BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 April 1921, Page 4

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE. The New Plymouth Bqrough Council met last night. Present: The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson), Crs. W. F. Short, J. Kibby, A. S. Brooker, R. L. Parkin and V. Griffiths. HEALTH INSPECTION. The council decided, subject to the right to terminate the agreement at three months’ notice, to phy to the Public Health Department the sum of £BO per annum towards the salary of the Government health inspector, for services to be rendered, the agreement to be subject to the further condition that copies of all reports of the inspector relating to the borough shall be forwarded to the council immediately upon being received at the District Health Office, Wanganui.

The Mayor explained that up till recently the health inspector’s salary was paid by the Hospital Board (to which the council contributed a levy annually), but the inspector would in future be under the control of the Government. Local bodies were now required to contribute to the official’s salary in addition to the contribution to the hospital boards, the only option being to appoint an inspector for their respective districts. DEVON STREET W IST.

An appeal for some improvement to the road in Devon Street West was made by Mr. D. Wilkinson, the length particularly referred to being that after passing Lorna Street, where the metal ends.

In reporting on this the engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) stated: “The length of road alluded to is always in a bad condition during rainfall and after. The cutting is deep and narrow, and all stock passes over the roadway, making the bed a quagmire of mud| To merely round up is useless, as the first mob of cattle would destroy any such work done. The only means of saving any earthwork is by metalling. The applicant is to be informed that, metalling being the only remedy, the council regrets that nothing can be done to repair the road at present, in view of the state of the finances. EXTENSION OF WATER PIPES. On behalf of the ratepayers in Dorset Avenue Mr. R. 0,. Ellis applied for the loan of a three-quarter-inch pipe sufficient to carry the water from the present termination to the end of the road, and the residents offered to have the necessary labor done fop. the extension under the direction of the council’s engineer. There were' at present four houses to be erected, and others were to follow.

In a report on the request the engineer said he did not think it advisable to allow outside plumbers to interfere with the mains by doing any part of t*he work, and he could not recommend any departure from the usual practice. There would be no objection to residents doing the oilier work. The cost of the piping would be £l2B 7s (the estimates including contingencies). In discussing the question the engineer said that practically the only way in which any pipe, less than a two-inch one, could be utilised was for householders on the extension to put in a tank with cistern, so that it could be filled during the night. It was decided to write asking if the petitioners were prepared to have the extension made in accordance with the new by-laws, under which any extension over 66 feet has to be paid for by the householders concerned. GENERAL. Permission was granted to the Technical School authorities to erect a 25yards .22 rifle range at the school, the site been approved by the military officer in charge of the district (Lieut. L. W Andrew, V.C.). On the motion of the Mayor it was decided that at next meeting the council’s officers present a schedule of all works authorised and not carried out. The Mayor said lie did not believe in old resolutions coming up from time to time, and he was in favor of rescinding all authorisations not acted on, in view of the financial circumstances which could not be foreseen when the original permission was given. Fresh authorisations could be made in any eases where necessary. Reporting on the progress of the hydro-electric works during the month of March, the resident engineer (Mr. R. L. Pearless) stated that the number of men engaged had been reduced owing to the fact that certain portions of the work 'could not be proceeded with in the meantime. The total number employed as at April 8 was 39, and would remain at this figure until he was able to proceed with work at other points. In No 1 contract the heading had been driven to a total distance of 1330 feet, with concrete lining completed to 1263 feet. This left 460 feet yet to be driven, and