TAIHAPE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Taihape Daily Times, 21 June 1919, Page 4

TAIHAPE BOROUGH COUNCIL

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Council was held last night, there being present: His Worship the Mayor (A. J, Joblin, Esq.), Crs. Turnbull, Cunninghame, Eteveneaux, Fookes, Reid, and Timbs. Apology received from Cr_ Davies, owing to _indispos'rtion. " > ‘ The consent of the Council to the following leases was granted: Evans to~Wong Jang, McCormick to Read, McCormick to De Lucn. A letter was read from the Waihi Borough Council asking for the support of the» local Council in its anvocacy of getting Councillors paid for their services, and in getting Saturday universally observed as a halfholiday.——Received. S. S_ Timbsi was granted a slaughtering lcense. The Minister for Internal Affairs, wrote stating ‘that peace celebrations would be held on the second Sunday and two following days immediately after signing the peace treaty.

A further letter was received from the same department stating -that powers would be given to local bodies to borrow money for the erection or permanent mcmorials_ Also I‘ollliild~ ing local bodies that any sums carrying a. Government subsidy for Peace Celebrations would not be available for erecting permanent -mcmorials.—Received. A letter was received from the District Health Officer regarding a certificate of condemnation of portion of a building in Carver Street. After ‘some discussion the matter was referred to the Public Trustee for his immediate attention. The Wellington Chamber of Commerce wrote s-übmitting agenda paper and rcmits to be considered at a Conference on July_2nd and 3rd. THE LIBRARY, The Rev. W. F. Stent, in order to‘ make the public library What it should be, wrote offering assistance from various persons in town towards that object_ - . A The Mayor,..s~aid the ‘library was not altogether creditable to the town; and he regretted‘-the Council. could not afford to spend. money on it. He thought Mr. Stcnt’s idea was a good one. The ‘Council would ‘warmly approve of it, and give authority "and hand over the management of the library subject to the Councll’s supervision. ’ 3 Cr, Fookes considered it would be better for Mr. Stent and his party to meet the Council and see What could be done. The matter was ~ a very important one. The Mayor said it was a very important but neglected one_ ‘A committee consisting of Crs. Fookes, Eteveneaux and Timbs,‘ was set up to go into the question with Mr. Stent and report at the next meeting of -the Council. ' ' ' ' - SALEYARDS DRAINAGE

The NZ.’ Fa.rnlers’ Distributing Company wrote re drainage and surface water 'at' their new sareyards. I ‘A legal opinion was ‘read ‘from. the Councils’ Solicitor, ‘setting -911-t the position created by the Company’s erection of the V salcyarcls, and the powers possessed by the Council under certain ciijcunistanees. He suggested that the Company -should make its own arrangements with the owners of the brewery in regard to drainage, and construct its own means of ingress and egress to the saleyards. The Council’s legal adviser also suggested that certain conditions, safeguarding the Council’s interests .from a sanitary point of View should be incorporated in tile new borough by-laws. Cr. Reid, chairman of the Works Committee, made a verbal report of his inspection of the saleyarcls, taking exception to a drain of water being diverted on to the street. The Mayor moved: “That the Borr"i_':l1 Solicitor be instructed to draw up a by-law with those now being prepared prohibiting saleyards in the borouglu’ ’—-Carried. : The Town Clerk was instructed to reply to the Company's letter in terms of the Borough Solicitor’s opinion. HAWKERS AND PEDLARS The Tradesnlen’s Association Wrote; asking the Council to make a chargei for casual traders, pointing out the’ injustice of allowing this class of trad-« ing to go on without payment, whilst‘ resident tradespeople had to pay fates : and taxes‘. ‘ l The Mayor agreed with the views of . the ‘Association as expressed in their} letter_ He had no sympatliy Whatever with those people who came here rorl 3, few days, made a few pounds and. moved on. C Cr. FoOkes explained the attfillfte‘ taken up by the Association. Certain persons came into town to do ‘DIIS!-l ness-, and the Association Object?-Gt to those persons" taking a 51101); 0115-; ting prces, and leaving after a few days. He referred to traders‘ in an lines. It was not fair to those people who paid rates and taxes in the town. He quoted the law on the subject, and said the Council should make sum persons pay a license fee. The Mayor said the Council could only deal with hawlcers, not with per-

sons who took a shop. They could have that power-ipnt into thfinew liyé laws. “' e Cr. Reid. said there was only 0113 class of persons who wanted this, and they were the greatest exploiterg m the town. Cr. Fookes pro‘.9<;*.e"d against this statement. Cr. Timbs suggested charging an entrance fee. Cr. Fookes quoted cases where some had paid, and the fee 1195 been re’ turned after the pecsosi hat] been in business three months. After considerable discussion as :9 \ the operations of those DGFSODS 03> ' joeted to, it was decided that theborough solicitor be instructed to prepare a =by—law under Section 318 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1901, to impose a fee of not less than £5, and if such person is in business not less than three months such muct be refunded. It we also decided that if possible a by—law be framed to deal with selling goods from door to door. .~WORKS COMMITTEES REPORT. The Works Comniiftee was read as fo11ows: Your Committee recommends:—Tha: applications be invited for three per. manent. hands for roadslamd street‘ department, Wages 12/6 per working’ day wet or dry. That Cr-.’Turn’null be authorised to procure a. plough, Suitable for road work and that prices be obtained for a buck scoop. That in view of loan works having to be carried out in Moa Street within the

