MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 192, 8 May 1908, Page 10

MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL.

THE MAYOR INSTALLED. . SPEECH BY AIU. 0. J. CI!AWKOlil). Tlio business of tho Alii'nnmt' Borough Council, held last, evening, ciiniinciiml with tho installation of tho Alayor, Air. Churl™ .1. p Crawford, who eoinmonouii liU wcond Lorm J, of offico from dato. Councillor Bell slated thai. Air. Crawford's , re-election mount not only an expression of s conlklonco in him as Alnyor, lint an endorsemont of tho pulioy of the Council. Ho assured tho Alayor of the Council's good wishes and support in conducting tho iill'iiint of tho borough. Other councillors endorsed Air. Boll's opinion. J, Air. Crawford, in thanking tho councillors for tlioir kind expressions of goodwill and | tho assistance ho had received from thorn during tho year, said lie hail just fought out an election, ami was of tlio opinion tlint it had been fought on tlio point ns to whether i tho ratepayers approved of tho actions of tho Council.' Ho could say• that' tho ratepayers liad approval the Counoil's work. ' Referring to tho future, ho said tho claim had been put . forward that Eastbourno was tho lowest rated borough in Now Zealand. Air. Bolton had stated that Eastbourno ratepayers paid ljd. in tho £ as general rato, .Jd. for loan intor.est, and 3-16 d. for hospital and charitable aid. This meant a total of 13d., pins . 3-16 d. The total rates of Aliramar only amounted to ljd., so they con Id claim, that J they, wore tho lowest rated borough in tho colony. Through tho coming year it would be necessary to bo,'careful, particularly in . respect to tramways. There appeared to bo a belief that tho only traffic that would pay was rush or football traffic. That was wrong. It was _ a case of sending out a crowdcd car 1 and bringing an empty one back, and vico versa. It was the regular traffic that paid, and that was tho traffic to be considered. Administration would have to bo carefully considered during tho year. ' There were road improvements and other things required., Tho present tramway service, was not entirely satisfactory. : had, in the first placo, .tlio .Mount Victoria tunnel, and, owing to tho steop grades, things were not so satisfactory as they should bo. There should bo a'con j nection with Newtown, and it would be au advantage if that- connection wero given during the year. The Alayor also referred to tho much-needed wharf extension, and said that improvements in that, direction must bo made. ■ There was now a big population at , Atiramar arid Newtown) and in tho future ) that - district would carry, a much-greater, population than the city pf Wellington proper. Then the point arose—Was tho district to be left for all time without a rail-' ' way? -Wore the people of Thorndon, whero tho population had not increased, to bo tlio 1 only peoplo to bo served by a railway? Aliramar would bo very extensively populated, industries would spring up thero, and' provision would have to be mado for tho • requirements of the people. [ .. ; COUNCIL' MEETING. , i It was decided that tho streets of Aliramar ■ ought to bo' beautified by tho planting of i trees, ■ and a committee was set up to ; achieve: that end. ! The secretary of tho Alunicipal Association | of New Zealand wrote informing tho Council that 'the' biennial conference would bo heldi in July. . - _ ' On the request of the Karori Golf Club, it was . resolved that Alonorgan Road should bo 1 a tramway stopping; place. • There wero 84 signatures of Karalia Bay , residents to a petition' which declared that tho only way to servo that part of tho ' borough-was to cut a tunnel through tho hill to Mirainar North, and carry the present Aliramar' tram through to the wharf. Tho Alayor said that the matter'was 'under review! The .Tramways Extension Committco were-to 'consider the -subject matter of the petition., i \ , Certain improvements to the street entrance to the Jftwser Bay I 'school were'autho-' rised.. . ■' "i[ v A' letter; was received from; Councillor Chase-Alorris, \ resigning his position as a member of the Council. Tho Alayor stated that Councillor .Chase-Alorris, in the lettor. said that it was his belief that the Council was opposed to him.. Thq; Ala.vor, .in his reply, had'assured Councillor 'Chase-Alorris that that wiis not tho case, and ho was sure , that they all regretted the step he-had taken. The Clerk was instructed to tako tho necessary steps to fill the position so vacated. ... Tho Mayor stated' it would be ■a difficult matter to . frame the .estimates this year,, as tho Council would bo working under a new valuation, which would be about three times as heavy as the old one. and many objections ■would doubtless be lodged. Tho estimates would probably be ready for consideration at tho next meeting. ' Recommendations of tho. Works Committco wore agreed to-as follow:—"That tho ,s§aj of the Council be affixed to the plans of Broadway'and Princes Streets;'that tenders be. called for the construction of Park Road and Alexandra Street, in accordanco with Air. Hanify's plans and specifications." The committee reported that Ales3rs. 'A. and C. Crawford had paid £622, the a'mount estimated by the works foreman, for the completion of Princes Street and Broadway. The following committees were appointed: —Tramways: Alayor, Councillor l ! Bell and I East; gas: Alayor, Councillors.Bell and East; public ,works: Mavori Councillors M'Leod, ! Bell, Brodio, and Witt Payments of £186 out of the district fund account and £1201 out 'of the: loan improve- | ment account were authorised. There is £63 ' to credit in the former,, and £5380 in tho tetter funcl. ■ ■ , j