PORT CHALMERS COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 18053, 22 August 1922, Page 2

PORT CHALMERS COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting last " night was attended by the" Mayor (Mr J. Watson), Crs Lunn, Allen, Smith, Reeves, Luoni, M'Lachlan, Coleman, Watson, Jones, and Anderson. Tho Postmaster-General intimated that the departmentdl decision to close tho local post office from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. was' to stand. No specific instance of inconvenience had been reported to the department. The reduction of hours had resulted in the office staff being reduced by a telegraphist and a message'boy. .So far as tho mails wfero concerned, the closing time for mails to Dunedin had been 6.45 a.m., 11 a.m., 12.10 p.m., and 6.50 p.m. On Tuesday. Thursday, and Saturday the van conveying mails for tho north was attached to a slow train leaving Dunedin at 8.16 a.m. and transferred to the express at Oamaru. An early mail from Port Chalmers was transferred to the van on those days.. In future a mail for Dunedin would close at Port Chalmers at 2 p.m., connecting with the southern mail closing at Dunedin at 4 p.m.—Cr Anderson said tho council should not bo smoothed over by a letter of this kind, but should persist in demanding what was needed by the town in connection with the post office hours. —After discussion on these lines it was decided to refer tho matter again to Mr Hickson, and also ask tho Progressive League to assist. WORKS. Tho Works Committee reported: A 4in sewer in Island terrace was badly choked, and had to bo opened up to clear it. This is a very bad lino of pipes, unjointed and apparently laid regardless of line or grade. As' all tho property owners are now connected to it according to the by-laws, this should be taken up and _ relaid at tho earliest possible opportunity. Tho main street and the square have been cleaned twice weekly, and all the mud tanks have been cleaned. One day was occupied in mixing asphalt for necessary patching to he done. The greater part of the men’s time has been occupied this fortnight in planting trees and_ cleaning and trimming tip street plantations. In re the Dangerous Goods Act, the committee reported: Owing to the tree plantlug and street reserves having occupied almost all the inspector's time during tho past month, ho has been unable to make any headway in tho enforcement of the Dangerous Goods Act. It is a most intricate and complicated Act, and will probably affect tho Port more than any borough hi the dominion, as every fishing boat and launch owner must come under its enactments. Every boathouse and fisherman’s hut along tho foreshore will require to be remodelled, and its enforcement will occupy his undivided attention for some weeks. The committee cannot seo its way to recommend any additional expenditure on , lighting the square until the financial position improves. Re milk vendors’ licenses: As two have refusedrto pay the foe the committee has given instructions to tho inspector to proceed against them, and as the case is likely to bo contested lie is to have tho assistance of the borough solicitor. In re Beach street sewer, tho committee recommends that the work be proceeded with after the other work already authorised bo finished. Cr Anderson advised tho council to proceed cautiously in regard to the Dangerous Goods Act, as tho council might be called on to provide a building dcstmg over £2,0Q0. Tho Act was very elusive; if the council collected fees it assumed liability.—Tho report was adopted, excepting the clauses referring to electric lighting and sewerage. FINANCE.

Tho Finance Committee recommended that £250 bo paid the Harbor Board m respect to tho dock guarantee, tho balance to be paid on December ol; tho board to be thanked for meeting tho council m reference to tho Mussel Bay tunnel. Included in the report was a reply to a minute by tho secretary of the Harbor Board in respect to the dock guarantee agreement. —Report adopted. GASWORKS TROUBLE. The Gasworks Committee_ recommended accounts amounting to £252 19s 4d for payment. Tho gas manager had nothing to report re works, but on the question of taking money for g as w^eu reading metres ho reported as follows: —“I should like to point out to the committee that this taking of money has always been a loss to me. I have only just paid in £1 Os lOd from my wages, and 1 really cannot account for it. This collecting of money was not in my schedule of duties. I only collected it to help the office staff. As the council has reduced the stoker’s time to forty-four hours per week, this necessitates my taking over the duties at tho works at midday every day, and of course this only allows mo from 9 a.in. until 12 noon (three hours per day). If Ido not take the cash it enables me to read the meters much quicker. I never have been accustomed to taking money and_ giving change, and I must admit I am liable to make mistakes in giving change.. If the council will have me take the money, then it would be only reasonable for make up my losses. I think the committee has overlooked the facts whan it savs n placing it in a false position. I should like to call its attention to the fact that it is clearly printed on the gas account that the consumers are to pay in the office, and, further, there is a penalty after a certain date. lam certain if this rule had been carried out, as in other gas undertakings in Now Zealand, we should now be in a better financial position. Tho taking the cash for coke and tar and fittings at the works is quite all right. I must say, in justice to the gas consumers, that when I explained to them that, owing to the pressure of time, etc., I was unable to take the cash, they said they were quite willing under tho circumstances to take the money to the office. There were only one or two who said they could not see their way to send it or take it, and in these cases I took it.” The committee recommended the council to give it power to appoint some person to read meters. This would leave Mr Taylor entirely free to attend to new services, repairs, etc., provided for in his schedule of duties. It recommended that twenty days from date of reading be allowed for payment, and thereafter tho penalty of 10(1 per 1,000 cubic feet be enforced.—The chairman of the committee explained the position, and hoped the committee’s recommendation would be approved and a meter reader appointed.—The Mayor said he was surprised at the large amount it was costing" for repairing meters. The gasworks was an important branch of the borough's undertakings, and should be looked after.— Report adopted.