BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 31 March 1915, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

ADJOURNED MEETING.

An adjourned meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held at the Town Hall on Tuesday evening, when there were .present: His Worship the ■Mayor (Mr J. E. Wilson), and councillors J. Kibby, F. H. Jackson, S. J. Smith, A. H. Johnstone, W. A. Collis, W. Ambury, J. Clarke, C. H. Burgess, A. E. Sykes, and J. T. Mannix.

3VEXUE ROAD RESERVE.

Some discussion took place on the question of putting up for public competition five sections in Avenue road in compliance with the wish of the Higi School Board, and the Council decided to so offer the sections at an upset ren-' tal of £3O, for a term of 31 years witli right of renewal.

EAST EXD RESERVE DIFFICULTY.

Cr. Collia introduced a deputation from the East End Bathing Reserve Committee with reference to additions to\tho building on the East End reserve.

Mr F. C. J. Bellringer explained that the coritratftor wanted some security. Tile committee wanted a license from the Council to occupy the building for a period when their interests as tenants of the building would be accepted by .the contractor as sufficient security. They had, £l5O in hand, a subsidy of £l5O to come from the Council and confidently expected to make another £SO on Easter Monday. In answer to Cr Clarke, Mr F. C. J. Bellringer said they would pay the Council 8 or. 9 per cent if they would give them a loan. They.wanted £l9B. After discussion, the Mayor moved that after hearing the deputation from the East End Bathing Reserve Committee, the Council _ resolve that if at a time within a period of two years from 18th April, 1915, the Council shall resume possession of the reserve, the Council shall assume any liability not exceeding the sum of £IOB which may then be owing on the proposed contract for additions to the buildings with Messrs Hardwick and Danks.

This was seconded and carried.

THE HOSPITAL BOABD.

Cr. Collis referred at some length to the report contained fri the Daily News .with reference to a debate at the Hospital Board meeting. The report was headed, "Hospital Board on its Dignity " They had apparently made a great-to-do over nothing. There was reference made by one gentleman to listening to ' tittle-tattle on street corners." To remove any misapprehension from the minds of the ratepayers, he wished to make an explanation. The Council's communication to the Board was the outcome of, a complaint bv the sexton, an employee of the Council. One member of the Board had stated that the matter had apparently been censored at the council meeting, but the Council with the best of intentions, had asked the Press not to report the matter. He could remember the time when the Board was only too glad to censor matters. The Council could not allow its sexton, who, in the course of his work, often scratched his hands, to handle coffins without handles, and he considered that they had only acted in the right way, as if anything happened to the sexton from such a cause the Connoil would be responsible. He suggested that if the Board still refused to provide handles to the coffins the sexton should refuse to do anything more than di» the graves. The Mayor thanked Cr. Collis for the explanation, and said it was quite clear that the matter had not been brought before the Beard without sufficient reason. The matter then dropped.