BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 15, 11 October 1910, Page 8

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. i Tlie monthly meeting of* the Borough r Council was held last night. Present: \ His Worship the Mayor (Mr. G. Tisch), , and Crs. Dockrill, F. C. Bellringer, F. E. 1 Wilson, J. West, A. E. Watkins, J. i Clarke, H. J. Hobbs, H. J. Gilbert, and s G. W. Browne. i WORKS COMMITTEE. ' The Works Committee recommended: | That the question of forming and metal- . ling Morley street from Western Park gate to Barrett street be referred to next year's Estimates Committee for t their favorable consideration; that the , application of Mr. J. D. Sole for the ] forming of a path from the corner of , Barrett street to the Western Park , bowling green entrance be referred to , the borough engineer, with power to act; ■ that the letter from the Fitzroy Town ~ Board re lowering of water mains at Mangorei road be referred to the borough engineer to report upon; that Mr. M. <). Butcher be granted water for running a water motor (one-eighth horse-power), thr charge to be 8s per month, payable in advance; that consideration of the letter from the General Manager of Railwa,; s re Leach street be deferred; that Mr. Calgher's letter re removal of rubbish, etc., be referred to his Worship the Mayor and Crs, Bellringer and Wilson, to re- j port upon; that the Palmei'ston North Borough 'Council be informed that the Council do not require any Tin water pipes at present; that a copy of the letter from the Inspector-General of Hospitals he supplied to each councillor, and that in the meantime consideration of the letter be deferred; that the A.M.P. Society be informed that the Council cannot see its way to accede to the request that the Council should accept a formal acknowledgment of the payment of interest instead of requiring the coupons being handed to the Council's bankers at Sydney; the Cfiuncil is, however, willing to pay the .exeliange on the interest as at present provided the coupons are presented at New Plymouth by the local office of the Society; that the request of the Hospital Board for extension of the water mains be referred to the borough engineer to submit an estimate of the cost; that in the event of any of the suburban districts merging into the borough this Council will not apply in any such district the by-laws at present in force in New Plymouth relating to the erection of buildings, the removal of nightsoil, and the keeping of pigs and fowls; that the application of residents in Bullcr street for a street light at the corner of Buller street and New Gover street be granted; that the electrical engineer report upon the question of a street light in Leach street east of Eliot street; that the action of the Executive Committee in connection with the following matters dealt •with by them be confirmed—That provided the borough engineer is satisfied that the work can toe effected without endangering the retaining walls lie be authorised to proceed with the filling in at Powder-ham street and to employ any extra carts or labor he may think necessary; that footpaths be farmed on both sides of Gill street extension; that the borough engineer be instructed to proceed with the forming and metalling of the piece of land purchased for the widening of demow road; that the borough engineer be instructed to close the rubbish depot at Fulford street as soon as possible and open the new depot at Hobson street south; that Mr. H. Howell be informed that if he has a grievance against the poundkeeper he has his remedy in the law courts. The report was adopted.

RESERVES 'COMMITTEE.

The Reserves Committee's recommendations were: That the letters from Messrs H. J. Price and J. Blythe with reference to footpaths at the cemetery be referred to the borough engineer, with power to act; that in future the charges for the use of the Council Chambers or other room in the Town Hall he payable when application is made for the use of the room; that the sexton be granted a halfday off each week provided the time,is made up; that the time off must he taken as opportunity offered and not necessarily the same day each week, and that he be informed that during his absence (whether week-days or Sundays) someone must be available at the cottage to take instructions; that the borough engineer be authorised to procure a table and floor covering for the old library room., to be used for letting. The report was adopted. BATHS COMMITTEE.

The earetaker reported that the hot water cistern had been covered with asbestos and that it was now possible to provide lot water baths daily at no further cost for fuel than previously. To farther popularise the baths the committee recommended the following alterations to the time-table:—Females, 5.30 a.m. to CIS a.m., 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., and 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.; males, 0.15 a.m, to 8 a.m., 4.30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; family bathing, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.; Sundays, females 6 a.m. to 7 a.m., males 7 a.m., to I'l a.m. Re family bathing, that the caretaker be instructed that proper bathing costume from neck to knee must be worn and he be authorised to remove and afterwards refuse admittance to any person guilty of objectionable conduct. The report was adopted. • ELECTRICAL ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The electrical engineer (Mr. H. Black) reported as follows: —The last six montas have been at least as busy as any previous ha'f-year since starting operations. On March 31 last our books showed 525 connections. We have now 620, an increase of 95 for the half-year. The output as recorded by the substation meters is nearly 12,000 units more than for the -corresponding period of last year for private lighting and power. Although the days are now longer and the hours of lighting getting shorter and our output in units less than during the past winter months, the maximum load is not getting much less, the peak for September being 1811 kilowatts. No time should be lost in getting new forebay and pipe line put in so that we may get the benefit of them for nexti autumn and muter. Tihe sooner tenders i

