PETONE AFFAIRS

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 92, 18 April 1916, Page 2

PETONE AFFAIRS

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING

The fortnightly meeting of tho Petone Borough Council was held last evening, there being present the Mayor (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan) and Councillors Forsyth, List, Cox, Brocklebank, Anderson, M'Dougall, Jones, and M'Kenzje.

A request from Messrs. Short and Eraser, on behalf of the Percy estate, for the council's consent to alterations to the frontages of Percy's section in Johnstreet, was agreed to subject to the Percy estate bearing the whole cost of forming road, footpath, and placing sewerage mains. The Borough Engineer was nominated a member of the Plumbers' Board to represent the council. Messrs. Burn and Son intimated their intention of proceeding against the council for obstructing Buiek-street with trees. A request from the General Labourers Onion for a 10 per cent, rise in wages '.va-s referred to the Works Committee-. The application of the Municipal Band for an increased subsidy of £50 was held over pending the consideration of the estimates. It was decided to reply to Sir !h. Douglas, who asked for a remission of the 10 per cent, penalty charged to Messrs. Kibblewhite on overdue rates, that the council cannot accede to the request. Permission was granted the virijus picture shows to screen suitable pictures on Good Friday. A request for permission tv use the street near the Railway Station for a mass meeting on Anzac Day was grafted to the Petone railway employees. A request of the Petone Central Nursing Division for the use of the croquet lawn till the end of the season, '.ha proceeds at the rate of sixpence a game to be devoted to Red Cross work, was glinted. The Ngaroma Croquet. Club's application for a croquet lawn was referred to the Reserves Committee. The Works Committee will report on the Railway Department's proposals m arrangements for sewerage reticulation. The Taieri County Council's request for Petone's assistance in the abolition of the right to erect toll gates was refused. A tender for a cartage contract was referred to the Finance Committee. ENGINEER'S DEPARTMENT. The Engineer reported that the streets were in fair order, but that owing to the motor traffic on the Hutt-road patching would need to be continued during the winter . months. The necessity of remaking the whole of the footpaths of the borough owing to their bad condition, through openings made for various services, was placed before the council, with a recommendation that the work be held over until after tho sewerage work is completed.

As a result of 'the recent fires on the Manngarnki Hills a footbridge in connection with the waterworks was damaged, and, through tho burning of the scrub, logs and other debris are ■ likely to be precipitated into the stream during the winter rains. The Engineer states" that it was fortunate so little damage was done, as had the wind changed nothing could have saved the whole catchment area from being burnt out. The locality where the fire started was known, but it would be imoossible to prove who set it alight.

OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

The Sewerage Engineer reported that 500 ft of 9-iuch and ' 781 ft of 6-inch pipe had been laid on the Hntt-road,- eight services !n;-l to the building line, seventeen installations completed, and sixteen house drains laid. The number of permits issued up to date to connect with, the sewerage system was 185. and the cost of the sewerage works £51,739.

The Sanitary Inspector reported that the number of inspections made during the month was 135.. Four cases of in-' fantile paralysis and ' five of cerebrospinal meningitis had been reported, the last case being on Bth April. Precautionary measures had been taken by disinfecting- public bnilding3 and a thorough cleaning up of all premises in the borough was being made. Disinfectant was being retailed at 6d per pint. Sixty-six dog tax licenses of the value of 530 hnd be-en collected during the month. The Inspector was instructed to take drastic action to endeavour to overcome the stray-dog nuisance.