MOUNT EDEN PROGRESS

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 72, 26 March 1930, Page 11

MOUNT EDEN PROGRESS

PROPOSED NEW LOANS, £135,000 FOR DRAINAGE AND WORKS. COMPLETION OF SCHEMES. Application is to be made by the Mount Eden Borough Council to the Local Government Loans Board for authority to borrow £135,000 for drainage and road work. A sum of £95,000, it is estimated, is required for the completion of the drainage system in the borough, £23,000 for the paving of roads in permanent materials, £15,000 for footpaths, and £2000- for water mains. Drainage operations in Mount Eden have been a long and difficult' undertaking for the council, states a repo'iA by the Mayor, Mr. E. H. Potter, submitted to a special meeting on Monday evening. Great skill and'care in engineering have been necessary. The work has been carried out as building progressed, and up to the present 33 J miles of sewers have been constructed. The greater part of this work is in the southern zone, and will; link up with the large sewer through Mount Albert to the Meola Creek, or to the main sewer on the south-western boundary of the borough. The progress of the work must depend to some extent on the activities of the building trade, so that increased. revenue may meet with increased interest. The other main work of the borough has been the formation and surfacing of the roads. Some 33 miles have been completed, which leaves only a few miles at an estimated cost of about £25,000. The formation and construction of Landscape Road West, and of the road to connect Normanby Road and Clive Road are .included in this estimate. The works that have already been carried out are largely responsible for the growth of population in the borough, which is now almost 20,000, i drainage, a rough estimate of- the cost of the work when it was commenced was about £400,000. A sum of £320,000 had already been spent, and the estimate of £95,000 should complete the work, which would be carried out gradually as buildings were erected and drainage was required. " GLEN EDEN TOWN BOARD. A meeting of the Glen Eden Town Board was held on Monday, Mr. W. E. Martin presided, and tbe following commissioners were present: Messrs. G. H. Ambler, J. Bond. W. F, Rosier,- A. J. Routley and W. 11. Shepherd. Whau Bridge.—Correspondence was read from the New Lynn Town Board re the cost of the construction of the proposed Whau Bridge. The board objected to the citation of 7 per cent to Glen Eden as being unduly high. The' board also recorded its objection to the estimate of £17,000 as proposed by the Harbour Board as being too expensive. Auckland Bus Co.—The Auckland Bus Co. wrote acceding to the board's request that the 10.45 p.ta. bus from Auckland, Saturdays, be : put back to 11.10 p.m. Waitemata Power Board. —Permission was received from the Watemata - Power Board to erect signs on electric light poles. Long adaptors had beep installed, which had greatly improved lighting facilities. The clerk' was instructed to write a letter of thanks to the power board. - Morningside Tunnel Scheme.—There .was considerable discussion on the Morningside tunnel, and strong exception, was taken to the action of the Government in turning down the scheme, as the construction of the new deviation was considered of vital importance to the progress of the district. A copy of the resolution will be sent to the Minister of Railways (the Hon. W. B. Taverner). The board also endorsed the resolution passed at the meeting of the Chamber of 'Commerce on March 21, requesting an, independent inquiry into the Morningside tunnel scheme. It .was decided to write the local member, Mr. H. G. R. Mason, M.P., advising him of the action taken. A sum of £1 1/ was voted towards the legal expenses incurred by Chamber of Commerce. Stock Route.—lt "was decided to write the Waitemata County Council for . confirmation of Kaurilands Road as a stock route. Water Reticulation Loan.—lt was resolved that the loans board be requested to furnish' an early reply to the application for a water loan. Western Suburbs Local Authorities. — The board approved of the work done by the delegate (Mr. W. E. Martin) at the meeting of the Western Suburbs local 1 authorities. NORTHCOTE BOROUGH COUNCIL. The fortnightly meeting of the Northcote Borough Council was held last evening. The Mayor (Mr. A. E. Greenslade) presided. Balance-sheet. —The 'balance-sheet for the year ended March 31, 1D29, duly certified as correct by the Comptroller and Auditor-General, was adopted. The Mayor said there was no tag, for which the town clerk was to be congratulated, and this had been their experience for some years. Main Highways Maintenance.—Estimates of maintenance of- the main highways during the ensuing year were submitted by the foreman, and are to he forwarded to the No. 1 Highway Council for approval. The amounte are: Queen Street, £1892; Lake Road, £553; and Onewa Road, £218. Dental Clinic.—A donation of £5 5/ was voted towards the Northcote quota jof the Birkenhead dental clinic It was stated that £20 was raised at the function i on Saturday towards the clinic, besides | the £10 needed for the cot at the Auckland Sunshine School. j Football Ground.—An inquiry by the Ramblers Football Club as to the date the municipal ground would be available for football proctice , opened up the question of the allocation of the ground to the respective clubs for the season, and the reserves committee was requested to bring forward a recommendation at the next meeting. Destructor Operating Costs.—An application for payment of £157, 'being the proportion of operating costs charged to Northcote since the opening of the. North Shore destructor in 1928 to January 31 last, based on. 452 premises within the area recently defined, was referred to the finance committee. Slipway for Pleasure Craft. —The council regretted that it could not at present entertain the proposal to purchase material at a cost of £45 for the construction of a slipway for the convenience of boat-owners in hauling up and launching their craft at the winter shelter on the eastern beach. Rates Collected. —The town clerk reported that of a total of £11,790 due for rates, £9116 had been collected prior to the ten per cent penalty being added. The sum of £2674 was outstanding, or £441 more than at the same time last year. Rates on properties which had fallen into the hands of the Crown, amounting to £68, were practically irrecoverable, and there were three sets of properties in the ■hands of trustees responsible for £206. More stringent measures to recover the arrears would have., to be taken than hitherto.

Finance.—'The year's expenditure to March 31 was estimated 'by the'town clerk at £13,350. The receipts to date were £12,850, leaving an approximate debit balance of ,£SOO.