ITEMS OF INTEREST

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 216, 26 August 1927, Page 3

ITEMS OF INTEREST

TO BOROUGH RATEPAYERS

TIT BITS FROM COUNCIL MEETING.

Several matters of interest to the ratepayers of Hastings cropped up at the meeting of the Hastings Borough Council last evening, when His Worship the Mayor (Mr. G. A. Maddison) presided, the agenda paper being a very small one. Recently complaints were made of scats and shrubs in the reserves being damaged and disfigured Disfiguring and last evening a

The Parks communication was received from the Police, who forwarded a list of the names of the boys who did the deeds. The Police also advised that they had made enquiries, and were forwarding the sum of £2 1/6 which had been collectel from the boys towards the cost of the damage done.—The Mayor stated that some 18 boys were concerned, and he hoped that the action of the police would effectually stop further vandalism. The communication was received, and the police are to be written to thanking them for their action.

Reference to the supply of electricity by the Council to some con-

sumers outside of the Out of limits of the license grantBounds ed to it, was made last evening, when the H.B. Electric Power Board wrote requesting the Council to give notice to those consumers who will be affected by the "Gazette” notice that they would be disconnected from the borough service. The clerk handed in a list of "outside” consumers, showing that some 43 in all will be affected by the notice.—"We have no option,” commented the Mayor, that the clerk follow out the request.

The proposal to have the Puketitiri Bush declared a scenic reserve was referred to at Puketitiri the meeting of the Bush Reserve Hastings Borough

Council last evening, when copies of the replies from the Prime Minister and the Minister-in-Charge of Scenery Preservation on the question were forwarded by the Napier Chamber of Commerce. The communications received made it clear that the land was acquired by the State Forfst Service for forestry purposes, and it could not be made a scenic reserve without compensation to that account, and by special legislation.—The letters were received, the Alayor pointing but that the Chambers of Commerce were taking the matter iu hand.

Another new street has been decided upon in Hastings and last evening the council was called upon Massey to give it a name. The Street street concerned connects

Hastings street extension and Willow Park road in the vicinitj gf French and Southampton streets. Several names were mentioned by the councillors, the Mayor having, two "pops,” t he second that o: "Massey” after the late Rt. Hon William Massey, Prime Minister, being decided upon.

Advice that the district engineei of the Public Works Department, Napier, has been Unemployment authorised to find Matters. employment for 3(1 additional men ou Government relief works through the Labour Department, was received from the Prime Minister.—Received Referring to the council’s proposals , for an expenditure of £1325 on the construction of footpaths, etc., for j the relief of unemployed, the Prime | Minister further wrote intimating ] that he had been advised by the.; Minister of Public Works that a £ i for £ subsidy of £4OB on public sub- I scriptions had been granted in respect to this work in compliance with the request of the council.— Received

Replying to the council’s representations, the Minister for Public Works advised that the Government subsidises voluntary contributions handed to local bodies for expendi ture on a £ for £ basis irrespective of the rate of wages paid, which, however, should be reasonable. The only other stipulations were that the proposed works must have met with the approval of the Public Works Department and the total cost of the work must contain at least 60 per cent, labour. The Minister suggested that further applications should be made, giving particulars. The Mayor explained that now the council would have another £4OO to spend on the relief of the unemployed,

“In a Filthy State.”—This was the comment made by one councillor last evening when a reAssembly port was received to the

Hall effect that the kitchen in Kitchen, the Assembly Hall had not been cleaned up properly after a dance. Questions were asked as to whether some scheme could not be formulated whereby the council had some guarantee that the ball would be kept in a proper and tidy state. It was finally decided to have a list of the rules posted in the kitchen and that a form of contract be drawn up and signed by the person hiring the hall. With regard to the instance reported it was decided to write to the committee pointing out that the council required the work done or it would have to pay the council for doing the labout.