TUAKAU.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 8, Issue 440, 10 January 1919, Page 2

TUAKAU.

TOWN BOARD VACANCIES ELECTION RESULT. Polling took place on Wednesday last to fill the three vacancies on the Tuakau Town Board caused through the resignations of Messrs, W. Barnaby, W. Gubb, and W. J. Deeble, the two first-named again coming forward as candidates, together with Messrs W. G Graham, and Jas. .Firret (former members of the Board), 0. E. Finch, and J. J. Dromgo jl. The result was as follows: — KLE'-TETi. Finch .. .. 102 Pirret .. .. 92 Barnaby .. .. 38 UNSOCCESSFI'!.. Graham .. .. 58 Dromgool.. 28 Gubb .. . . 26 The fact that Messrs Finch, Pirret, and Baraaby were successful is a triumph for Mr Djnes Fu'ton, who, after again taking office as Chairman of the Board, invited the elec tors to endorse his policy by securing the election of the three candidates named.

TDAKAU TOWN BOARD MONTHLY MEETING The ordinary monthly meeting of the Tuakau Town Board was held in the Board's office, George Street, Tuakau on Tuesday evening last. Present Messrs Dynes Fulton (chairman), B. G. Geraghty, J. Mungall, and George 8. Lapwood with the Clerk (Mr A. H. Tapper). MB FULTON ELECTED CHAIRMAN The minutes of a special meeting held on December 30th showed that following on his election a 9 a member of the board Mr Dynes Fulton had been unanimously elected Chairman. PROCEDURE IMPUGNED Following on the reading of the minutes of the last ordinary meeting Mr Mungall raised a question as to whether the accounts submitted at that meeting for payment had bee» legally passed He moved that the minute referring to the accounts be deleted. He said that before the accounts were passed Messrs Deeble, Gubb and Barnaby had tendered their resignations, which v.pre no cepted, and the meeting had been adjourned When they were all outside the Clerk called thorn bick and submitted the accounts for paymfnt He (Mr Mungall) contended that the accounts were thus illegally passed as the members who had resigned hid no power tc vote in the matter. The Clerk pointed out that even if a resignation was accepted before rhe I business commenced it did not take < ffect until the business was concluj ded and the meeting had terminated ! In that instance the business had not concluded and the matter of the passing; of accounts was quite in order. Mr Geraghty thought the Board had been quite in order in passing the accounts. Mr Mungall's motion lapsed want of a seconder and the minutes j were then confirmed. METHODIST CHURCH GROUNDS. The attention of the Board was drawn (jn a letter from the Trustees of the Methodist Church) to the state in which the Methodist Church grounds were left in after the building had been used as a hospital during the recent influenza epidemic. The letter stated that refuse was thrown about the yard, and a fence which had been opened to allow of an extra entrance, had not been repaired. The Trustee understood that the Board was the responsible health authority, and asked it to attend to the matter. The Chairman said the letter did not concern the Board at all, but was a matter for the Citizens' committee —namely Mr Peacock and himself He, however, pointed out th.it refuse was collected when the hospital was closed, but the fence had not yet been repaired on account of both Mr Peacock and himself having been ill. Under the circumstances he thought the iettei was uncalled for, but he assured members that as soon as Mr Peacock and he were able they would have the matter attended to They fully appreciated, he said, the courtesy of the Methodist Church authorities in granting the church as a temporary hospital. The Clerk was iustrucwl to rej'.!y stating that the matter was not one for the Town Board, but for ihe Health Committee (Messrs Fulton and Peacock), who would have the complaint attended to. PROPOSED OVEBHEAD BRIDGE. The subject of the proposed erec tion of an overhead bridge over t e George street railway crossing was once more referred to, a letter being received from the District Engine"! of New Zealand railways, stating that be understood an offer had been made to the effect that if the Board was prepared to abandon any clfiiin on the Department for a bridge at the south side of tho crossing the Department was willing to contribute . i sum equal to tho estimated cost of I Ihe bridge at that site, but not ex- i :eeding £7-50, towards the cost of i he provision of a bridge at tho main •oad crossing, the Board to boar toe 1 •emainder of the cost of the bridge ind the whole construction of the i ipproaches. The Chairman stated that it would ridiculous for tho Board to accept c in offer of £750 for a structure that o Fas going to cost about £.5,000. He J emarked that the railway crossing 1 ,t Tuakau was absolutely the worst o letween Frankton and Auckland r ?750 was a totally inadequate conribution, and the Department could v ot expect a Board like Tuakau to n rect such an expensive structure o le thought they should make every w ffort to induce the Government to ti jme to terms, and to erect the over- st ead bridge. The matter, he con- p

