Te Aroha Borough Council.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4443, 31 July 1909, Page 3

Te Aroha Borough Council.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Council was held in the Council Chambers, Boundary-street, on Wednesday evening last. Present:—The Mayor (R. L. Somers, Esq.) and Crs. F. Hubbard, A. W. Edwards, J. B, Johnson. H. Jackson, and Captain LyonsMontgomery. Minutes read and confirmed. Inward and outward correspondence dealt with. ' * —A Request—

A letter was read from Mr Robert Mackie, to the effect that if King-street cannot be made so as to give him decent accesar- to his dwelling and protection from, the storm water, he respectfully begged that something be done to cut off or intercept the water from coming down over his sections in streams right to bis back door, so that during the recent storms it. was both difficult and dangerous for himself and his aged wife to venture outside.—Council decided to visit the locality.

—Carting—

J. Robinson, carter and carrier, wrote applying for a share of the Council’s carting. He had been a ratepayer for the past 23 years, and carting for the last 10 years. He trusted the Council would see its way to grant the request. Decided to inform applicant that tenders would be called at the end of the year. —Pound Paddock— The Secretary of the Te Aroha Football Club (H. Whitehead), wrote to the effect that the Club is prepared to pay half the cost towards the expense of removing the fences at the Pound Paddock.—lt was decided to get the work done. —Telephone Communication— Mr J. G. Beswick, Postmaster, wrote drawing attention to the urgent necessity for the Borough electrician beiDg connected by telephone. About a fortnight ago a fault occurred on a Saturday afternoon that left the Post Office in darkness, and could have been rectified before dark had the electrician been in i touch with the Exchange. Again tonight (July 19th) the office is in darkness, and the messenger has to go up to the house of the electrician.—Matter was left in the hands of the Electric Lighting Committee. Some of the Councillors expressed" the opinion that the present telephone hours would not prove of much use in connection with anything going amiss with the light. —Wilson-street Road—

Letfprs received from Mrs M. J. Stanley, drawing attention to the bad state of the road and footpath to her house. She said she had neither a path or a crossing to get to town, although we are residents of 30 years standing. Cattle on the roads are also a source of great annoyance. Should the Council visit the spot they will see that there is good cause for complaint, and she trusted that something would be done at once. Decided to attend to Wilson-street as socn as funds will allow. —Telephone Charges—

On the suggestion of the Mayor it was resolved to write to the Department re overcharge for telephonic communication betweeu Te Aroha and Auckland. | —Sanitary Inspector’s Report

Mr Jas. Salmon submitted his monthly report for the work’s done, in progress, and proposed. The report showed that an additional number of householders had installed patent w.c.’s, which were connected up with the sewer by licensed plumbers. Complaints: Mr Reid complained that drainage exists from the Section owned by Miss Gillett in church- . street; the remedy proposed to Mr Reid was to connect the drain from Miss Gillett’s section through the drain he haß to the sewer, or by putting in a separate drain tlaVoiigh his section. Several cases of overflow pans : have seen the offenders and arranged. Fowls in trees over footpath in Bridge-street: When I spoke to Mr Aitkens he denied that the fowls were his ; but he would cut trees back. Stables : Inspector Franklin was here on the 7th, and we visited the stables as well as the sanitary works done and fin progress—fairly sat : sfied.—The stable used by Pilling at corner of Bridge and Rewi-street. must have a manure bin, floor, and drain, if he wishes to continue to use it as a stable. The same applies. to stable used by J. B. Johnson on section in Rewi-street, opposite the Court House. At present both have manures lying outside the stables which is a nuisance. Fowls : Again have had complaints of the smell from fowlyards at the Palace Hotel. I can see nothing to abate the nuisance, except not allowing fowls to be kept within th« building area. —Foreman’s Report— Foreman Pilkington reported on the Various works carried out and in progress since last meeting. , Cleaning drains, grading and forming footpaths, etc. Extended sewer from Whitakerstreet up Kenrick-street 110 feet with 6 inch pipe, and in Bridge-street from the end of the sewer in Whitaker-street, a distance of 56 feet with 9 inch pipes, and from the sewer that goes across Whitaker-street, and cemented joints in side of same, and made a brick trap in Grey and Menzies section. The foreman recommended Council to get more gravel carted out of both creeks as there is some real good gravel there now. The road between Stanley Creek and Wildstreet is getting worn and a portion of Brick street is iwom quite hollow. We conld do with a lot more gravel in ‘Whitaker-street between Burgess and Bridge- street. Cut ti-tree in order to show where the intended to make a road to the quanj, in order to get metal out easier. HeSvould like the Councillors to have a look at it.

