ELTHAM.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 23 December 1924, Page 4

ELTHAM.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. - The progress sub-committee of the of Commerce have been; actively engaged during the past week or so preparing for the big Father Xmas, effort: again this year. Some 2000 gifts have been purchased and (wrapped, ready to distribute to the children; of

the district on Wednesday. Pull arrangements have been made to give-the children a happy Xmas Eve. It has also been arranged to decorate the town with large fern leaves. This, together with the ■■ electrically lighted streets, will make ’the l town bright and attractive. The sum of £75 has been subscribed, by the shopkeepers for, the purchase of gifts, drinks' etc., -for the children and for the decorating of the town. . BOROUGH COUNCIL. The Borough Council met last; night, the Mayor (Mr G.( W.( Tayler) (presid'-: ;ing. The Councillors present were Crs. Nairn, Bridger; Campbell, King, Taplin. Leave of absence was granted Crs Clement, Lewis,-Thomas and Taylor. ■' • A letter was received : from Messrs Lester Bros.' offering • the Council: the Ngaere Gardens for sale, and suggesting that Eltham and Stratford should purchase the gardens jointly. The letter was received. .' • • / The Chief Medical Officer wrote suggesting that every effort should be aiade to ■ exterminate rats, and miee in view of the/plague in. Los Angeles, and stating that the Department was doing all in its; power to prevent the plague reaching this country. The letter was referred to the health inspectors for attention, and it was decided to procure a quantity of poison for free distribution.-,-;' . , .; .:( -

The District Health Inspector wrotewith regard to the duties, and appoint-; inent of a local health officer, and' stat-'' ing that the whole purpose .of ■ the new i Health Act was to place-(the responsibility of public health on 'the' local authority. ! ’ : . r \ ; The secretary of the Fire Board , wrote forwarding certain recommendations from the superintendent of the Fire Brigade regarding the fire escapes at the Town Hall. . The, letter was re- ; ferred to the special committee for at--, tention. ■ ,

■ The secretary also wrote with reference to the; continual blockage of the water intake .caused by dead;-leaves, etc., referred to by Inspector Hugo in (his report; oh -the water (pressure, etc. The matter was referred to the Works Committee. ‘ - v

Cf: Camphell complained of the loiig grass on the footpaths, and suggesting that the .matter should be attended ' to immediately, and moved that it bo a recommendation to tho works committee that the ( grass be ■ cut with the lawn mower, if, not sible with tlie mowing . machine. The Mayor seconded the motion. • ...... Or. Bridger Said that this was a continual ; cause of compraint', and that (cutting the grass and ; chipping the footpaths as has been practised of recent years' was a waste of money' and’ did not achieve any object. He suggested (a . definite policy of taf-/ sealing the footpaths. ‘ The money being spent to no. profit- at ' present; would, more than meet the extra cost involved.

Or. Nairn, chairman of the works committee, sdid that the ( past year • they, had concentrated on 'the roads, ‘ ,an_d next year he (hoped to-, do’ some-' thing of a permanent nature with.the, footpaths. . . • ‘ - The Finance Committee recommended . that- proceeds from dairy; stock isold by auction at the public pound, ony Saturday, August 2(; (less impounding; charges and expenses of sale), lie paid; over to Te Hokio Ngaliiunpa, the owner of the s-t/o-ck; (that the discount on gaS '.accounts to consumei’s - using 5000 - cubic feet or over per month for cooking, heating and (power purposes, • be increased to 5s per thousand cubic. feet ; that the Accounts as Submitted be pas«eil for payment; the committee reports that the matter of framing a by-law to fix fees payable* for issue of licenses, required' 'by ( regulations under Section (132 -of ( The - Health Act,; 1920, has been • deferred until the committee has an opportunity of discussing the regulations with the health injector. - v The Town Hall' and Pictures Gbm■mittee'" recommended that the picture screen ih Town, Hall be hung witli counter-weights at. a’ total of £.14 3s 6d ; that- the ( application of the picture. pianist for a music allowance" be granted. • ' ' The Works Committee recommended;; that the app-licatiom of the Eltham ’ Co-op. Dairy . Factory Co. for per- ( mission to run effluent from suction * gas plant . in Collingwood Street cheese curing room through (the borough sewerage system lie granted. " ' The gas manager reported that diir-,. ing the month three new services have been installed, each one havinga cooker fitted.-. The sale of gas ap/pi i a rices is still on the increase. The advertising 'and cooking demonstration is proving helpful in assisting in.; the boosting of the sale- of cookers. Up to the. present 20 cookers and > 5 ealifonts have been fitted, and all- are giving satisfactory results. The plant at the works has been running satisfactorily during the month.

The borouedi overseer (M v . T. Hod.eren) reported that , 176 chains of tarring had been completed during the month.

The treasurer stated that £857 had been received during, the month; and accounts . were submitted totalling £1203; ■

The abattoir mana"erls report stated that 3 1 2 head of .steclr find been slaughtered and one pig had been condemned. '

The Mnvnr ’ot tb« close of +he business of the council extended to the •members of the council the season's greetings.