BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 September 1939, Page 7

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

MARTINBOROUGH COUNCIL 57 PER CENT OF RATES COLLECTED. CONTROL OF ROAD TRAFFIC. (“Times-Age” Special.) The monthly meeting of the Martinborough Borough Council was held at Martinborough last night. Those present were the mayor (Mr C. W. Skill) and Councillors P. R. Plummer, D. J. Green, A. I. Hamilton, M. Mulvaney and G. P. Cotter. The town clerk reported that to date rates totalling £1547 had been collected. This amount represented approximately 57 per cent of the total rate levied. “For sometime past the department has been controlling road traffic in your borough” stated a letter from the Commissioner of Transport.” The local Inspector has worked in close touch with you and from the road accident figure I should say the arrangement has been quite satisfactory. The question of your borough making some payments for the services it receives from the department has not been raised up to the present, but I should be glad to have your council’s views on this matter. I may say that in a number of other boroughs about the same size as yours, the department carries out the traffic control work and the boroughs make an annual contribution, the amount of which is mutually agreed upon. As regards prosecutions, these are entirely the responsibility of the department and your council is not troubled regarding them, except in cases involving the payment of heavy traffic fees on farmers’ trucks which are not proceeded with without your council’s approval.”

It was decided to hold the matter over until the next meeting of the council.