WEST HARBOR COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 18729, 3 September 1924, Page 4

WEST HARBOR COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the West Harbor Borough Council was held last night; present—The mayor (Mr H. E. Moller), Crs Smith, Baird, French, Barker, Clarke, Downes, Kay, Mitchell, Fraser. RAILWAY CONCESSIONS. The District Traffic Manager, Dunedin, wrote in reply to the council’s letter requesting the extension to two weeks of the availability of weekly twelve-trip tickets. Ho stated that the present weekly fares were quite unremunerative, and the departmnt was not in a position to bear the loss that an extension of their use Would entail. These tickets were issued at very low fares, and were available without restriction as to hours, and it was considered that such tickets reasonably met the position of workers who were unable to avail themselves of the ■workers’ weekly tickets issued in suburban areas. The letter was received, and the town clerk was instructed to write to Mr J. W. Munro, M.P., asking him to make representations to the Minister of Railways in connection with the matter. <5 ECHO OF RAILWAY STRIKE. The District Engineer, Public Works Department, wrote that in regard to the council’s application for Government assistance towards the repairing of damage done to roads in the borough by increased traffic during the railway strike, the desire of Hie department was to arrive at a comparison of the council’s maintenance expenditure for, say, three months before the strike and three months afterwards. The extra amount the council had been obliged to expend to maintain the road in the same condition as before the' strike would then be seen. Any explanation should bo endorsed on the statement, showing fully and clearly how the council arrived at the amount of its claim) The letter was received, and the town clerk was instructed to reply in the following terms;—“ The West Harbor Council does not consider that the supplying of the amount spent on the road three months before and three months after the strike to the Public Works Department would overcome the difficulty of the damage done to the road during the strike. Air Campbell, who was district engineer, went over the road some time back in connection with this matter. The road is still in a very bad state of repair, and a good deal of it was caused by the strike, which, owing to the wet weather, happened at a very bad time, and also the council has not got the funds to repair the road at its disposal.” GENERAL. Air J. W. Alunro, ALP,, wrote stating that he had been advised by the Alinister of Public Works (Hon. J. G. Coates) to inform the council that with regard to the Dunedin-Povt Chalmers road it should write to Air Coates asking that a Commission be set up to take evidence as to who used the road, and the commissioner would probably allot the contributions for upkeep to the Dunedin City Council, the West Harbor and Port Chalmers Borough Councils, and the Waikouaiti County Council. —The letter was received, and it was resolved to act on the suggestion.

Mr E. M. Greenslade wrote stating that the steep road that leads to his property at Burkes was in a very bad state, and that in places the metal had been washed off the road. If it was wot it was impossible to get up to the property with a car. If the council would spread the metal he would pay for the cost.—The letter was received, and it was decided to accede to tire request. The council resolved to support the St. Kilda Borough Council in its protest against the action of the Otago Hospital Board in demanding payment of the levy to be made under section 8' of the Hospital and Charitable Institutions Amendment Act, 1923, by monthly instalments, failing which interest at the rate of 7 per cent, would be charged after fourteen days’ default. The meeting adopted the Finance Committee’s report, which stated that after the payment of accounts amounting to £lO9 4s lOd there was a debit balance of £586 7s 6d. On the motion of Cr Fraser it was decided to place on record the council’s appreciation of the excellent _ work of the treasurer (Mr.W. Connor) in the efficient manner in which he had prepared the balance sheet.

On the motion of Cr Mitchell, it was resolved to hold a cleaning-up day oil Saturday, September 27, when hedges, banks, etc., would be trimmed, and the borough roads tidied up generally.—The town clerk was instructed to write thanking Mr D. Tannock for his supervision in tlje trimming of trees in the borough. Captain Satterlhwaite, N.Z.S.C., wrote stating that the council’s terms for the use of the Coronation Hail had been accepted, and that parades would now continue as arranged with the council by the officer commanding the Cadet unit at Ravensbourne. —Received.