BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1921, Page 4

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

NEW PLYMOUTH COUNCIL. •< THE MANGAMAHOE DAM. The New Plymouth Borough Council met last night. Present: The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) and Cns. J. Kibby, T. W. Blackhall, 'E. Dingle, R. A. Large. J. Brown, R. L. Parkin, W. Rumball and V. Griffiths. At the previous meeting of the council the engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) reported on the question of raising the Mangamahoe dam, and action was deferred until last night. The mein feature of Mr. Cook’s report (a summary of which han already been published) was a suggestion that the best means to gain the desired end was to thicken the wall in concrete from the foundation upwards, and he submitted detailed estimator of the cost, which totalled £3Oll 16s. When the report was again before the council the Mayor remarked that the proposal could not be entertained at such a price, and it remained with the council to suggest further notion. Cr. Parkin agreed that the price was prohibitive, but he favbred exhausting every avenue offering a solution of the difficulty, as the object aimed at by the work was highly desirable. He mentioned Mr. F. M. Grayling as one whose knowledge of such work might be utilised, and he suggested that Mr. Grayling should be asked to submit an estimate of the cost of raising the dam or suggesting other means of holding the water back. Cr. Brown agreed that every effort should be made to procure the extra power; and other councillors, supporting j;his view, favored the opinion of Mr, Grayling being obtained, and this the council decided to do. HYDRO-ELECTRIC WORKS. Regarding the rights over Neilsen’s property the hydro-electric resident engin per (Mr. Pearless) reported: This mat. ter is now becoming serious, and ; again draw attention to the fact thal unless we are able to extend our operations over the property* in dispute all work of the permanent scheme will be held up within a very short time. 1 now estimate that another two and a half months should allow me to extend the present heading A to a point adjoining Neilsen’s property, and also to complete the lining at this point. Tc carry on will mean driving the tunnel under this property without consent. It will also mean carrying on tit a point where this cannot be done so economically as from the central headings. The council will visit the property find go into fhe question. NO TEMPORARY ’BUS. The tramways engineer reported: “1 regret that to date I am unable to put any satisfactory arrangement before you in regard to a temporary ’bus. Th< best offers I can.get are: Nine-seatei Hudson car at £6 per day, all found and a 15-seater White ’bus at £8 per day, the council to find the second driver necessary.” The Mayor said he was afraid the suburban residents who depended on the ’bus would have to learn to walk, for while he realised that it would be an unpopular move he proposed that no substitute should be. provided when the ’bus is taken off for overhaul. He therefore moved that the ’bus be withdrawn for overhaul and no substitute be provided. One or two councillors entered a protest, but the motion was carried. Mr. Bartley said the ’bus would probably be out of service for about a week and as no substitute was to be provided he would endeavor to choose a period of fine weather, so that the service would be interrupted with the minimum of inconvenience. GENERAL. When applications for borough houses were before the council the Mayor suggested that a time for closing applications should be fixed. Cr. Kibby reported good progress with the houses, some of which were nearing completion It was decided to close applications in a week.

The question of improving the entrance of Gladstone Road into Cutfleld Road was brought* up by a ratepayei concerned (Mr. F. L. Parker), whose boundaries were involved in any de eision the council took, and he asked whether it was proposed to improve the corner or not. —Action was deferred pending an inspection by a sub-commit-tee.

The borough engineer (Mr. W. H Cook) reported on the work necessary to put Rawhiti Road, Vogeltown, in order. He pointed out that the road was covered with grass, and was badly cut up and required to be properly formed. The cost involved was £l99.—A subcommittee will inspect the road. The Taranaki Motor and Cycle Sup-, plies applied for power for manufacturing purposes. R. S. Wooldridge, Ltd., applied for a 3 h.p. electric motor for use at their foundry.—The applications were granted subject to the power being used only between the hours of 10 p.m and 6 a.m. The council has certain leases at Toko and for some time it has been unable to come to an agreement with Mr. G. Sangster (o-f Stratford) regarding the lease of two of the sections. The matter was again before the council last night, when the Mayor explained the position. He said new valuations were recently made and all the lessees agreed to them except Mr. Sangster, who said he was prepared to take up one leaee, but he objected to the valuation of the other. He pointed out that it was desirable that the council should settle this matter, and on his suggestion it was decided that Crs. Brown and Rumball should inspect the sections with Mr. Sangster and report to the council.