tended was one for the Minister of Public Works ai we'l as the Railway Department, and possibly the Board would be able to subsidise grants made by the Public Works and Railway Departments. Mr Fulton added that he had taken great intorest in the matter, and it was imputative (in the iuterests of all) that an overhead bridge should be erected- He went on to say that it had been i suggested that the Board Bhould endeavour to obtain a piece of land . from Mr Geraghty, so that the bridge could go over the creek on the main '• road, aud then on the south side 1 come back over the creek. That . would make a difference of about 1 h chains further to travel. Before the . matter was finally settled he was strongly of opinion that the Board should have a say in the expenditure of their own money. Mr Fulton suggested inviting the Railway Engineer to meet the Board's Engineer to inspect the suggested site, and to submit an estimate of the cost of the bridge to the Board. Mr Lapwood moved, and Mr Mungall seconded, that the Clerk should be instructed to write the Railway ' Engineer inviting him to meet the * Board's Engineer, and to inspect the I locality. This was agreed to. . HOTEL DRAINAGE, s With regard to drainage from the Tuakau Hotel, the District Health Officer intimated that he had approved of the effluent from the septic tank at the hotel being discharged into the creek. There was not lumcient area for the burial of nightsoil or the hotel premises, and there was ,f no other moans of disposing of nighta soil available for the hot*l. , The Chairman pointed out that :• what the Board wanted was a writ- - ten guarantee from the Health De- . partment to the effect that the Deis partment would be responsible if any effluent from the hotel gave trouble to any of the settlers The Clerk "was instructed to write t to the Health Department acoordr ingly, and to ask for an agreement j as promised some time ago. MISCELLANEOUS. An application for a building permit by Mr D. H Maddill was ape proved. ~ Boarding-hous<? keepers' licenses j were granted to Mrs Margaret Tayt lor and Mr Arthur J. Prescott. „ Applications for licenses for vehie cles to ply for hire wore made by e Messrs 0. Finch, W. Pirret, and G. e 8. Lapwood, and granted , An application for an auctioneer's a license was made bv Mws.'h Dalgety an Or., on behalf of Mr E. ii Nalder, „ and the license was issued, 'he Clerk being instructed to write to Messrs ■j Dalgety and Co. thanking them for . taking out the license, as it was the j first time an auctioneer's license had t j been issued hy the Board. * i The dog tax for the coming year , was fixed at 2s 6d for all dogs, and j the Clerk was appointed dog tax e collector e The Clerk was instructed to call tenders for the disposal of all old I timber at the old bridge si'o At this stage the meeting was ad--9 jonrned until to-night at 8 o'clock. n . . ... ~ By advertisement in this issue it d is notified by the Tuakau Town Board that a ten per cent penalty B will be added to all rates unpaid by ,_ the 21th iust. ,g ' The dog us payable in Tuakau for the current year his been fixed at 2s 6d each dog and by udvertisoment in this issue it is set fi-rtli that • 8 the same must be pud t.» the Regis'B trar (Mr A. U. Tapper) on ir before e the 31st inst. h Writing in referenco to the ane nouncement made in out issue of d Tuesday last, that the then impend- ■• ing Town Board election re-iutro--8 duced the old feud of " town v. e south," Mr W. (*. Graham states 'f that only a small portion of the TuaD kau south is included in the Town Board area, and that as a matter of e fact, even taking- the distiict up to 0 the Church of England comer, there are less than 50 persons from Tuad kau south wh'-se names appear on s the district elec-orai roll out of a e total ou the roli "1 -ill..