BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 March 1939, Page 7

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

MEETING OF MASTERTON COUNCIL. ' RESERVE AT EKETAHUNA. The Mayor, Mr T. Jordan, presided at the monthly meeting of the Masterton Borough Council, held last night. Others present were: Councillors Trevor Beetham. J. Ninnes, G. W. Morice, A. T. Jackson, H. E. Gardner, R. Russell, G. D. Wilson. W. Kemp, W. H. Judd, A. D. Low and W. White. An application by Mr R. S. Percy for a taxi drivers' licence was granted. Mr Jordan said that it meant another driver and not another taxi.

The Mayor reported that he had interviewed the deputy Auditor-General regarding comments made on the council’s balance sheet for 1937-38 and that he had satisfied him concerning the exceptions raised.

Mr Jordan was thanked for the trouble he had taken jn the matter. The Wairarapa Hospital Board is to be advised that-, the council hopes to have the question of providing better lighting in Blair Street attended to within the next few days. Mercury vapour lights will probably be erected.

The : Eketahuna County Council wrote asking for permission to proceed with the fencing of a section of the Borough reserve, taken under the Public Works Act, for the purpose of a roadman’s cottage. Mr Jordan said the council was entirely in the dark as to what land the county intended to take. The whole thing seemed to him to be irregular. The council should have been consulted as to what land tne county intended to take. The engineer, however, had pointed out that the Public Works Department probably knew more about the position than did the county.. Councillor Beetham: “The department is probably overriding the county.” Mr Jordan said that the county had been taking metal from the borough reserve for the past 60 years and had not paid anything until last year when £4O was received. It was decided to ask the county to submit a survey plan and full information including the question of compensation, to the council. It was also decided to pay the rates owing on the land and to bill the county with an equivalent sum for the metal taken. -

The following recommendation by the Gas Committee was adopted: "That for the purpose of arriving at the minimum consumption charge of 5s per month to a consumer who has more than one independent meter the quantity of gas consumed through all such meters shall be taken into ’ account, and that where any meter has been removed through a misinterpretation of the original resolution no charge shall be made for reinstatement.”

A letter was received from the Masterton County Council regarding local centennial celebrations and memorials. It was decided to thank the council for its letter and offer to co-operate and to state that the borough would be pleased to confer on the matters at a later date.

. The Wairarapa Automobile Association wrote requesting that a post opposite Faulkner’s garage, Lansdowne, be removed. The council decided to reply stating that as the post in question had been put in at the express wish of the borough officers for the purpose of controlling traffic they could not accede to the request. Mr Jordan said the street was wide enough without encroaching on the footpath.