BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1943, Page 2

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The Mayor (Mr. F. A. Kitchingham) presided over an attendance of the following Councillors at a meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council, last evening: H. Herring, J. Saunders, G. M. Truman, J. Stokes, G. R. Harker, J. B. Kent and P. Blanchheld. The Locomotive Foreman, Railways Department, Greymouth, wrote asking the Council to reduce the account for water stated to have been used by the Department during April to a reasonable figure. He stated that owing to a leak developing in the water pipe 1,669,800 gallons passed Through the meter, whereas the average consumption was only about 560,000 gallons. He added that the leak was not discovered until May 12.—Engineer to adjust. . , _ . The Greymouth Municipal Band forwarded copies of the annual report and balance sheet of the Band for the year ended March 31, 1943. Mr. O’Brien (Minister for Transport) wrote acknowledging receipt of the Council’s letter with proposals for the prospecting of various gold reefs in Westland as one of the measures in the Government rehabilitation proposals. He said that the proposals would receive consideration when the skilled personnel for the work was available. He added, however, that the areas mentioned had been subpected to repeated investigations ovei the past 60 years and that the results of prospecting work were far from favourable. The problem did not appear one where the latest scientific methods were at all applicable. —Referred to the Rehabilitation Committee concerned. The Blaketown-Preston Road Ratepayers’ Association wrote asking if the Council would be prepared to receive irlist of necessary works in that part of the district which could be undertaken in conjunction with rehabilitation plans.—The Town Clerk s action in advising the Association that the Council would be prepared to receive such a list was endorsed. The Blaketown-Preston Road Ratepayers’ Association wrote pointing out that the fact that the acquisition of the Blackball. Wallsend and Dobson mines had been acquired by the State would mean that the Grey County Council and the Brunnei Borough Council would be deprived of a considerable source of revenue, was a cause of concern to the Association and other Greymouth I’atepayers as a large portion of that revenue constituted the hospital rate. The Association asked that the position be put before'the Government with a view to securing some rebel in respect to properties acquired by the Crown. Cr. Harker said the loss oi such revenue affecting, as it would, the hospital revenue, was going to be serious for Borough ratepayers, and the' Association should be thanked for bringing the matter forward. It was decided on the motion of Crs. Harker and Saunders that the question be raised witn the Prime Minister and that a copy of the representations be serit to Mr. O’Brien, member for the district. Mr. E. W. Rathbun, building contractor, wrote asking the Council it it would be in order for him to use a buildine - at the corner of Thompson and Alexander Streets as a workshop. He stated he understood that until recently the building had been licensed as a factory and that it was in the light industrial area.—Permission was granted. Mr. A. W. Todd, of Cobden, wrote asking the Council’s approval of his application for a license to operate a taxi within the Borough. Cr Herring said the applicant had i informed him that he understood there would be some opposition from the local operators. He (Cr. Herring) thought there was room for anothe 1- taxi in Greymouth, judging by the difficulty in getting taxis when required. . The Mayor said he did not think the Council had any jurisdiction in the matter of a new taxi service going on the road. It was a matter for the Transport Authority. It was decided to deal with the matter as soon as possible after the decision of the Transport Authority is made. KARORO BOWLING CLUB. The Karoro Bowling Club wrote asking the Council to make available to them an- area of ground approximately 250 feet by 200 feet, which would provide two greens and the necessary buildings. It was stated that the Chib was using a portion of the Grey Hospital Board’s property but that the Board was unable to make any more ground available to the Club and that the indications were that within the next two or three years the Board might require the site of the present green for Hospital buildings. Other factors being favourable the Club would like a portion of the Recreation Ground. ± . ~ In the course of the report of the Reserves Committee it was stated: A visit was paid to the Recreation. Ground where were met Mesdames Herring, Mercer and Walmsley representing the Makura Croquet Club and Messrs. Bunt and Tregurtha the Karoro Bowling Club. The former Club asked for a strip of land 36 feet in width along their south-western boundary and the latter club asked for an area of land 180 feet deep with a frontage of 200 feet to Shakespeare Street and bounded on the north-eastern side by the United Tennis Club. A plan prepared by the Borough Engineer subsequent to the above mentioned meeting showed the proposals. It is recommended that the request of the Makura Croquet