HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 15 December 1925, Page 6

HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The Hawera Borough Council met hist evening, when there were present: II Mayor (Mr E. A. Pnoey) and Crs, L Morrissey, W. R. Butler, W. G. Y alk ley, AY. C. Gilbert, W. G. Strange, H. N Lester, J. M. Townsend and A. the business of the meeting was commenced a motion ol condolence with the relatives of the late R- U. Welsh, who had filled the position «t solicitor to the council for 20years, was passed, councillors standing a moment in silence.

A business house concerned with the sale of filtration plants wrote putting forward the merits of the system ana machinery employed by it, and pointing out the advantages which filtered water had over water generally supplied direct from a river. The plant could make absolutely pure any watei except salt water. W ater in swimming baths could be kopt pure- by the fir in s process of filtration. In connection with the letter, the engineer wrote stating that to his knowledge most filtration schemes meant loss of pressure. Howevei, he would draw the council’s attention to the paragraph regarding swimming baths. Tlie Town Clerk (Mr H. S. Elliott) mentioned that the Hawera baths weie emptied every week, and it meanta quantity of water amounting to 120,000 gallons every time the Baths were filled. It was decided to invite the representative of the firm to confer with the engineer if he happened at any time to be in the vicinity of Hawera. The Health Committee put forward the following suggestions, with a mew to.' urging legislation providing adequate protection to the public, and enabling the Health Department to make its regulations more effective : —(a) Personal license of milk vendors to be obtained from each local body in whose area he operates; (b) suitable provision with regard to premises whether same are actually situate in area of local body in which the milk is sold or not; (c) suitable provision for ensuring safeguard of public health by the efffcient cooling of milk; (d) inspectors to ensure compliance; (e) such other steps as may he necessary or advisable.”

The Health Committee also reported that the matter of cattle saleyards and provisions of Act and regulations, a 1 so the sanitary inspector’s report re Feilding yards, had been discussed at length, and it had been decided that arrangements be made for a meeting with local auctioneers on a suitable date (next week if possible), when matters coil'd be further considered. Mr. G. Watts wrote drawing the council’s attention to the weed infested section owned by the council and .adjoining his property.

Or. Townsend .said he had been under the (impression- that the .section did not belong ito the council, (buff now found that it did. It had been handed to the Defence Department, which had transferred it to the council, and he had thought that a move to hand it back had materialised. —The engineer was instructed tb mave the .section cleaned up.

Permission was granted the Plunket Society to display a crate containing a sheep in the street next Saturday, and to conduct a weight-guessing competition in connection with the same. The Works Committee recommended : (1) That it be left to the Town Clerk and the inspector _ to procure street name-plates for Xolantown; (2) that the unligthed dome, as suggested 'in the engineer’s special report, be placed at the junction of High and Regent The General Committee recommended :—That request of Mr Stratton conmined in letter from Mr Cox, as to repainting interior of office and installing electric light he agreed to ; Mr Stratton to have work done and council to refund amount not exceeding estimate (£S)I 10s). That several firms be written to regarding supply of hooks for library. That the fo 1 lowing remit be forward to the Municipal Association of New Zealand, viz: That section 48 of the Rating Act. 1908, Clause (c), be extended to provide that in th e case of a special rate made for providing for the annual or half-yearly charge on a loan that it he payab’e on such date or dates in each year as the local authority from time to time by special order directs. That application by Mrs A. Owen for relaxation of by-law to permit erection of motor-shed on. side line next entrance strip to adjoining farm lands be granted. That Messrs W. R. Evans and others be informed that Counci' has no power to grant request for reduction of tax in respect of dogs kept for destroying pigs. That it he left to the Mayor and the chairman of the Works Committee to arrange with the engineer as to holidays. That the firm of Messrs Welsh. McCarthy, Beechey and Houston he appointed borough solicitors. That Wednesday, from 1 to. 5 p.m., he appointed as the day on which carters and others may deposite rubbish at the tip. That the Library Committee, bring down a recommendation as to appointment of a member in place of the late Mr Welsh.

The committee reports and recommendations were adopted. OFFICERS’ REPORT'S. The engineer’s progress report was as follows: “The flanks of Regent Street. Victoria Street, and Grey Street at the places fixed have been metalled in preparation for bitumen work later. The lollowing methods of road construction have, during the last ten years, been tried in this borough: Tar • macadam in three layers, tar macadam in two layers, tar macadam in one layer, grouted bitumen surface in two layers, grouted bitumen surface in one layer, metalled surface tar-painted, metalled surface tar painted and then bitumen painted, metalled surface bitumen painted. Tar macadam is no longer advisable, on account of the very inferior tar now available generally. Grouted bitumen in one layer is difficult to get smooth ; in two layers it is good but costly. There have been several non-successes with the one layer method in this Dominion. For streets carrying heavy traffic bitumen concrete is satisfactory, but a hot mixer is required, the cost of which is prohibitive in our case. After ten years’ observance' of maintenance of these surfaces my present opinion is that, for ordinary residential streets, the most economical method is ordinary macadam in two layers, coated first with some kind of sizing, either lightly bituminous or of crude oil nature, followed by a good coat of bitumen and chips. Experiments have also been made to observe the effect of using bitumen surfacing without chips, using sand instead. In one case passable results were obtained, but, in others, the results were unsatisfactory. This agrees with the experience of others. The tar macadam paths of Albion Street are about to be formed. Every summer it has been necessary to traverse the paths, cutting out grass which grows at the back of the

kerbs. It will be wise to try to elimin. ate this cost, and I propose to try the effect of hammering out a tiny ditch at back of kerbs by means of V spade, filling up ditch with hot bitumen. This ought to exclude air and prevent grass. A few miles will be done every year until the whole of the paths are completed. Repetition expenses should he avoided. ’ ’ The borough inspector reported as follows: ‘‘House inspection • has been carried out in Camberwell Road, but a number of other places were visited and inspected while procuring a list of troughs, standpipes, etc. Twenty drivers were licensed and tested. Thirteen persons were prosecuted during the month. Total fines, £lB Is. Inspection of standpipes and water troughs, etc., was carried out within the borough’during the month, and with the exception of four they were in good order. The owners of these four were notified to have repairs effected immediately. 1 have made a start with house numbering in Nolantown, and hope to finish this week. I would suggest to the council to procure plates showing names of streets in this area.” The .sanitary inspector’s report was as follows; “During the month of November 51 premises were inspected and any necessary notices issued. One plumbing job was inspected. Two drains of a total length of 150 feet were tested. One plumbing and one drainage permit were issued.” The librarian reported as follows: I ‘l beg to report that seven new members joined and eleven left, so the number now stands at 476, an increase of 16 on November of 1924. About, 32 new books were bought; this ends the business of buying from the Melbourne agent.” The borough ranger reported that six head of stock, five horses and one cow, had been found wandering in the thoroughfares of the borough last month. On the afternoon of November 19 a fife was started in the Tiiruturn reserve b.v some person. As a strong wind was blowing, the fire spread through the clump of cabbage trees and a lot of pines and shrubs. The trees may recover, but some of tlie shrubs are completely destroyed.” The reports were adopted.