SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 23 March 1928, Page 3

SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING.

The above meeting was held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening. Present: The Mayor (Mr E. Butt) and Crs. T. E. Thwaites, A. E. Hyde, K. Downes, E. J. S. Speucer, Jas. Richard son, and Jas Curran, jun. UNSATISFACTORY CULVERT. Mr S. Anderson wrote drawing attention to the unsatisfactory state of 'the culvert in Thompson Street and re questing the Council to have the same lowered by at least 18 inches; also to put in a pipe culvert leading into the drain from the north side to carry oft the storm water, which at the present time overflows on to his section. The Mayor said this drain had always given Trouble and the request u as a reasonable one. On his motion the request was granted, the Road Conw mitteee. being instructed to attend .0

OBJECTION .TO SPECIAL WATER CHARGE.

In reply to a letter from the Council granting his application for a water connection of a one-inch pipe to his property in Stout Street on payment of a fee of £1 per annum, Mr J. Swindlehurst wrote stating that he did not feel in a position to do this, as he considered that he was paying a very heavy water rate now for the amount of water he procured, as the linking-up with Ijlallance Street has not improved the pressure in Stout Street. He asked if the Council would reconsider their decision and allow him to put in a f-inch pipe without being charged extra, with the exception of the extra cost of pipes; It would only'; be on the occasion, of a dry spell'that extra water would be used. Cr. Spencer said that the Council’s decision' to make a charge of £1 pci annum had been arrived at after careful consideration, and Mr Swindlehurst should be informed that tlie-ir decision must be complied with. The. matter was a trivial one. ' , ' Cr. Hyde said that the Council haa a different proposition before them now, as he was asking for only a iinch pipe without extra charge. Cr. Curran, jun.: He is splitting the difference. ' . ' Cr. Hyde asked why a l-mch pipe had been put 'in at the slaughterhouse. The Town Clerk said he thought it, had been done to give them the opportunity to connect up with the outlying lands. , Cr. Hyde: It was to give a greater pressure for washing down purposes. Cr. Spencer moved' that Mr Swindlehurst be notified that the Council still adheres to its decision. _ • An amendment by Cr. Hyde that the request be granted, failed to find a seconder, and the motion was OFFER OF LAND FOR A PARK. Mr D. M. O’Connor, Grey town, wrote offering for sale to the Borough Coun- \ cil, his properties of Hi acres and two "acres situated in 'Grey Street. The for-, mer he suggested would be an ideal spot for a park and the latter could Ik used for certain recreation purposes. No price was stated. —The writer is to be informed that the Council is not mlnlwYtowveb-bbidge and

approaches. The secretary of the Horowhenun County Council wrote stating that his,. Council is of opinion that it w more satisfactory for each local body to be entirely responsible for its own loan requirements in connection with, itcontribution towards the above work. The suggestion of the Council that a •joint loan might be raised cannot, therefore, be entertained. —Received. TOWfUPB-^NNIN G MAPS. A copy--was received of a statement giving notation to. be adopted for illustrating the particulars to be shown on the town-plannipg maps as- set out in the town-planning'jegul^ions.— Received. NEW-, MOTQR- .REGTj L ATI.O.N S. A copy -of the, -new .Motor Vehicles Regulations, 1928, was' received from the Public Works Department, V elhn 0 'mAIN C fIIGHWAY STREETS IN BOROUGHS. The Main Highways Board forwarded a copy of the Gazette notices in connection with the declaration of sheets in boroughs as main highways, asking that a large scale plan of streets in question, showing widths of road reserve, road formation, and footpaths be forwarded. BANGER’S REPORT. The ranger (J. Swindlehurst) reported that the streets had been clear o. stock during the past fortnight. ROADMAN’S REPORT The roadman (F. -Haley) reported as follows:—We have finished tar-sealing the footpath in Stout Street, which is now completed to Vogel Street; and Ballance Street frdm the Picture Hall to Venn Street. Have carted lCf yards of metal, twelve yards for concreting the footpath in front of Pranks garage, and three yards to the shed for ' making asphalt, and one and a-half yards to the dump. Two yards of asphalt'has been mixed ready for filling the potholes in footpaths in Plnnmei Terrace and Ballance Street. Inspected the pipe line and galleries and scoured water mains and find them m goot. working order.—Received.

