TE AWAMUTU NEWS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20956, 8 November 1939, Page 13

TE AWAMUTU NEWS

WIDENING OF STREET INCIDENCE OF COST (Special to Times) TE AWAMUTU, Tuesday. During the absence of the Mayor of Te Awamutu on a trip abroad, there was considerable discussion at council meetings about the incidence of cost of widening Sloane Street and laying down the roadway. At last night’s meeting of the council, Mr Brookes asked the Mayor who it was who assured him that the Highways Board would bear the cost. The board denied any such arrangement and offered a subsidy. He understood always that the work would cost the borough nothing, and he would like to have the matter cleared up. The Mayor, Mr G. Spinley, said that at the inception of the scheme it was felt that there would not be a subsidy because the road was not then a main highway. He went to Wellington and interviewed the Post-master-General, who gave an assurance that the Post Office would be moved back. An estimate of £3OO was given for the cost of street widening. A committee from the council went into the whole matter and negotiations were entered into with Rickit and Sons with the result that the latter would be paid a price which was agreed upon. The arrangement was to take a piece of Rickit’s frontage which would be reinstated and they would make no claim for loss of space. Forming of Footpaths The council anticipated that it would have to make some payment. The engineer was consulted and the council agreed to metal the roadway. The Main Highways Board took over the roadway. Rickit and Sons were pressed to sign the agreement but there was some delay. The resident engineer was interviewed and he advised that the council would have to pay compensation and the department would pay for the road. Then the question of footpaths arose, the borough solicitors holding the view that if the Main Highways Board agreed to do the roadway it would have to do the pathway because of the definition of road, and the council was advised that it would not have to build the pathway. It had never been anticipated that the council would not have to make some payment. The council could not move till the necessary documents had been signed. Mr Brookes said that there was a strong feeling that the council was assured that there would be no expense to it. Mr Spiers said that he understood always that the work was not to cost the council a penny. It was strange, but there appeared to be something wrong. A committee had been set up, but that committee had not on any occasion reported back to the council. ‘Some Misunderstanding” The Mayor said that he was referring to a period when some of the present councillors were not councillors. The agreement had been produced and read at a council meeting. He had never made the statement at a council meeting that the work would cost them nothing. Rickit and Sons held up the agreement. There was evidently some misunderstanding, said Mr Maxwell, for when the present council came into office the general opinion was that the work would cost it nothing.

Mr Spiers remarked that there was nothing in the minute-book to show the position. The Mayor replied that the arrangement was made before the new Post Office was started. It was a case of negotiation all the time, and the agreement was read at a council meeting. The State Highways took over the highway and that made all the difference. The sum of £3OO was placed on the estimates the first year though in his opinion at the time the cost would be about £7OO. Good work had been done. He stressed that at no time had he told the council thai the work would cost it nothing. The matter then dropped after a councillor had remarked that the borough had done well out of the scheme anyway.

UNSATISFACTORY RESIDENCE

HEALTH INSPECTOR’S REPORT Recently the Te Awamutu Borough Council considered the probability of issuing a closing order in respect of a canvas residence within the borough following upon a letter of the Health Inspector as to lack of certain sanitary arrangements. At last night’s meeting of the council, legal advice was received that the inspector’s letter was not a “report” in terms of the Act and the inspector was not a medical officer and could not issue the necessary certificate. Before the council could issue a closing order, it would have to get a certificate. It was decided to refer the opinion to the inspector.

ARREARS OF RATES

CLAIM FOR INTEREST COUNCIL’S LEGAL RIGHTS When the legal and finance committee’s report came before the Te Awamutu Borough Council at its meeting last night, it was mentioned that arrears of rates to March 31 last amounted to about £790. The list was placed before the council before being handed to the borough solicitors. Among other outstanding claims was one for a balance alleged to be owing in connection with sewerage installation. The Mayor said that the council had to seriously consider whether there should be any writing-off until it was satisfied that there were sufficient grounds for doing so. It was pointed out that the resident who was alleged to owe the balance had paid the principal but interest was claimed. The amount had been owing for years and the property was a valuable one. Discussion followed as to whether the claim for interest could be enforced, the town clerk explaining that he had given a receipt for the principal. Remarking that the rannril had a

duty to the ratepayers to collect money when people were able to pay, the Mayor moved that the legal and finance committee refer the question of liability for interest to the borough solicitors. PARKING OF CARS PRACTICE OVERSEAS AMERICAN USE OF BUMPERS The burning question of car parking in Te Awamutu will be the subject for discussion at a conference of interested bodies and the Transport Department on Monday, November 20, at 7.30 p.m., in the Council Chambers.

At last night’s meeting of the council letters were received from Newton King Ltd., the Farmers’ Union and the Chamber Qf Commerce to the effect that the three months’ trial period had elapsed, and it was felt that there should be a reversion to angle-parking all through the borough. The Mayor said that the parking arrangement was the result of a conference but it was apparent that there was now plenty of criticism. Mr Brookes suggested that there had been no attempt at co-operation from the start.

Asked about parking in countries he had visited, the Mayor said that it was nearly always parallel parking. It was a revelation to see London drivers manoeuvre their cars, but in America drivers held that bumpers were made for a purpose and they used them freely to bump their way out from parking areas. The drivers there could not understand why we did not use the bumpers for the purpose for which they were made.

MAYOR ENTERTAINED

RETURN FROM OVERSEAS VISIT TO GERMANY At the conclusion of last night’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough Council, councillors entertained the May or,v Mr G. Spinley, on his resumption of the office after an extensive trip to Europe and America. The deputy-Mayor, Mr J. C. Montefiore, said that they were all glad to have Mr Spinley back, and tney felt that he had learned much of vaiue to the borough. He was assured of the support of the council. In replying, the Mayor gave a very interesting account of his tour, and some entertaining stories about conditions abroad. He said that the general feeling in Germany, where he was before war broke out, was that England and Germany would never fight. In England, he met some high officials and their opinion was that there would be no war as they did not think that Hitler would take any step to bring Germany into conflict with England. However, there was a feeling that if war had to come* the sooner the better. England was wonderfully prepared in all ways; food controllers had been at work for months. As far as the Air Force was concerned, Mr Spinley expressed the opinion that Britain had more planes and plant than she cared to admit. The work of camouflaging aerodromes was wonderful. Impressions of America Mr Spinley spent some time in America and visited the World’s Fair. To give some idea of the size of the fair, he mentioned there were 65 miles of roads. Some of the exhibits were marvellous, New Zealand’s court being one of which he was proud. The only country which was not represented was Germany. Some anxious moments were spent when trains had to be caught, and it was very difficult to find one’s way about and to get reliable information from officials as to localities and times of arrival and departure of trains. One thing seemed to be dependable, and that was that most trains run late. Compared with England, America suffered badly in this respect. Lighting and the use of neon lights was a remarkable feature of the American cities which were equally remarkable for the numbers of restaurants and eating houses. RE-OPENING OF BATHS REQUEST FROM SCHOOLS Last summer the shortage of water at Te Awamutu resulted in the closing of baths in Teasdale Street. At last night’s meeting of the council, a letter from the headmasters of the two schools opened a discussion after a letter from the health inspector mentioned certain requirements for placing the baths in a satisfactory condition.

The town clerk pointed out that under the award a caretaker would have to be paid £5 for a forty-hour week. Two men would be necessary to keep the baths open for the usual hours. The matter was referred to the finance committee to go into ways and means immediately with a view to re-opening as soon as possible.