NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1919, Page 7

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

monthly meeting. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held last night, there being present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr. C. H. Burgess), Crs. H. V. S. Griffiths;, R. L. Parkin, A. S. Brooker, W. A. Collis, W. P. Short, F. J. Hill, and J. Clarke. The monthly reports of the heads of the various departments, and also committee reports, were received and approved. GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.

Subsequently a meeting of the General Purposes Committee was held, when the same councillors; were present. In regard to proposed additional tramway regulations, correspondence was received from the Public Works Department, and the Christchurch and Inver-c-argill tramway authorities. The manager of the local tramways also wrote to the effect that the regulations referred chiefly to the question of limiting the number of passengers which may be carried on a car at any one time. In the case of the New Plymouth service the regulation would mean that small cars could carry 48 passengers (32 seated and 16 standing) and the big cars 72 passengera (48 seated and 24 standing). That would necessitate at least three more cars, and also additions to the staff. _ The change would affect the financial side of the tramways) very considerably, and if the council could bring about a modification of the regulations, and delay the time of bringing them into force until tramways plaDt can be purchased at a reasonable price, it would be something gained, and he recommended the council to Bupport a movement in that direction.

| Furthjer correspondence stated that a, conference had been arranged to take place in Wellington on June 4. It was resolved that Mr. Bartley should attend the conference and oppose the proposed regulations. Twenty-seven ratepayers and residents of Upper Vogeltown petitioned the council to extend the bus service to the lunction of Carrington rind Brooklands Roads. In previous services; the suggested terminus had always been the terminus, and was popularly known as such. The electrical engineer stated that the extension would mean an additional 42 miles per week. His aim had been to cut out till idle mileage, and he feared that much of the extra distance would be idle mileage. With only one vehicle to maintain a constant service, it was necessary to watch even small items sucl> ias the above. Up to date the bus had run 5700 miles;, and would, without diffi- | culty, maintain the same time-table with , the requested extension should the council desire it.

[ The matter was referred to the Elec- ; trie Light and Tramways Committee to [report upon. ! STREETS SUB-COMMITTEE. ! The Streets Sub-committee made the following recommendations:—That, in regard to the suggested temporary widening of the roadway at the corner of | Queen Street and St. Aubyn Street, nothing be done until sufficient land has been acquired to widen the street permanently; that the borough engineer be instructed to submit a plan showing the land required for the widening of the street as set out in paragraph 3; that consideration of Mr. R. Cock's application to exempt portion of Carrington Road and Mill Road from the provisions of the Public Works Act be deferred to enable the borough engineer to submit further particulars desired by the committee.

Mr. J. E. Wilson's application re subdivision of bis property on South Road was referred to the borough solicitors for information in regard to the existing right-of-way. METAL SUB-COMMITTEE. The Metal Sub-committee recommended that the Taranaki County be informed that the council cannot see its way to purchase Pt. Native Reserve 23 and Lots 27 and 32 part Section 126, offered for the purpose of metal reserves. —Adopted. DEPUTATIONS. A deputation from the New Plymouth Fire Board waited on the council in regard to the condition of the fire plugs, notification of new plugs, and erection of sumps for the fire engine. • Mr E. V. Webster, who acted as spokesman, said, in connection with two of the recent fires the brigade had been hampered through the condition of the plugs. They were also desirous that when new plugs were put in the brigade should be immediately notified. The Mayor said that the first matter was already receiving attention, and that the others would be gone into with the engineer. The deputation then thanked the council and withdrew. Another deputation, representing the Fitzroy Ratepayers' Association, waited on the council, and urged that it should approach the Harbor Board with a view | to securing a reserve at Sackville Street for recreation purposes at Fitzroy. They also brought under the notice of the council the need for widening the entrance to the Mangorei Road from Devon Street. Mr. E. Griffiths acted as spokesman, and urged the need for securing ground for recreation purposes in the suburb of Fitzroy, and he doubted if the. reserve referred to would be needed by the Harbor Board. In regard to the widening of the entrance to the Mangorei, Road, he said several accidents had occurred in the vicinity already, and the residents felt that unless something was done soon a very serious accident might happen. The Mayor, in reply, said the matter of securing the reserve was already being considered. In regard to the Mangorei Road, it wa9 an old question, and ! had been before the council for many ' years. He thought if the road was ; widened on one side it would be an improvement, but urged that some definite offer in regard to the acquisition of the necessary land should be made to the council, and then something might be done.

Mr. Griffiths Baid he thought it would be possible t< put some definite offer in that direction before the council at an early date. The deputation then thanked tho council and retired.

GENERAL. It was decided that the engineer interview Mr. S. W. Shaw with regard to the latter's request for permission to form a right-of-way to facilitate the subdivision of property off Cover Street. The Taranaki Hospital Board applied to have the sewer laid in Fulford Street, iu order to connect its cottages with the same. The engineer reported that as the road was not yet formed he suggested that the . matter be held over iu the mean tbae.—Board to bs notified that

application could not be entertained at present. D. J. Hughes (Spotswood) wrote calling the attention of the council to the state of the Devon line. The engineer reported that the load was chiefly used as a cattle track. He could not recont* mend putting the road in first-class order, but stated that it could be put in fair order for from £SO to £6O, not including any metalling. Whin funds permitted, the surface might be gravelled with an inferior class of metal. —Mr. Hughes to be informed that temporary work will be carried out. The borough engineer desired authority to obtain up to 1000 cubic yards of beach gravel.—The Mayor approved, stating that it was desirable to have the material on hand, so that + .he council would not be hung up in fine weather. With a few storms the gravel may be procurable.— Authority given., The Gisborne Borough Council wrote suggesting that a remit be forwarded to the conference of the Municipal Association, with a view to securirg that when the municipal rolls are being prepared, the names of all borough residents appearing on the Parliamentary roll be placed on the municipal roll without separate application for enrolment. —Resolved that the council could not support the resolution.

" The local branc'i of the Labor Party wrote in reference to complaints that voters who were eligible to vote had been refused votes at one or more of the polling booths at the election for councillors in April. Three specific cases had been cited, one being a candidate, who only 'got his papers after an amount of persuasion. It was alleged that in some booths the supplementary rolls were not referred to by those in charge. Attention was drawn to the matter, with a view ■to preventing a repetition of such things in the future. —Received. The Waihi Borough Council invited the council's co-operation in securing an amendment to the Municipal Corporations Act to provide payment of not more than one guinea per day to councillors engaged on borough business; also that the Government be asked to bring down legislation making Saturday the statutory half-holiday.—The Mayor stated that they could support the halfholictey question. He believed that what was'meant was that councillors should be paid whilst v away on business. They certainly could support the Saturday half-holiday, and a motion was carried to this effect. Cr. Collis drew attention to the ne-. cessity of the inspector paying more attention to his work. He stated that there were various places where furze, etc., was growing up and becoming a nuisance. Near the post office the furze was nearly as high as the fence, and it: the centre of the town this should not be allowed.