Club be acceded to and that that of the Karoro Bowling Club in regard to the Recreation ground be not acceded Io as the area required by the Bowling Club would encroach too far on the public playing areas. It is further recommended that any athletic or sports club, before using the Recreation Ground for any purpose, take out an insurance policy indemnifying the Borough . Council against any claim which might arise as a result of the activities of the club in the use of the ground. The report was adopted, and the application of the Karoro Bowling Club in regard to other possible areas, was referred to the Committee for further consideration. The Librarians (Misses M. L. Cunliffe and M. McGlashan) reported as follows: Books issued during April: Country Library Service, 1330; nonfiction 698: fiction, 2608; rental 627. Non-resident subscriptions, b/-; rental extra books etc, £lO/17/3; total, £ll/2/3. Arrangeinents for the decoration and painting of the interior of the former Plunket rooms were left to Cr. J. B. Kent (Chairman oi the Library Committee) with power to act. The Abattoirs Manager (Mr. W. Hughes) reported: Cows examined during April. 93: bullocks, 111; sheep, 351; lambs, 146; pigs, 114; calves, 87: lees, £l5B/8/7. -The New Zealand Refrigerating Company reported that during April they sent to Greymouth and Runanga 559 J sheep, 229 lambs and 221 pounds of boneless meat. OUTSTANDING REVENUE. Cr. Saunders tendered his resignation as Chairman and member of the Outstanding Revenue Committee. He said that he had received a vote of no confidence by a resolution which had been approved that any work ; which the Committee required done I must be done in the Council’s office unless the consent ot the Council was obtained. The resolution had come

forward as a result of an account for £ll/10/- for the typing of letters for the Committee. The work coulu not be done by the office as required on account of pressure of work. Cr. Blanchfield also asked that he be relieved of his position on the Committee and he moved that the Outstanding Revenue Committee be abolished. He added that he thought too much of the time of the highsalaried officers of the Council was taken up with meetings, when they could be doing more important work for the Council. Cr. Truman seconded the motion. Cr. Saunders said that perhaps some of the councillors who were so critical of the work of the Committee could take the job on. Cr. Harker said he thought the function of the Committee should be to decide what action was to be taken and then to see that the letters were sent out. He thought it was degrading that councillors should have to write the letters. They were not on the Council for that purpose. Cr. Saunders said that the result of four years’ work by the Committee was that about £15,000 had come in and he would make bold to say that without the work of the Committee that amount would not have come in. There were councillors who apparently did not approve of that. . Cr. Harker said he was one who did approve of the work done by the Committee. Cr. Kent said it was not the function of councillors to become debt collectors. That was a matter for the office staff. Cr. Saunders said that the Committee had the authority of the Council to do the job and then one councillor objected to the payment . pl £ll/10/- for letters which might bring in some hundreds of pounds. The Mayor said that if the Committee was not going to function they would have to get someone on the office staff to take charge ot the “chasing” of the debts, in addition to his or her other duties. Cr. Herring said he thought that an individual letter to a person in arrears had more effect than a stereotyped notice. ‘ Cr. Blanchfield altered his motion to read that the Outstanding Revenue Committee be abolished and that the onus of collecting the outstanding revenue be placed on the Town Clerk. i , The motion, as amended, was seconded by Cr. Truman. Cr. Harker moved an amendment, that the Committee be asked to function again, but more in a supervisory capacity than as a rate collecting agency. to Cr. Kent seconded the amendment. Cr. Blanchfield said that he could be counted out. He equid not feel happy pushing , working people, widows, and soldiers’ wives for rates, when he did not think their money was being expended wisely. Cr. Stokes, another member of the Committee, expressed a similar opiniol'l - , , , Cr. Saunders intimated inat he was not prepared to carry on. After further discussion, the amendment moved by Cr. Harker was put to the meeting and was lost, only the sponsors supporting it The Mayor moved a further amendment that the Town Clerk assign the duty of following up the collection of rates, rents and other outstanding accounts to one of his staff, whose duty it would be to report to the Chairman of the Outstanding Revenue Committee once a month. The amendment was seconded by Cr. Herring and was carried, Cr. Blanchfield being the only dissentient. , . The balance sheet for the year ended March. 31. 1942, was received from the Auditor-General, without tags. The Mayor stated tnat the amount comm? off the Council’s loan indebtedness each year was over £7200 on account of principal, anc the net indebtedness on the loan account to March 31, 1942, was £132.19/.