PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 20252, 13 August 1929, Page 13

PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting or the Borough Counci' last night was attended by the mayor (Mi, W. Love), Os Limn, E. Smith, 1. Smith, Love, Campbell, Scoliay, Willmott, iMathewson, and Bell. CORRESPONDENCE. •Mr W. Connor, town clerk, West Harbour, said he wished to know what this■ council wanted a conference for, becausi maintenance of- the Dunedin-Port Chalmers road had been fixed by a commission. The only conference his council favoured was in respect to reconstruction, and if the local bodies could not" agree another commission would have m sit. Enclosed were details of expenditure, on the road in question from February I to June 30, and Port Chalmers quota of same amounted to k.'A'i 13s.—The Mayor said ho understoix the West Harbour Council had appointed a special committee to meet the ether local bodies concerned in regard,to reconstruction of the road. Reconstruction seemed to he tho only practical course.—The council asked the mayor to see the town clerk of Dunedin and find out the feeling in regard to reconstruction.—Cr Smith said that som metal should be put on tho Port Chalmers end of the road.— Cr Mathewso, said that even the expenditure of £lO would improve that Section.—Resolved to pay tho amount. The District Land Registrar wished to bo informed if ceitain streets in Hansford were, recognised l\y the council as public streets.—The town clerk to forward th information.

Mr J. D Morgan drew attention to the"asphal at foot of his property subsiding because of water.running underneath the pipes of a drain in Wieklifl'o terrace. —Resolved to have the matter attended to.

Mr 1 Hall, district engineer, pointed out that employees of public bodies should not he permittc to [dace vegetable matter on the surface of highways. Grave, should bo screened before being used, as the (iue stuff was responsible for road corrugations in wet weather. The Minister had agreed to a £ fo l £ subsidy up to £.ldU Jor children's playgrounds.—The correspondence was received. T). • Sec retar'- of the Education Board wrote thanking the council lor presenting a gas' cooker to the local school.—The Mayo- said that Mr Brinsley gave a cooked to the council loi presentation to the school. Mr A. E. Ausell, M P., advised that ne hau aga n interviewed the Minister of flail way i regard to lighting the upper iaiiwaj station, ard there was now a hettoi piospecfc of improvement. —Resolved to thank Mr Ansell and inirm him that improved gas lighting would do. The District Publi IV ns tee advised that a proper! in ; deceased estate situatcr in West Harbour and Elueskiti ciistric* was for disposal.—The letter was received. REPORTS. The Works Committee reported:— A good deal of wet weather was experienced during the mouth, resulting in a mimbci .if "slips occurring in the borough A slip which iccnrred at Rocky Point necessitated the removal of 7(syds of day Another which occurred at Athfield’s Point necessitated the removal of lOfvds of day Several slips of a smalle nature were also removed. Twenty yard of rubble were carted and spread at the soutli erd ol Currie street, and 3yds were also spread on Aja:. road On the top -ond 12yds of nibble were spread The billowing streets were patched with I Jin metal; Macandren road syds, Grey and Magrelic streets 2yds, Harrington street 2yds, Beach street 4yds. Twelve yards of stem have been carted to Eairbairn’s road tc build a wall where a portion or Uie road slipped away. This work is proceeding, and will he completed during the current week. The chief work ol the month was carried out in George street, whore 175 ft ol stone kerbing were lifted and the footpath regrade 1. filled up. and coated with ashes. Two and n-half chains of concrete kerbing and live chains of channelling were completed at the two corner sections; ibroo mud tanks were also constructed. Work on George street is proceeding without interruption. During the month throe water services were repaired ami three old services renewed. 31 r Eletcher-Roherts has visited the •■cservoir on several occasions and is preparing a report on matters which bo considers should receive attention Tin committee received a furthe deputation from _ the Fort Chalmers Tennis Clui. relative to the proposed top dressing of the tennis •courts at Mussel Bay. The foreman estimates the tost of the work at £4O, -.rid the committee ha asked the Tennis Club to send in a letter outlining what they arc prepared to do themselves in the matter. A deputation from the Lower Harbour Progressive League also waited on the committee to discuss the matter of taking the electric light to Deborah Bay. A deputation is to wait upon the city electrical engineer to go into details of tl’ cost. When further . information is available the committee will report upon the question, Tiie rnattei of fixing a definite scale oi fees payable by contractors and otlic : whet < poniug roadways and footpaths ims had the consideration of the committee Part 12, clause 12 of the by-law., proiides that the contractor who cuts through a roadway or tootpath is liable for the expense ol reinstating it. The committee recommends that the following fees be charged For opening up any waterbound strcc £■ tarred or hitcraeniscd streets £5 such deposits to he paid at the town clerk’s office, where a permit will ho issued before the commencement of tiie work. Should the cost ol repairs not reach the amount ol the deposit the difference to bo roi ended to the contractor after the corporation has completed the _ work ol repairs.—Cr Smith, in moving the adopion of the report, referred to a reputation that .uin waited on the commit'oe m regaro to the proposed lighting at Deborah Bay—The Mayor sail! the committee were seeking information.—Cr Campbell said the council could not foot the hill tor the City Council extending the lighting system to tin bay.—Cr Willmott approved of the proposal in in regard to opeiv’ng streets. —I he report was adopted. . The General Committee reported:— During the month a total ot 33 tons Dcwt of coal were carbonised, yielding a make of 462,000 c.f. of gas, and an average of 13,800 c.f. to the ton. Sales continue to keep up, and for the month the following gas appliances have been sold and fitted ;—One cooker-destruc-tor combination gas cooker, three radiators (“ Handiheator ” type), and five pas rings. Details in connection with the new retort setting are proceeding. and the work js evpc°ted to -omnionce about the middle of G.-to-iler, The residents of Carey’s Bay were personally canvassed re a proposal to take t !, o gas mains to their district, but as the support, accorded is disappointing the committee has no recommendation to make in the matter, The sexton reports having carried out rabbit poisoning operations,

