BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1919, Page 8

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

1 .J|j MONTHLY MEETINGS % ' The" monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held last night. In the absence of his Worship the Mayor, Cr. AY. A-. Collis presided, and there were also present: Cr3. J. Clarke, J. W. Hayden, F. J..Hill, W. F. Short, E. Griffiths, R. J. Deare, and G. W. Browne. OFFICIAL REPORTS. The official departmental reports, including those of the engineer, the electrical department and tramways engineer, sanitary inspector, and abattoirs manager, as well as the various committee reports, as already- published, were received and adopted. The Reserves Committee recommended that the light in lvawaroa. Park be reinstated, and also that tlie repairs to the esplanade previously authorised he proceeded with. The report was adopted. The Streets Sub-Committee recommended that Cr. Griffiths be granted until February 3 in which to erect fences along the sub-division boundaries of his property at Whitcley Street, Moturoa, in accordance with the plans on which the permits were granted. Failing compliance with the decision, -the borough solicitors be instructed, without further reference to the council, to lay an information Against him in accordance with the opinion expressed by them. The report was adopted.

WORKS COMMITTEE. Subsequently a meeting of the Works Committee was held, the same councillors being present. RATES ON CHURCH PROPERTY.. Messrs Govett and Quilliam wrote with regard to requests from certain religious bodies for exemption from rating for certain of their properties. An opinion was expressed that the land whereon was the Roman Catholic Church was exempt from rates, and also the land on which the Convent buildings arc erected. With regard to the lemainder of the land, further information was required as to its use before an opinion could be given, as the exemption of the church carries with it the exemption of a reasonable quantity of land used in connection therewith.

Jd connection with the r.pplicaf ion of the owner? of the Whiteley Hall building for exemption on the ground that the building was used only for religions purposes, the solicitors pointed out. that exemption could only be claimed if the building could be classed as a. church under exemption (c) or as a school under exemption (<r) The build in.!;?, in their opinion, were not. exempt under (i) nsr under (g], as they are used for oilier purposes than :l Sunday sehc.ol. To be entitled to exemption the building must be used exclusively fur the purposes incidental to or in furtherance of its purposes as a Sunday ech.ml. Jn regard to the Fr.-tnkleigli Pal'!; Sunday school, the opinion was ox.pressed that bavin;; regard to all the circumstances and the rarity of the evasions on which it is used for other purposes (j'.ollii;? booth). Ihe building should be treated as a scuool and exempted as such.

It was decided to send copies of Ihe solicitors' letter to the parties concerned. The town clerk stated that v.u..-"wor" paid in respect to ihe Uoland Hall ami St Man's Hall MUSEUM EXHIBITS. In furtherance of a decision of the council some years ago. whereby it was a«iaVd to erect dvinking-troughs on the prope."Ues of Messrs Simpson (Bel! Block) and lioneyiiewl (Moturoa) in exchange I'm- two irvpois. relies of Taranaki whaling expeditions for exhibition in the museum, it was resolved that ihe engineer he m.-truited 10 carry out the work, so that the trvpols could be removed to the museum building. UPKEEP OF Villi-: BRIGADES. 1 The town clerk of New-market wrcde asking the council to support a resolution passed by his council to the el!>ct, that all local bodies should urge the Government with a view to assisting the United Fire Brigades Association to achieve their object, to provide the necessary legislation whereby the tipIcet'p of all fire brigades be shared eut'vaiJ.V 4 s between the Government, incompanies, and local bodies. — The leN*r Wll - s received. REPARATION OF SOEDIEHS. The WansanUi Borough Council forwarded a copy ol a resolution passed by the local branch of the South African Veterans' Association urging upon the Government the necessity of taking proper steps, in connection with the repatriation of soldiers', to ensure the prow transport of soMiers, so as to avoid such regrettable incidents as the Britannic affair at the end of the South. African war, particularly with regard to overcrowding of troopships. The Wanganui Council had given its support to the resolution, and urged other bodies to support also. Cr. Browne moved and. Cr. JJears seconded thas the resolution be supported. Several other councillors considered that the matter was outside the province of the council, who should not interfere in the polities of the couutry. On a vote being taken the motion was defeated, and the letter was therefore received. DOG TAX. Dog registration fees were fixed at 10s /or 3s if paid before March 31). The ' ,feo for working dogs was fixed at '2s (id per head.