NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1918, Page 7

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MEETING OF WORKS COMMITTEE. A meeting of the works committee of the New. Plymouth Borough Council was held last night. His Worahip the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) presided, and there were present Crs. J. Clarke, J. W. Hayden, F. J. Hill, W. F. Short, W. A. Collis, R. J. Deare and G. W. Browne.

INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The borougli inspector (Mr. R. Day) submitted the following report: The new regulations requiring that the registration numbers of motor cars shall be placed on the front of the cars is being enforced. This will be of great assistance to inspectors of traffic. I find that there are quite a number of cars carrying wrong or misleading numbers, and that the terms of the Motor Regulation Act are not being observed. Joint action on the part of all inspectors in Taranaki would have a good effect in correcting this fault. Public Health and Sanitation.—l have continued my investigation of the condition of the du.it tins. Seventy-five per cent, are good and kept in splendid order, while here and there one is found that is disgraceful. Unless one sees these tins actually emptied, it is impossible to credit their filthy condition. Most of it is caused through not cleaning the tin every week, The names of forty people have been taken, and they have been notified. If these people will clean out the tins, burn paper in them, and put a good wad of paper in the bottom before any rubbish is put in, and keep the stuff dry, then there can be no complaint. As it. is, I shall bo compelled to take legal proceedings against a few residents if matters arc not improved. All butchers', fish, fruit and bakers' shops have been regularly visited, as well as stables, hotels and restaurants. Inspector King took up his duties on February 18, and is at present collecting the dog tax.' He has at the same time detected several breaches of the by-laws, as well as impounded a number of cattle. LADIES' REST ROOM.

In connection w ; th the report of the committee set up to consider the question of the location of the ladies' rest room and public conveniences, O. Collis spoke further to the report of the committee as submitted at last week's council meeting, and moved the adoption of the report, with the addition that, a clurge be made on one of the conveniences in the rest room, by means of a punny-in-the-slot machine. The motion was seconded by Cr. Deare and carried.

CORRESPONDENCE. Newton King wrote calling attention to the state of the footpath at the corner of Gill and Currie Streets in front of his machinery showroom. The writer repeated Ms previous offer that if the path was laid down in flag stones he would contribute one-third of the cost of same, and hoped the council would accept the 'offer. The engineer reported that the cost of nagging as suggested by Mr. King would be £25 l!)s Od. It was decided that as the asphalting of the Currie Street frontage liad already been authorised by the council, to also asphalt the footpath along the Gill Street frontage of Mr. King's premises. The Tarannki County Council wrote that the sum named previously ( €3090) as the cost of the V/aiwakaiho bridge work did not include the cost of the wing wall on the lower side of the bridge, which was estimated in July, 1917, to cost £4O. It was understood that the wall could not be erected until the weir was completed. It was decided to contribute the onethird share of the £3OOO, as originally arranged. The borough solicitors (Messrs. Govott and Quilliam) wrote that they were of opinion that the cottages proposed to be. erected on Whiteley Street by Mr. E. Griffith would have a frontage each of over forty feet, and, therefore, would bo no infringement of the by-laws, which were intended to prevent the erection of buildings close together on narrow frontages, and not regulate the shape of the building allotments.

CONTAMINATING STREAMS. J. Hood wrote regarding an alleged nuisance in reference to the Mangatuku Stream, a tributory of the Huatoki, from which there had emanated several times during the past summer a particularly offensive odour from dead animals in the stream, which flowed dangerously near to dwelling houses. On two occasions the assistant inspector had removed animals from the stream in an advanced stage of decomposition, anil on another occasion the writer had lodged a complaint at the office, but it had been left to Nature—in the shape of a flood—to remove the nuisance in that instance. The writer stated that on February 28 the remains of what had been a goodsized dog had been found in a quiet nook in a very advanced stage, of decay, and from which an ''extreme" stench had been coming. The stream appeared to be a repository for that class of refuse, and it was asked that something should be done immediately to abate the nuisance. —The inspector reported that the nuisance was as stated, and that he h;id on four occasions during the summer had dead animals removed from the stream. He had been unable to find the offenders. The Mayor said he thought that for common decency's sake the citizens ought to refrain from sucli practices. He said the council could do nothing unless the offenders were caught red-handed by someone, and he hoped the reference to the matter would be sufficient warning to those responsible.

. GENERAL. Permission was granted the principal of the New Plymouth Girls' High School to use the Municipal Baths this afternoon (Tuesday) for the school swimming sports. A reply was received from the Right Hon. W. F. Mnssey, Prime Minister, to the resolution passed by the council respecting the retention of the occupied portion of Samoa. The Premier intimated that he was in full accord with the resolution, and would lose no opportunity of impressing that view upon the Imperial authorities. An application was received from the Citizens' iiand for permission to give a recital and take up a collection at Ngamotu on the !»4th instant.—The application was granted. It was decided to send a letter of thanks to the Hon. 0. Samuel, who had handed to the council a number of books and papers containing valuable records of interest to the council.