BOROUGH COUNCIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1929, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL

MEETING LAST EVENING. I The Greymouth Borough Council met last evening, the Mayor (Sir J. W. Greenslade), presiding over an attendance of the following: Crs. A. M. Carroll, J. McGinley, J. B. Kent, C. Gleeson, R. j. (Williams, G. Perotti, F. A. Kitchingliam, J. S. Robertson, and Messrs A. J. Fairmaid, engineer, and F. 11. Denton, Town Clerk. A letter was received from Mr F. W. Baillie, secretary of the Greymouth Boxing Association, applying for the use of the Council Chambers on August 50 for the purpose of holding the annual conference Of the New Zealand Boxing Council. The Town Clerk said that there was a resolution on the books that the Chambers were not to be used for any other purpose . than for meetings of the Council. The reason as stated by the Mayor was that the room had been in a dilapidated state owing to its use for meetings of other bodies.

It was decided on the motion of Cr. Carrol] to delegate the engineer and Town Clerk to see that the committee room is renovated and if possible made available for the Boxing Club’s Conference.

Mr FI. E. Holland, M.P., expressed thanks for the Council’s letter of sympathy with the bereaved and distressed in the Buller and Murchison districts, in .connection with the earthquakes, and the letter was received. The secretary of the West Coast Rugby Union wrote asking that the Council should reconsider allocation of dates for the use of the Recreation Ground,,,and that more days be allocated to the Union, as the other codes, League and Association, were not making use of the ground on the days alloted them.

Cr. Kitchingliam suggested that the proper course would be for the Rugby Union officials to get in touch with the other two codes, and try to arrange the matter amicably between them. In any case the allocation of the dates to the three bodies had not been made by the Council this year, but by the representatives of the code. He moved accordingly. . ( ' ' ' The motion was carried and the Mayor then referred to the matter of payment to the Council of a proportion of the gate-takings of the bodies making use of the Recreation Ground. Cr. McG inley said -that he had mentioned the subject at a previous meeting, when Cr. Wingham (who was absent) had said that no letter had been sent" to the Rugby League in reference to the matter.

The position was, said the Mayor, that Cr. Wingham had stated that the League was waiting to see what the other bodies using the ground were doing in regard to payment. The speaker continued that the Council wished to help sport, but it wanted to deal with ,t'he matter of rental in a business manner. He moved that the three codes concerned be asked to honour the agreement reached in regard to payment to the Cbuiicil of a proportion of the gates received. AU that was wanted was a fair thing, and failing a reply being ’forthcoming the Council would take further action.

Cr. McGinley stressed the point that whatever revenue was derived from the Recreation Ground was ear-marked fer expenditure upon improving it. The motion was carried.

Mr FI. McGlashan sought permission to erect a third petrol pump in front of his garage in Taihui Street. Cr. Kitchingliam asked whether owners of pumps had complied with the conditions imposed relative to an indemnity to the council against claims in the event of accidents. He moved that Mr McGlashan’s application be granted provided -the indemnity was taken out and the policy was handed over to. the Council. Cr. Williams declared that he objected to any more pumps being erected on the footpaths. He thought that it should be given out that the time was near at. hand when garage-own-ers would have to remove the pumps from the footpaths. The owners, said the Mayor, were aware already that the pumps pn the kerb-side had been placed there at the risk of the Council ordering their removal.

It was decided that the Town Clerk should attend to the matter of getting the' insurance policies. Application was made by Greymouth Motors Ltd. for permission to remove the petrol pumps in Guinness Street to a stand within tlie garage. Plans had also been submitted of structural alteration which provided for a track for cars through the garage and between Guinness and Tainui Streets.

The application was granted. Improvement of a footpath near his house in Byron Street was sought by Mr J. Mann, and it was resolved to advise the correspondent that the engineer had the matter of effecting improvements in hand. A request from Mr. W. Sampson for a permit to shift a shed on his property in Albert Street some 30 feet was,' at Cr. Kitchingham’s suggestion, referred to the Town Planning Committee with power to act. - With reference to a sump in Leonard Street, Cr. McGinley said that the Engineer had been asked to attend to the matter three months ago but nothing had been done. The Engineer explained that the first thing to do was to increase the size of the manholes, but the man who was to do that work had been otherwise engaged. However, the engineer had notified him to carry out the work and that would be done. The explanation was accepted without further discussion.

Referring to some Ifind alongside the Blaketown Hall which it was suggested should be reserved for recreation purposes, Cr. Williams mentioned that there was an area there equal to five sections. At his suggestion, the engineer was asked to investigate the position and report. Residents of Murray Street had objected to an unsightly fence across the top end of the street,. said Cr. Williams, and it was decided that the Engineer should take steps to have it removed.

The McFarland family, said Cr. Kitchingham, had at one time proposed to present to the town an area of bush land on the hill near the boundary on Marsden Road. When in Wellington, he had intended to interview Mr. McFarland and ask whether the family intended to carry on with the proposal. It was explained that Mr. McParlafid would be in Greymouth at an early date, and the matter would then be mentioned to him. Cr. McGinley said that seven ratepayers had approached him relative to the advisability of closing Grogan's Lane.

