HUNTLY TOWN BOARD

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 109, 29 July 1927, Page 3

HUNTLY TOWN BOARD

A LATE MEETING There was a late sitting of the Huntly Town Board on Tuesday evening, Mr. W. C. E. George presiding. Mr. A. A. Woodward, engineer, Hamilton, attended, and submitted his report and estimates on tar-sealing the four miles of the Great South Road running through the. town. He estimated tfcat the board’s share of the cost, including the first year’s interest and sinking fund, and cost of raising the loan, would be £2,850. The report on the present output from the quarry was not satisfactory, and it was found that the machinery was not being handled carefully, with the result that some of the valves were burnt out, and over-size valves were now wanted. Though capable of 40 yards a day, the present average was about 12, and the highest 22. Mr. T* V/. Bond’s tender was accepted for carting metal from the quarry at 3s 9d a yard. A statement submitted by the town clerk showed that the credit balance now stood at £9l 19s lid. An improvement in the lighting of the street in front of the town ball was arranged. Three loan proposals will be submitted to the ratepayers shortly, viz., for roads, balance of hall, and the purchase of a reserve abutting on the town hall for a beautifying area. Dr. R. C. Macdiarmid touched on the point of revenue from the town hall, pointing out the scarcity of the attendance at the pictures, and desired to know how long this would continue before looking for a remedy. In his reply, Mr. George stated that the hall had practically just started business, and that the project must be given a fair trial before any mem--ber condemned it. The doctor reiterated that the board was custodian of the public property, and that a lesser period than 12 months should be sufficient to satisfy members if the present state of affairs was satisfactory. The chairman warmly condemned the doctor’s pessimism, and cited the big list of bookings for the near future, the wretched weather prevailing recently militating against any theatre playing to big houses. A reference to the hoarding nuisance brought the atmosphere again to the warm stage, and Mr. George emphatically denied that some of the members were out to harass any one individual.