SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Shannon News, 31 May 1929, Page 2

SHANNON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The usual fortnightly meting of the Shannon Borough Council was held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening. Present: The Mayor (Mr E. Butt) W Crs A. E. Hyde, T. C. Thwaites, E. Hook, Jas. Curran jun., S. Anderson, R, Laurvig, Jas. Curran, sen. POTATO PLANTING ON ROAD- , WAYS. Mr E. Gardner, Whittaker Street, made application for permission to plant potatoes in a piece of roadway in Ballance Street adjacent to his property at present fenced. Cr. Hyde moved that the application be granted. Cr. Thwaites said that if permission was granted the applicant, it was likely others, who had pieces of road fenced off, would want to plant potatoes also. •

•Cr. Hyde: Well, that doesn't matter. It would be all the better if they did.

Cr. Anderson thought the Council were forming a far-reaching precedent by granting the request. If they allowed it in this case, others would consider thev were entitled to do the

same. Cr. Curran, jun., did not favour the !' request being granted. He' said that if this was allowed, he thought tho Council should get some revenue for the use of the ground, particularly if the groAvers got eight tons of potatoes to the acre "from the land. Cr. Curran, sen: Each councillor should get at least a sack of potatoes. (Laughter). The motion was spconded by Cr. Hook, and en being «put to the meet ing was carried, Cr. Anderson and Curran, jun., being the only dissentients. •>

HEALTH INSPECTOR'S DISTRICT. A letter was received from the Department of Health with reference to the suggested move of forming a Health Inspector's District comprising the County of Horowhenua, and the boroughs of Levin, Otaki and Shannon, Avith headquarters at Levin, stating that the Levin Borough Council had now decided to appoint its own Health Officer and as from the 30th June Avould terminate its agreement Avith the Department to contribute tflAvards the cost of health inspection by the Department's Inspector. The Department had asked the Levin Borough to reconsider its decision in the interests of the district as a Avhole, and pending such reconsideration no further action Avill be taken by the Department in the matter of*reviewing contributions. —Received. LOANS ON MAIN HIGHWAYS. The Public Works Department wrote asking for the amount-cf loan indebtedness on Main Highways. , The Toavii Clerk stated that the loans referred to Avere raised by the HoroAvhenua County Council and the request Avould be forwarded on to that body.

HIGHWAY SUBSIDIES. : / The District Engineer, Public Works Department, wrote stating that on the occasion of the Main Highways Board's visit to Shannon an application was made by the Council for a subsidy of £3 for" SI towards the cost of reconstruction in the Shannon borough. The matter had been considered by the Board, but it was regretted that a £3 for £1 subsidy could not be approved. The Board would pay the usual rate of subsidy towards the cost of the reconstruction proposed to be carried out by* the Borough. The Mayor: That means we will only get a subsidy of £2 for £1 on the estimate of approximately £BOOO. He stated that the Town Clerk expected to get another estimate for the work in a day or two. „ Cr. Hyde said the* general opinion was that the estimate the Council received was too high, and it certainly was. tao high for the Council on a£2 for £1 subsidy. He thought that if the work could be done for approximately £6OOO, the borough council could stand £l5O a year for interest and sinking fund. That was the limit and that meant their expenditure must not be more than £2OOO.

Cr. Curium, jun., contended that if they could get the job done at a cost of £3OOO to the Council it would be a paying job. The Mayor pointed out that it was the piece of road from the Police Station to the Albion Hotel that was so expensive, owing to the width. Under the'first estimate the whole width of road was to be bituminised, but a lower estimate could be obtained for less work. *

Finally, -it was resolved on the motion of Cr. Hyde, that the Town Clerk Avrite again to the firm of contractors whom he has been in touch with, asking them to forward their estimate for the work as early as possible, on receipt of which the matter will be again reviewed. POPPY FUNDS. The secretary of the Levin Returned Soldiers' Association wrote stating that, should the Council be able to find work for some returned men in the district, now out of employment, the Association would be pleased to forward a cheque from the Poppy fund 3 providing the Council subsidised the amount £1 for £1. —It was decided to apply for a subsidy on £5 this being a grant from the Cemetery fund.

