STRATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 83, 11 July 1916, Page 3

STRATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. Last night’s meeting of the Council was attended by His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. W. Boon) and Ors. Hunter, Lawson, Mills, Thompson, Stanley and Young. CORRESPONDENCE. Tho Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massey) wrote informing the Goundil that lie would include in the Washing Up Bill clauses validating the expenditure of the loan'’raised for the erection of the municipal buildings.— His Worship said this was very satisfactory as it would save the Council a good deal of expense in fighting a legal case.—Received. WORKS COMMITTEE. The report read as under: Mr Christensen, caretaker of the Kopuatama Cemetery, has resigned, and Crs Thompson >and Davey are making enquiries re a successor. Mr E. A. Chard has asked that the fences on the reserve let to him he repaired. He also asks for a few loads of shingle to place on Portia Street offering to do the carting himself. Mr Sullivan ivill report on the condition of the fences and we recommend that request for shingle he acceded to. We recommend: That the Health Officer’s recommendations re Certain prepiisps in Broadway he given effect tpthat iMr Sullivan report on the? nuisance existing on Opunako .Road-, paused by* drairia|h' discharge; that} attend the !, ‘Te j quest :pf the District Railway Engineer regarding trees obscuring “the view of the level : Crossing in Celia Street, and that 1 the 1 owner of .the property be required to cut the trees The repprt whs l adopted. INSURANCE OF THE BUILDINGS. Mr Alfred Coleman waited upon the Council in regard to the insurance of the new buildings, pointing out that they were taking great risk in having no cover on promises which cost them least, the Council should have two or three thousand on it. It would be money well spent. They never knew when a fire would occur. He reminded them that the building Was by no means fireproof: There fjvas -also the point to remember that an outbreak might occur in the adjacent pfemices’ and the th the Council’s buildings by water .would probably .■ The (expenditure a, : smalhWsum ; fob iiisurance would•edver such risks, and would be in the iirterestsvdf the ratepayers. Mr Coleman sptike on behalf of the State Fire Insurance. His Worship agreed that if the Council went in for insurance they should give the risk to the State Office. Cr. Thompson suggested a subcommittee being set up to go into tho rn a f, f.V* I*.

O. Hunter favored having a small’ sum on the buildings, and moved that the Council place £3OOO on them. Cr. Young seconded pro forma, and moved an amendment that His Worship and Crs Hunter and Mills ho a committee to consider the matter and •report at next meeting. He was of the opinion the risk was very slight. Cr Thompson seconded the amendment and supported the placing .of a small sum for insurance on the buildings.

[ Cr. Hunter said something should 1 be done at once; perhaps before next meeting night a five might occur. The motion was carried. THE ABATTOIRS. The manager reported as follow: The following stock were slaughtered: Cows 54. heifers 52, calves 7, sheep 229, lambs 5, pigs 84, tripes prepared ! 53. ’ Slaughtering fees £SB Is. Stock condemned: Cows 1 wholly, 3 partially; heifers 4 partially. In accordance with the Mayor’s request, subjoined is a statement of the expenditure, etc., on work connected with the,clearing of No. 1 paddock. We have been using the firewood obtained from this paddock for the past eighteen months and still have a iitj tie left. ■ - Statement of cost of work in connection with clearing No. 1 paddock at the abattoirs; Wages £2O 4s IUI, 1 explosives £2 Is lOd, carting and stacking firewood £2 18s,‘ horse and dray 18s.—Total -£26 2s 9d. Esti-mated-value of firewood .obtained: Value £4O, cost £2O 2s 9d ; • profit £l3 I 17s 3d. ; I Sa,lenient of cost of putting in crop of swedes:— Ploughing, discing, etc —Total £l3 19s Od. Price received for crop £25 10s, cost of crop £l3 19s 6d; profit £ll 10s 6d; profit on firewood £l3 17s 3d. —Total profit £2o 7s 9d. . | The report was considered very satisfactory and was duly adopted. ■ The town hall, reply, to Cr Thompson, it was; I stated that;no members of the Fire Brigade now attended at entertainments in the Hall; in fact had not done , so for two years past. It was resolved to write the Brigade on the matter, in The lease - of: the Hall by Mr V. Foley expired off 30th June, and the Council took over on July 1. ■ The Clerk reported that the Anzao Minstrels requested the use of the hack room oil two nights a week for . rehearsals, when tlie hall was not engaged—Granted. on the motion of OS Young and Lawson. j Cr Hunter stated that he had heard . many complaints about the prices that were charged to shows in the Hall. Tickets ,were sold. for,. ,the higKju-iced seats and then, it: w,as found that there was'standing | I’cfdW .only. On the motion of ’4be 'Mkyof, seconded by Or 1 Thompson, the matter was referred to the Hall Committee, j ENGINEER’S REPORT.’ Mr T. D. Sullivan reported on the progress of works for the past month follows:—Watertables have heeh; Jdpaned out in, Miranda, Portia, Ciaig IMyd- Pembroke Road. Grass 'fdM. liaym been cleaned off Regan, ' .M|yandj|, - Craig and Ariel Streets north of Regan Street. The following toospaths have been gravelled: Regan Street east south side from Broadway to Swansea Road, Ariel Street north of Regan Street oh east side, and Cordelia Street fronting Messrs Spence, Dwyev and Smith’s houses. Culverts have been inserted in Broadway north [ under footpath near Mr R. Hi. Robin-

son's residence, wo in unucm at junction of Antonio Street, one on road leading to gravel pit and one in Broadway at its junction with 1’ on ton Street. The road leading to the gravel pit has been metalled. The decking of Victoria Bridge has been repaired. ■The footpath on south side of Regan Street west from Miranda Street to •Portia Street has been reformed. The roller has been over most oi the streets during the past week. The authorised kerbing and channelling

work is nearing completion. A 9in. concrete pipe is required on Opunake Road on the south side*of the Convent to replace the old wooden culveit which has collapsed. Cast iron plates should be procured for crossings over the newly laid kerbing and channelling.

The report was adopted. The Inspector was instructed to inquire into the sanitary condition of a dwelling in Regan Street. GENERAL. The resignation of Mr Christensen as sexton was accepted with regret on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr Lawson. On the motion of Cr Thompson, seconded by Cr Hunter, the Engineer was instructed (o report, at next meeting the number of un-conuected houses in the sanitary area. i Cr Lawson drew attention to the fact that the street lights were sometimes on in the daytime; he had been informed that as early at 3.30 on two days thjs had happened.. His Worship said no doubt it had occurred accidentally, and he moved that the matter be referred to the Lighting Committee.—Carried. Cr Mills drew attention to the need for a crossing in front of the Chambers, and it was agreed that the work he done. Cr Lawson referred to the continued absence of Councillors from the meetings, which was not at all creditable. He asked if Cr Davey had forfeited his seat owing to absence. Cr Lawson spoke strongly on the matter, stating tjiat if councillors could not attend to the: business they should “get out of it”—The Mayor supported Cr Lawson’s remarks. It npt .lau: . that the business of,,the. Council,,should be left to a few , filing members.—' /Hear, hear).:' Even apologies were not sent in many cases. Also Councillors should be more punctual. Cr Mills drew the Inspector’s at-tention-to a drain in Page Street. Mr Alfred Coleman waited on the Council with reference to the condition of Regan Street west. The Parting of metal had broken it up badly, and he asked the Council to effect repairs as soon as possible.—On the motion of Cr Young, seconded by Cr Thompson, the matter was referred to tho Works Committee with power to act.

Accounts amounting to £239 14s,lid were passed for payment. uc .-.-oiL