CIVIC AFFAIRS
COUNCIL DECISIONS
ANOMALIES IN CENSUS
Anomalies arising out of the taking of the census this year would prevail for five years, said the town clerk, Mr. T. W. M. Ashby, in a report received at last night's meeting of the City Council. It was likely that anomalies would be more pronounced in Auckland than in other parts of the Dominion, he added, as it was well-known that there had been a large wartime influx of population into the Auckland metropolitan area. Quoting instances where population figures were taken into direct account in assessing financial commitments, Mr. Ashby said annual levies on local authorities forming the inner area of the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage district were assessed in proportion to the mean percentage of the rateable capital values and population of the respective constituent local districts.
Funds for the upkeep of the War Memorial Museum were also assessed on a population basic, while the mean of population and valuation affected the assessment of patriotic funds. Heavy traffic fees in the Auckland district were based on population and valuation.
The council would have to rely entirely on the promise of the Minister of Finance to give consideration to the removal of any anomalies that might arise, concluded Mr. Ashby. Decision was made to request the Government to defer the taking of the census for a year or, alternatively, to signify what steps it proposed to take to correct anticipated anomalies.
Accumulation of Work A list of 150 matters which he had been asked to report on was presented to the meeting by the city engineer, Mr. A. J. Dickson. If a satisfactory response were received to the present scheme for augmenting the staff of his department, said Mr. Dickson, it should be possible to make some leeway towards overtaking this accumulation of work. It would be realised that the actual result would be contingent to some extent upon the volume of work involved in the council's current policy from time to time. The list was referred to the council's finance committee to determine the order of priority of the various works and to report generally on them.
Snrvey Of Housing
In a report dealing with the organisation of a housing staff, Mr. Dickson said an investigation nad Been made of two areas in the city. It had been found there were 501 inhabited buildings in the area bounded ny Franiam Road, Ponsonby Road and College Hill. In the remainder of the heavy industrial area there were 400 inhabited structures.
It was considered that a preliminary card survey of the areas should be next undertaken, and that, after an analysis and study of the position had been made, there should be a process of detailing the improvements in each case requiring attention. The employment of investiga-tor-draughtsmen and a clerk would be necessary. The men would also be required for following-up work in connection with the licensing of boarding houses.
The council decided to appoint two investigator-draughtsmen at a gross salary of £400 a year and a clerk at a gross salary of £370.
Abattoir Extensions
On the recommendation of its health committee, the council decided to apply to the Loans Board for sanction loan of £75,000 for. the purpose of carrying out extensions to the municipal abattoir. It was stated that the estimated cost of the works, as approved by the council in November, 1944, was £57,211.
The council declined a request that it should receive a deputation from the Auckland and Suburban Drainage League and supporting bodies on the matter of the new drainage scheme. The town clerk reported that the provisions embodied in the relative Act had been before council on many occasions over the past few years. He did not think anv purpose could be served by receiving a deputation.
A suggestion from the Auckland Returned Services Association that the area on the corner of High and Chancery Streets, which the council had already decided to set aside as a reserve, could be made into a war memorial square, was referred to the parks committee.
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Bibliographic details
CIVIC AFFAIRS, Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1945
Word Count
676CIVIC AFFAIRS Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1945
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