ONEHUNGA BOROUGH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 6, 29 March 1927, Page 3

ONEHUNGA BOROUGH

meeting OF COUNCIL A somewhat Mcht agenda paper was T,re‘ented to a meeting of Onehunga Borough Council last evening, presided over by the mayor, Mr. J. E. Cowell. F nancial reports showed an expenditure during the previous fortnight of £lio out of the loan of £5,000 allowed for" unemployment labour. This work mainly referred to improvements in Campbell and Tiwai Roads. A request from Onehunga Fire Board, that the council would pay attention to the clearing of all fire-plugs throughout the district, and renew all identification marks now obliterated elicited an argument as to which body was now respons'ble for such duties, opinion was expressed that when the n evr fire board was established it took over all such responsibilities from the council. Admitting that overgrowing weeds and scattered earth and stones iron the roads choked the plugs, the council decided to attend to those defects; but resolved to discuss all other alleged liabilities in committee. perplexing complications were caused recently in connection with the transfer f 330 acres of land from One Tree Hill district for inclusion in the borough of Onehunga, the transfer coming into force on April 1. The trouble arose concerning the voting rights of over 300 residents of the area concerned, and the registration of their claims upon the electoral roll. Cliiiming that these persons would be unfairly disfranchised, as the rolls

closed on March 28, the town clerk petitioned the Minister of Internal Affairs to postpone the closing of the rolls to permit the inclusion of such persons. Reply has now been received to the effect that, under the extraordinary circumstances, the GovernorGeneral had issued a special order extending the closing date of the roll from March 28 to 5 p.m. on April 13 — 16 clear days. The council viewed in serious light a complaint received from the Manukau Rovers Football Club, that thoughtless persons were repeatedly depositing and scattering barrow-loads of offensive refuse, including broken bottles, over the recrea.tion reserve, near the dressing-sheds. The grave danger confronting members playing and falling was made clearly obvious, and the club had made full but futile efforts to detect the offenders. The council decided to pursue investigation upon its own behalf. Permission was granted local picture palace proprietors to open on Good Friday. Auckland City Council notified that they had favourably decided upon the duplication of the tramway-track leading to the Onehunga terminus; but definite determination of the work could now be settled only subject to the loan proposals being carried at the polls. -