SPOTSWOOD AND OMATA.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 June 1919, Page 5

SPOTSWOOD AND OMATA.

DEPUTATION TO BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A deputation from the Spotswood and Omata districts waited on the New Plymouth Borough Council last night to urge the extension of the electric lighting system to their areas.

Mr. D. J. Hughes acted as spokesman. He said it was 1915 when the settlers last came before the council, but, as the war was then on, they felt they could not expect the council to do very much, but now the war was over something better was expected. The great need was for electric light- He pointed out that theif! wer<| suggestions that a private company might be formed to generate electricity, but tlie deputation, who represented the views of a meeting of settlers, felt that would be a wrong step. To wait for the Government, at all events as far as Taranaki was concerned, was to postpone the matter indefinitely. He referred to what was contemplated in the matter of supplying outside places with current, and said he thought the suburbs of New Plymouth should be the borough's first consideration. The Mayor said the matter of extending the electric light system would have to be referred to the engineer to report upon. There were a number of things to be taken into consideration. He pointed out, however, that it was not contemplated that current would be supplied to outside districts from the council's present plant, but from the works when extended under the loan proposals, and it would be two years before the first part of that work fras completed. He suggested that the deputation should furnish the council with all the particulars available and r list of those who would be consumers if the light was taken out there, and the council would see what could be done. | Another matter referred to was the state of the Main South Road from the Breakwater Road to the borough boundary, which, Mr. Hughes stated, was badly in need of attention.

The Mayor replied that the work was authorised, and that the engineer would be making a start aa soon as ever he could get on to it. It was pointed out that when the county did work in the locality a good deal of lf.bor was given by the settlers themselves, and there was no doubt that the same would be forthcoming for the borough. Reference was further made' to a resolution passed by n meeting of Spotswood settlers suggesting that the Borough Council was not sufficiently careful in the granting of licenses to motor drivers. Mr. Hughes said it seemed that many men were given licenses who ought, not to have them. The resolution of the meeting suggested that the council should appoint a committee to control the granting of licenses. It wa,s also suggested that the council should work in with the police in such matters.

The Mayor, in replying, said tlie council did work in with the police. He also pointed out that it was not fair of a meeting to pay that the council was not sufficiently careful in granting licenses to motorists. As a matter of fact, the council had an outside, independent examining engineer—a man connected with the Technical College—who had to he satisfied before a license was issued. The meeting was evidently not aware of the position when it passed such a resolution. The trouble was that only a few of the motors passing through Spotswood were driven by men residing in New Plymouth, and consequently the council had no power over them. No other council in the district licensed motor drivers.

The town clerk said there were very few boroughs that insisted on drivers being licensed, and the fact that New Plymouth did showed that they were more careful than was the case in. most places in that respect. Mr. Hughes said the resolution was not aimed particularly as a reflection on the New Plymouth council, but was meant as a hit at the motor laws generally, which required bringing up to date. The Mayor said the matters referred to by the deputation would be considered by the council. Mr. Hughes thanked the council and the deputation withdrew.