next few months, the construction _gr_,/ the path from Section 24, Block rim; to Section 7, Block XV., be not proceeded within the meantime. Re “Clean up Week”:—Recommend that the I.nspeotor of. Nuisances be anstructed to make a house to house inspection, and that he be requested to prosecute any person or persons who do not cary out his instructions within a reasonable period, in respect-, of the removal of refuse and defects in the drainage system. Your- Committee reports':——— Having’ received and aceptod the resignation , of “P_ ‘F. Toomey as’ Ranger and I Poundkeeper; In vew of the unsatis-’ l factory ‘conditions which have of late” -' i obtained at the pound, and further "in " ‘ consideration of the numerous duties“ ‘ carired out by Mr. Duncan, your Com~ ' 1 mittee "considers a re-arrangement of duties is now necessary and conse-V quently reeommends:—(a) That ‘Mr 1 Duncan be appointed Custodian ofthe ' Town Hall, Electric Light and Water Meter Reader, Dog‘ Tax Collector, ling; ; specter under the By-laws with ‘power’ ‘ to collect all licenses fees, and assistl ant in the Municipal Ofi‘ices’at‘:i. ary of £2OB per annum. '(b) T t the positions of Ranger and Nightwatchman and Poundkeeper be com? - Foined and applications invited forthe ’, position at afsalary of £l5O per an-

num plus" Such fees (estimated at £4O) as the employee nla.v collect 11:14

’der”“The Impouniding Act, 19OS_f’ ‘mm {the use ofthe" nut atlthe Pound. prev iference to be "given "to returned V solldiers. That it be an'inbstl-uction to ithe‘ Borough Solicitor to‘ provide as 'by}law fixing the minimnnr width of lnll sections of land on which dwelllings may be erected, at 50 feet, rurither that a by-law be made in accorlance with the provisions of ‘Section [344 (n) of “The Municipal Corporaltions Act, 1908,” Having received a iletter from Mr. "Williams, the Coun~ lcil’s Consulting Engineer, intimating !that he expects to visit Taihape early {in July, and also a. letter from the ’Bituco Road Cinder CO. re material for ‘main road work_ The last mentioned 'has been held over for consideration 'later. | Conditions of reading and footpaths [in connection with the cutting up of isectieng ‘purchased by Mr. W. J. icoutts, from Mr_ McKeown, were con%sidered and adopted, a letter from Mr. Coutts asking that consideratl‘_n of this matter, be deferred being ceived too late for consideration. .The remuneration of Mr. H_ Ormond“ a, borough employee, was fixed at 12/ per day. The report was then adopted. ELECTRIC DIGHT AND WATERKVORKS COMMITTEE REPORT. The Electric Light and Waterwork’s Conlmittce’s report was read and adopted as follows:——The Committee re‘ ports having accept.ecl Messrs Lawrence and Manson ’s tender for supplying and‘ erecting, at EL cost of £ll6B, a. 75 K.W. generator switchboard Wattmeter, etc._. subject to conditions mentioned in the specifications being complied with, and 3 Satisfactory reply being received to the Engineer’s letter_ Also having’ authorised the Engineer to have a large tree overhanging lthe ma-ins ‘at the power-house removed, ‘ Certain arrangements of staff in the electric light department were recommended and adopted by the Council. FINANCE COMMI'I‘T‘E‘i’."S REPORT.'. The report or the above committee was read and adopted as fol1ows:—--Th-at Mr Swedlund be asked to submit a definite proposition to the Counm'_’ in regard to his proposal to lease the Town Hall for a fllrt.hcr'fernl:_“t'hat Miss D. J. Aldrid;'e’s salary be increased to £2 10s per week, as ‘from’-' 19th inst. ._A p

It was decided to hold‘ over consideration o§.._“ letter from the State Fire Insuran:/_§ce until next meeting. ' It was decided to bring under the V notice of the -Government the desir- = ability of raising the limit of applicants for dwellings under the Workers’ Dwellings Act, to £250 per year. It was decided that the ValuerGeneral be requested to revalue the Borough as soon as possible, as the present valuations do not represent the true value in the Borough. It. was explained though there would be an in- } ¢:iea.se in values, it would not neces--4 s‘ rily mean -that the amount received in rates would be increased, as there would probably be‘ a reduction in the amount of the rate struck to balance the increase in valuation. The valuation would give the Borough a better financial standing. After several other matters were dealt with, which are reported else-where,-‘the Council rose at 11 o’clock.