BOROUGH COUNCIL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 310, 25 August 1932, Page 6

BOROUGH COUNCIL

TWO DEPUTATIONS AT REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING (From Our District Representative.) i The usual monthly meeting of the Opotiki Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening. There were present: Crs. J. T. Thompson 1 (Mayor), T. Ilitchens, H. M. Budd, S. Shalfoon, F. J. Sho'rt, J. Main, J. Tabb, J. J. Moody, and C. Fleming (elerk) . | A letter was received from the A.A.A- referring to the council's request that a sign should be erected ; at the corner of St. John and Bridge Street showing the way to the Waioeka Bridge. An officer of the assoc- ' iation advised that he would be visiting Opotiki shortly and the matter could then be gone into. A letter from the health inspector gave the names of four vendors of i! millc from whom samples had been 8 obtained for testing purposes. He j advised that as in most other cases where millc was being sold it was I only in a very small way, and usually i by private arrangement between the parties, he had not bothered to test in these cases. Cr. Shalfoon thought that this was unfair; he thought all millc being sold should be subject to periodical tests. Cr. Short agreed and thought that the inspector should have a list of all people selling milk and carry out a test in every case. On the clerlc advising that he was preparing a list of all those people selling milk within the borough, the matter was deferred until the list was prepared. Title to School Ground Cr. Tabb introduced?' a deputation from the school committee, comprising Messrs. E. Payne, W. Burrett and . C. Cave. j Mr. Payne explained that reports , had reached the school committee via I the press and other sources that when the title was x'eceived to that piece of ground which the council had exehanged with the Police Department and handed over to the school as a playing area, the council intended to administer it. The committee's idea j in getting the ground had been to erect buildings on a small portion of . it, but the Education Board would j not allow this unless the school held a clear title. The deputation askecl for an assurance that the council intended to 1 carry out the original agreement with the school and hand the land over to them. Cr. Shalfoon said that he thought all members of the council were agreeable to the school having the use of the ground, but he thought that when it eame to the matter of : giving the ground to the Education . Board unconditionally, it was a different matter. He would suggest that j it be handed over for a specified per- ! iod, if the council thought fit, but that it should revert to the council . at the end of that period or before ; if the Education Board no longer leI quired it. i Cr. Hitchens suggested that the legal aspect of the matter be gone into. Cr. Tabb suggested that the only ; legal aspect of the matter to be considered was the question of whether ; the council had the right to do anyj thing but hand over the ground un- : conditionally, seeing that it had been exchanged with the Police Department for that specific purpose. | On the rnotion of Cr. Main, second- | ed by Cr. Tabb, it was decided that . the ground should be handed over. Another Deputation j Cr. Hitchens then introduced a de- • putation from the Mechanics' Insti- , tute comprising Messrs. H. B. Wilson, . A. L. Arrowsmith, E. Chapman, and G. A. Hathaway. The chairman, Mr. 1 H. B. Wilson, aslced the council if • they would consider the remitting of I rates on the property ,on which the : library now stood, as the institute was exceedingly short of money. He thought that perhaps the council could not actually do this, but that if this was the case, they might make a donation of the value of the rates I (£37 12s 2d). He pointed out that the library was of service to the gen- ; eral public, and did not cost the council anything to run and furthermore that the council had a precedent for granting this request in 1911-12. Cr. Shalfoon suggested that when depirtations waited on the council, it would be better if a little time was allowed in which the council could consider the matter before making its decision. It was decided that the matter should be considered at the next meeting of the General Purposes Committee in two to three weeks time. General Business 1 A request from Mr. A. Foy for a license to drive a service car was deferred, as it was not accompanied by a written police report. A letter was received from the Department of Agriculture advising suitable types of trees for planting on the island reserve. The health inspector's report and the foreman's report were received. It wTas decided to remit the pay-

ment of driving licenses to Messrs. T. Morrell and PI. Stewart. Cr. Moody then suggested that the island now known as Rats' Island or Rust Island should be renamed. After a little discussion, it was decided that the school authorities should be advised that the council would offer three prizes for the most suitable names sent in by school children, all names to be in by next meeting. Cr. Shalfoon suggested that the bridge near the centre of the town and known as Canoe Bridge should be widened to allow two cars to pass. After some discussion, it was decided that the worlc could not be undertaken at present, owing to the council having decided to keep all expenditure down to a minimum.