PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 21284, 13 December 1932, Page 10

PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

BOROUGH BODY MEETING UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL The mayor (Mr J. Watson) presided last night at the monthly meeting of the Borough Council, all the councillors being present except Crs Lovo, Limn, and Loll. Resolutions of sympathy with the relatives of the late Mr D. Livingstone and the late Mr P. Pistor, old and esteemed residents, were carried. A discussion took place on the standing orders in respect to the closing of a discussion, CORRESPONDENCE. The National Bank advised that its Port Chalmers branch was to be closed after the end of this month, and unless other arrangements were made meanwhile the corporation account would he transferred to the Dunedin branch, free of charge. An agency would be retained at Port Chalmers to conduct business on Mondays, Tuesday's, Thursdays, and Fridays.—The mayor thought this was a retrograde step, especially closing on Saturdays.— It was decided to ask the bank to reconsider its decision.

The Petone Borough Council wanted assistance in getting proposed new legislation so amended that a commission could not amalgamate local bodies if a prior local poll did not favour such amalgamation.—Resolved to support the Petone Council.

The railway traffic manager advised in regard to various matters brought to his notice recently by a combined deputation representing Port Chalmers, West Harbour, Green Island, and Mosgiel Borough Councils. On the Dunedin-Port Chalmers line overhead lights at Maia station had been shaded as desired to avoid interference with road traffic, and similar shades would be provided at St. Leonard’s. In regard to this desired increase of speed of trains on suburban, lines, the speed of trains on the Port Chalmers-Mosgiel section could not be increased. Time tables were based on the times taken for a train to run with an average load. Several requests for fare concessions had been referred to the general manager in Wellington.—Communication received. WITHDRAWAL PROM UNEMPLOYMENT COMMITTEE. The Works Committee reported:— General maintenance work has been attended to, including the cutting of grass on streets and meaning of watertables. Instructions have been issued to have improvements effected toLaing street. During the month twelve water services required attention by way of repairs and renewals. The cutting of grass and gorse is being carried out at the reservoir,- also the repairing of fences on the water reserves. Owing to the continued dry weather in No-: veniber the reservoir showed a drop of 2ft l.]-in below normal water level. The rainfall for November registered at the Sawyers Bay gauge showed 2.08 in with eighteen days’ ram. For the corresponding month last year the rainfall was 1.75 in with eleven davs’ rain. In response to a request by the Mansford Ratepayers’ Association a street light in Macandrew road was shifted to a more convenient position, with the result that the locality is more efficiently lighted. Relief workers have been en gaged on the following works during the month: —Cleaning up Monkey beach, top-dressing recreation ground, Mussel Bay reclamation, cleaning watertables and cutting grass, widening Quarry road and Henry street, William street extension, breaking stone at quarry, clearing gorse and ragwort on reserves, felling trees at cemetery, also stumping, cleaning water-main pipes taken up from Wickliffe terrace. Advice has been received from the Railway Department stating its intention of charging a rental of £1 per annum for the lease of the shed used by the water officer for storing hose, etc., used on the wharves. Your committee recommends that the lease in question be cancelled, and the old weighbridge shed used as a hose store in future. The committee has discussed at length the matter of recent published reports of the meetings of the local Unemployment Committee, and in view of the position which has arisen owing to certain alleged statements, recommends that the two nominees of the council be withdrawn from the local Unemployment Committee. —After the first six clauses of the report were adopted tile final clause in respect to the Unemployment Committee was discussed. _Cr F. Smith explained why relief workers were stopped from repairing a wall at the school, and also dealt with the Unemployment Committee for alleged slighting of the foreman.—Cr Annan thought it_ was derogatory to the Works Committee.—Cr L. Cmith thought the council should be the Unemployment Committee; it was not feasible, however, to put obstructions in the way of the certifying officer consulting the foreman. Cr Smith then moved that the final clause of this report be deleted.—During the discussion which ensued it was pointed out that it was not fair to the foreman that when ho stood down men for offensive language they were immediately started again by the committee.—Cr Mirams said that newspaper reports had been evidently upsetting members of the Works Committee. The Unemployment Committee had made no complaint about the council’s representatives on the committee. —Cr Campbell said ho

was a member of the Unemployment Committee although not representing the council thereon; he reviewed what took place at the last meeting of that committee. He did not want to do anything that might tend to reduce allotments for relief work.—The Mayor said the Unemployment Committee was doing good work, and Cr F. Smith was making a mountain out of a molehill The committee was appointed to see fair play and was conscientiously doing its best, and seeing that no one out of employment went short of food. In a crowd of two or three hundred men there was always someone jumping over the traces. The Unemployment Committee was backing up the foreman, and the chairman of the committee meant that more supervisors were needed in order to have more supervision. That committee was not up up against the council. —The amendmen was lost and the final clause of the report approved.—Cr L. Smith pointed out that the council had deprived itself of representation on the Unemployment Committee, and that was unfortunate. It might not have a good effect on the unemployment position locally. GENERAL. The General Committee reported:— The committee lias considered a circular letter from the Otago Electric Power Board in the matter of the conversion of local body loans. The committee has no recommendation to make in the matter. In the matter of a request for the provision of a few seats' round about the Recreation Ground, the committee recommends that'the request be acceded to, and that a few rough seats be erected. The gas engineer, in his report for the month of November, states (inter alia) that the manufacturing plant has given no trouble. Twentytwo and a-half tons on coal gas carbonised, yielding 307,200 cubic feet of gas, an average of 13,600 cubic feet per ton. A new gas copper was fitted for industrial use. The preparation of a large quantity of tar for the works department is proceeding, thirty-two drums having been prepared during the month. Prices were obtained by the committee for replacing two of the purifier covers at the gasworks, and a recommendation is made that the price submitted by Messrs Stevenson and Cook in the sum of £sl be accepted. This tender provides for complete new covers. A recommendation is made that the sura in the hands of the Depreciation Fund Commissioner (the Public Trustee) be withdrawn to cover the cost of replacing the retort house roof and the purifier covers.

iiTc Mayor said he protested against payment of an account for £5 5s passed by' the Finance Committee, as it was out of order and illegal. If councillors allowed themselves to be stampeded into an illegal act, they must personally foot the bill.

Cr Campbell, as chairman of the Finance Committee, said he considered it was in order to pass the account, but, in any case, the item could be paid under unauthorised expenditure.—Cr Mirams thought they should let bygones be bygones.—The report was adopted. Cr Anderson moved that the matter of obtaining a two-ton motor lorry be considered by the committee, also the advisability of terminating grazing leases on the Town Belt, to make room for planting native bush. Both proposals were approved. The financial statement for the past half-year was referred to the Finance Committee for a report.

Cr Campbell suggested that as the next winter was likely to see morc_ intense depression, the council consider the advisability of organising a carnival to raise relief funds.

Cr Smith suggested improvements in the Town Hall, and a number of questions were asked in regard to various matters. Tho council then went into committee to discuss certain matters in connection with unemployment.