STRATFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1917, Page 3

STRATFORD.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) TAII communications, letter*, etc., left with' Mr. H. J. Hopkins, bookseller,, viir tcceive prompt attention.] BORGUGff COUNCIL. May 14. The monthly meeting was held on Monday evening. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan), Crs. J. Masters, A. Coleman, D. J. Malone, ■J. 11. Thompson, T. Lawson, S. B. Hunter, C. B. Walsh, J. McDonald and C. Jackson. CORRESPONDENCE. Ellis and Co., Ltd.,, Wellington, forwarded particulars regarding a pro/oscd Road Construction Company now being formed, which will undertake road and street construction, particularly in bitu- ! milieus work with Union asphalt.—Re- ! ferrcd to the works committee. J The Taranaki Provincial War Relief \ Association was granted permission to j use the Council chambers for the: annual meeting of the Association on the 23rd j inst. ' .7. H. Thompson, on behalf of Mr, H. J. Valintine, owner of 14' acres, Swansea ; road, wished the Council to arrange for ' new rental for right-of-way for electric light poles. He suggested the Council should make an offer.—The lighting com- I mittee recommended that Mr. Valintine , be offered £3 per annum and free light. ' —Recommendation adopted. | The Minister of Internal Affairs (Hon. I G. W. Russell), requested information rev prohibiting exhibitions of posters. I John Caughley, for Director of Eduea- I tion, wrote regarding the advantage of . stimulating a wider interest in general . reading on the* part of school children. • Mr. C. Rcakes, director of live stock division, notified that Mr. A. N. Spillman, inspector and manager of the abattoirs, had accepted a position at Palmerston Northt and it was necessary for the department to replace him.. He wishe'd to know if the Council would continue the present management. 1 If so the Department would taV» every care to see that an officer capable of occupying t position was appointed.—Resolved "That , the Council pay £SO grant."

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr. W. .T. Newton, electrical engineer, reported that there were unfortunately furhetr changes in the hydro station. One hand was leaving this week and another had been drawn in the ballot. All four turbines had been thoroughly cleaned out at tiie station/ Iron bark poles in connection with Broadway lighting had been finished. Further installations had been made in houses, and progress ivas being made re wiring in the new theatre. The Flint road line has not yet been started. The street light authorised for corner or Cordelia and Celia streets will be ready in a few days, the brackets 'being ready.—-Received, i OTHER REPORTS. The lighting committee stated that a draft license had been received from the Public Works Department, and referred to thq, borough solicitor. The question of men's wages would be made known in Bpecial report. Tlie order for 50 meters, authorised at last meeting of the Council had not yet been placed.—Received. Reserves' Committee recommended that the Council accept a surrender of i R. T. Walter's lease and agree to Mr. Walters taking over Mr.. Mollison's lease, subject to overdue rents being paid; also that the rent of Mr. Mollison's shop be reduced to Mr. Walters to £5 and rates, and that immediate steps bo taken to have the' above carried out by special order, the Council to pay half cost.— Adopted. G. T. Eowers, inspector, reported that five horses and two cows were impounded during the month.- Back yards had been inspected and found in satisfactory condition. He had seen to the licensing of carriers and commercial cars. The Town Hall had been let on five occasions. The abattoir manager, Mr. A. T. bpillraan, stated that during the month 89 head of cattle, 209 sheep and lambs and 101 pigs had been slaughtered, fees for which amounted to £OB 14s 3d. The number of pigs killed for the month constituted a record. The main race has been metalled, and the fencing required immediate attention. ] MINIMUM LIGHT i CHARGES. The Mayor then moved that the present minimum charge for electric light should be reduced. His Worship said it was neither right nor just to a«k the small consumer to pay the charge. They must look at the principle of the thing. The reason the 4-unit minimum charge had been made was because it was not worth while collecting IeBS, and also that it had to be made to

cover the cost of meter reading, cfr. Now, if a charge had to he made to cover these,cost.s why make the small consumer pay It? Why let the higher consumer off? Would 'it not be fairer to charge every consumer, large or small, a sum every month to cover tho cost of meter reading, etc., and make concessions by way of discounts to the consumers using certain numbers of unit.i'.' That was a fair business practice, and would also encourage the. U3e of current. When the council was in a position to say whether the business was paying or not, and it was found that it was not paying, then the whole position could be reviewed and a fair and just increase, made in the charges to make no 'the deficiency. As far as the present minimum charge was concerned it should be abolished ot once.

Cr. Thompson said that when the electric light proposals were first brought down by the council, they we.ve erabraced as a whole and p.xssed, hut these items had not been particularly notice*:. It was not till the last meeting of the old council that the minimum charges had been thoroughly discussed. He would favor the Mayor's motion on the matter. Cr. Lawson was glad the Mayor had brought the matter forward. Cr. Malone favored postponing the matter for a few weeks, and the question being thoroughly discussed by the Lighting Committee as to whether it was advisable to work on the lines as at present or to rescind as desired by the* Mayor. He also desired some information regarding contracts to supply, and the extension to Flint road.

The engineer said there were two coiv tracts—Flint and Pembroke roads.

Continuing, Cr. Malone said the mliaimum charge did not appeal to him whilst they were supplying the light to all, who asked; they should have some reason from customers why they did not always use it. He would like to see some assurance that if they rescinded this resolution they would have some other offer placed before them.

