NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 June 1918, Page 6

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL

MONJIBLY .MBCTTWfI, The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held laat night. His Worship the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess) presided, and there were also present: Ore. J. Clarke, J. W. Hayden, F. J. Hill, W- F. Short, E. Griffiths, W. A. Collis, R. J. Deare, and G. W. Browne. OKPBQIAL REPORTS. The reports of the various departmental officers and the committee reports, as already published, were received. In considering the engineer's report, Cr. Browne referred to the stone wall erected on Carringtjjn Road, whereby Lemon Street had been closed, and said that he would have opposed the proposal had he understood that it meant the closing of Lemon Street. He said it practically meant giving Mr. Mace the use of the wTole of that piece of road. The engineer pointed out that when the plans were drawn it was with an understanding that the road had been a closed road. He had not found that road had not been closed until after the foundation was in. The Mayor said the adjoining owners understood that the road had not been closed. If that question, had been raised, he doubted whether the council Would have got the land they required. As it was, he thought the council had come out all right, and Garrington Road was now a good and well-fenced roadThe reports were adapted. WORKS COMMITTEE. 1 Following tl£ council meeting, a meeting of the Works Committee was held, the same councillors being presentA VEXATIOUS tBY-LAIW RESCINDED. A petition was received from 112 rate* payers and residents of (he borough praying for an alteration of the by-law which prohibited "postilion" riding on motor-cycles. The petitioners stated that the matter was injurious to their business interests, and deprived many of a considerable amount oi innocent j pleasure without any corresponding I benefit to those unable to participate in it. It was alleged that New Plymouth was one of tht .very few towns in New Zealand —if not the only one—where postilion riding was barred, and that tourists from other centres were constantly complaining against the by-law. All present-day motor-cycles were built to allow of postilion riding, and the practice was universal at the front.

Or. Short favored an alteration,of the by-law. He said the only reason against the practice was on the ground of danger, and he thought those who rodo were the best judges of that. He did not suppose those who rode motor-cycles would willingly take a risk of that sort if it was as dangerous as suggested. He also said it was a matter of economy to many people, and in the present day, when efficiency and economy were being advocated in all directions, he thought serious and favorable consideration should be given to the request It happened that people who rode in that fashion through the county had to put off a passenger at the borough bounI dary, or else take the risk of infringing, the by-law. He moved that that part I of the by-law ba rescinded The motion was seconded by Cr. Hayden. Cr. Oollis said he did not favor suspending the by-law throughout the borough. He was prepared to grant the concession in respect to certain parts of the borough, but he was strongly of opinion that it was dangerous, and especially along the train routesWhen the motion was put the voting

was:—For rescinding the by-law: Crs. Clarke, Hayden, Short, Griffiths, Deare, and Browne. Against: His Worship the Mayor and Cr- Collis. The motion was, therefore, carried. OTHER MATTERS.

L. Langridge wrote that as the council had declined to form a footpath to his property in Mill Road, he gave notice of his intention to put his fence out on to its proper boundary. He pointed out that if the council had cut the bank away from its section adjoining Down Street and given him a 4ft footway from Down Street to Buttell Street, he would have been quite satisfied.

The engineer submitted a rough plan of the locality showing the footway proposed by (Mr. Langridge, and the cost of formation, He pointed out, however, that the work would in no sense tie permanent, nor would the path formed be the (property of the council. It was decided to take no action in the matter in the meantimeJ. Laslibrook applied for permission to fence in the dead end of Doralto Road, adjoining Mrs. Earp's and Miss French's and the writer's sections. The adjoining owners signified their conßent to t!he proposal. The engineer recommended granting the request providing other owners of adjoining property did not object. The application was granted on the usual conditions. The Public Trust Office wrote respecting Native reserve section 15, Te Henui, that the board had considered the question of compensation for the proposed acquisition of the section by the council. and had resolved that if the council acquired the land by proclamation under the Public Works Act, it would agree to compensation at the amount equal to the special Government valuation obtained, namely, £l6O It wa3 resolved to proceed with the acquisition of the section Tinder the Public Works Act.