CIVIC SNAPSHOTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 471, 28 September 1928, Page 16

CIVIC SNAPSHOTS

j— : +■ ♦ I Items From the i Council Chamber

The City Council last evening was asked to allow representatives of the women’s branch of the labour Party to use street stalls for the purpose of collecting signatures to a petition asking for the abolition of compulsory military training. The council decided that there was insufficient room on the streets already, and that the same procedure should be followed as in other cases and permission sought to use shop doorways. * • •

Two more offers of land, stated to be suitable for municipal golf links, were submitted to the council. One was at Manurewa and was turned down for obvious reasons of distance. The other, from Hobsonville. suffered the same fate.

The Loans Board advised the council that it could not consent to reducing the sinking fund of 3 per cent, ilxed in connection with the supplementary streets loan of £71.000. The board stated that it had fixed the amount after considering authorities on pavement and highway construction * * *> Permission was granted for the erection of a shed on the Harbour Board reclamation at Parnell. It will be used for the purpose of making research in connection with New Zealand sardines. * * * The Chamber of Commerce asked the council if it would donate £2OO toward funds necessary to send three delegates to the Empire Educational Conference in Vancouver next Easter, and stated that the chamber expected to be able to raise the other £ 400 required. The request was referred to the Finance Committee. * >2 * The fact that the ratepayers had defeated the proposal to allow loans sufficient to enable the building of baths at Point Chevalier and the installation of filtration and sterilisation plants at Parnell and Shelly Beach baths, was reported to the City Council by the returning officer last evening. The report was received without comment. * * * The city engineer advised the council that the Whau Bridge could be repaired and strengthened sufficiently to carry traffic up to eight tons for the next two years at a cost of £4OO, which would be considerably cheaper than maintaining two traffic inspectors for the period as desired by New Lynn. The recommendation was referred to the Works Committee with power to act. ♦ * * Though there are many old wooden buildings in the city not equipped with modern conveniences, they cannot be regarded as insanitary under the Health Act, the city engineer said. They might be more or less dilapidated and unsightly, but they could not be condemned. It was doubtful if a dozen buildings used as residences in the city could be dealt with under the Act. Owing to hundreds of houses having been condemned in past years, or removed to make room for "busi-

ness premises, there were very few that called for strict measures at the moment.

The council agreed to allow the Railway Department to build sidings across King’s Drive during the building of the new railway station. This will be continued for two years, and will be under conditions that thoroughly safeguard the council and the ordinary road user.

“I should like to suggest that when these huge amounts are stated as having been passed for payment, we should have a summary before the council.” said Cr. Alice Basten, when the Finance Committee reported having passed £77,497 18s lOd in accounts.

The completion of the “dressing” of the Epsom Reserve is to be completed Immediately. Grass seed valued at £lO will be used.

Water is to be laid to three additional points in Waikumete Cemetery at a cost of £65.

The tender of J. R. Simpson for alterations to the Domain Tea Kiosk was accepted. The amount involved is £597.

The action of the Parks Committee in calling tenders for the installation of chlorination plants at Parnell Baths and Shelly Beach Baths was confirmed. The tenders are returnable in a fortnight’s time.

The tender of Messrs. John Chambers and Sons. Ltd., for special tram rail work at the corner of Wellesley and Symonds Streets and Queen and Wellesley Streets was accepted. The price is £5.300.

On the recommendation of the tramways manager it was decided that nothing further could be done about running through services from Point Chevalier to the city throughout the day. The manager pointed out that this would involve two additional buses and an increase in bus mileage of 65,174 miles a year.

In continuation of the fire prevention in the Waitakeres, the council decided to appoint a number of settlers in the disfrict as honorary rangers, and to invite the co-operation of Professor H. H. Corbin, as well as to take several other octions of a minor nature.