PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 513, 12 March 1920, Page 2

PUKEKOHE BOROUGH COUNCIL

SPECIAL MEETING. SUBWAY FINANCE. A specail meeting of the Pukekohe Borough Council was held on Tuesday night. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr. C. K. Lawrie), Crs. D. R. Hamilton, G. Armstrong, A. P. I)aysh, F. Morrow, R. H. McGough. R. Bilkey. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the matter of financing the subway, the proposition being explained by the Mayor, on the lines of the report of the county meeting in the "Times." The County Council offered £l5O, on certain conditions. He thought the chairman of the county displayed an unnecessary amount of spleen, and the County Council-as a whole took up a very autocratic attitude. A letter was read from the County Council, stating that the offer was made on the condition that certain roads leading to the boundary between the county and the borough were metalled. The Mayor said he quite agreed with the policy of the county in endeavouring to have a main loao metalled right through Pukekohe, cutting off the round-about route of the Great South Road. Cr. Dajsh said the borough was, in any case, quite prepared to link up the roads mentioned. . N The clerk said there was an old resolution i". the minute book stating that th* Borough Council would metal up to the Paerata Road as soon as the County Council was prepared to metal its section to the boundary. ' . The roads stipulated were the Paerata and Hamilton-Buckiand roads, out to the bortfugh boundary in each case, by next summer, also the Borough Council to contribute £3O towards forming boundary road between the county and borough along Lots 289, 288 and 236, Section 2, Pukekohe. Several county ratepayers had asked that this latter work be done.

The. council as a whole thought it would be "eating humble pie" to accept the county ..conditions, and members were inclined to inform the county that the Borough Council was not in existence to be dictated to by the County Council. Cr. Daysh contended that the Borough Council should take ap a more independent stand, and shoulder the burden itself.

The Mayor insisted that the mat ter was,essentially a county one, al though the property was in the bor ough. In view of the county's utti t jije, it was hard to come to ai amicable decision.

It was stated that, if it wished tn do so, the County Council could compel the Borough Council to pay half cost for the formation of boundary road, for which the £3O contribution was asked. Ultimately Cr. Hamilton moved that the county offer be accepted, Cr Bilkev seconding. The Mayor moved an amendment, "That the* offer of the money be accepted, but that as the Borough Council had already authorised the carrying out of the work specified, they were not prepared to accept the conditions. The work would be carried out as soon as money was available. The amendment was carried.

It was agreed that the Borough Council would make the roads leading to the subway, and that the Railway Department be informed accordingly.