SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 22 May 1925, Page 3

SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held in the Council Chambers oil Tjuiesday evening. ; Present; The Mayor (Mr w. Murdoch! and Crs E. Butt, J. Curran, J. Huberts, T. C, Thwaites, W. Downes, E. tepenaer, J. Richardson and G. nook. CORRESPONDENCE. In ’.reply (to the Qouncil’s protest against the policy of the Highways Board in regard to main highways running through titties )and boroughs, the Minister of Public WorKe wrote stating that the Main Highways Board had given this matter much consideration and at its last meeting it was resolved that assistance should in certain cases be granted. . From secretary, Shannon Go-op. Dairy Co. advising that the company will accept the Council’s proposal of £l2 10s to meet the extra charge of water from the Borough watermains. PALMERSTON HOSPITAL. A 'statement of the estimated receipts and payments of the Palmerston North Hospital Board for the financial year 1925—26 was received together with a statement showing actual result for the past year, and a statement of the apportionment off the levy on the viarious local authorities in the district. The report states that the Board is able to reduce the maintenance levy this year iby a small amount. The number of patients under treatment is rapidly Increasing and it is wiith difficulty that any reduction in the cost erf maintenance cun be made. As regards the capital levy the amount to be levied, this year is £3725 as against £2500' last 1 year. During the past year - the Board lias purchased a farm property at Awapuni for the sum of £3OOO to ensure that an adequate supply of milk and vegetables would be available for both institutions all the year round, as the farm property the Board has had for some time was not Ql‘ sufficient acreage to supply the whole of the needs of both institutions. EASING THE GRADE.

Mr A. E. Hyde wrote making the following suggestion and asking the Council to give it their consideration:'The street in New,town running down the hill and abutting on to the '.mough paddock, means at. present a long and difficult climb tor pedestrians living there, they having to walk right up the hill and then down again. In toad weather and perhaps pushing a pram tills is no, pleasant task. He said he intended uuilding in this street shortly and he understood others intend doing so. For the Deneflt of present >nd future residents he suggested that the Council use about six feet erf the paddock running jfrom ‘Julian, Street to the one mentioned to form a footpath to connect the two greets. The formation of the path would not be a costly matter and he was prepared to pay half the. cost of the work and no doubt other' residents affected would assist.—Left in the hands of the Road Committee to bring down a report at the next meeting. LIBRARY. The Library Committee reported as follows:.—*We find the shelf space very congested, much of the shelving being taken up, however, with obsolete and damaged volumes. We therefore suggest that the Librarian be instructed to sort out all useless books and that these be disposed of for what they jw.ill bring and tire proceeds expended in new books. We also find a lot of books in the Library in the cheaper binding. This we consider is a, great mistake as they soon become damaged by frequent handling. We recommend that m the future only books in good binding 'be purchased for the library. We are further unanimously agreed in recommending a reduction in the subscriptions and that an effort, be made to 'increase tire membership. With this object we submit, drafts oi a leaflet which we propose should be freely circulated, possibly by being delivered with the newspapers weeklies, etc. ...... Cr. Thwaites said the idea in making tiie reduction in the subscription was to put the Library on a good basis as by doing so the committee contended the subscribers would be increased and therefore they woulo able to increase the number ol Mayor moved the adoption oi the report and that the Council giv 'IiESERVES AND CEMgI'EHY COMMITTEES REPORT. The above committee, reported as follows;— Cemetery: The main P^h 10 be finished in concrete to the h “ IC £ arv chapel, also one path tp be wad down in concrete from the . G^ h ? is fp. 3* ah The chapel should he cleaned and put to a good sanitary condi- “ Uuu»in: A new lenee ““ round the Reserve, a distance of 6b chains. The present Sf Ui X d of «d d "beSg^tiel The estimated cost of fence ***> «£ the cost of removing o d jence would be extra. The iepmt of the cemetery committee was ajpW that of the Dantmn was heid over l next week. Cr. Thwaites congrat lated the Committee on then' reem - mentation of making a permanent iob by putting down a concrete path instead of chipping aw.ay at the PUthS ‘ ROAD COMMITTEE. Cr. Spencer, chairman oi the Hoad Committee, said greater efficiency was needed in dealing with the roads At present it seemed there was just a series of patching and he ecmtended they wanted treating with mare modern methods. Fine metal for potholes with better binding qualities was required. In the very near fttore the committee wanted to aeai with portions of the roadsides with view to giving the town a better appearance. In respect to the water channels he objected to the old method of throwing the spoil on the edges. He had asked the roadman to make dumps and use the spoil for filling in potholes. A grader was badly needed. He said the Council have no TQad metal and he asked what the cost of landing same in