are called for extra turbines and generators the better. I would again beg to : point out that not less than three months should ibe allowed for calling for tenders, nine months for supply and three months for erection and testing.. If arrangements are made at oncn for calling for tenders the contract would not be let until January or February next, which would give time for a loan to be authorised. One new generating set is necessary to carry the ordinary load from next winter onward, but this machine cannot now be available before l'!) 12. As additions have been so long delayed it will be best to put in two new sets at once, as otherwise we have, no reserve in case of any mishap. During the month seven poles'on the transmission line have been replaced by new ones, as they were beginning to decay on the outside. All but one of these poles has been trimmed, tarred^-and re-erected in positions where they will carry less strain. Four or five more poles will have to be changed later, but we have none to replace them with at present, but they will no doubt serve until we have.The report was adopted. A MUD THOROUGHFARE. Ratepayers and property-owners in Leach street petitioned the Council to improve the state of the street. They had been given to understand that it was the presence of the railway line which had prevented any improvement in the past, but the railway line had been ji'.'.vri.y for some time now, and nothing had been done. Cr. Bellringer sa' I there was no doubt that something muled to be done, for the Council had not spent anything on the street at all, and it was an unmetalled road. There wasn't even an apology for a footpath. He moved that the petition be referred to the engineer to give effect to. Cr. West seconded. The road was so bad that to turn a vehicle in some places was next to impossible. His own delivery cart had been capsized there that very afternoon, and when the horse came home it looked as if it had lain in the river. Cr. Watkins commented on the fact that the .east ward councillors had not ' mentioned the matter when the esti- ! mates were being considered. Cr. Gilbert moved that the engineer . report on the matter, and said that . there were many other street's equally - as bad. The holes might be filled up - with clay. i Cr. Bellringer considered the Council . was compelled to give these residents t reasonable access. 1 It was eventually decided that the en--5 gineer place the road in a safe state, 3 leaving the matter of metalling and perr manent improvements for next year's es- . timates. j; MUNICIPAL CONCERTS. 3 Mr. F. A. Coleman, secretary of the " Garrison Band, suggested the following . programme for the municipal concerts:— _ Thursday, November 17, West End Ese planade; Thursday, December 15, Mars- _ land Hill; Friday, January 13, East End j Esplanade; January 29 (Sunday aftert noo), Western Park; Friday, February J 17 (left open); and on Easter Sunday s afternoon, at piukdcura Park. The Cqu.h- ---_ cil was asked id advertise the concerts. _ —The programme was adopted. 1 THE ABATTOIR DISTRICT. "' 1 Mr. F. S. Pope, Secretary for Agriculture, wrote that the deed of agreement between the Council and the Fitzroy Town Board for the extension of the abattoir district was ready for submis- ■ sion to the Minister for his approval. ) Before St. Aubyn township could be in- - eluded it would be necessary to come to an agreement with the St. Aubyn Town Board. Upon the motion of the Mayor and Cr . Watkins, it was decided that the neces--5 sary steps be taken to have the bouns dariesr of the abattoir district extended { to include St. Aubyn town district. » ELECTRIC LIGHT SCHEME. ! The Mayor was granted permission to hold over his notices of motion in re- ; ference to the raising of loans for tram- ; way installation and for additions and extensions of the elect™ light system. ■ «u i «™ m< ? Ved ' and fche C °™«l decided "That steps be taken for the construction of a concrete forebay or settling chamber at the pipefcr L™ frf T e . Wment, and for the additional pipe line from the forebay to the power station, the cost of electric hght loan moneys now available triJ SL ?- t0 be paid from the elecfund His Worship traversed the arguments previously advanced in the necessity for mafcing provision °for the increasing demand, and to provide a margmof safety which at present did not