RUNANGA BOROUGH COUNCIL

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 October 1939, Page 10

RUNANGA BOROUGH COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING The deputy-mayor (Cr. F. Oakley) presided at last evening’s meeting of the Runanga Borough Council. Present were Councillors Y. Rutherford, S. Morris, G. English and J. McTigue. The engineer of the waterworks scheme, Mr. S. Stevens, also attended. An apology for absence was received from the Mayor (Mr. R. McTaggart). Mr. J. Unwin, Borough representative on the Power Board, waited on the Council, and extended an invitation for the Council to be represented on the organisation to control the raising of patriotic funds. He explained that the Government had appointed the Centennial Committees to take control of these funds, but the Runanga Borough was not represented on the Centennial organisation. The Patriotic Funds Committee had power to approve or otherwise all methods of raising funds, and supervise the use of funds, with the ’ exception of the Red Cross.

In reply to Cr. Rutherford, Mr. Unwin said that any money collected in Runanga would go to the fund for the district, and would be administered, along' with the other monies raised, for the whole of the district.He pointed out that the committee had control over the raising of money for presentations to persons going to the war, citing as an example a football club which had power only to collect from its members, but not to canvass the outside public without the concurrence of the committee.

Cr. English said that he was most concerned about the disposal of money raised, should an early peace be obtained. He did not'want to see a repetition of the mistakes made after the last war

On the motion of Cr. English, it was decided that Cr. Oakley represent the Borough on the committee, meanwhile. RATEPAYER’S COMPLAINT Mr. A. Boote attended to complain of the rating of his property. He produced rate demands showing an increase from £5/5/6 two years ago to £ll last year and £l3 this year. He said that he was quite prepared to pay the rates on the sections he owned, but objected to being levied on an additional area which he did not own, and did not even know its whereabouts. He also objected to paying water-rate on a piece of grazing land. One piece of land,, small in area, he leased from the Railways Department at a small rental, purely for the purpose of providing access and this had been rated.

Cr. Morris said that the Council could not do anything about the rates. It was a matter for the Valuation Department.

Crs. Rutherford and English said that the Council could help by writing to the Valuation Department, pointing out tliat Mr. Boote was being rated for a section which he did not own.

Cr. Oakley said that on previous occasions the Council had taken up mistakes with the Department, and had even gone to the extent of forwarding photographs of comparative houses’ where the values had been wrong, but had not had a saticfactory response.

In reply to Cr. McTigue, Mr. Bootel said that he had a notification from’ the Valuation Department ■ after thelast valuation, but the additional sec-! tion was not shown. If he could not! get any redress then he would have to j cancel Jhe leases he held, one of which was purely for access. j It was decided that the Council take the matter up with the Department, and Mr. Boole withdrew.

The Town Clerk said that all grazing leases, etc. were on the rate book, and so were liable for all rates. Cr. Morris said that where people had grazing leases, the Council had no authority to waive rates, and if the rate accounts were not paid, it meant that the rest of the ratepayers were being burdened with the cost. He mentioned a case where a resident held grazing leases over land which was not being utilised, and the person would not pay the full rates. He was going to insist that the full rates be paid, or that the people be prosecuted. If they would not pay then they would have to cancel their lease. The Town Clerk said that the Valuation Department sent the Borough a list of properties and valuations, and the Council had to abide by them. It was decided to write to the Railways Department, asking for a list of the leases the Department had given in Runanga.

WATERWORKS SCHEME DEPARTURE OF ENGINEER. In a“ further letter to the Council Mr. S. Stevens stated that he proposed leaving for Australia shortly, when the first tests were completed, and that his father, Mr. W. H. Stevens, would arrive here soon after for the final tests. He was surprised that the Couni’cil had raised an objection to his go- | ing at the previous meeting. | Cr. McTiguo said he was one who ! had raised an objection. He consid- | ercd that as Mr. S. Stevens had been ■ on the job from the beginning, it was | essential that he should be here for I the completion and the check-up. If he went, and someone else replaced him, it would not be satisfactory to the Council if any trouble arose. Mr. Stevens said that it was originally intended that Mr. W. H. Stevens would return from Australia at the present time, but owing to the war situation and the difficulty of getting someone in authority to take charge of an undertaking in Australia, it was not possible for him to return to New Zealand until he (the son) returned to Australia. There would be water in the pipes in a week’s time, and there , would be a number of leaks and other ; matters requiring adjustment. He proposed to be present to supervise this, and Mr. Stevens, senr., would make a final check on his arrival. ,Cr. Oakley said that Mr. W. H. Stevens when he had taken on the job said I that he was going to see the scheme through. It was only by accident that the Council learned he intended leav--1 ing for Australia. When a special meeting was called and he was asked what the position was he said that he was a consulting engineer and would visit the work periodically, but a competent man would be in charge. He gave an undertaking to visit the work once a month, but he had not been back since the job had started, and that was 12 months ago. The engineer was in charge of the Council instead of the Council in charge of the engineer. He held nothing against Mr. S. Stevens, but lie would say that the young man would not have got the job on his own, had the council been dealing with him in the first place. They were lead to believe that his father would be on the job from mouth ] to month. Mr. S. Stevens had admittedthat he know nothing of tunnel work,' which was a big part of the job. Mr. Stevens said that his father had; been kept in close touch with the, scheme, he saw all the papers and approved of the work as it went along. He continually wrote his father, re-, porting on the progress of the work.' Cr. Morris said the Council should not sacrifice the scheme for the sake of another scheme in Australia. He understood Mr. Learmont was to deputise for Mr. Stevens if he. went to Australia, but. Mr. Learmont was a

