CIVIC AFFAIRS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 221, 18 September 1942, Page 5

CIVIC AFFAIRS

COUNCIL DECISIONS MILITARY HEKVICE APPEALS At last night's meeting of the Auckland City Council, at which the Mayor, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, presided, a formal decision was made to appeal for essential members of the staff called up for military service. The text of the motion was as follows: " That in view of the heavy depletion of the council's staff in its various departments as a result of calls made by the armed forces, and the prospect of further similar demands in the near future, the council authorise the town clerk to lodge appeals for such members of the staff as in his opinion it is necessary to retain for the efficient conduct of the council's services, and to this extent the former policy of refraining from appealing for any member of the staff be waived, particular care to be taken that no one will be appealed for where it is not absolutely necessary." The annual charge to bus and service car proprietors for use of the municipal transport terminal was increased from £3540 to £4505 on the recommendation of the public safety committee, which , had had an investigation made by a firm of accountants and had also consulted the operators. It was decided that the charge should he apportioned between bus and service cars on the same dual basis as formerly, namely, space occupied and numl)er of trips run, bus proprietors to pay £1117 instead of £3098 and service car proprietors £418 instead of £442.

The Lands and Survey Department forwarded a plan and forms which the council was asked to execute consenting to the proclamation of a number of new streets and the closing of several unused streets in the Orakel suburb. The city engineer, Mr. J. Tyler, reported that all the new streets were in various stages of construction and none had been completed. If the council executed the forms its action would imply that it consented to the dedication of the streets. Ho recommended that the signing be deferred until the streets had been formed and drained to the council's standard. This course was agreed to. The council acknowledged the gift by Mrs. D. W. McClurg, daughter of the late Mr. C. V. Houghton, of several documents relating to the formation of the New Zealand Shipping Co.. Ltd.. 70 years ago, and of the company's predecessor, the New Zealand Freight Co., Ltd. The gifts were intended for the Old Colonists' Museum, as was one by Mr. Hally Bennett of a poster Issued by the Liverpool agent of the Auckland Provincial Government advertising emigration to New Zealand. Permission for the sale of art union tickets and produce in Queen Street and other main streets during the 1942 patriotic appeal was granted to the committee of the appeal. A stipulation was made that the committee should submit a programme of activities to the town clerk weekly In advance for approval.