BOROUGH COUNCIL

Grey River Argus, 14 December 1928, Page 6

BOROUGH COUNCIL

Ordinary Meeting.

The ordinary meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council was held last evening, there being present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. W. Greenslade), Crs D. M. Robertson, J. McGinley, J. B. Kent, A. B. Baty, S. B. White. R. J. Williams, G. Perotti, and F. A. Kitcliinghani. The minutes o f the special meeting at which the unemployment loan of £3OOO was authorised. wer c confirmed, ami the term of Traffic Inspector Sloss was extended until March 31st next. The District Engineer, New Zealand Railways, Christchurch, wrote acknowledging the Council’s letter re noxious weeds on reserve. High Street, and stating the matter will receive attention. The Mayor, in moving that the reply be received and acknowledged, said the Department’s attention could be drawn to the bye-law obliging it to elean the noxious growths opposite its property in High Street Shakespeare Street and Paroa Road. If the Council’s staff had to do the work, it would be quite a job. .Cr McGinlev, in seconding the motion, snid they could call th o attention of the Education Board, Hospital Board and other institutions, to their obligations in this regard. There was a thoroughfare between Cowper Street and the lagoon also blocked with gorse. Cr Williams said residents at Milton Road and Nelson Street complained of the gors o evil, and of the fact that a spread of gorse seed discouraged residents from removing noxious weeds. It would pay tho-e responsible to lease certain infested land near the Hospital. It was finally resolved that the bye-law requirements be brough under'the notice of all those who are till failing to comply with it. Mrs W. R. Kettle and family, the Parfitt family. Mr and Mrs F. M. Deinchv. and Mrs J. J. Irvine and daughter ' wrote tendering their thanks to the Council fo r expressions of sympathy in their recent respective bereave m The Secretary of the Grey Hospital Board wrote re the nuisance caused to •esidents in the vicinity ot t,l< ’ Uos ’ l ,’; al through smoke from the Boa 11> Power House stack, and stating the Board is going into the d’ 11 ?* 10 " " s „ whether smokeless fuel will oblige the nuisance. The Vacuum Oil Coy, Pty, D'. wrote advising that they arc agree able to the Borough Solicitor drawing up the necessary agreement for the laying of a pipe line across Petrie Avenue and up William Street. Th c company also asked that the easement cover the laying of two pipe lines, each pipe not to exceed three inches in diameter, this being asked for as it is expecter that there would bo «11 increase ot business later on. It was explained that one pipe would he for petrol am the other for power kerosene. Cr Kitehingham said there seemed to be no objection to the two pipe, lines, but the Council, when previously discussing thc matter, had failed to fix a term for the easement. There was,, hr believed, under the latest amendment of the Municipal Corporations Act, a provision for a certain term, and with that they should comply, as in the case of the Shell Coy. He moved that the Vacuum Oil Coy be advised the Council had yet to fix a term, and -hat the matter was being held over until a copy of the Act was secured in order that the term might be fixed. The motion was seconded by Cr Kent nd carried. The N.Z. Society of Civil Engineers

wrote requesting the Council to grant permission to th G Engineer to attend the annual meeting at Christchurch on Tuesday. 19th February, 1929. On the motion of Crs McGinley and Kitchingham. it was resolved that the Boriiigli Engineer be authorised to attend ‘■he conference.

