SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 5 September 1924, Page 3

SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kiie fortnightly meeting of the Bor. ougii Council was held in the Council Chambers, on Tuesday evening. Present : His Worship the Mayor (Mr Murdoch) and Cns. Gunning', Beard, Butt, Curran. CORRESPONDENCE. The secretary pi the Wellington Acclimatisation Society wrote regarding stoching the Mangahao dams with fish, and stating the Council of iihe Wellington Acclimatisation Society is quite willing to stock these waters and control them. The letter stated that probably the whole guestion of these dams” in connection with hydroelectrical works will be brought before tlie Conference of Acclimatisation Societies to he held in September, 1924. The question of fish ladders required consideration. From Messrs J, Holden and F. W. Newport drawing the Council’s attention to the need Qf a drain along the frontage of their properties In. Thompson street, about six or seven chains, to connect with the other drains as the water now lies in front of their properties and cannot get away except by soakjtge and through one culvert >r -The Mayor and Cr. Butt reported they had inspected and found it was not a proper watercourse and therefore the Council could not be expected to drain private property, but they had come to the conclusion that these owners could continue the drain alongside their tehees ’ in Thompson street, which would have to he carried out under the council’s supervision, hut the Council will take no responsibility of the drain.—This course was agreed to by the Council. PICTON SEWERAGE SYSTEM.

The following letter was received from the Town .Clerk of Picton in respect to. the -report on the NeilsonMqntgomerie sewerage tank recently made tb the Council by -representatives of the Borough council who visited Picton 'to inspect same some weeks ago:— ■/ ) “I have just had the opportunity of looking through a report appearing in the Shannon News of Monday, June 2nd, which deals with a meeting oi your Council where a report was made hy members who visited Picton to inspect our treatment tank. We think it is only fair to Messrs Montgomerie Neilson, Edmunds and Co., and my Council to. give you the full facts regarding our treatment tank. “We are informed that in October,

1922, Professor Neijs'on gave a lecture ip Wellington to engineers. 01 the. Public Wforks Department, Government Railways and one or tWP civil engineers. Our. consulting engineer at that time was present and was very much impressed with the Neilson process, so much that he discarded plans of his own which he had drawn up lor a new septic tank for us, and asked Professor. Neilson to meet him privately in his office and go into the matter of a Neilson treatment plant for Picton; also that Jjofessor Neiison gave him a few measurements and upon which he was to draw up a plan- The plan was then to be submitted to Montgomerie, Neilson, Edmunds and 'Gov for approval. For some reason or other this was never done and the work was carried out quite unknown, we are told, tq the patentees. There was, however, ah amount of royalty held for them which later on was 'paid over. Shortly after they heard that the tank had gone in—that was somewhere about June, 1923. Mr Edmunds and. Mr, Neils on oqxn-e to Picton. and inspected the tank shortly after it had been put in operation and it seemed to appear at that time, in spite of a lot of faults in. the design, to he

working- fairly satisfactorily. Since, , however, owing to certain statements regarding the attention required, such as those that appeared in your report, the firm has again inspected the tank and have decided to make alterations which will bring the tank more in accordance w.ith their usual design and they assure us will once and for all do away with any necessity of the attention which we have been giving to the tank, which by the way was never done under instructions from them. We should like to mention that this firm stand behind their work and will apparently at no time, see a tank of their design working unsatisfactorily. They advise us that this is a second instance of one of their tanks having been installed iby an outside engineer anti in each ol these instances, they have had themselves to rectify certain -faults. They have therefore decided that in future they will allow no tank to be constructed unless same is done under their direct supervision- We feel sure that you will be: well-advised id have a further report from us three, or lour months after the < alterations have been car-

ried out. We understand that they are putting in it genuine Neilson tank at Ofaki, which will be worth while watching, as they most emphatically maintain (hat a Neilson treatment plant does not require as much attention as the ordinary septic tank. —W. BUZZARD, Town Clerk. N.B. —Our tank is not sealed, being open .at the seaward end, the full width ol the opening being -23 in ly lin.

The Council decided tQ forward a letter to the Pictom Borough, Council thanking them for their information.

. GENERAL. The Mayor reported that no date had yet been fixed by the Horowhenua County Gouncil for the inspection of the drain on Mr Bryant’s property. Six; tenders ware received for the supply pf pipes and fittings lor the waterworks. The Waterworks Committee: conferred: with the Engineer and it was decided- to. accept the tender of; Messrs J. Duthie and Co. (Wellington) who agreed to supply English pipes! at 4 5-8 d per foot, which works out eft £450. . : The Mayor outlined ;the suggestions made . at the meeting' of representatives Of local bodies recently held lo make? a-rangenients” for . celebrating the turning on of power at Mangahao and stated that as soon as certain particulars Were available he would call fit special meeting to deal with thp sifggestions. £ * THE WATER: SCHEME. The Engineer reported re the WateT-

works that the pipes had now been connected for one-third of the distance. More men had been put on and all the pipes to the main street should be connected in eight' or, ten daye. Cr. Beard asked the Engineer if he had had the opportunity of getting the approximate figures of the amount spent on the waterworks to date, also what amount of money was still required to complete the scheme. The Engineer replying, said that approximately £9006 had been spent and he did not think the cost was going to,exceed the £II,OOO. He said they were in a sound position and he felt sure it would come out alright. They had all the material paid for with the exception of about £SOO for pipes and the remaining item! would be money for labour. LETTING OF BOROUGH HOUSE. A lengthy discussion, which was taken in committee, took place in respect to the rental to be charged for the new house in Stout street, owned by the Borough. Finally a motion was moved by the Mayor and seconded by Cr. Gunning. “That the rent be £1 per week and that a deposit of £lO be placed with the Council by applicants.” This was followed by an amendment by Cr. Butt seconded by Cr. Beard. “That the rental be £1 per week.” . On a vote being taken the motion was- carried by the Mayor’s casting vote. The Mayor and Crs. Gunning and Carter voted for the motion and Crs. Rutt, Beard and Curran against. Tt' was resolved that applications he called and that Tuesday, September 9th, be the day on which they will olose.