NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1918, Page 8

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held last night. His Worship the Mayor (Air. C. 11. Burgess) presided, and there were present: Crs. J. Clarke, J- W. llayden, i<\ J. Hill, W. V. "Short, Ji. Griflitiiri. VV. A. Collis and G. VV. Browne. An apology for absence was received from Cr. K. J. Deare. ENGINEER'S REPORT. ■ The engineer reported as follows: Waterworks—Services have been installed, the three-inch main i.i Gill street lowered, extension pieces tixed in Carrington road, several leaks and ordinary routine work attended to- During the month it was necessary to give particular attention to cleaning the screens and filters. On the 29th'the former had to be cleaned no less than live times within seventeen hours. The spiral pipe in Mangorei road is partly exposed, due to the wearing away of the road surface. There is no great liability to damage at pt'Vsent, but should the road wear down to a greater extent it will be necessary to take steps to protect the main. Street Works. —The repairs to the Devon street paths have been pill, in hand, the worst places being dealt with first When the tar macadam lias set hard and made true to gradients, a (op coat of tar and sand will be applied. Since'last report the tarring gang was doubled in strength, and good progress made in the work 011 the tram route. When the road is treated as far as the oil bore, the gang will be halved, and the other half used upon works in the other directs- A small amount of patching has started, hut not finally completed in Currie street. All streets needing attention in this direction will be dealt with during the month The formation of Carrington road now on the point of completion A portion of Outfield road Ims been gravelled. The formation or ro-firmation has not been done. Thi? is loHj over to a more convenient time. The kerb in Egmont street has been put down from Devon to King streets, and the flags are now being laid, (lover and John streets have been blinded with gaol gravel to prevent further damage from abnormal trallie due. to the races. Minor repairs have been made to Eliot Tlill. Work on linstock track in Leach street is under way arid will be completed during the month Fort Nifler. Mt. Byron, and the reserve near the ilioh School have been ■■leaned up M.irsland llill has been cleaned up bv the gaol authorities, and. like last venr. a very pood job made of it. Miscellaneous—Work consis.'el nf eleaninn- up paths, scavenging, pnlti»«! down private crossings, etc. Several chokes have been removed from sower connections, tennis balls, balls of wool and other miscellaneous articles being '•nnses of choking. The tar mixing plant is' in operation and with a few minor alterations to allow a better and easier working will repay itself in a vc.ry short time.

IXSPKCTOR'S RlcrOET. The inspector reported as follows: It being holiday "vitli very heavy traflic 1 have devoted most of mv time to traffic control, with the result that a number of Court cases are set down for the 14th of February. I have also kept the main roads clear of stock. Fourteen have been impounded <iunnL' tiie past fortnight. A serious nuisance has been remedied at the Old People's Home. For some years the drainage system has not been working well and lias caused a nuisance. During the past month the system lias been reorganisedI do not anticipate any further trouble. Rubbish Receptacles,—[ ] mve fom . nienced a systematic inspection of dirty rubbislii tins. Some people are very careless in their treatment of their cans and their rubbish. If the cans are washed every week, and some paper burnt in them afterwards thev will be quite sanitary. Each tin should then be lined ! with paper, especially in the bottom. <i>id the contents kept dry and covered. There would then be no nuisance. Notwithstanding a Court ease, J have seen several tins lately that are disgraceful, and it is my intention shortly to ?eiect 50 or 12 lots for Court proceedings. Fruit. It is pathetic to have to rcoori that much of the fruit for the local market has arrived in bad condition, ami t have been compelled to seize over 2.1(1 eases. This is a serious loss to the grower, and causes .dearer fruit for this market.

ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT. The manager o,' the electrical department reported as follows:- — The demand for the electrical &upp!y is still keeping up, and during the month IS applications have been received, 21 connections and three additions have been made. Piart.—The plant at the Power House and Distributing Station is operating satisfactorily and careful attention is being given to repairs and maintenance. .Storage Battery Distribution Station—Opportunity has been taken during the month to remove the sediment deposited at the bottom of the battery cells. This deposit, if left tor another six months, may have caused trouble with the battery and considerable damage by causing internal short circuits on the plates and destroying them. The carrying out of this work has been necessary in order to keep the battery in commission, and a great amount of care has been necessary to avoid breakages, which 1 am glad to be able to report have been avoided. .This operation lin one that is w-cessavy to the life time of a battery, and more often in some eases than others. I note in making tests of the electrolyte, that traces of iron salts are present,, and these, if in sufficient quantities, will do much harm to the battery plates t 1 have proved beyond doubt that this trouble is due tc. dust entering the room and getting into the battery, and have therefore taken immediate steps to prevent, the dust entering. ThU Ims necessitated an expenditure of CHI, but will prevent possibly a couple of hundred or more pounds worth of damans being done to theIwitter.v- Cuieful observation will bo V-cpt on the buttery and other tests taken In ascertain th|> quantity of Impurity therein, and. if necessary, iI;-- elec'lotyte renewed before any real damage lis tlpne.

CORRESPONDENCE. The secretary of the Taranaki Hospital and Charitable Aid Board wrote asking that when the tarring at Dawson street and Stawlish Hill was being done the work might be continued along Barrett street to the intersection of West street. The medical staff of the hospital considered that it would be of "able comfort to patients and cot driven to the hospital to bftve tarring done pn the

street' suggested, and a liope was expressed that the matter would receive the council's favorable consideration.— The engineer reported that the grade just oil Ntandish Hill might require to l>e lowered before doing permanent work just there, and he therefore could not recommend undertaking the work for some little lime. It wasMecided to reply thai the matter would be considered in connection with estimates for next year's work. Constable WrolilensUi applied for leave to fence and use for grazing purposes a blind road running between Kobe street iind Kranklcy road, situated at the back of Bultecl street.—The engineer recommended granting the application, subject to certain conditions.—Agreed to. Regarding Mr. Guscott's application for water service, it was decided to confirm the arrangement mads; by the engineer. Harbor Board wrote that in reference to The secretary of the New Plymouth the proposed exchange of land between the board and the council, a committee of the board had been set up to go into the matter.—Received. It was decided to reply to a resolution passed by the Manawatu County Council, re the Oovermnent refusing to run special trains for race meetings, that if the council made its resolution to include special trains for agricultural shows, school picnics, etc., the liorougli Council would be prepared nrt it.