busy man already. Cr. Oakley said that there was no guarantee that Mr. W. H. Stevens would return. He had promised to do so before and had not done so. In reply to Cr. McTigue, the engineer stated that the scheme would be ready for handing over to the Council in five or six weeks’ time.

Cr. McTigue said there were a number of vital questions to be discussed before the finish of the scheme. He wanted a full detailed report of how the money was spent. -It should not be necessary to ask, but full particulars should be put in front of councillors.

PERMISSION REFUSED Cr. Morris moved that, whilst it might cause inconvenience to Mr. Stevens, the Council was of the opinion that at the present stage of the water supply scheme, it could not give permission for him to leave, and that the Council was of the opinion that Mr. W. H. Stevens and Mr. S. Stevens should be present for the finalising of the scheme. The motion was seconded by Cr. Rutherford and carried unanimously. Cr. Oakley said that no Council anywhere would tolerate what this Council had tolerated. Cr. McTigue said that the Public Works Department had approved the scheme provided that Mr. W. H. Stevens was in charge of the job, but he had not been near it. Cr. McTigue said that among the questions he wanted cleared up was the matter of payments for pipes. In one case, the contractors had claimed 4/6 per foot, for some pipes, and he had noticed later where the Council was able to buy the same pipes for 3/10?., and possibly a. contractor could buy cheaper still. Mr. Stevens said that a contractor estimates for a certain amount of profit, and by building up the price of material, for which he gets a progress payment at the end of the month that it is landed, this helps the finance of a job from the contractors point of view, and makes no difference to the finished cost of the scheme, or to. the Council at the completion. The Council could not. do the scheme as cheaply by day labour as by contract.

Cr. McTigue said that the engineer was there to guard the Borough’s interests and not the contractors, and if quoted 3/10?., the engineer should not allow it to be built up to 4/6. It may make no difference to the contract price, but the Council was entitled to a full explanation of these things. Cr. Oakley said that the scheme was costing far more than Mr. W. H. Stevens had led them to believe. There was £24,000 in loan and grants available. and the Council had been told by Mr. Stevens that they would be “on the box seat,” and would have a cduple of thousand over. Instead, they now found they were going to be short.

It- was decided that accounts be passed for payment, with the exception of a progress payment to the Engineer. The waterworks report, as follows, was presented: The total length of pipes laid to date is 13 miles 20 chains, made up as follows: 1622 feet of 8inch, 3,758 fl., of 6-inch, 11.780 ft. of 5-incli, 32.950 ft. of 4-inch mains, together with 600 ft. of 1? inch.- GOO ft. l.i inch, 400 ft. of inch. 660 ft. of 7 inch and 17,600 ft. ot A inch galv. wrought, iron pipes. Pipes are at present being laid through the tunnel there being approximately 1,000 ft. of 5 and 6 inch pipes to be laid to connect, up with the 5-inch pipes at. the | tunnel side of the railway b.v Bad-, (leley’s binns. This work should be

completed this week'. We suggest that the Council pay a visit of inspection to the. works at an early dale. There are at present seven men engaged on

the contract.—The report was received at satisfactory. In reply to Cr. McTigue, Mr. Stevens stated that the tunnel was standing up satisfactorily. A complaint from Mr. Cutter regarding the pipe at his section was referred to the engineer. ft was decided that a Borough workman accompany the water works employees to learn the method of pipe repair. It was decided that Mr. S. A. C’Neill’s application for assistance in paying for pipes, be granted. A letter was received from the works committee of the local A.R.P. organisation asking for the assistance of the Council in various details of organisation.—lt was decided that the requests be complied with. Building permits totalling £940 were approved.