NAPIER BOROUGH

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 213, 23 August 1927, Page 9

NAPIER BOROUGH

MEETING OF COUNCIL TAR-SEALING ROADB DISCUSSED MATTER TO BE FULLY INVESTIGATED. A meeting of the Napier Borough Council was held last evening, when the Mayor (Mr. J. Vigor Brown) occupied the chair. Other members present were Crs. H. J. Harman, W. G. Martin, C. H. Wilkie, A. E. Bedford. P. F. Higgins, J. Hindmarsh, U. D. Cox, J. C. Bryant apd K. W. Goodger. “That this council prepare a scheme to tar-seal hill roads this season instead of patching, such work to be done out of revenue, as provided in estimates for street repairs and maintenance.”—This was the notice of motion given by Cr. Cox. In moving his motion Cr. Cox stated that in respect to roads, particularly hill roads, the rain washed away the fillings and sand. Last year some £17,000 was spent and about £lO.OOO was on the. estimates for this year, “it is ail maintenance work, not permanent, and if we tar-sealed these roads we would have something done that would last,” he stated, tixling that ne understood the cost to tar-seal would he about £5OO per mile. “If that is so we should be able to get about ten or twelve miles done out of revenue. ’ Cr, Martin seconded the motion and pointed out that certain roads were badly in need of tar-sealing, particularly hill-side roads. Cr. Higgins: The object of the scheme is highly desirable but we must have something to work upon. The Mayor suggested that the matter be left to the finance committee to discuss at a special meet ing. He thought it better to see lust how the finances of the council stood Cr. Martin stated that the motion allowed for a scheme being formulated and suggested that the question be left to a special meeting of the council in committee later. This course was decided upon. QUESTION OF HOARDINGS. The question of hoardings was raised by a letter from a firm asking the council to reconsider the application for permission to erect certain advertising hoardings. The firm stated that it was only prejudice and biased opinion that would try to administrate under the Act by the absolute prohibition of all advertising matter and the firm felt confident that the council, constituted of public men. carrying out a public duty, would only administrate in, a unbiassed and impartial manner and grant the necessary permits to carry on a legitimate business in a legitimate way. Cr. Wilkie contended that the council should take exception to the tone of the letter. He stated that it was not the council which had shown bias but that the company had done so. He thought that the council should write and express its disapproval of the terms of the letter and moved accordingly. The Mayor was of the opinion that it would be better to Jet the matter drop. that there might.be more in the matter than what appeared on the surface was the contention of Cr. Higgins who did not think that the council had the right to veto the erection of hoardings on private property. He would like to see the opinion of the council’s solicitor on the matter. It seemed to the speaker that if the council had this right then it had the right to. tell a man to take out an advertisement in a window, and to ascertain just how the council stood in the matter he moved as an amendment that the matter he referred back to the roads committee for it to obtain legal advice. In seconding this Or. Bryant stated that he realised that the council had the right to control such hoardings but not prohibit them. It was pointed out that the committee had already been asked to consider the question ou more than one occasion. After some little discussion the amendment was lost. CORRESPONDENCE. The Under-Secretary, Department of Interna] Affairs, wrote stating that as Messrs J. B. Andrew and A. McCarthy, council’s representatives on the Napier Fire Board, had ceased to be members of the council their offices as member sof the Fire Board had been vacated, and he wa s awaiting the nomination of two gentlemen to fill the vacancies.—Crs. Goodger and Higgins were appointed to,the position. With reference to council’s representations regarding the installation of electric light at the Napier railway station, the Hon. Minister of Railways wrote advising that this work was included in the electric lighting programme for the current financial year and would be proceeded with as soon as circumstances permitted -- Received. The secretary of the Napier Thirtv Thqusand Club wrote stating that his club had pleasure in offering, on behalf of Mrs W. Harvey, sufficient flowering cherry trees to plant in Campaign street.—The club is to be thanked for its efforts. The club further advised that a well-known landscape gardener in conversation with bi s executive advised it to recommend the council that when any of the seats in the park should be repainted they should he done in a battleship grey colour.— Received. Advice that he was prepared to give, free of cost, a strip of his land situated at the hairpin bend on Guy’s Hill road tor the purpose of improving the present bad turn ; the council to pay cost of survey and legal, was received from R. Smale, who also stated he would not hold the council liable tor the construction of a retaining wall in the event of the bank not remaining stable after the excavating work was completed.—Held over pending a report from the ronos committee. A complaint was received from a lady in Main street of a nuisance caused through sulphur fumes leaking from a sulphur chamber in the vicinity of her property.—The Mayor reported that the matter had been attended to. The Hawke’s Bay Hospital Board wrote asking the council if it could see its way clear to reduce the price of water from 1/1 per 1000 gallons to 10d per 1000 gallons.- Referred bo • the waterworks committed,

A petition from Timothy McCarthy and another 29 residents of Domett and Campbell streets asking that street lamps be erected at Crawford’t corner and at the corner of Colin and Coronation streets was dealt with, the council deciding to refer the matter to the roads and electric light committee.

Matters pertaining to shopping week were dealt with, when the secretary of the Shopping Week Committee wrote asking if the council would arrange for coloured lighting during the festival and also would it provide a decorated traincar. The trams and electric light committee reported that instructions had already been given to place coloured lights at street intersections as in previous years. It also recommended that the council advise the writers that it regretted being unable o accede to the request to have a tramcar decorated.

The Shopping Week Committee wrote further asking the council to permit the executive to use Emerson street on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons during shopping week, from 3 p.m. to 3.20 p.m., for the purpose of holding women’s and children’s events. In this matter the committee recommended the council to grant the request.—The recommendations met with the approval of the council.COMMUNITY LIGHTING Recently the council asked its engineer to report c«n community lighting. and last evening his report was tabled. He explained that community lighting came into prominence about live years ago. and a number of supply authorities arranged with shopkeepers to instal and light lamps under verandahs, after shopping hours, at a yearly rental, with the idea ol displaying goods and improving street iignting to mutual advantage. Uue supply authority recently installed additional service into eacfi coh stuner s premises, and arranged that window lights be switched over on to thi* circuit and sunbed on certain nights at fixed hours, at a fixed charge per lamp (basis 4d per unit). ‘ibis is a novelty that mav not be generally adopted,” stated the engineer “Its only advantage is that the window lights are switched on and off at fixed hours bv the supply authority, and such does not warrant installing additional mains and services when similar results can be obtained in a more flexible manner. The system is not practicable at present in Napier, ow.ng to reconstruction in progress, which necessitates building a new reticulation before removing the old one, and while both reticulations are in service, regulation clearances for additional circuits cannot be obtained, and I would suggest independent time switch control lor shop window lighting as the most suitable and flexible system.’’ His leasons for this scheme were that the retailer could either adopt community arrangements ar arrange his own window lighting, and there was no necessity to enter into vearlv contracts. He suggested that the council offer a discount to all shopkeepers who adopt hour lighting. This discout to be based on a char-re of 3d per unit for window lights. With time switch control there would be no extra cost to the council. The cost of installing a time switch wuld be £5 to £6 to each consumer To instal controlled window lighting along Emerson street and Hastings street (between Herschell and Dickens streets) would cost the council. for mains and services, approximately £4OO. The cost to each consumer for installing additional service leads and throw-over swithch would be £2 to £5. The question was left to the committee to enquire into.