Mr Charles Garner wrote thanking h ■ Council for his appointment as caretaker of the Municipal Buildings, and stating the duties were begun on December Ist. Mr R. G. Castl c wrote thanking the Council for his appointment as care-

t'-ker of the Municipal Baths. The Mayor said Mr Castle was to give a practical demonstration of capacity. Mr L. A.lnkster wrote as to the discharge of sewage from his premises ■it Marsden Road into Sawyer’s Creek.

stating the Engineer has requested him to disconnect from same. lie suggested the Borough Council connect his ■‘remises to the Shakespeare Street ewer, a distance of about 150 feet. )n the Mayor’s motion, the letter was

referred to the Committee of Finance. The Gas Institute of New Zealand Wellington, advised that the annua] meeting will be held at Wanganui c January 30th. 1929., and requesting that permission be extended to any of the Gas Department’s officials to attend. On the motion of Crs McGinley and Perotti, the request was granted. The District Traffic Manager of Railways, Christchurch wrote requesting the attendance of the Traffic Inspector on 29th December and Ist and 2nd January, to regulate traffic between Main and Riverside stations in connection With races at Omoto. The letter was referred to the Traffic Inspector.

Mr W. Hannah, Totara Flat, applied for a license for a novelty stall at Christmas, stating he had hitherto been accorded licenses at Palmerston North and Napier. The Mayor said the Council’s attitude was that only such stalls as were for charitable objects could be allowed. Crs McGinley and Robertson had been delegated to deal with such matters, and the Conn cil would be satisfied with their activity. If was decided that the request ?,ould not be entertained. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

Streets. —Heaphy Street" footpath, where it is concrete kerbed has been asphalted and the remainder patched. Winnie Street footpath has been patched likewise, as has also part of Tainui Street path. The metalling of part of Kilgour Road and of Perotti Street has been completed. The fine •hingling of the recently-metalled part of Marsden Road is in hand. A start has been made, to improve the Tainui Street level crossing. The Shakespeare Street-Winnie Street corner has been rounded off, and filling from some of the works in progress is being used to widen out Winnie Street to the pole line. The plot of ground adjacent to Rcvington’s Hotel and Tainui Street crossing has been tidied and levelled up ready for sowing down in grass.

Waterworks.—During the month nine water services have been laid on. A considerable leakage was located and repaired at the intersection or Johnston Street and Richmond Quay. During the period ended the 9th in st'., ‘■heir reservoir was kept full with an average pump run of nine hourf. A ■ apply of ninety 12-feet lengths of four : nch cast iron pipes came to hand dur:.ng the month for use on relief of unemployment loan works, and has been distributed to Blake Street, Town Belt North, and Blackmore Street. A cast iron main has been laid for four chains i~i Blackmore Street, and a fire plug put in at about the centre of the street, and the water has been carried the remainder of the distance by two inch pipes, and provision made for connection to the four inch main which will be one day taken along Stratford Street.

Relief of unemployment loan works. —ln Blackmore Street, two manholes await completion, and the sewer will then be completed. The formation of the street is well in hand and alterations are being made in gas and water mains to obviate as far as pos-ible any subsequent excavation on account of these. The formation of the town belt north is completed, and the first course of fine shingle has been applied throughout most of the length. In Palmerston Street the gravel from the old road has been removed and stored, and formation work will now be p;o--3eedcd with. Alterations to gas and water mains are being attended to here, so far as possible. The work nt the Baths is practically completed, and tho grass is coming on well. The formation work in Blaketown is completed, and the gravelling will be pushed on as soon as horses and drays are available. The kerbing and channelling of Herbert Street between Guinness Street and the railway crossing has been completed except for a short length at Leonard Street corner. Major loan proposals.—The report on the loan works is ready for submission to the Local Department Loans Board. copy accompanies this report. The plans with references to the various works will be on the Council table.

