PAPAKURA TOWN BOARD.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 232, 5 December 1916, Page 3

PAPAKURA TOWN BOARD.

Monthly Meeting.

Ihe monthly meeting of the Papakura Town Board was held last night. Present: Messis R- M. Gillespie, chairman, W. Richardson, B.;Lloyd, T. H. Markwick, P. Holt and Linstrom, with the cUrk.IMrJH. W.^Geiasler. REQUESTS.

Mr J. Walker wrote the Board to do something in the way of preventing flood waters from (lowing off the road, between Settlement and Wairoa roads, «n to hi? property, and, further, to notify the property owners responsible to clean the ditch between bis and Mr Hunter's property —As the owners concerred had aire dy been notified it was rtsilved to inftrm applicant accordingly. In a letter forwarded by Mr Cosgrove, the writer desired the Board to remove trees opposite his property and to repair a culvert st the frontage thereto.—The Works Committee were deputed to take action in respect to trees on Hunaa road and alsp in reference to fhe culvert. WELCOME NEWS. The Department ot Lands notified the Board that in compliance with i's request, Section X., Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the Great South Road, would be re-offered for lease on a date to oe fixed. THE CLERK'S SALARY. The Town Board's decision to increase the clerk's (Mr H. W. lieiaslar) salary from £6O to £125 was referred to by Mr H. Watkin- * son. He submitted a document bearing the signatures ot Messrs G. SJpott, W. Pickwell, W. Harrison, J. Walker and T. Paton, and said that tfte signatories had deputed him to place thair objection before the Board. The main contention was that instead of expending the difference between the £6O and the £125 on the road it was being wasted by giving it to the clerk. He therefore strongly protested against the Board's action.

Mr Markwick considered that the .ratepayers concerned wsre taking into consideration the work the clerk bad done in the past instead of his more important duties of to-dav, which necessitated his presence at the office from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, except on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The number ot meetings he attended in his capacity as clerk hpd also increased, and he further did all the clerical work. The chairman remaiked that whereas the previous Board paid the clerk £6O a vear for an eight hour week, the present Board were only paying £125 for a 28-hour week. No acticn was taken.

WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The ' Works Committee recommended that the following works should be put in hand, viz.That in cases where the property owners were prepared to pay the footpaths be tarred and sanded, and that Broadway, the township portion of the Great South road, and one side only of Elliott street, aB far as East street, should be cleaned. That tfae Board erect a lamp on the Great South road near the Public Hall, and that the Railway Department be requested to have a lamp erected half-wav between the platform and the level crossing on the Wairoa road. That an estimate of cost be obtained from an engineer in respect to proposed works in the two msin cross road?, viz., Broadway and Elliott street and the Great South road from the Library to Cave's Hill. The report was adopted.

FINANCE COMM ITT EE'S REPORT The Finance and Legal Committee recommended the adoption of the following report:—That the agree- * moot between the Board and clerk be drawn up and signed, and that he be paid his salary monthly. That comideratiun be given to a suggestion that the recreation ground should be leased and that a special meeting be convened lor the purpose of framing by-laws. The report was adopted.

AN INCORRECT STATEMENT. After the financial statement had been submitted the chairman took the' opportunity of correcting a report, which he said had been circulated amongst the raepayers by a meftiber of the Board, tu the effect that when the present Board took office they had a credit of £3OO to work on. The actual position at tbe period referred to, the chairman said, was that the Board had to face committments, amounting to £268 lis 7d.

Mr Campbell presumed that it was he tbe chairman referred to, and he explained that until he heard the chairman's statement he was under the impreesion that the Board had commenced their year with a credit balance. THE LIBRARIANSHIP. Miss 0. M. Cave tendered her resignation as librarian as from the end of December. —Keterred to the Finance and Legal Committee.

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