STRATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 June 1919, Page 3

STRATFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL.

' SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of tlie Borough Council was held on Monday evening.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING,

The electrical engineer (Mr Hollands) reported that tenders had come to hand for the proposed 120 hp. Diesel engine and generator, to supplement the present plant. Tho prices received had far exceeded all expectations, as the estimates in his report to the council during July, 1918, were based on a price quoted by the' agents of the present plant. To cover the price, he added £IOOO, which he considered was ample for any emergencies that mig))t arise between the quotation and placing the order. The price quote* had exceeded the estimate by approximately £l'ooo, ■but was for a slightly larger engine. This would account for some of the extra cost. The makers evidently did not manufacture the 100 li.p. type. This plant would satisfy the borough demand for a further twelve months, say, six years instead of five as recommended. The position was unfortunate, as the plant would now, when erected, cost approximately £6600. This, with interest on loan would take all the money that had been sanctioned, viz., £7OOO. It was a pity that events had made it impossible to extend the lines as laid down, but if funds were not available some part of the programme Would have t-o be left out. As the matter was of an urgent nature, he would recommend that the order for a Diesel plant be placed without delay, and fresh tenders called for alternator and switch gear. The Mayor said the best thing they could do was to adopt the engineer's recommendations. There was no likelihood of prices coming down in the near future, as it would take the manufacturers from one to three years to com- ■ plete present orders. The only drop that could be expected was in freights and insurance, and before the engine could be ready for export, these would be reduced. The best way would be to order f o.b. Home port. Mr Hunter, "in moving the adoption of the report, said they must be governed to a very large extent by the engineer in such a mitter. There were two important points that had to be considered. In trying to supply the public they were over-taxing their present plant. There had only been two short stoppages during the past eighteen months and these were not duo to any fault on the part of the engineer or his staff, but there may be under present conditions a breakdowri at any time. Secondly, they were turning away business and losing revenue on this account. By putting in the new plant they would not only be able to increase their business, but they could reduce working expenses by running the 100 instead of the 200 h.p. eng gine. He was not sure that under their concessions they had the right to refuse supplies to any applicant. Cr Thompson, in seconding, said it should bo made clear to ratepayers that the council was not responsible for the increased cost of the plant- They could not control prices. ' "

Cr Jackson said he was extremely disappointed with the present position. On a previous occasion he had asked the Mayor if it was correct that the cost of the plant would be between £SOOO and £OOOO and he had replied—"Yes." The Mayor denied this.

CY. Jackson, continuing, flaid that when the loan was asked for it was clearly understood that there would l>e sufficient money to extend 'all over the bor qugh. They could not help the increase in price . but it was disastrous that they should have to spend the whole of the loan and have nothing at all left for extension. Farmers and others around the town were handicapped because they could not get the expected supply . They could not extend on the revenue, and it seemed to liim that they should have had a larger loan.

The Mayor: It is no use stressing that. We all regret what has occurred, but no one was tn blame.

Cr. Jackson: Will there be any money for extension?

The Mayor: Practically none. In reply to Cr. Cameron the engineer said the plant he proposed ordering would synchronise with the present plant.

The Mayor said they were entitled to raise 10 per cent additional on the loan, lvhich would give them £7OO, and if as thev expected the duty was knocked off .that would mean a reduction of £7OO, giving them a .total of £I4OO for extensions.

Cr. Hunter said that if they did as well in the future as in the past there would be no trouble about extensions, though he did not think all extensions should be made out of revenue. The motion was carried, and it was further resolved to place the order for the Diesel plant by cable.

THE BUILDING BY-LAWS. The application of the Egmont Club for the right tp carry their present building up another storey without being compelled to erect outer walls of brick, stone or-concrete as required by the bylaw was again considered. Advice was received from the borough solicitors that the request could not legally be granted.

