BOROUGH COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1918, Page 6

BOROUGH COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held last night. The Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) presided, and there were present Crs. 3. Clarke, F. .J. Hill, E. Griffiths, W. A. Collis, B. J. Deare and G. W. Browne, REPORTS. Tha various departmental and committee reports, as already published, were (ipproved WORKS. COMMITTEE Following the icouneil meeting the Works Committee met, when the follow, ing correspondence was dealt with:— Stanley V>. Shaw, as agent for Mrs. F. M. Shaw, applied for permission to lay off a right-of-way from Gover street in accordance wi#i plan submitted.—The engineer reported that the by-laws preVented dwellings being erected fronting or aliutting on a right-of-way if they had no frontage to a public street. The ckusc distinguished between a right-of-way and a private street as if with the intention of preventing dwellings being erected fronting on a right-of-way unless the dwellings also had a frontage to a street. If that was so then no dwelling could be erected on 'the section to which it was proposed to make the right-of-way.

On the motion of Cm. Griffiths and Deare it was decided t* grant the application.

Seven ratepayers of Cutfield road wrote calling attention to the state of that road between Hine street and the railway, and asked that the "same be graded and metalled and the footpaths put in order at once.—The engineer reported that there was no kerbing or channelling; the path} were of clay and partly overgrown with grass. All estimate of the cost of putting the road in order would be submitted to the next meeting. It was decided to await the engineer's estimate of the cost of the work.

A petition was received from 22 ratepayers and residents of the boron eh asking that the re-asphalting of -the footpaths in Devon street East, between Liardet and Gover streets, be undertaken without delay. The paths were said to be very much out of repair and at some places dangerous. It was decided,' on the motion of the Mayor and Cr. Griffiths, to refer the matter to the streets sub-committee. The chairman of the Hawera Returned Soldiers' Association "Big Push" Fund (Mr. W. L. Sprat t) wrote asking if the borough of New Plymouth would observe Wednesday, April 17, as a halfholiday on the occasion of the motor cycle race meeting to be conducted by the South Taranaki Automobile Association in aid of. the above fund. It was pointed out that the meeting would bo the first of its kind held in Taranaki, and as the proceeds would all be for jatrotic purposes it wa9 resolved to ask all Taranaki towns to observe a half' holiday on that day, in order to facilitate as large an attendance as possible The town clerk reported having nassed the letter on to the New Plymouth Employers' Association, and intimated to the Hawera Committee that without the support of the Employers' Associa tion the Borough Council would not be t'ble to do much in the matter. The president of the Employers' Association (Sir. W. F. Brooking) wrote si" tins that his committee were of opinion that a half-holidav in New Plymouth on the date would not materialiv affect the tneeting, and thev therefore vere unable to comply with the reouest. Tt was decided to send a copy of the letter to tli -'mplovers' Association to the Tlawera Committee.

The registrar of the Victoria sity Collew. ,/ellinston. wrote drawing the attention of the borough to the fact •■hat the college, in conjunction with the Workers' Educational Association was developing a system of University extension classes —more especially for working men and women. The letter pointed oii|t that provision was made for a Government £ for £ subsidv on all monevs siven to the collesre for educational purposes, and it was suggested that in future the interests of bodies or persons '■ontributing to the finances of the Workers' "Educational Association classes would be best served if the eontrilmt'ons were paid to the college, and the Government subsidies collected thereon, the college giiarantoeine that all contributions from any borough or district, to. sretlier with the subsidies thereon, shall .be spent on Workers' Educational Association work in the boronnli or district. The annual cost of a tutorial class was about £10(1. the principal items of expense being the tutors' fees— £72— and the £2O grant for the class library. No class or borough need be without I such » class'provided (a) there are 20 [students anxious to study subject: j (b) that a suitable tutor can be found; land (c) that the local authority is prepared to pay £45 or £3O to the Victoria College, and thus obtain the Government subsidy thereon. The letter pointed out that a beginning had already been made in Wellington, Petone, Palmerston N., and Feilding and that, other centres were moving in the same direction.

It was decided to refer the matter to the Technical College Advisory Committee. The taxi motor car owners of New Plymouth wrote asking the council's consideration of certain sust?csted amendments in the charges for hire of mntof cars within flic borough. The petitioners s.lleged that since the present bv laws were made fixine the charsres. the cost of benzine, tyres, and incidents runnine costs had increased bv at least 100 per cent.. In other centres the hiring charsres had been increased and it was asked that consideration be given to the proposa's set out bv petitioners. It was decided to refer the matter to the streets sub-committee for a report i