LOCAL BODIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 202, 27 August 1931, Page 10

LOCAL BODIES.

BIRKENHEAD BOROUGH COUNCIL

The-fortnightly meeting of the Birkenhead Borough Council was held last evening. The Mayor, Mr. J. P. McPhail, presided.

Letters Not Received.—The town clerk reported that he had taken the unusual course of omitting two letters from the agenda, as these were " discourteous in tone, uninformed in matter, and unworthy of the council's consideration." He was quite sure members would endorse his action when, they had read the letters, which were from the secretary of the Birkenhead Residents and Ratepayers/ Association. The Mayor said the council was always pleased to receive suggestions in the interests of the borough, but attacks on the personnel of the council might be avoided. The letters were available for perusal of the councillors. Valuation of Borough.—The ValuerGeneral notified that the ratable capital value of Birkenhead Borough was £901,978. The unimproved value was £347,304, and improvements represented £554,674. The town clerk pointed out that the unimproved value for 7930 was £347,862. Vehicular Time-table. —The Mayor stated that steps had been taken towards a conference of the Northcote Borough Council and the Auckland .Automobile Association to act with the Birkenhead Council in suggesting a suitable vehicular ferry time-table for the summer months. The Devonport Ferry Company would be asked to call the conference.

Post Office at Highbury.—On the motion of Mr. W. H. Payne, seconded by Mr. H. A. Campbell, it was decided to ask the Postmaster-General to receive a deputation from the council in support of the proposal to erect a post office on the section purchased at Highbury Corner. Motoring Past Schools.—lt was decided that the present speed limit of fifteen miles per hour remain unaltered, and to have the notice board repainted. Band Subsidy.—The usual annual subsidy of £20 to the Birkenhead Borough Band was authorised. Beach Road.—Mr. A. G. Jarrett, in a letter, said that half of the new work dn Beach Road, Island Bay, had been left undone. The Mayor stated that this portion should be completed as soon as possible, and it was decided to .inform Mr. Jarrett to this effect. Boroughs' Amalgamation.—The town clerk of Northcote wrote that the matter of the amalgamation conference was receiving attention, and would be thoroughly gone into by the Northcote Borough Council as soon as the' present pressure of work in the office, in the -issue of rate demands, etc., would permit. The Mayor stated Birkenhead was ready for the conference as soon as this suited the convenience of Northcote. . , Street Collection.—Permission to take up a street collection on October 2 was granted the St. John Ambulance Association. . The Victoria League was also given permission to have a daffodil stall on Friday, September 4. : _ Fire Brigade Carnival.—Mr. R. R. liay : man asked the council to receive a deputation representing the carnivaP committee regarding the money handed over to the council for fire brigade purposes. The Mayor said the council had resolved previously that deputations would be received by'committees, arid, in view of that resolution, the deputation could not be heard. The money was shown as a separate account in the borough balance-sheet. When the council' was in a position to give the necessary information, representatives of the queens and the original carnival committee would be called together and taken into the confidence of the council. The legal direction awaited in all probability would be available in ahout a week. Legal difficulties - ( prevented &, the council doing what was desired. The money would not be spent until the carnival committee was acquainted with the position. The council had nothing to hide, theimembers being of the same milid as the residents as-to the disposal of the money. The Mayor agreed; to attend the meeting of-the carnival committee on.Monday to explain the position; , " '•, TAKAPUNA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Mayor Mr. J. Guiniven, presided at last night's meeting of the Takapuna Borough Council. . Street Collections.—Permission to hold street collections was granted the Waitemata Women's League and the St. John Ambulance Association, dates being September 5 and October 2 respectively. Ambulance Services.—When a reply to the- council's complaint concerning the ambulance service of the North Shore was received from the Hospital Board, the Mayor stated that more than one medical practitioner had since approached him and said that the present service was obsolete, and that they could not understand why some of their confreres could support the hospital board in their attitude. The council set up a sub-committee to investigate the whole service and to wait upon the hospital board. Bus Charges—lt was resolved to approach the No. 2 Licensing Authority in an effort to secure lower charges upon the bus service serving the borough. Mr Guiniven said that undoubtedly the district had retrogressed since its transport had been handed over to a monopoly. The main obstacle to relief being granted was the fact that land and sea services were nominally controlled by two separate companies, but in reality they were one. The determining factor of cost of travel should be the profit on the combined land and water service, and not upon the land service only.