Cr. Hunter considered the minimum charge was a fair thing. It wis not the poor people who complained. If some had to pay a shilling a month they would complain. He was quite willing to go into the matter of referring it to the Lighting Committee. In almost every town in the world they would find a minimum charge established. Cr. Coleman favored the' matter being referred to the Lighting Committee to report on, and he moved an amendment to that effect. During the past five months the light had shown a profit of only £7o—a deplorable result. He wanted some solid reasons before ue could vote for abolition.

Cr. Masters said it appeared only Eair that those using the light should pay a fair share. They would find it was not good business to rescind the resolution on the books. The Lighting; Committee could go into the matter, and bring forward some recommendation that would give satisfaction. The council should see to it that the light was a paying proposition before they started making any reductions.

Cr. Jackson favored the motion. He quoted figures concerning charges made in his home and oirice. Ho believed the light should be made to pay, but not by way of a minimum charge. From his point of view they should raise the cost of a unit to fld, to lOd, to Is, anything so long as it paid, but there, should be no minimum; let each man be charged for what lie consumed. He was not in favor of referring it back to the Lighting Committee. The matter had been eternally before 'the public, and should be settled right away.

Cr. Walsh favored the retention of the minimum charge. ] The Mayor, in reply, said it was poor policy to say that 2s -id was a small charge. It was something that affected the pockets of many who felt the pinch in ether directions,; and fell more heavily on them than on those in more fortunate positions. The amendment was put, the voting being: —For—Crs. Coleman, Masters, Malonc, Hunter and Walsh; against—The Maydr and Crs. Thompson, Jackson, Lawson and McDonald. The Mayor gave his easting vote against the amendment, which was lost.

The motion was then put and carried by fi votes to 4. For—The Mayor, Crs. Malone, Thompson, Jackson, Lawson and McDonald; against—Crs. Coleman, Masters, Hunter and Walsh. Cr. Thompson desired that the voting be recorded on the, minutes. LIGHTING BROADWAY. The Mayor then introduced his second motion: "That the decision of the retiring council to light Broadway by means of poles in the centre of the street be rescinded." . He was decidedly against the introduction of poles as suggested by the old council. Jle presumed that Broadway was as congested as any place in New Zealand on a Saturday. The poles would be found a great source of danger. It was not only the main street of the town, but Broadway was also the main thoroughfare

between New Plymouth and Wellington, and that should be considered. H" ■-•• derstood that there were, towns accidents had resulted, and the poij.i had to be removed. Side lights, he was convinced, would do just as well as centre poles. There were 28 poles in the streets, and lights could be affixed to each at a cost of £2 10s per pole. He had written to the Mayor of Masterton regarding their lighting, and enquired if there had been any accidents. He had received in reply: "Had to remove lights from centre of streets. Decision against us in court." That telegram had convinced him more than ever that it was not desirable to have poles in the centre of the main thoroughfare. Cr. Lawson said they would notice in the reports that the poles authorised at last council meeting were ready, and if these were not used it meant a loss.

Cr. Thompson said the poles would probably be a source of danger. Farmers and others coming into town at tinles failed to observe the rules of tins road, and he thought seme other method was preferable. Cr. Coleman was also against the introduction of poles as a_means of lighting the thoroughfare. Motorists were all against poles in the middle of the street.

Cr. Hunter thought there would be no harm in trying the lighting as an experiment. He moved as an amendment, "That the Electric Light Committee be empowered to erect four 100c.p. lights on the side of the~s.treets on brackets, also to erect four lights by suspension wire or projecting arms in the centre of the street for experimenr tal purposes, and also they could introduce any other method ther may deem necessary to test the lights." Cr. Jackson seconded the amendment, which was put and carried. GENERAL. Cr. Lawson requested that a report be brought before the Council at the next meeting regarding the condition of the Patea bridge. An application for the use of the Council Chambers for a meeting of the A. and P. Association for next Saturday was granted.

Eegardihg the Town Band Cr. Coleman requested the committee to report as to the ownership of £IOO with interest in the hands of the Stratford Loan and Deposit Co., and also report on the standing of the band. Messrs. Reira, Wright and Paget, present members of the library committee, were re-appointed. The matter of obstructing Broadway by the erection of the now Picture Theatre was referred to by Cr. Coleman, who moved that the engineer interview the contractor in connection with the matter with the view to obviating the danger,—Carried. Cr. Masters, on belialf of the Wcks Committee., reported at length on the tour of inspection made by councillors of the borough roads and footpath? on Thursday. Broadway, lie said, was getting in a bad way, and required attention, but seeing the council would probably be going in for a street improvements loan it would lie inadvisable ju«t now to spend money on it. He recommended that the engineer should he instructed to attend to Broadway South, by patching with crushed metal—Poport received, engineer to attend to the wcrk. The Works Committee was requested to consider the question of contro'.:i.r.g traffic in Broadway on Saturday, and also the decking of Victoria Bridge. Mr. T. D. Sullivan, engineer, reported that Page street had been scarified, refaced with crushed shingle, and rolled down. Hamlet street had been formed and lowered at its junction with Pip; street, and refaced with crushed shingle between Pilge street and Opunake nld. A concrete protection wall had been built, at the north-west wing of the Victoria bridge. Kerb'mg and channelling of Juliet central was well in hand. Plots had been pegged off in the Kopuatamu cemetery. Those on the look-out for jewellery of the highest hall-mark should make a point of inspecting the very fine and varied stock now offering by Mr. C. C. .lames. If you are in search of wedding ['■ lid birthday gifts lose .10 time in visiting this shop, where you will secure <• requirements at a price that will compare with lowest city figures.