BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 August 1940, Page 7

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

MEETING OF MASTERTON COUNCIL PROPOSED AVENUE IN PARK RECENT WAGE INCREASE ORDER.

The monthly meeting of the Masterton Borough Council was held in the Council Chambers last night. The Mayor. Mr T. Jordan, was in the chair. There were also present Councillors G. D. Wilson. W. White. R. Russell. H. E. Gardner, J. Ninnes, A. D. Low, A. T. Jackson, G. W. Morice. W. Kemp, Trevor Beetham and W. H. Judd.

The offer made at the last meeting of the council by the Masterton Horticultural and Industrial Society to donate flowering apple trees to form an avenue in the Park was considered and it was decided to leave the matter in the hands of Councillor Gardner. Mr L. Robinson, the custodian, and the Society. The Masterton A. and P. Association, the N.Z. Red Cross Society, the Odd Fellows’ Lodge, and the Military Ball committee wrote in the matter of the remission of the hall rent of the Town Hall for patriotic functions. The applications were granted subject to the presentation of an approved balance sheet.

The secretary of the R.S.A., Mr A. E. Prentice, advised that a presentation plate on a seat in the Park donated by the Association had been removed.

It was decided to have a new plate made and fixed to the seat.

The Wairarapa Hospital Board wrote submitting details of this year’s estimates.

The secretary of the N.Z. Municipal Association wrote suggesting that the Town Clerks of Wellington. Eastbourne. and Levin, together with Mr H. J. Bishop (Employers’ Federation) and the secretary of the Municipal Association, represent local bodies to confer with workers' representatives in the matter of the Wellington Industrial District Local Authorities Officers’ Award.

It was decided to approve of the names submitted. "We would like to see uniformity of action among local authorities in the district,” commented Mr Jordan when a recommendation from the works and finance committee that the 5 per cent increase in salaries and wages granted by a general court order to council employees working under awards be granted to the rest of the staff.

It was decided to hold the matter over until the next meeting of the council to enable consultation with other local bodies to ensure uniformity of action. The District Engineer, N.Z. Railways, wrote enquiring the reason for the increased charge for water used for railway purposes.

It was decided to inform the Department that the action taken was decided upon owing to increased costs and to be more in conformity with the water charges made the Department by other boroughs. The Director of Housing Construction wrote asking the council to reconsider the objections raised to two-unit houses being erected upon sections purchased by the Department in College, Renall and Essex strees.

Members of the council stated that they could see no reason why their decision objecting to the houses concerned being erected in College and Renall streets should be altered. They considered the erection of two-unit houses would prejudicially affect these localities.