NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 September 1919, Page 6

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

* ADJOURNED MEETING. Tho adjourned meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held bust night, there being .present: The Mayor (Mr. C. 11. Burgess), Crs. V. H. S. Griffiths, J{, 1. Parkin, A. S. Brooker, W. A. Collis, W. F. Short, I'. J. Hill, J. W. Hayden, and J. Clarke. " STREETS WORK. The borough engineer submitted revised estimates for repairing Ariki and Queen Street, including alternative schemes for putting down tar coating and tarred macadam. The Mayor said he had asked the engineer to put in fresh estimates, and the question* now arose as to whether the council should make the central streets in the town of a more permanent character. He pointed out that now that Ariki Street had been made the arrival and departure place 'for all the country motor buses it was carrying Much heavier traffic than hitherto. jDuring the discussion the state of< King Street was referred to, and on the motion of Crs. Griffiths and Parkin it was resolved to lay down tar macadam the full width of the roadways in King and Ariki Streets, and for a width of' 18 feet in Queen Street, tie strips at the side to be tar-sealed. Both counoillors expressed the opinion that tie streets in question should be put down in some more permanent material than the tarsealing process. The Mayor stated that the additional j cost amount to £548. DAMAGE AT CEMETERY, The sexton of the borough cemetery wrote to the effect that further acts of vandalism had taken place in the cemetery, and suggested that a warning notice might have a deterrent effect. Too many young children were allowed in the cemetery without being under proper control. He particularly referred to damage done to a plot enclosing aAonument to three soldiers who ga«jftheir lives in the war. ; On the motion of <srs. Colhs and Clarke it was decided to enforce the bylaw, which was to the effect that no child under the ago of 12 years not under the proper control of some competent person shall be allowed the right to make use of the cemetery. GRANTS TO SOLDIERS. Tho Palmerston North Borough Council asked support to a resolution urging that when the Government made grants to returned soldiers for the purpose of enabling them to establish homes, such grants should only be given on condition that the* money be utilised in the establishment of new homes, and not for the acquisition of dwellings already in existence. council expressed the opinion that such a provision would relieve the present shortage of houses. The futther opinion was given that in many instances returned soldiers were paying extortionate prices for house properties, sonic of which were not in the best of condition, and present occupiers, who had no protection, were being turned out and found themselves without accommodation. The Mayor said it might be desirable to urge the Government to adopt the suggestion ns far as possible, but he did not think grants shenld be made conditional upon new homes being built. Or. Collis said that if extortionate prices were being paid bv soldiers the Government was to blame,'as their valuers had to report on properties before a loan was authorised. Cr. Clarke said there were no extortionate prices being charged to soldiers for homes in New Plyaeuth. The fact was that the Government found it cheaper to buy Teady-built houses than to build new oneß. Cr. Griffiths said if the soldiers had to depend upon getting new homes at the price of building now thej would not get homes in a hurry. The letter was received. ALLEGED DEFECTIVE TIMBER. The borough engineer put in a letter to the inspector in regard to complaints that certain timbers to be used in rebuilding a cottage in Devon Street were infested with U>eu',orer. inspector sorted that the terms on which the )■<'.< reetion of the building was permitted were that all timbers showing signs of being, infested with borer should be removed., and this was being faithfully carried out by the builder. He had kept the place under supervision and was satisfied that no borer infested timber was being used. Cr. Griffiths stated he had seen the place and was satisfied that there was no ground for the complaints that were being made. 'He admitted that in its present condition it looked dilapidated, but it, was nonsense for any amateur to condemn it on that account. GENERAL. On the recommendation of the inspector, the application of W. J. Sheppard for permission to remove an old house in Rimu Street was declined. The borough inspector wrote suggesting that as the summer was approaching some steps should be taken to make provision for-camping grounds at Moturoa. He thought som e tracks might be out through the lupins on the camp reserve and some sites pegged off. The council adopted tho suggestion, subject to satisfactory sanitary arrangements being made. A long letter was received from Mr. J. Murland, in which he complained of not being able to get satisfaction from borough officials in regard to several matters. One was the repairing of a fence on his property 0 n which the councils .horfles had been running. The gap was cut in order to let the horses in and out, and had been left open since the horses ceased to use the paddopk. In regard to the lack of a water supplv the engineer pointed out that no application for the service had been received from the owner. Another complaint was in regard to the state of the road giving access to his place. A further complaint was made as to rubbish dumped at the borough tip. The engineer reported that the gap in the fence had been repaired a few days ago In regard to the rubbish tip tiie inspector's report was t 0 the effect that the complaints were exaggerated. The streets sub-committee recommended that the application of Mr. F. W. Fretbey to.take over the unused portion of Holdfiworthy Road, between the Brooklands Road and Old Carrington Road, provided he was allowed the freehold of the land, be not granted. It was pointed out that there were legal difficulties in the way of carrying out Mr. Frethey's suggestion, and' the recommendation of the sub-committee was adopted.

It was decided to grant the £SO ap(lW for by the Carnegie Institute Com'

mittee for the purpose of purchasing exhibits fur the museum from, time tq time. The council affirmed the principle .'of placing ihe control of the Wcstyn Park on a similar footing to Kawaroa Park, but referred the matter to the Committee to arrange detail*. The request of the Fitzroy Association that the footpath at tha \Vtil\vi(fituho tramway terminus shelter shpold lie asphalted was acceded to, tho cost' being estimated to he £5. It was decided to grant the application of S. A. Whitehead for the extension of the water service along Frankley Bond to a sect ion on which he intends to erect a dwelling-house. The cost of a oneinch pipe was estimated by the engineer at £O9 7s lid, and it was pointed out that the sub-division of an adjoining property in the near future would probably mean that there would be more consumers. 4 , i I