GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL

Grey River Argus, 19 May 1944, Page 6

GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING The Mayor (Mr F. A. Kitchmgham) presided over last evenings monthly meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council. Also present were Councillors H. Herring, J>. Saunders, J. E. Stokes, G. R. Harker, J. B. Kent, P. Blanchfield and F. F. Boustridge. ~ m . ■ Sgt. D. M Dunnett, Air Training Corps, Greymouth, wrote extending an invitation to the Mayor and Councillors and the public to a public display to be held on June 2. —Decided'to accept the invitation. The Municipal Association forwarded the president’s report for the annual .conference arid the supplementary order paper. Messrs J. J’. Niven and Co. forwarded details of an electric carcase saw which was available at a cost of £175.-—Referred to the Abattoir Committee. t , The Medical Officer, District Health Office, Christchurch, wrote conveying thanks for help given m connection with the Mobile Health Exhibition. The Chief Postmaster, Greymouth wrote stating that it was considered it was time to. replace the plants in front of the Chief Post 'Office, and asking if the offer of the Superintendant of Parks and Reserves to provide replacements still held good, that this work be done. —Referred to the foreman with power to act. The secretary, Makura Croquet Club, wrote thanking the Council for granting a strip of land along the southern boundary of the efub’s greens. " Representations made bv the chief librarian (Miss M. Cunliffe) regarding hours of duty at the _ library were referred to the incoming Library Committee. The annual report of the Revel! Camp Board and the report and bal-ance-sheet of the Greymouth Municipal Band for 1943-44 were receiv ed. ,

Transfers from F Lamont and another to M. A. Brown, and from A. G. Cleghorn to W. James, were approved. ~ . The Grevmouth Technical _ School Boar a of Managers wrote asking that the drains along Shakespeare and Hi eh Streets be cleaned to give better drainage to the school grounds as it. was proposed to plant ornamental shrubs. - .

The Mavor said that the engineer .bad bad the work done but it was pointed out. that this would not drain the grounds. Cr Herring drew attention to weeds and grass encroaching on footpaths in various parts of the borough ana suggested that, some men be nut on to them. He also referred to the caretaker’s rooms, recalling that £350 had been funded for renovations and that the engineer had stated that the work would be rather cnstlv. He said he had prepared an alternative plan, which he presented, which he considered could be carried out with the money that had been funded. He suggested that the pl.an would be one for the new Cour.cil to consider. Cr Boustridge said that Cr Herring should be commended for Hie work ho had done in connection with the rooms. Cr Kent suggested the provision of a caretaker’s cottage. Boom would have to be found in the Town T-Tnl.l building for a children’s Itora.”v, ho said. Cr Blanchfield said that if it was proposed to shend about double the amount already funded in improving the old Quarters he thought it would be better to buy a house outside. Cr Stokes drew attention to a big patch of dock which was starting tn strike in the Blpketown area and siwwested that it' be dealt with as soon as possible. WORKS COMMITTEE’S RECOMMENDATIONS

Mr T Learmont forwarded plans, field notes and traverse sheets of land transfer surveys, the owners concerned being Messrs Davenport, Boustridge and Hall and Hamilton and Laing.—On the recommendation of the Works Committee the surveys were approved. Assocaited Motorists’ Petrol Co. wrote stating it was negotiating with the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the lease of the Police Reserve at Greymouth for the erection of a depot for the storage of petroNum products and askiim if the Council was agreeable.—The recommendation of the Works Committee that the proposal for the establishment of a dangerous goods depot hi the Police Reserve between Boundary and Arney Streets be appr°"ed, was adopted. The acting-Works Foreman, Railways Workshops, wrote stating that at a meeting of the Workshops Committee a complaint had been made regarding the condition of the road leading into Elmer Lane loco depot

