HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 22 February 1928, Page 6

HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

ORDINARY MEETING. THE MONTH'S OPERATIONS. There were present at tlie ordinary meeting of til© Hawera Borough Council last night, his Worship the Mayor (Mr E. A. Pacey), Ors. A. Reid, W. Butler, G. J. Bay Ley, J. M. Townsend, 0. Morrissey. W. G, Simpson, and R. H. ueece. Leave of absence wais granted to Crs. Strange and Walkley. FINANCE. The finance committee reported that statement. of finance as set out should be adopted, and that the sum of £554 held on account of Nolantown loan he transferred to the sinking fund. The statement of finance showed that of the estimated expenditure of ..078, the sum of £14,053 had been actually expended, and a balance was in hand of £6154.

ENGINEER’S PROGRESS REPORT. ,The> engineer reported as under: — The following streets have been .oated with bitumen: —Gladstone, Erin, Cambria, Surrey, Wilson, Victoria Street north, Dixon Avenue, Grey, Purong Rowe, part of High Street. Repairs to backs of paths have berm effected in the following streets: —High, Princes, Union, Regent, Wilson (part), Victoria (part), Argyll© (part). That is all that the money available would cover. Repairs to cracks in paths have been carried out to the extent of more than half the town. Thp balance will require .attention next year. The enlargement of sewer in Collins Street is proceeding. It is rather a troublesome bit of work because of having to maintain the flow of sewerage past the npw work, and a much wider trench than usual is required. It, will probably take a little more than the £2OO set aside this year, so far as I can see at E resent, but one cannot well stop short ©tween two manholes. Eootpaths in High Street from Princes Street to Victoria Street have been coated with bitumen. Work is in progress at the railway crossing in Tawhiti Road. It was not practicable to stop the work short of Scott Street for the purpose of getting, a true gradient. Complaints have been made about the dusty nature of tlie paths; in Tawhiti Road, and some ashes will be put down. Talk has been made of bitumen, but we have no money for the purpose. After completion of the Tawhiti Road crossing and coat of bitumen on Tawliiti Road, the edges of metal of Glover and South Roads will be strengthened with metal and bitumen, that is so far a« the money will go. iThereiafter the connecting: up of the Cap'ien Estate roads and tile filling up of holes caused by telegraph, etc. poles in paths wii be attended to.

LIBRARIAN’S REPORT. The number of members was reduced to 490 ill January, only nine new ones joining and many leaving, but in spite of that it shows a increase of 20 over January, 1927, sQ' with holiday time now over and many rejoining a steady increase will no doubt soon be shown. Forty-four books were to the shelves, practically all from England. Mrs D. Burgess is acting a s assistant for a week owing to Miss Huggins having met with a slight accident to her arm.

INSPECTOR’S' REPORTHouse inspection has been carried outin Nolantown in conjunction with water connections, also portion of High Street business area, the usual notices being fiient to owners or occupiers. Building permits.—Seven were issued of a total vale of £1386. Owing to the continued low water pressure and complaints from occupants of two-storey buildings r e garding same, I would suggest that the council prohibit tlie use of garden hoses altogether. ABATTOHI.. Stock slaughtered: No bullocks, SO cows, 56 heifers, 394 sheep, 99 lambs, 15 calves and 53 pigs. One cow and three sheep were condemned. Pees and rents totalled 1 £IOO 10s lid (£9l 14s 3d and £8 16s 8d respectively), the fees being £4 Is 9d less than in January, 1927.' Total fe?-s for 10 months ended January 31 are £1 7s 9d less than those for corresponding peiod of last financial year. GENERAL t As recommended by tlie general committee, tlie council agreed that until such time as substantial footpaths, kerbs and channels are constructed in Nolantown the by-laws regarding crossings shall' be modified to the extent that no built crossings shall be required over paths, and that culveits shall be built of heart totara of dimensions to be determined by the engineer. Whenever determined by the council this modification shall cease and the full requirements of the by-laws put int-o force, notwithstanding that wooden culverts may have been provided. .4s recommended bv the works committee it was decided that application by Duffill and Gibson, on behalf of the Hawera Theatre Co., for permission to erect operating box on enclosed balcony in front of Opera House, as required bv tlie inspector of explosives, be granted during the pleasure of the council, subject to the borough solicitor’s advice that such consent would be in order and the council would not be rendering itself liable to any claim for accident” etc., or if any such liability is possible that proper cover can be provided, also all costs to be paid by the company. An account was received for work done on the Commercial stables, which had been authorised by the Mayor.— His Worship said that the matter had been one ot urgency, and on examination with the architects lie had authorised essential additions to the work ;uit lior ised. Tlie action ot the iVlayoi was endorsed. The matter of amendments to the Arbitration Act was briefly discussed, tlie Mayor stating that the question more or less affected the council. It concerned workmen doing carpenters’ work, and, he added, it might be said that men nailing a wooden culvert were doing such work. „ . The matter of drainage on Waihi R-oad was referred to the boundary roads committee for consideration. The Municipal Band is to be notified that no collection is to be taken up at the park without previous permission by the council. ' The matter of the street lighting and the Gas Company was referred to tlie lighting committee for consideration and a report It was decided to take proceedings Lo recover all rates unpaid by February 29. It was resolved that tlie committee meet on Monday next at the abattoir

to go into the matter of work which the chairman considered urgent, and that the engineer be present to advise them. The passing of accounts concluded the meeting.