PAVING STREETS

Evening Star, Issue 25715, 12 February 1946, Page 8

PAVING STREETS

PROGRAK EEHIHD SCHEDULE CITY COUNCIL'S MEETING Ratepayers being interested in the condition of streets in which they resided, a statement made at the fortnightly meeting last night of the City Council by Or L. J. Ireland (chairman of the Works Committee) that the street paving programme had been seriously interfered with because of the wet summer was of some importance. Or Ireland said that of 50 working days 36 had been wet. The paving of streets could not be carried out under a temperature of 60deg, Cr Ireland said, and as the City Corporation was short of adequate plant there would be difficulty in carrying out the street paving programme that had been planned for this financial year. Mention was made by Cr Ireland that the time was coming -when it would be necessary to move the CityCorporation's yard in Ward street for the preparation of paving of streets to another site, as around it were growing factories and cafeterias. Present at the meeting weTe the Mayor (Mr D. O. Cameron), Crs M. Connelly, M.L.C., W. B. Taverner, D. C. Jolly, R. P. Barr, L. J. Ireland, M. F, Blain, W. A. Hudson, J. McCrae, I). (J. McMillan, P. G. Connolly, M.P and R. Walls, M.P. Cr Ireland's comment about the paving of streets followed a report submitted by the Works Committee that authority had been given to invite tenders for air compressor equipment, and the city engineer had also been requested to obtain quotations for additional paving plant to enable a larger quantity of paving work to be undertaken during future paving seasons. Three city streets they claimed needed attention were referred to by eauncillors._ Norwood street, Normanby, said Cr Walls, was creating n dust nuisance to ratepayers on one side of this road, and the city engineer had been informed about the trouble. Crs Jolly and Hudson spoke respectively about the condition of Munro street and Riselaw road. Or Ireland replied that he would refer the complaint about Norwood and Munro streets to his committee. Riselaw road was partly in the Taieri County, and a certain amount of work had been carried out there. DIVISIONS ON OPINIONS. For probably the first occasion in the history of the City Council, a certified <;opy (duly signed by Mr R. A. Johnston, the town clerk) of a diversion of the council on a notice of motioii, was handed to the Press. -The noti';? vi motion, tabled by Cr P. G. Connolly nnd discussed in open council, read as follows: — 'That where divisions aiv felled for on motions or amendments oefjre cuun"il. a copy of the division list, duly wertified by the town clerk, be handed to the Press for publication." Cr M. Connelly seconded this motion The official count on the division submitted to the Press by the town clerk was as follows:—For the motion - Crs Connolly, Walls, McMillan, MeOrae, Rlaih, Hudson, and M. Connolly; against—the Mavor. Crs Ireland. Barr. •lolly, and Taverner. The notice of motion wos carried by two votes. TRAM TRACKS. "' It is not a question of rails, or labour, or patching; Dhe principal trouble with our tram tracks is drainage," declared Cr McCrae, when replying to a complaint bv Cr M. Connelly about the unsatisfactory condition of the tracks. "It is the policy of this council not to spend any money on the drainage of the track-:," ho said. At present there were no stocks of rails in Dunedin, bit a consignment of 200 tons was already on the water, added Cr McCrae. It should be recalled that a change-over was contemplated just before the war, and the amount of mono/ was not spent on the tracks that would otherwise nave been expended. The track.-,, however, wtre MARBOUR RESIDENTS A petition signed oy 70 ratepayers of Vauxhall and Wa/eilev m the Peninsula County, requesting that these districts be amalgamated with Dunedin, was referred to the Works Comriittee for consideration TRAFFIC CONGESTION. " It is certainly a big p'ooiem," admitted Cr Jolly when replying to a question by Cr P. G. Connolly as to whether steps coual be taker, to reJeve the congestion at the intersection of Rattray and Princes streets between 4.30 and 5*30 p.m. Pedestrian traffic in Dunedin was very bad, and the jaywalkers were New Zealand's worst. added Cr Jolly. The committee had been trying to cope with the problem, hue it would require an " army of inspectors." The problem would no met by the institution of t,ne city engineer's traffic scheme, by which traffic would be re-routed round the Exchange. WORKS DEPAPTiuiENT EMPLOYEES. The personnel of the Works Department was now growing, but (hiring the war years the staff was a skeleton one, said Or Ireland when moving the adoption of the Works Committee's report In 1938 the technical staff totalled 22 in the city engineer's office, but in May, 1934, this number had shrunk to six, plus three female assistants, who were still employed, the total to-day being 16. The outside staff in 1939, including the salaried members, was 606. and at last December it svas 320. Since then over 20 men had been engaged. Cr Ireland paid a tribute to the inside staff, and said it had worked at week-ends during the war years.