LOCAL BODIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 205, 31 August 1933, Page 20

LOCAL BODIES.

BIRKENHEAD COUNCIL.

DEVONPORT BOROUGH COUNCIL,

MOUNT WELLINGTON ROAD BOARD

DRAINAGE BOARD.

The Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board met last evening. In the absence of the Mayor, Mr. A, J. Entricau presided. New Member. —By virtue of liis election as Mayor of Mount Albert, Mr. R. Ferner has become a member of the board. Population Figures.—ln an annual statement from the Government Statistician, dated June 7 last, the constituent population figures for the Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board's district were given as at March 31 last as follows:—Auckland City (portion), 105,800; Mount Eden, 20,150; Mount Albert, 21,000; Newmarket, 3240; One Tree Hill (portion), 5970; Mount Boskill Road district (portion), 1270; total for drainage district, 157,430. Donation.—A donation of £3 3/ was granted to the funds of the Auckland Sailors' Home. Chlorination Plant.—Of the nine tenders received, ranging from £823 11/6 to £2102, for the installation of a chlorination plant at the main outfall works, Orakei, the board, on the recommendation of the engineer-secretary, Mr. H. H. Watkins, accepted the lowest, £823 11/6, submitted by Messrs. Cory-Wright and Salmon. The plant is to provide for the treatment of an average daily dry-weather flow of 10,000,000 gallons of screened sewage in order to eliminate odours and disijifect the effluent. The plant is to be supplied and installed complete in every detail. The accepted tender is for automatic control, and was considered the most favourable proposal by the board's engineer, who submitted the operating cost of the plant would not exceed £ 1100 a year. The board also accepted the offer of Messrs. Cory-Wright and Salmon to supply liquid chlorine at £42 15/ a ton.

The Birkenhead Borough Council met last night, the Mayor, Mr. G. Mills, presiding. [ Undedieated Roads. —In reply to a request from Mr. A. Addison that the council do something to High Street, the Mayor said that the council could net undertake to dedicate the road this year. "Walking Time" Policy.—The Department of Labour at Auckland, in a letter, said that as the policy of the council appeared io be to arrange the jobs fmrelief workers, as far as possible, within walking time of the men's homes, and when such work was at a distance, to arrange transport, it could not see that there was any reason to allow "walking time." In any case, prior approval from the office would be necessary before such a concession could be granted. The letter was referred to the works committee. Donations. — Several donations were made: £2 2/ toward the Queen Carnival funds for the Birkenhead School dental clinic; £20, authorised in the estimates, for the funds of the local band; £4 4/ to the social fund of the fire brigade. ' Relief Wages.—The Birkenhead Unemployed Association wrote asking that relief wages should be paid on Thursday instead of Friday. The Mayor said that Friday had been the day set aside. He did not know what the reason of the association could be. To make payment on a Thursday would mean a hardship for the inside staff. The matter is to be left in the hands of the Mayor. Telephone at Wharf. —Mr. R. R. Hayman reported that there was a possibility of the P. and T. Department installing a telephone at the wharf.

The Devonport Borough Council met last evening, the Mayor, Mr. H. F. W. Meikle, presiding. Melrose Park.—lt was stated that the Melrose Park Tennis Club had carried out all work on the courts since the grubbing of the mangroves from the area. About £700 had been spent, including £500 on the courts. The club asked that the council make a contribution of material for the work of installing drainage, and supply relief labour for work on the pavilion and supervision for topdressing the courts. The request was referred to the grounds committee. Welfare Association. —A grant of £40 from the Prosperity Week fund was acknowledged in a letter from the Devonport Welfare Association. It was decided that any further grants from the metropolitan committee should be handed to the council, to consider the distribution of funds. Labour Day Donation. —A donation of £2 2/ was voted to the prize fund of the Labour Day celebrations. Firemen at Pariah Hall.—The report of the special sub-committee set up to investigate the need for the attendance of a fireman at meetings in the Parish Hall was adopted. It was considered unnecessary to have a fireman at social gatherings held purely in connection with the church. At advertised gatherings held by outside bodies it was considered reasonable that a fireman be in attendance at a charge of 5/ per night. Road Improvements Asked.—A deputation was received from'residents of Kiwi Road, Stanley Bay, urging that reconstruction work be commenced on the street as soon as possible, in view of the £300 allocated for this purpose. The Mayor assured them that the council would commence the reconstruction as soon as the engineer found it possible. ,

At the fortnightly meeting of the Mount Wellington Road Board the members present were Messrs. W. Gollan (chairman), G. H. Kay, N. Walters, H. Hay, R. M. McCulloch. Water Extension.—lt was reported that the water mains for the extension of the water supply to Westfield had been delivered, and the work of laying would be put in hand immediately by the board's present permanent staff. Relief Labour. —Comment was made on the quality of work performed by men on No. 5 relief in the district. It was alleged that, whereas a few were willing to do a reasonable day's work, the majority appeared to evade effort as much as possible. It was decided to give preference to those men doing satisfactory work in the event of allocations being restricted from time to time. Police Supervision.—A deputation from shopkeepers of Panmure, headed by Mr. G. Turton, waited on the board to ask that a request be made jointly by the Panmure and Mount Wellington Boards and the business community to the Police Department to have the resident constable at Panmure retained. "It was stated that the Department intended to abolish the police station at Panmure and to place the whole district under the control of Ellerslie police station. The deputation insisted that the Panmure district was too far from Ellerslie for adequate police protection, and that, particularly in view of the lack of telephone facilities, petty crime at least would be difficult to check if the Panmure station were closed. The board agreed to join in the request for the maintenance of the local station. By-laws.—ln conformity with the requirements of the Metropolitan Fire Board under authority of the Fire Brigades Act, 1926, by-laws to regulate the erection and licensing of buildings to be used as dance or social halls were formulated, and are open for public inspection until September 26. Public Hall Loan.—Advice was received from the Loans ' Board that the road board's application for sanction to the proposal to raise a loan of £1500, for the erection of a public hall on the public hall site in the district, would be submitted to the next meeting of the Loans Board, which would be held probably early in September, for consideration. The need for a hall in the district is severely felt, as social activities are practically nonexistent, owing to the nearest buildings being in Otahuhu or Ellerslie. If sanction is obtained, there seems little doubt regarding its approval at the hands of the ratepayers.