BOROUGH COUNCIL DECIDES TO IMPROVE TAINUI STREET

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1949, Page 7

BOROUGH COUNCIL DECIDES TO IMPROVE TAINUI STREET

Cr. Blanchfield Sets The Ball Rolling Pei’ medium of Cr. F. Blanchfield’s forceful remarks at last evenings meeting of the Greymouth Borough Council, the engineer, Mr A. J. Fairmaid, was instructed to commence the long-needed task of putting Tainui Street in the proper state that the Council has long intended doing. It was also decided that the work in Joyce Crescent be left in abeyance as both jobs cannot be undertaken at the same time. In his opening remarks, Cr Blanchfield asked the engineer if immediate steps could not be taken to make a start on Tainui Street. Mr Fairmaid said he could start on the work next week if the work on Sinnott Road and Joyce Crescent was left incomplete. “I can only do one job at a time with the men I have’, he added. The Mayor, Mr F. F. Boustridge, said that although he would like to see Tainui Street work undertaken, he would prefer to have it held over until Joyce Crescent was finished. “I definitely would say, finish Joyce Crescent”, he concluded. Cr Blanchfield said that he felt if they kept putting the Tainui Street work off it would never be done . He did not think it was necessnry to leave the Joyce Crescent work unfinished, as there were plenty of contractors around that would undertake any of the work offering. It will be recalled that in .a recent job the Council called tenders. Several contractors applied, the successful tenderer halving th e Council’s own estimate. Cr Boustridge: “You should ask the press to eliminate that”. Cr Blanchfield: “No, I will not. There are several contractors looking for work”. Cr Boustridge said that the work was there, but asked where the money would come from. The Council, he said, had to budget and provide money for its own staff, and if outside contractors were employed further money would have to be found.

Cr Blanchfield said that the engineer intimated that he did not have enough men to do the work, and finance never entered into the question. Cr Boustridge: “Finance must enter into it”.

Cr Blanchfield: “A few minutes ago you were prepared to send two men bn a trip to Nelson and spend £lO on South Island publicity, and there was no mention of shortage of finance”. Cr H. Hutchinson said that if other work could be abandoned in the meantime, it should be, as Tainui Street definitely required attention. Cr Boustridge asked the engineer if he could leave Joyce Crescent in its present state. Cr G. R. Harker said that he thought it would be better to leave Joyce Crescent and let the traffic wear in the metal. Cr J. E. Stokes asked the engineer what part of Tainui Street would be done first, and was informed from Chapel Street to Grogan’s Lane. Cr Harker asked if it would be possible to start on Tainui Street immediately, to which the engineer said it would be if all other work was dropped. Cr Stokes asked if it would have any effect on the pumping station in Blaketown, and he was advised that it would not. Continuing, he said ne had previously suggested raising a loan to do all Tainui Street at the same time,, instead of having to shift men and machinery from place to place. Mr C'arker said he was in favour of raising the money, but where from, he asked. It was then decided to have the first steps taken on the Tainui Street improvement scheme as soon as possible.

Fall In The Revenue From Municipal Gasworks

The Gas Manager’s report for the past month and up to July shows a decrease as compared with the corresponding periods last year. The cash receipts for gas for July of this year were £342 2s lOd which shows a decrease of £1,020 Ils 2d on the £1362 14s received in July of last year. Sale of fittings and residuals brought £404 4s 6d which is £798 8s Id below that of last July. The total decrease for the month as against July, 1948, was £1099 19s 3d. The sale of gas up till July of this year was £3584 16s lid against £4454 5s for the corresponding period last year. The sale of fittings and residuals up till July this year was £1763 11s lid which is £231 Is 7d below that of the corresponding period of last year. . The total decrease on the seven months as against the corresponding months of last year was £l,lOO 9s Bd. The report added that: —On reading the above mentioned, the two monthly readings of gas meters must be considered, this being the first year of the practice. During July, one cooker, two water’ heaters ,two fires and a copper were installed, all installations being inside the reticulated area, four of the consumers being new. Demand is falling off earlier this year than usually, September being the more common month for the slackening, the general mildness of the season being the controlling factor. The retort house roof has been repaired as required immediately, but much repair is called for to make a satisfactory job, and the building is in such poor condition generally that extensive repair is in advisable. The meal room attached to the stokehouse has been painted out. For some months on each day of the week .additional pressure has bee napplied manually, as required, to the Cobden supply. A disused ■governor has been altered, adapted and installed by the staff and though manual operation is still required a clock controller is being made again by the staff to render the operation automatic.