—Drainage—

Foreman Pilkington submitted estimates for continuing the Whitakerstreet sewer up Bridge-street to schoolteacher’s residence and to Kotakubustreet. To teacher’s residence the 6 chains 32 feet would cost £37 7s 9d ; to Kotukuhu-street, 6 chains £35. Continning the sewer from Grey and Men* zie’s section with six inch pipes, and bringing them through the 18-inch pipes and then on through to Burgees Btreet, and along Burgess-street as far as Captain Montgomery’s house, so as to allow both houses to connect. To connect lather McGuinneßs’ house, 2 chains : 44ft would cost £9 9s; and to Captain Montgomery’s another 4 chains 36 feet, means £l6 16s.

—Sanitation— Inspector Salmon, in his report, noted » case of phthisis within the borough. It is a long-standing case and everythin l * possible has been done by Dr Douglas and now Dr Axford, the medical officer in charge of the case. The drain from Whitten’s into the water-table is bad, and likely to he injurious, not only to the patient but the public; the fall is not sufficient for an open gutter, it shotild be either an open concrete invert channel or 4 inch pipes laid from Whit-

ten’s section to the small creek, owner of section to bear half the cost. The other two houses in this street have their house daainage connected to this creek, and it is likely to be sanitary and satisfactory for some years.

—Murphy’s Find Subsidy—

The Under-Secretary of the Mines Department acknowledged receipt of the Council’s letter, applying for £33 10s on account of subsidy for driving on Murphy’s claim, and in reply stating that the application should be made through the Inspector of Mines at Waihi, whose certificate is necessary before a voucher can be passed for payment. —Cottage Hospital—

Letters read from W. H. Herrios, Esq, M.P., acknowledging letter from Council and intimating that he would have much pleasure in supporting the applition for a grant of £2,000 for a Cottage Hospital when the Estimates arc being framed.

Letter also received from Clerk of Piako County Council stating that that body could not see its way clear to support the proposal for a Cottage Hospital at Te Aroha, and the letter was simply received.

The Secretary of the Waikato Hospital and Charitable Aid Board also wrote stating that the "Board will not entertain the suggestion. Outside the question of the Co3t of running the institution, the Board consider that there are other parts of its district in a worse position. The Mayor reported that the Waikato Hospital Board was not in favour of the Cottage Hospital scheme. —Electrician’s Salary— This matter was left over for a full meeting of the Council. —Compulsory Military Training—

Acknowledgment received from Prime Ministers Office, of resolutions passed at a recent meeting of burgesses, and residents of the Te Aroha Borough, and in reply stating that it is the intention of the Government to introduce legislation next Session dealing with the whole question of the defences of the Dominion. —Our Sludge Channel —

The Mines Department acknowledged receipt of Council’s letter forwarding a request that the Proclamation declaring the Waihou River to be a sludge channel be revoked, and intimating that the Council’s letter has been placed with other communications received by the Mines Department regarding this matter. —Rate Collecting Subsidy—

The Valuation Department forwarded £94 0s lid, subsidy due for year 1908-9 on rates collected, totalling £376 3s lid.

—Commutator GrinderLetter read from Mr E. J. Fenn, electrical engineer, asking Councillors to com e to some settlement re alternative. A suggestion by Mr Crosher to overcome the difficulty was agreed to.

—Accounts —

The following accounts were passed for payment:—P. Pilkington, £l3 10s; M. Geaney, £l2; T. Nielson, £lO 10s; R. T. Jansen, £1 18s ; Treasury Department, £126 0s 4d ; B.| Donnelly, £2 6s 6d ; R. Willis, £8 13s 4d ; D. and J. Miller, £2 ss; -A. T. Crosher, £l4 3s 4d; T. Driver, £5 16s 8d ; H. H. Metcalfe, £3O ; J. E. Wild, £2 10s ; J. Johnson, junr , £l 9s 4d; J. M. Jefferson, 15s ; P. Baine and Co., £ll 8s lid; J. Crickett, £5 17s ; D. McL. Wallace, £l4 2s 6d ; J. Salmon, £4 10s.