BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 October 1942, Page 3

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

EKETAHUNA COUNCIL A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH. PRINCIPAL SERVICES MAINTAINED. (“Times-Age” Special.) The monthly meeting of the Eketahuna Borough Council was held last night, there being present: The Mayor (Mr W Olsen), Crs. E. M. Simmers, M. Priest, D. D. Ryan, R. B. Gallagher and H. C. Rogers. Leave of absence was granted to Cr. Marenzi. The treasurer reported on the borough’s finances as at September 30 as follows:—District Fund Account, dr., £509 5s lOd; No. 2 Account (earthquake damage), dr., £lOB2 2s 7d; Domain Account, cr., 19s 7d; rate arrears, £2OB 9s 2d; cemetery arrears, £4B 10s. Acounts passed for payment were:— District Fund, £691 4s 6d; No. 2 Account (earthquake damage), £450 13s 9d. The Health Inspector reported for the quarter ending September 30 as follows: “Once again I am pleased to report a clean bill of health. This is indeed very gratifying, when taking into account the very difficult conditions under which all residents have been placed, due to damaged buildings and food premises. The foodshops and eatinghouses have carried on in a most remarkable manner, even at great personal risk to themselves, and I am pleased to say that reconstruction of most of . the buildings’has now commenced or is in sight. Building reconstruction work has been proceeded with as fast as conditions would permit, and many difficulties present themselves with each and every job. The plumbers have done, and are still doing a splendid job in the restoration of the services vital to health. I am pleased to report that the principal services, water supply, drainage, nightsoil and rubbish removals, have been well maintained under the most difficult conditions, and great credit is due to those who were responsible for the efficient working of all these services.

The Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department wrote advising that the Public Works Department had received instructions to demolish the old Post Office building.

It was decided to proceed immediately with necessary repair work to the pavilion at the swimming baths. As a result of an examination of the building it was found that one end had been built on a soft foundation, with the result that the building had broken in two. Cr. Ryan referred to the departure from the town of Mr B. Tucker, who

had been a member of the local Post Office staff for the past 16 years. During that time, said Cr. Ryan, Mr Tucker had nroved a most courteous and efficient officer. He moved that a letter containing the Eketahuna citizens appreciation of Mr Tucker’s services be forwarded to the Postmaster-General. The foreman reported that an epidemic of window-breaking was prevalent in the business area of the town. The premises most affected were damaged buildings, including the (Municipal buildings, Bank of New South Wales, and Turner’s buildings. It was decided to ask the police to take appropriate action.

The foreman was authorised to prosecute owners of straying stock found on the roads. The Mayor referred to the results obtained locally in connection with the last provincial patriotic appeal. He was of the opinion that the appeal in Eketahuna should be wound up. The position, he said, was that Eketahuna’s quota was £337. Of this amount £247 10s 7d had been received in cash, while outstanding donations totalled £24, leaving roughly £7O to make up the required quota. Unfortunately, at the present time, he could not see much use in leaving the appeal open. The Town Clerk thought that another such appeal would be launched early in the New Year, at which a councillor suggested sending out the chimney accounts before anything like that happened. It was decided to forward the amount in hand to the Patriotic Council. It was decided to put in hand urgent repair work to the Cliff Walk, which had been made unsafe through the falling away of large portions of the Cliff, necessitating the moving back of the protective fence.