PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 261, 23 March 1917, Page 2

PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the Pukekohe Borough Council was held last Wednesday evening. Present: the Mayor (Mr H 0. R. M ison), Crs R. Bilkey, Ivan Motion, A. B. Barter, C. Clarke, F. Hubbard, and J. B°atty wi'h the Town Clerk Mr J. F. Deanej. GRATUITY AND CO.UMISMO.W The minutes as read of the concluding portion (taken in Committee) of the last ordinary meeting of the Council showed that the Mayor was voted gratuity of £SO in respect of his two years of office, the same being at the usual rate of £'2s per annum, and that it was further decided to allow a commission of 1A per cent on the coat of the installation of the waterworks scheme tj Mr W. Wvatt, the Waterworks Engineer. ELECTRIC LIGHT. A letter was received from Mr E. J. Fenn, Consulting Electrical Engineer, advising the Council that 27 poles had been shipped from Sydney and as coon as shipping space was available the balauce would be sent. The Town Clerk reported that the poles had now arrive! in Auckland. The matter of securing a depot on which to stack the poles pending their erection was left to Cr Motion and the Foreman of Works. A CuMPLAINT. Mrs Hooey, of Willow Grove, wrjte aiking th it the road from Hickey's Corner, where Princess street joins Helvetia road, should be metalled as in the winter it was almost impassable.—Referred to the Works Committee. NAMES OF STREETS. A recommendation was re id from the Works Committee for changes of names of certain roads in the borough and for the naming of other roids which so far had not been named. Among the changes recommended were that Barter's Hill should in future bd called .Vnzis Roid and thai; Potter's Road should be designated Kitchener's Road. Cr Bilkey dealing with the suggestion that the continuation of Queen Street from Tuakau Road Corner should be called Cameron Road recommended Upper Queen Street as its title. Cr Barter advocated that one or two roads in the outer portions of the borough, which were given the title of streets, should be styled roads as "street" in its usual acceptance of the term appertained to the commercial part of a town. Subject to alterations being made as suggested by Crs Bilkey and Barter the Works Committee's recommendations were adopted.

A DEPUTATION. Messrs. R. F. Webster, F. Perkins, and 0. Heerdegeen waited on the Council as a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce and asked that improvements should be effected in the Domain by the ground being cleared of blackberries, the erection of seats under the trees, and the removal of a wire fence that obstructed entrance from Harris street. Mr Webster further asked whether the money received for grazing on the ground was set aside for improving the property and lie also expressed the Chamber's willingness to cooperate if a working-bee wasarranged to remove the blackberries.

Mr Perkins explained that the Chamber of Commerce were desirous in assisting the Council to make the surroundings of Pukekohe more attractive and they would be prepared to put in hand a public subscription list, if necessary, towards that end. Mr Heerdegeen spoke in support of the other speakers remarks and suggested that probably Mr J. F. McArthur ((the Franklin County Engineer) would be willing to act in an honorary capacity in advising as to draining the Domain and also that Mr E. Allan, of Buckland, would be agreeable to draft a scheme for laying out the ground to advantage Cr Motion (Chairman of the Domain Committee) explained to the deputation that the Council had at the meeting a month previously authorised the carrying out of the work as suggested and it was only owing to no labour being forthcoming that it had not yet been put in hand. He added that a sum of £35 had been received for grazing and that amount, together with a balance of loan money, would be expended on the intended improvements. The drains were also to be cleared out but he recognised the advisability of a scheme of draining being entered into in due course as suggested by Mr Heerdegen. Cr Clarke mentioned that he had expectations of being able within the next few days to secure a man to carry out the work as authorised. Mr Heerdegen stated that he and others were prepared to help the Council in the way ofilooking afterthe tree plantation on the railway embankment opposite the Pukekohe Hotel. The deputation then withdrew. WOKKS OX BOADS. In accordance with notice of motion, Cr Hubbard moved that the Council's previous resolution to spend out of loan money £IOO on Barter's Hill and £SO on Potter's Road sh >uld be rescinded and that instead £l5O should be allocated to Potter's Road. He urged that it was far better to do one permanent job than to do piecemeal work. Potter's Road, he claimed, was in such a state that it required urgent attention whereas Barter's Hill had been relieved by a diversion of the water-course and the work advisable on it could staud over for the present. The Mayor suggested that the better course would be to supplement the allocation for Potter's Road from ordinary revenue. Cr Motion considered that the money as allocated should not be withdrawn from Barter's Hill as repairs to that roal rfquirrd to be undertaken. He proposed that a sum of £IOO out of General Account should be added to the £SO allocated for Potter's Road in lieu of any alteration being made in the loan money allocations. This was accepted by Cr Hubbard and was adopted. Upon the proposition of Cr Motion it was resolved to grade and form Station Road (leading from East Street past Dr Wake's property) at a cost of £ll7, that sum having been paid by the Railway Department for the purpose.

A proposal by Cr Bilkey that scoria, should bo laid oil that portion of Wellington Street (formerly known as Dynes' Road) trom Beresford Street to Harris Street as authorised some two years ago was approved of. The Foreman of Works referred to the fact that through shortage of labour and material progress of work was impeded and having regard to the fact that various roads awaited treatment he asked for instructions as to in what order he should proceed. Or Motion proposed and Cr Bilkey seconded that Victoria Street should receive prior attention and this was carried, the Mayor alono dissenting. The matter of entering on subsequent works was left to the Foreman's discretion. PICTURES OX GOOD FRIDAY. Mr J. J. Coady, proprietor of the Lyceum Theatre, applied for and was granted permission to show pictures on Good Friday evening as in previous years subject to the programmo being approvel of by the Mayor and Town Clerk. FINANCE. Credit balances of £22 and £595 were reported on the General and District Fund Accounts respectively and accounts totalling £1053 were passed for payment.