PORT CHALMERS COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 17924, 21 March 1922, Page 3

PORT CHALMERS COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting last night was attended bv the mayor (Mr J. M. Stevenson), Crs'Lunn, Alien, Reeves Luom, Mawson, Watson. Jones, M'Lachlan, and Coleman. . Tho Assistant Under-secretary, Department Internal Affairs, acknowledged receipi o? the council's resolution asking that legislation be introduced providing that credit balances of local authorities on loan accounts should be set off against debit balances on other accounts, ihe Minister directed the writer to state that the council's resolution would be considered when an amendment or Local Bodies Finance Act was. dealt with.—Received. , . , Mr F. C. Seal applied for renewal of his billiard room license.—Granted. _ Tho Minister of Finance forwarded circular notice of the application of the Local Bodies Finance Act in reference to overdrafts, borrowing, and other matters Information about the council's obligations in those respects were asked for.—Referred to a special committee for report. The Works Committee reported that the main streets and square had been attended to as usual during the past fortnight; channels cleaned and chipped in Beach street, and ashes spread where necessary; and bramble and gorse cut in Harbor terrace. Metalling had been done in the bad places in Mary street and Wickliffe tcrace, and a new crossing constructed in George street. A storm water drain through Mr Fletcher's property, Carey Bay, was being proceeded with.— Adopted. The Finance Committee reported that at the Recreation Ground tho grass had been cut on tho playing area and ground generally tidied up. The com- 1 mittee recommended that rural sections 29, 86. and b 7 be leased by tender, and that a building on the recently-acquired White property be sold by tender. The receipts for tho past fortnight amounted to £756 15s 9d and tho expenditure to £7OB 10a 3d.—Report adopted. The Gas Committee was gratified that Mr M'Auliffe's report disclosed such a satisfactory state of affaire as far as the gasworks and plant were- concerned, and was taking steps to increase as for as posible tho number of consumers. It recommended that Mr M'Auliffe bo paid £lO 10s for his professional advice since October, 1919, to date, including report; also that the gas manager be paid a month's salarv in lieu of holidays ihe reservoir was full, and the top reservoir had been scoured out. Two water services had been repaired in George 6treet, one in Grey street, and one in Bemicia street, and'all openings on footpaths tor gas and water services made good.—Cr Lunn criticised matters at tho gasworks, stating that in certain respects tho gasworks seemed to be going hack He wished to seo the works pay—Or Reeves moved that the clause in reference to Mr M'Auliffe's feo bo deleted, because (1) the council never authorised the getting of the report: (2) that their own gasworks manager could have supplied the report; (I) that finances did not justify the paying of ten guineas.—Cr Luoni moved as a further amendment that the clause bo referred ba.ck for consideration in conjunction with Mr. M'Auliffe's report.—Cr M'Lachlan said that the tea guineas included payment for services prior to tho last report.—Both amendments were defeated, and the report as submitted was adopted. , Cr M'Lachla.n was granted sis weeks leave of absence. A reorganisation report from tho inspector was received and referred to tho various committees for reporte on it.