and during the month thirty-four rabbits were collected. The receipts for the period amounted to £3BB 2s Id, anc. the expenditure £636 3s 7d, leaving an overdraft of £1,725 Os 2d on July 31, In tho gasworks account the receipts totalled £lls 17s. Id, and the expenditure £lB5 17s sd> leaving an overdraft of £834 17s sd.—The report was adopted. PLAYGROUND AT MUSSEL BAY. Tho Town Clerk reported that tho Reserves Committee had met members of the School Committee in reference to tho proposed children’s playground at Mussel Bay. Tho matter of a site was again dealt with, and as the money available must be expended on work of a permanent nature the committee has departed from the previous decision, and recommends that tho site be that portion of land between the now bowling green and the tennis courts. I'he matter of assistance from the School Committee towards the expenditure was also discussed, and as the latter committee is not in a position to make a grant for tho purpose it was decided to approach Mrs J. Morgan asking if she would consent to arranging a concert to raise the necessary funds required in addition to the council’s - grant. Mrs Morgan has agreed to put on a concert to assist the object. It was decided _to write to the Government making lormal application for a £1 for £1 subsidy, and a reply lias been received agreeing to the request. Another combined meeting of the School Committee and the Reserves Committee is to bo held at an early date to arrange the concert details.—Tho Mayor said there would be practically £2OO available for the playground and improving the surroundings.—Cr Lunn pointed oupt that tho School Committee was one of tho two committees in Otago that had a paid secretary.—The report was approved, and it was decided that tho work be gone, on with. A subcommittee was appointed to set out the boundaries of the playground. The Tenuis Club applied to the council to supply the material for topdressing and repairing tho courts. — Cr Lunn thought that the council might keep the courts in order if the club paid n fixed sum yearly to tho council.—Tho Council discussed various proposals, but eventually decided to simply receive (.lie letter. The. council then wont into committee.