PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 22989, 21 June 1938, Page 11

PORT CHALMERS AFFAIRS

COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting last night wa> attended by the Mayor (Mr T. Scollay), Crs Sutherland, Knewstubb, Mead, M'Donald, Jack, Thorn, Leftwich. Sansom, Williamson, and Cook. The council resolved to send messages of condolence to the relatives of the late Mrs N. M'Donald and James K Holden. CORRESPONDENCE. West Harbour Council advised that estimates for maintenance of the Dun-edin-Port Chalmers highway had been prepared, and Port Chalmers quota for the current term would he £72—Received. The Otago Expansion I,vague invited two delegates from the council to attend the pre-sessioual meeting with Otago M.P.s in the Savoy Restaurant o»i the 23nl iust.—The Mayor and Or Kuevvstubb to attend. ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Arbitration Court has fixed the new award rates as from to-day for two years. The increase for ordinary work made the minimum rate 2s 4u per hour. Various classes of work are also increased at an hourly rate. Two services have been repaired since my last report. The recent hejivy rain has been bypassed from the reservoir, it being heavily charged with silt The reservoir is full. The water officer has been engaged in cleauing out the silt dam. cutting noxious weeds about the reservoir, and repair!ns hose connections for shipping. It is important that the area to be planted this season he prepared, and it is -recommended that most of the No. 5 scheme worker- in- made avail able for this pin peso ■Tlie Foul sewei la Mvrioiuu street hak beeu completed and is ready for

use. The sewer was' constructed by the staff. The Constitutional street sewer will bo put in hand immediately, in accordance with instructions, and the Slant street sewer will be extended at first opportunity. The following works have received attention :—Repairs to Wicklitfe Terrace; entrances to Dalkeith properties repaired; repairs to footpath, Harrington street; repairs to footpath, Meridian street; trimming of shrubs, Flagstaff, general work of street and channel cleaning and attendance to ash tip.

STANDING COMMITTEE’S REPORT The committee reported:—The gas manager in his report' for the month states, inter alia, that 22\ tons of coal were carbonised, yielding 301,900 cubic feet of gas, an average of 13,600 cubic feet per ton. The new setting of retorts hue now been in operation for the past five weeks, and is giving very satisfactory service. During the month two purifiers were cleaned and refilled with fresh oxide. The rainfall registered at the reservoir for the month of May was 3.Win, with rain on 18 days. For the corresponding month last year the rainfall registered was 6.55 in. with rain on 16 days. A petition signed by 11 residents has been received asking that tlu trees in Wickliffe Terrace in the vicinity of Burns and Laing streets be topped. Your committee, after consideration, has decided to refer the question to the council for discussion. In the meantime members of the council are asked to view the trees in the area referred to.— Resolved that no trees be cut down unless obstructing sunshine. Two or three trees be cut out to let sun through in one case.

The committee recommends that ai>plication be made to the Main Highways Board for authority to spend £1.432 during 1938-39 on the maintenance of the main highways in the borough.— Approved. Consideration has been given to the question of providing a line of 6in sewer for a distance of 309 ft along Beach road from the vicinity of the swimming area (near Wiseman’s boatsheds). and discharging at a point opposite Goat Island. The line of the proposed sewer would pick up drains at present discharging on to the foreshore. The estimated cost of the pipes for the work i« G 35 ss, and your committee recommends 'hat the work be carried out, —Ap nroved GENERAL Iwo residents wrote complaining of -estricted water supply for domestic purposes on the higher levels. —The engineer to open up services and report on state of connection to main. It was stated that unlighted cars, parked on the streets overnight, were a menace after the street lights were out.—Resolved to'warn owners of such vehicles. ESTIMATES. Thu est.males were adopted tor the current year. The main feature of die estimates was the provision for tursealiug the Allen Highway (Magnetic street and Harrington street) through to Fox street. To finance the proposal the council has decided not to resort to borrowing, but to fix the general rate at 2a 3d. An increase of Id in the hospital rate is necessary owing to the increased levy on the council this year. The Mussel Bay Drainage Loan (No. 2) carries a Jd rale this year to meet a portion of the annual charges on the loan. Giving to increased cost of labour and material it was stated that the council could not carry on without increasing its reicnue The Town Clerk reported that the public debt of the borough at .March 31 stood at £41.547. the greuu-r Dart of which is made up of waterworks loans. Drainage, gasworks, sanitation, and ‘‘antecedent liability” account for the balance. The charges on the loan liability for the current year will amount to £2,005. Vjudcr the cou-

version scheme arranged in 1934, when a sum of £41,400 was converted, provision is made for the total repayment of the latter sum by April 1, 1961 (a term of 26J years). The system of repayment is by the half-yearly redemption of debentures. During the current year £BOO will be paid off the conversion loan, £IOO off the Mussel Bay Drainage Loan (No. 1), and £SO off-the Mussel Bay Drainage Loan (No. 2). The Municipal Buildings Loan amounts to £3,500. At March 31 last the sinking fund on this loan stood at £1.966 2s Bd. There is also a loan from the Treasury of £4,000. repayable by half-yearly instalments. Two loans from the State Advances Office are also still current, and are repayable by instalments.