It was pointed out to Cr. McGinley that objections had been lodged on a former occasion when it, was proposed to close tjie lane, and he had suggest-

ed that gates should be erected and those affected should be given keys. The Mayor moved that the matter be referred to the Reserves Committee to report. The motion was carried. Enquiry was made by Cr. Kitchingham, concerning progress with the rating legislation which it was desired to have put through this year—lt was intimated that the Borough solicitor had the matter in hand and it was resolved to urge that it be expedited. I In reply to a question as to when the loan proposals were coming forward, the' Town Clerk said that details had been prepared for submission to the Loans Approval Board. He had learned that the water and drainage proposals could not be considered as separate proposals.

ENGINEER’S REPORT The engineer, Mr. A. J. Fairmaid, reported as follows: — Streets: —Finer weather during the past month has facilitated repairs to the streets and arrears of patching in tar-sealed streets have been overtaken. After attending to patching, it was hoped tb push on with second coat tar-sealing woi% but all that could be accomplished was a small part of Preston Road near Arney street bridge. An effort is being made to get as much second-coat sealing work done in the cooler weather, when it may be done with reasonable success, in order that the way may be clear for extensive first-coat work when the warmer weather comes again. The roadways in Ida Street, Marlborough Street, between Ida Street and Palmerston Street, Perotti Street, and the recently-formed part of the Town Belt North have received a coating of fine shingle at quotation prices. Cowper Street, between Franklin Street and the entrance to. the Hospital, has likewise been treated, using tractoi' and trailers. In Marlborough Street, on the northern side, between Ida and Palmerston Streets, in Milton Road alongside the recentlycompleted concrete kerb on the eastern side, and on the footpaths on both sides of Perotti Street, fine shingle has been spread in readiness for tar sealing when weather conditions are favourable. The concrete kerbing and channelling authorised in Milton Road, and that on the southern side of Thompson Street has been completed; work on the northern side of Thompson Street is now in hand. The footpath on the eastern side of Ida Street has been chipped. The accumulation on the western side of the Paroa Road footpath, under the railway fence, has been cleared away, thus materially widening the path. The trimming of Shakespeare Street footpath on the south-eastern side is nearing completion. Water tables on Russell’s Hill and Omoto Roads have been cleared. The grader has been at work in Lombard and Tufumaha Streets, School and Hinchley Lanes. Drainage:—Blocked sewers have been attended to in Puketahi and Mackay Streets; a street gully has been put in on the northern side of Raleigh Street, at Cowper Street intersection, and ' a pipe laid to the sump from the watertable in the said street. At the corner of Marlborough and Shakespeare Streets a pipe has been put in to take the flow from part of the recently-coriipleted water table in Marlboruogh Street to that in Shakespeare Street. .

Waterworks: —The concreting of the suction sump for the bore-hole scheme has been completed and the boxing stripped. A start will be made on connecting up No. 1 bore to the sump as soon as the river is low enough. During the four weeks ended the 27th instant, the reservoir was kept full with an average daily run of six and three-quarter hours. Reserves.—The alteration to the Buccleugh Street plots is well in hand. Cr. Williams moved, seconded by Cr. Kent, that the report be adopted and the motion was carried.

WORKS AUTHORISED Cr. Williams, chairman of the Works Committee, secured adoption of the following recommendations:— That water tables be cleaned and graded to sumps in Perotti Lane. That a 6-inch pipe culvert be put across Preston Road in the vicinity of the ,old sale yards, That in view of the comparatively good state of the footpath on the southern side of Chapel Street between Tainui and Alexander Streets, the proposed kerbing and channelling be not proceeded with, but that Herbert Street be kerbed and channelled on both sides, from Lord Street to Turamaha Street. That noxious weeds be cleared on Milton Road from Nelson Street southwards along the formed portion by the Borough Council, and that the Hospital Board be called upon to do likewise in the adjoining section, the Council having already cleared the frontage in Nelson Street.

That with reference to flooding complained of by Mrs. Fox and others in High Street the old box drain be connected to the recently laid 24-inch concrete pipe. That kerbing and channelling of an unsightly section at Hannah’s corner at the corner of Tainui and Mackay Streets be put in order. The report of the Abattoir manager showed that during July 43 cows, 171 bullocks, 491 sheep, 18 lambs, 18 pigs and 17 calves had been examined and one bullock and five sheep had been condemned as unfit for human consumption. Fees during the month totalled £ll6/15/2. &

FINANCE REPORT.

The Finance Committee’s report, which was adopted, showed that accounts paid since the previous meeting amounted to £1507/0/3, and further accounts totalling £7BO/10/10 were passed for payment. Mr S. B. White’s offer to contribute £5 towards the cost of laying a drain through his property in Lydia Street was accepted, subject to easement being granted as suggested by the Borough Solicitor. The Cobden Town Board’s acceptance of the Council’s terms to supply water to Cobden was received, and the Borough Engineer was empowered to prepare an estimate of the cost of drainage. and water supply for Cobden, the expenses for same to be arranged with the Board.

The matter of purchasing a photograph of the late Thomas Bracken, New Zealand poet, was held over.

Applications for increased wages from some of the Borough street workmen were not entertained.

The Reserves Committee was empowered to negotiate for the purchase of a section. alongside the Municipal Bath.

The Harbour Board will be requested to take over the supplying of water to shipping bh the same terms as previously ottered.