NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 284, 10 May 1915, Page 2

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

■MONTHLY iREPORTS. The wing committee reports will come before the New Plymouth Borough Council to-night:—■ KXCIN EER'S REPORT. Streets Approximately 320 c«l>ic yards of metal and gravel have been used in repairing streets and roads. One and a-lialf cliains of concrete have been laid down in Brougham street. Eleven chains of soltar have been laid on Silver, Brougham and Robe streets, liobson street has 'been metalled from Lemon street to the rubbish depot. Carrington road asul lloldsworthy road are now being metalled. Moturoa road is now formed from Bayly road to the. railway crossing, and this portion lias also been re-metalled temporarily. Payntcr's Lane formation and metalling are nearly completed between Wilson street and the railway bridge.

Kerb and channel. —The work of finishing the keiVand channel ends, and making level crossings at all corners wlw>ro advisable is now being done. Footpaths.—Approximately 30 cliains of footpaths have been re-formed and covered with screenings.

Waterworks. —The new intake has now been in use for some, time and does not show any sign of scour. The. repair at the forebay should be sufficiently seasoned to carry any strain placed upon it, and I would recommend that as soon as convenient the whole .scheme be tested by applying a tank load. The filling up ijf the dam and forebay without the necessary load will not test the capacity of the river or the stability of the tunnel. The automatic gates and floats are under construction. It is not necessary to wait for them in order to test the scheme. The. caretaker reports everything working satisfactorily at the filters. Seven building permits have been issued representing a total value of .^5055. Two drainage permits have been issued and five water connections laid. The attendance at the municipal baths for the month of ''April was (155. The receipts were C 5 14s, made up as follows: Hot-water baths .{,'2 15s Oil, swimming pool £2 18s fld.

ELECTRIC LICTTT. The electrical engineer reports:— Powerhouse.—Xow that the days are getting shorter and the weather becoming colder, the increase in the evening load is noticeable. The maximum load recorded during the past month was 317 kilowatts, which should he further increased during the next two months. The staff at the powerhouse have just had their annual leave. Xcw transmission line.—All the poles on this line have now been erected and the arms and insulators fixed ready for ri'-nning the wire, which is about due and may be expected to arrive at any time. Transformers —The transformers ordered for lighting and power distribution work have come to luind. This material was ordered on January 15 and delivered to ou>- store on April 10. This is particularly prompt delivery for material of this description. Substation.—The contractors continue to make good progress with the erection of the building. We will be glad when this work is completed, as for ft long time our work has been hampered for want of room. The department has grown steadily from year to year, the staff necessarily growing also, without any increase in accommodation. We have a large quantity of material arriving within the next few months, for which we will hardly have storage room unless the substation is finished before it comes to hand. When we get possession of the new offices work should be carried out more expeditiously, as we will not have to do office work in a room that is used for ft store, unpacking material ,and testing machines, etc.

ABATTOIRS. The abattoirs manager reports:Slaughtered for local consumptioncows 131, bullocks 27, calves 13, sheep sfil, lambs 135, pigs 141 and 4 suckers; tripes cleaned 'l5O, and 1 ox heel. Compared with the corresponding month of last year they show an increase of nine pigs 'and four suckers, and a decrease of 31 rattle, six calves, 101 sheep, 22 lambs and 25 tripes. Condemned: one cow, two bullocks, one sheep and five pigs. Slaughtered for export: 20 cows, ]!) bullocks and 12 lmlls—an increase of 17 bullocks and a decrease of 23 cows, S bulls, 0 calves, 25 sheep and 104 lambs. Four cows were condemned. Fees for the month amount to £123 lfls !)d and '■cuts £3 5s fid, a total of C 127 5s 3d, being a decrease'of C2S I3s Oil. Messrs Sole Tiros, have had the levels taken of the river and the boiling-down buildings, and thov inform me that they intend to run their drain into the river in front of the crusher. The only objection T see to it is that it may cause a nuisance to the owners on the opposite bank. This I have pointed out to Mr. Sole. At the time of writing they have not started to put in the drain. They also inform me that thev intend to put in a concrete floor and rebuild the drying sheds. No pigs were kept in the stye during the month.

WORKS COMMITTEE. The committee recommends: —That the Cas Company be informed that the tramway route from the breakwater to Fit/rov. starting from the breakwater end, will be the lirst line of streets to be treated with soltar macadam, and this Council is advised that there are two points along this route, viz.. South, road, near junction of Weymouth street, and Devon street, near Paynter's Lane, where the gas mains will need lowering; that the borough engineer be instructed to report on the cost of erecting a suitable building for an office for the New Plymouth Expressmen's Association; that Mr. Burton be appointed caretaker to the waterworks as from the 11th instill terms of the conditions of appointment as prepared by the (own clerk: that the borough engineer be asked to report nn the cost of giving Messrs Arnold and Dingle access to their property in Waiwaka Terrace: that the president of the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce be informed that the Council has no objection to the erection of slot telephones in Xeiv Plymouth, such erection, however to be subject to the borough engineer's supervision, ami would suggest that the proposed slot, telephone should be erected, for preference, in Brougham street instead of Devon street: that Mr. Cecil Wright be informed that the borough inspector is satisfied with the way Hie heilL'e round his property in Cover street! has been trimmed; that the letter from Mr. A. R. I.ennon with reference to trumping his hedge be referred to illi' chairman to report, upon: that the boroiujli engineer be authorised to phic the drains carrying the storm water iron! ihe Avenue road in accordance with the resolution passed hv the Council oil •Tamuiry IS, 11)15, ;nu l aj ,, rTO j „ pnll | IV the ,\eu I l\Minn!h T1 i< : n Si-Ihkil Hoard, as contained in Oioir letter of "May ;i : Ihat the boromrh of Devonport be informed that this Council approves of

any scheme for the cheapening of foodstuffs, and therefore emlitrst's the resolution contained in their circular of April 2!), '1015; that the mutter of continuing the formation and sewerage-of Fillis street as asked for by Mr. W. H. Jluggett he referred to the chairman to report upon; that Mr. Kkitrop having offered his services to the IToine Government in connection 'with the war, and having askoil the Council to accept his resignation;on that ground, this committee, undei 1 the circumstances, recommends the Council to accept his resignation; that at till' conclusion of the Council meeting on Monday next the Council adjourn until Tuesday at 7.30 p.m.; that the horough engineer be asked to report, to the Council on the-results obtained from the use of the different preparations used by him in his experiments on roadmaking, including bituco, soltar and road felt.

'ELECTRIC LIGHT COMMITTEE. The committee recommended: That tlw matter of obtaining the easement necessary for altering the transmission line through Mr Olilf's property, Avenue road, be left in' the hands of the chairman and, his Worship the Mayor, with power to act; that the letter from the Xew Plymouth Fire Board re installation of electric lire alarm system bo referred to the electrical engineer-for -ft report thereon; that the powerhouse stan, with the exception of 'Mr. Sandi : lands, he paid fortnig'itty, at- the snm* rate as'at present; that a sub-committee-consisting of the chairman, Crs. Watkins and Smith he appointed io report on proposed additional street lighting lamps; that the annual report of theelectrical engineer he considered at the next meeting of the committee; that theelectrical engineer be instructed to give such test of the water scheme as the borough engineer requii-es, and the 'borough engineer be instructed to give such test as the electrical' engineer requires.