OTAHUHU

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 304, 24 August 1917, Page 3

OTAHUHU

OTAHUHU BOROUGH COUNCIL LAST NIGHT'S MEETING At the fortnightly Dieting of the Otahuhu Borough Council, held in the Council Chambers last evening, there were present the Mayor (Mr A. McDonald \ Crs J. Brady, A. J. Wildman, R. Todd, and H. J. Hall, the last named temporarily carrying out the duties of Town Clerk. OR FIELD AND THE WATER AND DRAINAGE COMMITTEE Cr Field, who was absent from the meeting, in a letter to the Council wrote, " Circumstances render it desirable that I should retire from the Water and Drainage Committee of your Council. I therefore beg that you will be good enough to accept this as my resignation from that committee. I need hardly say that I should still always be glad to render any special service within my power to this as to any other Department of the Borough administration if called upon to do so." On the motion of Cr Wildman the resignation was accepted. CR MOFFITT

Cr Moffitt wrote that as he had been appointed to the position of Foreman of Works to the Birkenhead Borough Council he was reluctantly compelled to tender his resignation as Deputy Chairman of the Works Committee and also as a member of the Water and Drainage Committee, as he would only have Saturday afternoons at liberty which in his opinion was not sufficient for the proper carrying out of committee work.

The Mayor, after the reading of this letter, said he was personally sorry to receive that intimation Cr Moffitt had given a great deal of time to the work of the Works Committee and would be greatly missed. "Not only had he capacity," added the Mayor, "but he had had the time and made the most of it."

Cr Brady also expressed regret that Cr Moffitt was likely to give up the committee work Pie was one of the most practical men he (Cr Brady) had ever met and devoted considerable time to the duties. He suggested that he should see Cr Moffitt with a view to the Courcil still retaining his help on Saturday afternoons.

On the motion of the Mayor it was unanimously resolved to ask Cr Moffitt to withhold his resignation for the present. WAR LOAN In a circular letter to the Council the Rt Hon J. G. Ward (Minister of Finance) drew attention to the War Loan now being raised and asked the co-operaticn of the Council to assist the Government in bringing to the notice of the public the advantage of subscribing to the loan. The Mayor mentioned that in some places organising committees did excellent wo* k but such were hardly needed in that distiiut lie felt certain that those who had the means would subsciibe. and he fell sure he could safely leave the matter to the loyalty of the people. On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr Todd, it was resolved that the Council should heartily commend the war loan to the thoughtful consideration of the com munity and trusted that it would receive their best support. Cr Brady remarked that he approved of the resolution. He was a great believer in the Government raising money, because the money went back to the country It was folly going to foreign countries to borrow money —it should be borrowed in that country as it belonged to the people

woolley's footpath. In accordance with the resolution asking the Foreman to report why the Works Committee's institutions in respect of this footpath had not been carried out the Foreman (Mr Kemplay) in his report to the Woiks Committee wrote that formation was commenced on Jul) 11th. The pathway was set out at a width of 3| feet to suit the formation of filling to ditch. The filling to ditch and removal of fence was being executed by Cr Field and owing to it not being ready this work had to be left until such time that Cr Field fulfilled his part of the arrangements. Cr Field had not kept his word to him in the matter and he said that he would take any blame for delay caused by his portion of work not being completed but when the question was raised in the Council Chamber Cr Field did not even mention his responsibility and the report in the Press gave the impression that lie was not carrying out the instructions of the Council or Committee. If this work had been carried out as suggested it would have been completed on July 11th and any quibbling in the matter would have been avoided. The Mayor remarked that ho was glad to have that report as it explained the position as far as the Foreman was concerned. Tie only desired to get nearer the truth and his previous remarks were not directed against the Foreman as had been inferred.

I'l'M PINO EXGIXEEI4 APPOINTED. The Mayor reported that fifty applications had been received for the position of Pumping Engineer. It was resolved that Mr Boy A. King, Assistant Pumping Engineer of the Northcote Buroigh Council, should be appointed position. A CONFERENCS" K. With reference to the attendance of Cr Field as a delegate from the Council at the conference of local authorities recently hold at the Town Hall, Auckland, in connection with the Labourers' Industrial Dispute, Cr Todd said he understood that Cr Field had given expression to sentiments which were not the voice of the Council. The Mayor said that Cr Field was there as the Council's representative and had a free hand to speak as he Ji.ked.

ECC'LESTON SETTLEMENT APPROACH. In the matter of the approach road to Eccleston Settlement ihe fo'lowing resolutions passed at a special meeting of the Council held the previous (Wednesday) evening were submitted and confir ned without discussion, viz. : " Tuat the Government be asked for a grant of £2OO towards construction of Favona Road, Otahuhu End" ; That a letter be written to the Prime Minister and Sir F. W. Lang, urging that a grant be made towards this road"; and " That Mr T. F. Martin (Legal Adviser to the Municipals Association) b« asked for his opinion whether the Government have the power to compel the Borough to accept the dedication of the road." MANGERE WATER SUPPLY. The following recommendations of the Water Committee were adopted, viz. : "Thatthe Council supply the Mangere Road Board with water as per their letter of August 9th, the supply to be through meter on the Council's boundary supply meter and charge for same as per By-law " and " That in the event of any unforeseen shortage in the supply the Council reserves itself the right to terminate this agreement"