cost of £l per day, including men, and tin request was acceded to. The by-laws, as adopted at tho previous meeting, for tho control of the cemetery were confirmed. The Works Committee wore empowered to act in reference to a complaint made by Mr W.J. Bjwden that silt and water washed down ou to his property iu Helvetia road as the result of tho absence of any road culvert. A formal resolution was passed authorising tho Sanitary Inspector to institute prosecutions for breaches of sanitary by-laws. In reply to Cr Clarke, the Town Clerk reported that tho c mlractor for the removal of night-soil expected to bo in a position to institute tho system at au early date. With a view of keeping the ro.i ling room of tho Public Library in a tidy state and of putting a stop to children, as at presont, using the premises and disarranging literature it was resolved to make a regulation prohibiting the presencoin the reading room of children under tho age of lo" unless Accompanied by adults Cr Barter, on bohalf of tha Library Committee, explainod that substantial improvements iu the reading were contemplated, and the Committee's desire was tj promote the comforts of readers. FINANCE The Towu Clerk reported that debit balances on the District Fund and General Account amounted to £IOO and £6;)7 respectively, aud accounts totalling £7OO wore passed for payment. PUBLIC LIGHTING. It was reported that ouly one tender, viv , that of Mr J. W. Blackman, for gas lighting, had been received in answer to the Council's advt. thereon, and that the Couacil at a special meeting had not accepted the same. Cr Roadley detailed the result of investigations he had made as to the installation of electiic lighting in various boroughs of a similar size to Pukekohe and made recommendations for an electric light installation in the borough. Or Roadley's report, which will appear in our next issue, was deferred for consideration.