Thft Mayor said there was a clause in the 'by-law under which they could grant the request, provided that compliance with the hy-law would mean undue hardship. Personally he did not think it Would be wise to establish a precedent of thftt. kind.. He did not think that the enforcement of the by-law would mM|vum\iie hardship, and a twostorey Building in''corrugated iron in such a locality would bo no ornament to the.town, if they granted permission ;iri this case they could not refuse it in another. They could not, for instance, refuse the NZ. Loan Company permission to add another storey to their building. Ho would sooner the council pay half the cost of the brick wall adjoining their property than set aside the regulations governing the brick area. Cr. Campbell moved that the Bgmont Club be granted permission to make the addition of another storey in wood and iron. He would speak as a past president and a member of the committee of ' tho club.

The Mayor: Then you are out of order. If yon are interested in the club in that way I cannot allow you to move a resolution.

Cr. Jackson claimed that he was within his rights. If the council said a brick wall must be erected it would mean that there could be no addition to the building. They had found that they could not purchase any part of the land adjoining unless they purchased the lot, which the club could no.t afford to do. He pointed out that the additions were for the returned soldiers who were coming ba<&in. groups almost mry dftj.

| Did they want these men to frequent billiard saloons and stand at street corners? They should have some place to go to and the only place was the "Egmont Club. There was not a fair minded mail in the-town who would back the Mayor up. . The council need not throw stones because there was no brick wall to their own property, the fire brigade station adjoining. If tlic council did not accede to the request it was up to them to move in the direction of providing some place for returned .soldiers, If ,tlie present request was turned down the additions would not be made. That was decisive- He would move that they accede to the request. The Mayor then quoted from the rules governing procedure to show that any man having pecuniary interests at stake could not vote on the question. As Cr. Jackson was a member of the Egmont Club Committee the Mayor held that he could not vote.

Cr. Young said he would move the resolution proposed by Cr. Jackson. It was a ease in which they ~'onld waive the by-law as they had with the Farmers' Co-op. a short time previously. Cr. Lawson, in seconding, said that a brick wall could not be put on the south side unless the club purchased tho whole of the section.

Cr- Thompson opposed the motion. It was unfair, he said, for Cr. Jackson to use returned Boldiors for the purpose of intimidating councillors when a. question like this' was before them. They all sympathised w,ith the soldiers. He understood that the Egmont Club Committee were preparing to put in a fourth billiard table and were providing a room at the front for soldiers in the present building.

Cr. Jackson: That is not true. Cr Thompson. Supposing the owner of the adjoining section decided to build, what hope would there be for his property if a fire broke out? The councillors were there to enforce the by-law and conserve the ratepayers' interests. Cr. Hunter said they had no right under the by-law to grant the request. Cr Cameron said he was prepared to make a compromise; No one could accuse him of unfairness to soldiers, but he could not see his way to move in favor of a breach of the by-law. Having made the by-law they should stand by It. He would move that they accede to the request on the club giving a written guarantee 'that they would when the adjoining section is built upon, pay half the cost of a brick wall.

I A Councillor: What about, the north side.

Cr. Cameron: As there is not likely to be any building there I would give way on thatCr. Walsh seconded.

Cr. Thompson said it had been stated at the las.t meeting of the council that a foot of land could not be purchased from the adjoining owner. The owner was present and could tell them that he had not been asked.

Cr. Jackson: He has been asjeed. I rang up the owner and he absolutely refused to sell part of the land. ITe said he would sell the lot or none. At this stage Cr- Jackson claimed his rights as a councillor as he had not yet signed the bank guarantees as 1 a member of the Egmont Club Committee. Mr Thompson, the owner of the adjoining property, said he had been approached for a piece of land running into his section about 20 feet, which was requii&d for a room for a billiard table. This he had refused to sell. He subsequently agreed to sell the whole section for £750. A strip of a foot he had never been asked to sell. He was prepared if the Egmont Club wished to erect a brick wall to give tile land for the purpose. ■. The Mayor: If that is so the council would pay half the cost on the other side for the erection of a brick wall. He would move that consideration be deferred for consideration at the next meeting, find that the matter tfould come before the Egmont Club Committe again. Cr. Jackson. A foot of land would be worth about £2O, which would not go very far towards the cost of building the wall. You are simply wasting time. The club can't do it.

The Mayor's proposal was carried,