MORNINGTON COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 14036, 17 April 1909, Page 11

MORNINGTON COUNCIL.

The Mornington Borough Council met last night, there being present the Mayor (Mr H. A. Le Cren), and Crs Anderson, Dickson, Solomon, M'Crorie, Bridgcr, Nicol, Reynolds, and Birt. —Reports.—

Tho Finance Committee reported the state of the various accounts to Le:— Tramway revenue, Dr, £6,789 6s 8d; municipal, Dr, £3,045 Is 9d; waterworks loan, Dr, £57 3s 3d.—-Adopted. The Tramway Committee reported that on the main line a continuous and satisfactory service had been run. The ten-minute service inaugurated on tho Ist ult. had worked well. The Maryhill line had been going steadily and also the Elgin road line. The "traffic returns for the month showed a big improvement. The statement of receipts and expenditure on the three lines showed an increase in the receipts on the main line, for the past twelve months of £362 3s 9d.—Adopted. The Works Committee reported that consideration of tenders for asphalt footpaths and concrete channel in Main, South, and Eglinton roads had been held over. As the result of a special meeting the Committee recommended that repairs (metalling, etc.) should he carried out to various streets, and that au urgent appeal should be made to the Drainage Board to take the drainage of Walter street in hand immediately, it having been found to be in a very bad state.—Adopted. A special meeting to he called when the estimates of the various works are ready. The Water Committee reported that forty houses had been connected, making a total of 580; that the extension down Mataora road had been put in 2 chains 74 links; that the amount of water used for March was 1,224,000 gallons, the tramways using 126,000 of this: that some forty taps had boon condemned.—Adopted. Tho General Committee reported that a, communication from the arbitrators in connection with Abbott’s lease of old Town Hall site, fixing the valuation of the buildings at £4OO and the ground rent at £lO 10s per annum, had been received, tenders being called for the lease for twenty-one years, receivable up to the 11th May, '1909; that tliev had decided on a poll after receiving a letter from the town clerk, Dunedin, as convening local authority, notifying and drawing attention to the poll to be taken on the 28th to determine which day of _ the week the shops shall be closed in accordance with the Shops and Offices Act, 1908; that six building permits for new houses had been granted and three for alterations.— Adopted. —General.— It was decided that the chairmen of the Lighting and Works Committees should be authorised to have removed all electric poles found to be in an unsafe position. Or Nicol’s motion regarding certain works to several streets, notice of which was previously given, did not find a seconder. A heated discussion followed, the mover taking a prominent part. The Council in committee discussed the matter of tenders for a wire rope. Seven were received, and the whole question was left to the Tramway Committee, with power to act. —Complimentary.— Two councillors (Messrs Birt and Dickson) are not seeking re-election, and it being the Council’s last meeting, several members made complimentary reference to the excellent work put in by those gentlemen, and expressed regret at losing so capable a pair. A motion expressing regret at losing them and appreciation of the manner in which they had earned out their duties was carried. Then the Mayor (Mr H. A. Le Cren), who is retiring from the mayoralty, spoke of the assistance he had got from the present Council, and a motion was put through thanking him for his uniform courtesies. Tho Council, in the absence of the mayor, appointed two members to select a memento for presentation to him. The mayor and the above-mentioned councillors acknowledged the complimentary references made.