Cr Williams asked for an indication as to when Perotti Street could be rolled and the footpath dealt with. It was not in their list of works. He proposed that it be the first work to be done after March 31st. Cr Kent thought this street was on their schedule. On the suggestion of the Mayor, the motion was made to read that the Engineer and Works Committee report on the matter, with the object of hav ing it dealt with immediately after March 31st, and was then carried. The report as a whole was then adopted. Regarding the report and plans of the major loan proposals. Cr Kent said that before they we»tt to the Loan Board, it was advisable for Councillors to consider them at a special meeting, ar.d the meeting to consider the traffic report would give the necessary opportunity. Cr Kitchingham said it would be a pity to delay sending forward the report to the Loans Board. The Mayor said it could not reach the IJoard before next month. Cr Kitchingham said it ought to be ready for the Board’s first meeting. Cr Keni said Councillors h'ad not yet had time to examine the report. Cr Kitchingham said he had got a copy of the report three days ago. They would seem to b c shelving the proposals. Cr Baty agreed with Cr Kitchingham that there should be no delay. It was eventually agreed, on the motion o f Crs Williams and Perotti, that the report be considered at a meeting next Thursday, when the traffic report is to be considered and remits for the Municipal Conference arc to b G drafted.

Cr McGinley moved that Mawhera Quay be closed to vehicular traffic on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, between the hours of 6.30 and 9 p.m., from Boundary Street to Whall Street. Cr Robertson seconded the motion, which was carried. Cr Williams moved that the attention of the Inspector of Nuisances be drawn to a stretch of fencing in Al-

bort Street which, he said, was dangerous and unsightly in such a part of the town. The Mayoy said the responsible trustees had been seen by the Inspector, but had neglected his directions. The motion was carried. Cr Williams said that in a tourist booklet i sued by th G White Star Coy, no reference was made to scenery in this vicinity, and he moved the publishers of this guide should be asked to rectify the omission. The Mayor said the company evidently did not want tourists to stay here, but to continue travelling further. The Chamber of Commerce and the late Progress League had drawn attention to this matter some lime ago, but no notice was taken. They should now endorse the action then taken. There must be some reason for the company not wishing tourists to stay here, such as higher fares for carrying them further. Within a few hours’ travel there were resorts in this district second to none on the coast of anywhere else, resorts which they had often endeavoured to popularise., but it was difficult to attain their object. They hoped this would become the centre of the tourist traffic. He thought they should have a small Committee, to go into the matter with the Tourist Department and the garage proprietors, in order to introduce the tourists to the ideal scenery at Punakaiki, Mitn*»«ll’ s , Arnold River,

| the Marsden and Old Taylorville roads, than which there, was nothing Greymouth off the map! The Mayor: better of the, kind in New Zealand, Cr McGinley taid they might yet take 4< No fear! They cannot rub out Greymouth!” Cr Baty said the trouble was that this was not a tourist terminal point, and tourists were never satisfied until they reached then- intended terminus, which on the Coast was generally the Glaciers, after which they imagined they had seen everything. This delusion had to be exploded. as here in the Grey district they had beauty spots as fine as those to be seen anywhere on the Coast, and they should do all in their power to popularise those and to iflduco the tourists to make a stay here. The motion to draw the White Star Coy’s attention to thcT omissions from the Tourist Guide was carried.

The Mayor said they had come to their last meeting of the year, and it was his privilege to extend the members, as well as their staffs, the traditional wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy New Year, and. as Mayor, he would also extend the same wishes to the citizens of Greymouth. The Council could say they had done all in their power duriug the past year to make the Christmas season a happy one, and especially to meet the needs of the unemployed. This necessarily

had not been their fault, but neither was it their fault if any resident with dependents, in need of employment, had been left without the opportunity of earning a few pounds prior to the festive season. The Councillors had all done their best for the borough, and he had to thank them for the courtesy always extended him. as. despite any difference, they had united to make it a pleasure for them to work together.

Cr Baty, in reciprocating the Mayor's sentiments, said that it may seem a time, so to speak, for scratching each other’s backs, but. these expressions all helped towards rendering Christmas the merrier. To his mind, social amenities ti nded nowadays towards neglect, which .was to be regretted, as it were preferable to regenerate the spirit of Christmastide that used to prevail a generation ago or more. The people did not make so much of Christmas now as they did in the good oid days, but it was good to look back and remind themselves how they kept up Christmas when they were boys.

Cr McGinley: * * Have you hung up your stocking yet?”