MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 204, 22 May 1908, Page 2

MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL.

i- LAST NIGHT'S MEETING. The ordinary general meeting of the Miran mar Borough Council was,held last evening, 1 there being present The Mayor (Mr. C. J. Crawford), and Councillors Jl'Leod, Brodie, 8011, and Witt. Mr. A. S. Henderson, a resident of Scorching Bay, wrote suggesting that tho . Council take steps to prevent any further r removal of tho sand from the beach. The . sand, being of good quality, was in demand S for commercial purposes, but tho writer was of opinion that whatever sum was received as royalty for such removal did not compensate for tho deterioration caused to the beach, which was rapidly being denuded of sand, leaving tho shingle exposed. Tho 0 beach, he added, was a favourite resort for t picnic parties, and should not.be interfered t with. - ■<• ) Councillor Brodie: What is the amount of ° tho royalty? 1 The Mayor: Last year £46 ss. was received in royalties. In former years, the sand was rather a nuisance, piling up and encroaching on tho road. It was decided that a report upon the matter bo furnished for consideration at the next meeting of the Council. A. letter was received from the Labour Department, calling upon the Council to show causc why it should not be cited for breaches of the preference clause of the General Labourers' Award, certain nonunionists having been employed when there were available, at that time, the services of unionists., - The Town Clerk explained that he had replied stating that, so far as he was aware, no non-unionists had been employed, the staff having received instructions to comply with the award. ~ The Mayor observed that the attitude of tho Labour Department seemed to him to be . rather extraordinary. Tho Department ap- . peared to be 1 prepared to receive 'reports'.of this nature and act ?.s if such reports were accurate in fact. Ho might say that instructions had been "given to tho borough , staff, right through, to observe all tho requirements of the award. Complninte had frequently been received in which the Council wp.s charged with breaches of the awards, l and :n every ense such had been satisfac--1 torily disposed of. The Department was inclined to be dictatorial. Instead of accepting a cock-and-bull story, it was reasonable to. expect that polite inquiry should first be made as,to whether reports or complaints 6f this nature were accurate. The following" accounts were passed for payment:—District fund account, £62 Is. lOd.; improvements loan account, £617 Os. 7d. The bank balance on the district fund account was set down as £513 6s. 5d., and on the improvements loan account £4179 Bs. 7d. -, " _. The Public Work 3 Committee recommended:— - 1. That an estimate of the cost of changing the contract system for day labour bo prepared. _ 2. That an estimate of the cost of establishing a 'bus service along tho Foreshore Road to connect with the Seatoun tram service be obtained. 3. That the triangle at Miramar Avenue and pid Farm Road'be planted with shrubs, and paling fences erected. The recommendations were adopted. The following remits to tho Municioal Conference were, among others, adopted:— '1. That local bodies bo exempt, from the provisions of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act,. 1905. • , ,2. Section' 29' of the Municipal Corporations Act be repealed._ ■ Section' 29 of the Municipal' Corporations Act provides that polling hours be from 9 aim. till' 7 p.m. The Local Elections Act, which sets' forth that the • hours shall''be from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m., is therefore in conflict with tho first-named. .' -'•/•'y- '• 1