and asking that the matter be -placed before the Council. A complaint had also been made regarding the condition of the sump at the entrance to the workshops off Herbert Street, which, it was stated, in wet weather flooded the road leading to the workshops.—On the recommendation of the Works Committee . the letter was referred to the engineer for action. The secretary, Grey Main School Committee, wrote asking that the Council consider tar-sealing the footpath leading from the rear school entrance to Turamaha Street. —The recommendation of the Works Committee, that the school committee be advised that tar-sealing of the footpath would be scheduled for attention next season, was adopted. Mr R. J. Donovon and other residents of Murray Street wrdte drawing attention to the state of the street, and asking that to the intersection of Blackmore Lane, it be repaired and that from the corner of Blackmore Lane to the end of the street it be tar-sealed.—The recommendation of the Works Committee, that Murray Street be scheduled for attention and tar-sealing from Blackmore Street south-east-ward next season, was adopted. The chairman of the Works Committee said that in the meantime the street would be tidied up. He added that an enlarged sewer running down to Tainui Street was desirable and this should be laid when finance -was available. Mrs I. Taylor, corner Ward and Hall Streets, Cobden, wrote suggesting that a gas chamber be provided for the destruction of homeless and stray animals for which service a small charge could be made. On the recommendation of the engineer _ it was decided to ask the engineer to report on the proposal. Mr' A. Harrison, Blackmore Lane, wrote stating that as a result of his section being lower than the road drainage water lay under his house during wet weather. .He stated that the only -way to get rid of the water was to’ connect it with the mam sewer, and asked the Council to attend to the matter.—On the recommendation of the Works Committee it was decided to advise that the Council lays only one sewer connection to the boundary of any section and that .any further connection required was to be made only at the cost of the owner or occupier of the property. William McGrath, corner Kilgour Road and Devon Street, wrote asking that the Council meet him in his request to have a sewer connection , of 50 feet to Devon Street rather than of 150 feet to Kilgour Road. —The Works Committee recommended that towards the cost of nutting in .a sewer connection the Council offer the sum of £lO, provided Mr McGrath makes use of the existing drain to Kilgour Road and that in relaying the drain he make provision for the passage of storm j water from the higher part of the section. The recommendation was adopted. VALEDICTORY. The Mayor said that as it was virtually the last meeting of the Council he would like to say how much he appreciated the co-opera-tion of all councillors in the last six years. The last throe years had ' been exceptionally full of work, with emergency precautions throwing an immense amount of labour on to councillors, staff and citizens. The i work had been such that the noi- I mal borough work could not be carried out. Personally he had taken the view that Winning the war was all that, counted and the Council had taken that view too. He drew attention to the contribution of the staff to the armed forces. He hoped that all councillors, except those retiring, would return and be able to carry out some of the plans m their minds. He expressed regret that the Deputy-Mayor had been unable to stand again, remarking that he had always had a point of view which it was well to have put forward. Cr Neville was overseas and it had not been convenient for him to be a candidate, and Cr Truman had also decided that he would not offer his services. To these he expressed the thanks of the community for their services. Finally he thanked the staff for all the work they had done. . Cr Herring said his term as councillor had been quite an education. He did not think he had lost anything by it .and his outlook on fife hap been broadened, perhaps, considerably. His ideas had not always been in accord with those of the rest but it would be a dull sort of council without opposition. He expressed appreciation of the courtesy extended to him and hoped all the councillors who were standing would be returned. He hoped some of them would take a leafout of his hook ] .arid try to be more economical in I,lm futore. ■

Cr Harker voiced appreciation of the Mevor's work and said he was glad Mr Kitchingham was going to be the new Mayor. He also refer-

red appreciatively to the work done by Mrs Kitchingham. Cr Kent endorsed Cr Harker’s re- ' “arks. He had been .associated with the Mayor for longer than most of those present and vouched for the conscientious manner in which he had carried out his duties. He had been most fair in everything. He spoke also of the great amount of work' done by Mrs Kitchingham. He thought thev should record a vote of appreciation of the work of the '■

i councillors— especially the Denutv- : Mayor, who had been so forth--11 ™ 11s utterances Mavor Bl nn ne m fiel(l c °ngi’atulated the nnt y 2i 011 h!S re-election. He had S thev V had Gn r^ e t 0 - eye with him fashion y in a friendly ' work of < i He s 9 referred to the ms that l Crcouncillors, saywith tho was retiring ! all sectFonQ S nf Ct n and a PP r eciation of i «ui sections oi the cornmunity.