HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 14 December 1923, Page 3

HOROWHENUA COUNTY COUNCIL.

THE MONTHLY MEETING

The Horowhenua County Council met on Saturday, Or. G. A. Monk presiding. There were also present Crs. Whyte Ryder, Bryant, Jensen, Catley, Broadbelt, Harkness, and Barber. correspondence. Prom the Wellington Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society asking for a donation. —£2 2s (donated.

Prom the Otaki Borough Council re the' supply of water along that section of Rauparahara Street, Otaki, between the Convent and the Waitohu Bridge, which served as . a boundary between the Borough and tho County. An application had been received from the residents of the Borough side of the street to be supplied with water. It was possible that the Council would prefer to share in the cost so that a larger pipe could' be laid and the residents of the County side supplied. The total cost and proportion could only be decided upon when the size of the pipe was determined upon. —Referred to Cr. Ryder and the engineer for a report. Manakau’s Subdivision. Park and Adams wrote enclosing dedication of the road in connection with Messrs Bcvan and Inge’s subdivision at Manakau, for execution. The chairman: “I am rather afraid we can’t execute this. The position is that two parties had formed themselves into a special district for the formation of .a road. If the Council executed this we shall, be liable for over £2OO for the purchase of the land for t|ie road: Until we get the loan I cannot recommend that the Council do so.” —The matter was held over. . Waimeha Township. W. H/Field, Esq.,dM.P., wrote forwarding a plan j of ‘‘Waimeha” township, for the Council’s seal. He had been in hopes that all the streets would be completed, but owing to insufficient labour the work had been delayed. The two main streets Were complete and three others formed.

. The chairman suggested that Mr. Field bo asked to enter into an agreement to have all the streets completed by March/ 1*924, and to maintain the completed one* till then. A very good job had been made of the -finished streets.

It was resolved that Mr. Field be informed that -the if he enters into an agreement with the Council to complete the streets, in the Waimeha township by the end -of March,, 1924, and the Council agree to the dedication of same immediately Mr., Field to bear the cost of the agreement, also to begr cost of upkeep of roads to the end of March, 1924, such roads to be handed over to th'e Council in a state satisfactory to the County engineer and that when the agreement, is completed the seal of the Council be attached to the plan of the subdivision and that the Crs. Monk and Broadbelt. sign the same. Hospital Board Levy. A letter was read from the Palmerston North Hospital Board stating that, it was found necqssary to provide increased accommodation at the nurs’es’ home. This was owing to the large staff necessitated by the growing number of patients and the necessity for giving the nurses a half day off a week. The cost of the additions would, be £6OOO and the Council’s levy next year would include an amount for this purpose. There were three ways that such, levy- can be raised, viz., (1) by way of debenture; (2) each local, body to borrow its proportion of the £6OOO itself and pay the interest and sinking fund; /which is much the same as the first system; (3) contributsry bod--ies to pay the levy out of the general rate or strike a special rate, which is much the cheapest method as there would be no liability for Interest. The chairman advocated the, third means of raising the money. On behalf of the Board he would say that it was the most economically conducted body of its kind in New-Zealand. . , Cr. 'Broadbelt believed that the capital levy was the best way the money could bd raised. They had nothing to , to regret in joining up with the Palmerston North Hospital Board as they had to, pay only'*about .half the levy which they would have done under Wellington. V ■ Cr. Ryder: Is this a demand from the, nurses? / " . ' . The chairman: Well, yes, praetically. It has been granted by Hospital Boards all oyer New Zealand. I do not see . why nurses should not, have a half day the same as other people. It was agreed that a capital levy spread over two years would be the best way to provide tho money. Holidays.

It was decided that the surfacemen's and general employees ’ holidays for Xmas and the New Year be 25th, 26th, and 27th of December and January Ist, and that the office be closed from December 24th to January 14th inclusive, the January meeting to bo held on the 19th instead of the 12th ixist; Christmas Greetings. The chairman took the opportunity to wish the Council the compliments, of the season, as it was the last meeting of the year, and to convey the same greetings to the staff, to whom he paid a tribute. The Oouneil would soon have to consider increasing the office staff as the work was continually increasing. It would probably be his last term of office and he would like to get out some figures to show how the work had grown. Or. Harkness and the Clerk reciprocated the chairman’s g»od wishes.