OTAHUHU

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 7, Issue 360, 15 March 1918, Page 3

OTAHUHU

OTAHUHU BOROUGHCOUNCIL LAST NIGHT'S MEETING At the fortnightly meeting of the Otahuhu Borough Council held last evening there were present the Mayor (Mr A McDonald), Crs H. J. Hall, R. Todd, A. J. Wildman, H. V. Stringer, and F. R. Field with the Town Clerk (Mr W. J. Dinni--800. WATER FEES Mr W. Thompson, of the Camp Farm Estate, Otahuhu, in a letter to the Council, complained of the charge made for the supply of water to his premises and pointed out that when he had the water laid on it was on the condition that the minimum charge of 15s for the half year would be made. He asked that this minimum rate seould be charged

On the motion of Cr Wildman it was resolved to accede to the request.

FRENCH ORPHANS In a circular letter, Mr L J. Du Flou, hon sec of the National Association of French War Orphans, wrote soliciting financial assistance He pointed out that only one appeal \ had been previously made in favour of the French Allies.—The letter was referred to the Patriotic Committee.

EATHHrt)—A LUXURY OR. NECESSITY ? In accordance with a notice of motion given at the last meeting Or Hall moved that the resolution passed on the 10th January last that the Counoil should contribute the .sum of £3O towards the provwon of a ladies' bathiDg shed at Avenue Boad should be rescinded and this was agreed to. Cr Hall then moved that bathing sheds be erected according to the plans and specifications supplied by Or Clements A suitable buildin-j, he said, could be erected, according to a tender receive! from Mr Cum ming, for £lB. The Council had previously agreed to expend £3O, the ladies would provide £lO, which left a balance of £B. If necessary the ladies would provide a furthei £2. He accordingly proposed tin* the Council should sanction the additional £8 so that the work coul'J be proceeded with. Cr Wildman seconded. Or Brady thought it wa« 'ln' original intention of the Council to spend only £.">o including monev raised by the ladies The < >-t now Yjnentioned was £-">o but there was no guarantee that the total v. n>< would not be a further £lO. The summer, said Cr Brady, was practically over and the Council was io! warranted iu spending s i much money when more urgent works were required. He whs strongly against such expenditure and moved as an amendment that flu erection of the shed be deferred until the first meeting in November. Ct Stringer seconded the amendment and said that the Council had

uot tho money to spend for tho purpose. Better roads were needed and money could be more profitably used for other purposes. The project was only to please a few girls and he contended that bathing was a luxury and not a necessity. It looked, said Cr Stringer, that no one was going to economise. Some Councillors, he remarked, had altered their words just to please the ladies. He strongly objected to the money being spent when it was required for more urgent and necessary purposes. Cr Todd said he was prepared to agree to the original intention of the Council to spend £3O but under the circumstance he was not in a position to support either Cr Brady or Cr Hall.

Cr Hall expressed his disagreement with Cr Stringer's remark that bathing was not a necessity. He added that the reason for desiring to proceed with the work now was that material was increasing in price and that there would be no economy in postponing the work. On the amendment being put to the meeting only Crs Brady and Stringer voted for it and Cr Hall's motion was then carried, Crs Hall, Field and Wildman voting for, and Cr Todd not voting. > MA IX STREET. With regnrd to the suggestion made by one or two councillors at tho last meeting that unnecessary time was being spent in sweeping Main street and that the road was being damaged by snch excessive operations the works committee reported that they had considered the matte/ and recommended that instructions should be given to the Foreman that there must be no further sweeping of the carriage way excepting the lifting of manure by means of a shovel.

The report was adopted without discussion.

There is a shortage of lav preachers of the Methodist Churches throughout the Dominion and many of the pulpits have in consequence to remain unoccupied. It is interesting to record that for Sunday last this defect was met at Otahuhu by the presence of a lady preacher (Mrs E. H. Pain) at the morning service who also took the service in the evening at Papatoetoe Methodist Church. News has been received that Private J. F. Cork, who is wellknown in Otahuhu, has been invalided home from the Front aud is now an put patient at the Christchurch hospital.

The many friends of Mr John Mackenzie, who has been an inmate of the Auckland hospital for the past six weeks, will be glad to learn that he has now left the institution and returned home. It will be remembered that Mr Mackenzie seriously injured his knee some months ago and after receiving medical treatment started work when he met with a further accident, necessitating his removal to the hospital.