Shannon would be. The roads are hi

a bad state with potholes and they are costing three tunes what they ought to maintain. Speaking ifir the Water Committee he said he had noticed that where the water pipes crossed the water channels they .were too high. They should be bent to go under all water channels. '.Regs. were required to mark the position of fire plugs and posts to stay pipes crossing water courses land dips.. He said there were several water pipes that required scouring. These should be scoured once a wteek as if left any time the contents became a hardened substance. MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. Cr. Butt moved and Gr. Richardson seconded, that the Building Committee meet and draw up a report on new Municipal Buildings and submit some to the Council. Cr. Butt said tlie present building was a disgrace to the town and was not habitable. The motion was carried. GENERAL.

The Tqwii Clerk reported that some person has been removing papers from the files in the reading room.

—Decided to. prosecute offenders. Cr. Richardson asked that the roadman be instructed to put the gate in order at the rubbish tip_, as at present it would not open.—The roadman to put it in order to the satisfaction ol the Sanitary Committee. Cr. Thwaites recommended that the waterworks committee make a visit to the reservoir for inspection. He was of opinion that several of the water pipes at the intake were liable to be washed out with the first flood and he advocated 'that protective work be carried out as he said the cost would be less now than if the Council are compelled to do it later on. —The matter to he left to the Water committee.

On the motion of Gr. Spencer, seconded by Cr. Richardson, it was decided to purchase a “Little Austin’’ road graider for £65, subject to a (trial being given and the Council satisfied with the result. Cr. Hook moved that a stone crusher he purchased as they must have inetal. The Mayor said lie had gone into the question with the agent and the price was approximately £BOO and to make this purchase the amount would have to be included in a loan. After short discussion re procuring metal the motion lapsed. Cr. Thwaites moved and Cr. Roberts seconded that it ibe left in the hands of Cr. Spencer to procure signboards to direct stock route, .the cost not tq exceed £5. —Carried. Cr. Thwaites said the PJiunket Nurse would make ■ her first weekly visit to Shannon on Wednesday next and he asked for the use of the Library for the nurse until permanent arrangements were made. —Granted, subject to the approval of the librarian, Mrs Nicol. Cr. Downes asked if the Borough roads had been thrown open and on being Informed in the negative, he said he had counted over 20 head of stock on the road one morning recently, when on his way to work. He said stock were on the road all the time and if one man’s stock was impounded and another man* lelf he was going to strongly oppose prosecution. —It was resolved that the lunger be instructed to impound all 6t Cr. Robei to’ motion the Sanitarv Contractor is to he instructed to draw up a proper schedule of tune to visit which is to be adhered to as near as possible. Accounts passed for payment £l^o. THE ESTIMATES,.

The following estimates were approved ol by the Council for the financial year 1925-26;—Salaries loleik £2OB, health officer £29, toe Mayor i£->\ wages .including road gradei £65 ’total £SOO, valuation department £lO audit fees £ll 14s, share licensing’ expenses £9, Municipal Association £4 6s, Bank charge and unrest £2O, travelling expenses £lO, dog registration £9 ss, offlce vertistog,. stationery, elcctio expin sps etc £75. insurance accident, ana fire S’,’ rubbish tip £lO. straet h# ing £155, interest loans Ella ® ’ rpmirs cottage £5, horsefeed, sho iepaiis coud-ge *r> royalty on ing and repairs £92 10s, royoi y MB. sun^es 'to* peri* JSXSSt £312 Government subsidy £l* • ses; Hotels ““Sefs dm.' £ U ‘e a £?ing taweeV Zi eS fiSXZZ cottage receipts £4 M»=. Ss’S &»"*£ for each convenience per week, and a special rale of |d in toe £l, winch has* 3 been reduced from a i»«nnv on drain, water rate of to 1 f toe £1 to cover toe instalmmUs and Interest and sinking fund on toe loans from the State Ad\a r i.-=> ah the Wellington City Counul -un..n o Fund Commissioners.