THAMES NEWS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 161, 10 July 1928, Page 3

THAMES NEWS.

OBJECTION TO A TRADE. GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL OFFICIALS DIFFER. (From Our Own Correspondent.) THAMES, Saturday. The Medical Officer of Health at Auckland recently notified the Thames Borough Council that he considered the trade of receiving, drying and preserving of skins by an agent of an Auckland company in the borough was in contravention to the Health Act, which state® that it shall not be lawful to establish an offensive trade except with the consent in writing of the local authority and the Medical Officer of Health. As no application had been made to him in connection with the business, he asked the council to institute proceedings against the company under Section 54 of the Health Act. The borough inspector reported that there was nothing insanitary or offensive about the premises, and that everything was clean. The council decided to suggest to the Health Department that, as the council could see no objection to the carrying on of this business in the borough, permission be granted by the Department. When at Thames last week Dr. Chesson, the Medical Officer of Health, interviewed the Mayor on this matter and maintained that the trade would become offensive. He thought that a new brick building should be erected on a better site. He recommended that the tenants be given two months' notice to secure another site. When the matter came before the council on Thursday the majority of the members thought the trade was not a nuisance, as there was no complaint from the residents. After some discussion the council decided that the Mayor and Cr. Bush interview the manager of the company regarding a new site. New Post Office. The trend of business, having now diverted toward the centre of the town, has rendered the present location of the chief poet office very inconvenient from a business point of view. Furthermore, the existing post office is very old, inconj venient in its arrangement and insanitary. Under the circumstances a new struct are is long overdue. Just about two years ?go the Govern mc- 1 . purchased a suitable site in Pollen Street Central, but stipulated that a new structure would not be authorised for a period of two years. As that time has almost passed, the members of Thames and Ohinemuri, Messrs. T. W. Rhodes and A. M. Samuel, waited upon the Postmaster-General and urged that provision be made on this year's estimates for a new and up-to-date post office on the new site. Word was to-day received from the Postmaster-General that he ii obtaining a report on the matter. State-Owned Quartz Battery. The recent proposal by the Moanataiari Company to allow crushing to be done at their battery at a cost of from 7/ to 10/ a ton (plus labour), provided the Government will grant the company financial assistance, has received unanimous support in the form of a largely-signed petition to the Prime Minister, who is acting Minister of Mines. The petition was presented by Messrs. Rhodes and Samuel, M.l'.'e, who urged that effect be to the desire of the petitioners. Mr. Ooates seemed to be impressed with the arguments put forward, and has now promised to have the matter exhaustively inquired into. Should the Government accede to the request it will mean renewed interest and prosperity to mining in this district. Lighting of Wharves. The report received at the last meeting off the Harbour Board on the lighting costs of the wharves showed a wide difference in the cost of each wharf. Notwithstanding the lights were equal in number at the Turua, Shortland and Burke Street wharves, the annual costs were: Turua, £15 9/8; Shortland, £23 0/2, and Burke Street, £33 15/4. In all three cases an officer of the board turned the lights on when he left work each day and off when he resumed next morning. The board has decided to install time switches. Winter Show Exeirslon. Everything points to a large exodus of Thames people next Saturday to the Auckland Winter Show. Excursion fares are to be allowed by the steamer and rail, while the hockey and Rugby sports bodies are combining and running an excursion to play fixtures at Auckland. Further Relief Work. Arrangements are well in hand by the drainage branch of the Lands Department for the employment of about 40 men on relief work on the Hauraki Plains. They will be engaged in collecting flax plants from swamps and transplanting them in an area of Crown land south of the Ngarua canal. Huts and cookhouse have been erected and the first batch of men will arrive on Monday, July 9.