TAIHAPE’S STREETS AND DRAINS.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 January 1919, Page 4

TAIHAPE’S STREETS AND DRAINS.

DISCUSSION IN THE COUNCIL,

These perennial subjects, footpaths, streets, water-channels and cropped up at the meeting of the Borough Council on Friday night. Cr. Dashwood drew attention to the disgraceful way in which the gutters were left in the main street This had boon going on for weeks. There were the same old puddles in the same old places, week after week,. Cr. Dashwood figuratively took councillors on a tour of inspection from Champion’s corner through the main street, pointing out various matters in drainage that should be attended to. Crossing over to the western side of the town he showed the councillors a deplorable state of affairs at the hospital steps, the drains being full of green slime, and at times the stench was awful. Fancy, said Cr. Dashwood, washing water running on to the main road, and the same thing happened on Kaka Road. He pointed some of those things out to the Borough foreman, who said at that time they were busy getting', the hay in on the “rec/’ and that he could not get the labour to do the work. It was time the Council went fully into the matter, and the Council was greatly lacking in their duty. He thought it was time these matters were fully ventilated. If something was not done, and soon, they would have another epidemic on them. Cr. Healey said it would take £30,000 to do all that was necessary.

Cr. Dashwood considered it should be put to the ratepayers to raise a loan.

The Mayor said they would only havc~to wait a little longer for that. The Council had gone into the matter five years ago. The Government had asked all local bodies to refrain from borrowing. Later on the price of pipes had nearly doubled. It did seem to be a fair thing to saddle fhe Borough with a loan of £30,000 when later on they could get the work done for half the money. With regard to those people outside the area the Council could say; You shall put in septic tanks of your own. The Council recognised the pressing need of fhe work, and were not shelving it. He agreed as to necessity of something being done. The length of the war had done something to prevent the work being done. He again reminded Cr. Dashwood of the enormous increase in the cost of pipes, and that competent labour could not be procured much under 20s per day. Cr. Johlin considered if was time the Council put the town in order. The trouble was not with the hospital in that locality. The stagnant the streets was still there, and in saying that he was not reflecting on the new Borough foreman. He hoped the matter would soon be attended to. Cr. Turnbull said no part of the Borough was very dirty. He had talked over the matterAvith the Borough foreman. Drainage, It was true, had been coming out in certain places, hut CleSe places had sineeHeen attended to and filled up with” metal; also at Champion’s corner. Any drains emptying there was a matter for the Health Inspector.

Cr. Reid described the result of a tour round he had made. Drains ran s into the main street. There was water into the main street. There was water in front of Bennett’s, and it had been' there for two years.

Cr. Turnbull said it was the first time he had seen it. Cr. Wrightson said if they wanted to do the work complained of the ratepayers should carry the loan proposals which would shortly be laid before them. With regard to soapy water coming on to the streets, this'came through the storm-water channels, on account of people throwing soapy water where they had no right to.' A general discussion then took place, which embraced cost of living, baymaking, cost of labour, power to employ labour, and almost the whole of the Council’s activities, which led His Worship to remark that the discussion was leading nowhere, and he gave Cr. Dashwood an exposition on the standing orders and the rules of debate. Regarding the suggestion that the Borough foreman should be given a free hand to engage labour, the Mayor said it would he a very wrong thing if any employee was able to commit the Council to a large expenditure.

Cr. Dashwood thought the streets should be cleaned up two or three times a week. Cr. Reid went exhaustively inter the question of wages and labour, and suggested they should get young men. Cr. Wrightson; That question should come before the Works Committee. Cr. Reid; Yes, and get turned down. Cr. Healey moved that the Borougu foreman be empowered to temporarily engage three or four men at 34s per day to do what work was ifeSusU*ary.— Carried. Cr. Tumhull said the Borough foreman should be given authority to get young men to replace the old men. 1 The Mayor safd they should gef 1 ' hold of good men and keep them. fjf Eventually it was decided to l the question of permanent or casuST ,f employment in the hands of tho Chairman of the Works Committee.