RENOVATING BOROUGH FOREMAN'S COTTAGE. • The Building Committee reported that they had again gone into the matter of renovating the foreman’s cottage, and were strongly of the opinion that the scheme embodied in the accompanying plan and estimate was the only one worth the Council s consideration. They recommend that this scheme be adopted and the sum of £l6B 4s 3d be placed on the estimates for the purpose; and, further, that the work be put in hand forthwith. They further suggested that the stables be removed to the rear of the present storage shed. Cr. Thwaites said that it was from a sanitary point that it was recommended to remove the stables. Cr, Hyde said he understood it. was

proposed to take the money from the General Fund for the work. The Mayor said that was so. Cr. Downes said the Building Committee were to be complimented on the plans and specifications they had brought forward, and he would like to nee the work gone on with immediately. The Mayor said they would have to be very careful not to exceed the estimate. , , . . t ~ Cr. Spencer assured him that *he estimate would not be exceeded. Cr. Thwaites said it would be necessary to rescind a previous resolution authorising the Committee to add a room on the back of the building not to exceed a cost of £75. The committee had not done this, as it would be patchy and look nothing. Under the present recommendation, the appeal a nee of the house would be improved, which would be an asset, and the timber in it should last for some yeai s.

The Mayor said it was not necessary to rescind the minute, as no special mention was made # of jyhat was to be do* lo - , • • . Cr. Hyde stated that £l6B was a fair amount of money to take from the General Fund and he recommended that the Finance Committee should meet at au early date and go fully into the matter. “Our revenue,” he said, is not so big that we can go on, without fully enquiring into .it.” He was quite in accord with the work and estimate. Cr. Spencer said it appeared to him that the time was coming when they would have to strike a small rate to cover small emergencies such as this. Cr. Curran, jun., said the work was urgent. He asked if it was possible to raise a special loan without taking a poll of the ratepayers. A discussion then followed as to wavs and means,of obtaining the money,' but nothing definite was arrivea Finally, on the motion of Cr. Downes, seconded by Cr. Hyde, it was resolved “That the plan and estimate be approved of and the work be gone om with, if possible. ” In conclusion, Cr, Thwaites, stated that Cr. Spencer, who had prepared the plan and estimate and enquired into Ihe cost of material, was deserving of the Council’s thanks for the time and trouble he had gone to. The prices he had got the timber merchants down to, enabled them to do the work at the price. ■ Cr. Spencer was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.

FOOTPATK\ IMPROVEMENT. Cr. Downes stated that the Foreman had informed him that he had got eight drums of tar over. He suggested that as it was enough to asphalt the footpath from the Club Hotel to the corner of Vance Street, it be used there, as this wgs a footpath that was used a good deal. Cr. Hyde agreed that the path was used a great deal and would be used more often if asphalted'. He pointed "out that there was no kerbing, which meant that they ivould have to put one

Cr. Downes said the foreman thought it could be tarred without putting in a kerbing. There was an open dram running alongside, and he thought a oath eight feet wide, with a grass border, would fill the bill. Councillors were of opinion Ihat this would look patchy. On the motion of Cr. Spencer, it was resolved to tar-seal the footpath in question, without kerbing, and that it be left. *to the foreman to. carry out the work in conjunction with the Road Committee. MAIN HIGHWAY THROUGH BOROUGH.

The quotation for preparing plans and estimate for construction of the main highway through the borough received from Messrs Duncan Bros, Wellington, which was held over from las. meetir.'r until the Town Clerk’s return from tTic Municipal Conference, came before the,Council. it was resolved that'Messrs Duncan Bros be informed that the Council are not taking any action in the meantime. GENERAL. Cr. Richardson reported that the laying of the water pipes at the cemetery has been completed. The Town Clerk reported that tli to £l3 wopld be saved by the non-use of the street lights during the time the street lighting was cut off. Cr. Curran, jun. recommended- that some of this money, be used to purchase 'lB feet of concrete pipes to be put in the hollow in Plimmer Ten-ace. On he motion or the Mayor it was resolved that 18 feet of 2ft pipes be procured arid the work completed. The accounts w-ere then passed for payment and the meeting concluded.