GREYTOWN AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 August 1939, Page 7

GREYTOWN AFFAIRS

MEETING OF BOROUGH COUNCIL

RATES FOR CURRENT YEAR INCREASED.

OBSERVATIONS BY TOWN CLERK

(“Times-Age" Special.)

The monthly meeting of the Greytown Borough Council was held last night. Those present were the Mayor Mr A. W. Horton and Councillors E. Balfour. W. A. Tate. J. Blissitt, G. F. Eagar, H. J. Farley, P. Woods, H. Trotman and H. J. Nightingale. "The borough rates have remained at the same level for ten years, except for one decrease, during the depression years,” stated the Town Clerk, Mr J. Kiernan, in submitting Ihe estimates for the financial year ending March 31. 1940. The proposed alterations are as follow: —

General rate, increase of Id in the £; Hospital rate, increase of 7.32 d in the £; special rates, decrease of Id in the £.

"The General Account finished the year with a debit of £772 6s lid and we must endeavour to place this account on a more sound financial basis. The principal reason for this account being in debit is the grants that have been made to the Gas Department to make up losses.

"The grants made are as follow: — 1931. £47 19s 8d; 1932. £120; 1933. £150; 1934, £150; 1935. £lB2 ss; 1936. £500; 1937. £250; 1938. £150; 1939. £150; total, £l7OO 4s Bd. while in this year's estimates allowance is made foi a grant of £225, making a total of £1925 4s Bd. x

“If we take last year’s results in the Gas Department as a basis the grant of £225 this year is at least £275 short of the amount required. The increase in the hospital rate is unavoidable and is one over which the council has no control. In 1932 the rate levied by the Wairarapa Hospital Board amounted t( £72 8s; this has risen each year until the levy for the current year is £270 2s.

"It is obvious that we cannot inde ■ finitely keep on striking a rate to produce £7B and pay the Hospital Board almost £2OO more. To relieve these increases I suggest that you decreas; the special rates by Jd in the £, al though this relief can only be a temporary measure.

“Owing to large collections of arrears of special rates over the last few years this account is £l5OO in credit. As the proposed decrease in these rates amounts to £552 6s 8d per year, it will be seen that this credit will be wiped out in three years, even if we collect the same proportion of rates as we have done in the past three years. Summing up the situation, the two principal financial problems of the borough are how much the Gas Department will lose and how much the hospital rate will be increased in the future.” The estimates were approved.

"I beg to bring to your notice the likelihood of accidents to motorists through the numerous stray dogs wandering in the borough and I would be pleased if the council would consider taking action to alleviate this trouble,” stated a letter from Mr C. S. Nicholson, Traffic Inspector of the Transport Department. “At present,” continued the letter, “any motorist swerving to miss a dog is liable to accident and as the main street is now a State Highway I would be obliged if some serious action could be taken.”

“Supply him with a gun, this problem is indeed a serious one,” commented a councillor.

It was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the Mayor with power to act.

A grant of £2O towards the construction of a Rest Room at Greytown for a Centennial Memorial was received from the Towns Lands Trust.

The council supported the suggestion that the present library be shifted upstairs and the library committee was instructed to obtain estimates of the cost of lhe proposal, which is to be considered at the next meeting of the council.

A letter was received from the Wairarapa Electric Power Board regarding the appointment of a permanent electrician at Greytown. It was decided to forward the letter to the Greytown Fire Brigade with a view to the brigade having a man instructed in the pulling of fuses in event of a fire. A grant of £3 6s 8d was made to the Grc-ytown Tradesman’s Association towards extra lighting at Christmas. The foreman. Mi- Lyford, reported that three half-inch water connections had been laid to State houses, making live connections to date. Three blocks in the sewer line at Papawai had been attended to. The blocks had been caused by ploughing and several pipes had been broken. These would have to be replaced. The sewers for seven Slate houses had been finished. The Gas Manager reported that gas made amounted to 343,600 c.ft., and the amount in stock was 6.600,. making a total of 350.200 c.ft. Gas sold was 287.300 c.ft. Coke sold amounted to 12 ions llcwt.