LICENSING CARTER'S BUILDINGS Mr E. T. Moody, solicitor, wrote regarding the licensing of Carter's Buildings as a public hall, stating that part of the building was used by the Women's Institute for holding their ordinary meetings) and they had ho authority to hold meetings open to the public therein.—Received. QUOTATION FOR CONCRETE MIXER, Data and a quotation of £ll 10b for a concrete mixer was received from a

firm.—Referred to the Road Comi tee. BUILDING PERMIT. Spencer Bros made application a permit for alterations to the C Hotel.—Plans referred to the Build Committee. HEALTH INSPECTOR'S REPO! The Inspector of Health (Mr H gins) in his monthly report sta that no cas:>s of infectious disease, 1 been notified in the borough during period under, review, altlibugh th had been three cases- in the disti nearby. He reported that he had J instances of. breaches of the Plumba Act, though probably i Avilful ones. When the fact beed more widely known that only a,| gistered plumber could do sauify; plumbing, these breashes should i occur. —Received. RANGER'S REPORT. The rainger (D. Elhvood) repori that he commenced duties on the 2' and he had impounded seven head stock. —Received. DOMAIN LIGHTS. «

The Shannon Football Club asH that tAvo electric light poles ?ii i Domain be" moved to , a more suita 1 position and an extra pole and Ha be installed. It was pointed out tfl the work would be done by a world bee from the* Football amd Athlc Clubs under the supervision of an el trician. The two clubs were to ,p £2 13s 4d each and the Borough Coi cil to pay the difference. The Town Clerk stated ho had sir received an estimate for the Avork, v £ll.

On the motion of Cr. Curran, jui the Town Clerk Avas instructed to. form the Football Club that the c< of the work was much more than t Council had expected, therefore th Avere prepared to contribute onc-thi of the cost, providing the Footb Club a'nd Athletic Club find the : mainder. If they Avere agreeable these terms the Toavii Clerk will ha the Avork put in hand immediately. STANSELL'S DRAIN RATE.

Acting under instructions from t Council, the Town Clerk reported th he !had gone into the question re c< lecting the special rate on Stansell drain loan under the unimproA'ed v lues and found'that the only way tl could be done Avas to apply the rati: on the unimproved value to the who borough. LEVYING RATES. The ToAvn Clerk, reporting on tl leA-ying of iatcs for the year, stat< that the resolution provided for t levying of a general rate of lid in t £l, hospital rate of \d, sanitary ra of sixpence per Aveek, special Avat rate of $d and separate special ra on Stansell's drain of 7/8d in the & The resolution is to be confirmed < the 25th June. BEIDGE OVER STANSELL'S DRAIN. Mr. J. A. Wilkinson Avrote callin the Council's attention to.the state c the bridge over Stansell's drain lea< ing to his property. At N a previoi n«>eting it Avas resolved to dc nothin in the matter, Avhich he considered ui just,i as the bridge Ava 3 the only en trance to his property.—The lettc was referred tc the Roads Committe for further consideration.

EXTENSION OF TELEPHONE HOURS. Cr. Hyde stated that the Citizens Committee were doing their best t obtain the services of a doctor fo Shannon and district. They ha< been in communication with sevcra doctors, in fact, they were negbtiat ing with one at p'resent, but so fa they had been unsuccessful. At pre sent the town was dependent on th« services of a Levin doctor, and as th« number of telephone subscribers enti tied them to a telephone hours extcn sion from 6 a.m. to midnight he sug gested that a request be made to tin Department for sach extension thu« enabling residents, if necessary, t« ring for the doctor during those hours. The Town Clerk was instructed to place the request before the Department. GENERAL.

Cr. Anderson asked that a separate record should be kept of the cost; of placing metal«in the different streets, so that in the event of tenders being called at any time the Council would then know what the work should cost them. He would also like to see the same applied to drain cleaning ari'd other similar work. —The Town Clerk stated he would get this information and place it before the Council. Cr. Hook drew attention to a blockage in the culvert in front of Mr. Pet-; litt 's property in Grey Street, caused by the growth of weeds, etc. He said there were several culverts in Grey Street which required attention, pointing out that the approaches and outlets of culverts should be kept cleaii. —Referred to the Road Committee. The Council decided to vote a further fortnight's sick pay to Foreman Haley. Mr. A. Jamieson tendered his resignation as pound-keeper, Mr. J. Curran offering to fill the position until a successor is appointed. " After accounts totalling £122 2s lOcl were passed for payment the meeting terminated.