MUNICIPAL BUSINESS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 December 1929, Page 6

MUNICIPAL BUSINESS.

MEETING OF LEVIN COUNCIL. The Levin Borough Council met last evening, in the Municipal Chambers, there being present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr C. Blenkhorn), Crs. lvcedwell, Goldsmith, Harvey, Walker, O'Connor, Hannan, Parker, Roe and Falloon. Messrs H. L. "Jenkins (Town Clerk), H. Channirigs (Overseer), and W. J. Guinan (Inspector). TRANSPORT PROBLEMS. I A circular was received from the Commissioner of Transport, inviting sggestions for the improvement of thei Motor Vehicle Regulations, 1928, and] of the other regulations dealing with motor traffic, as, for example the Motor Lorry Regulations. A small conference j of local bodies and others interested was to be held, to which would be submitted the results of the suggestions. ■ The Minister of Transport forwarded a circular in reference to motor transport, seeking the co-operation of all] local authorities in. Beeing that the provisions of the motor vehicle regula-j tions as to speed limits, traffic signs, etc., are complied Avith. "We are defaulters in the matter of ttyeac traffic signs/' the .Mayor remarked. "I think we resolved to send some signs to Mako Mako Road." Cr. Walker said it had been recommended that one sign be erected near the railway station and another at Cambridge Street. They were the St. Andrew's cross signs. Cr. Goldsmith stated that the Council had to put up four such .signs, two of which were to be in Oxford Street. The Town Clerk stated that if the Council followed the regulations, there would be one sign in grout of Messrs W. M. Clark's, Ltd., and another in front of the "Chronicle" office. Cr. Parker: It is absolutely ridiculous. If is Worship: We will do it, but not right speedily. (Laughter). GAS INSTITUTE. Advice was received from the Gas Institute of ';New Zealand that the sixth annual meeting would bo held -it Napier from 12th to loth February, 1930, and it was requested that permission to attend be granted to any officials of the Gas Department who were members of the Institute. The Council agreed that the Gas Manager was at liberty to attend the conference if he desired to do so. LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION. ; The Libraries Association of New Zealand advised the Council that the next conference would meet at Auckland on March 4th to 15th, 1930. The Town Clerk, replying to a question by the Mayor as to the advantages of belonging to the Association, stated that the annual subscription of £1 entitled the Council to an extra disr count on books purchased for the Library. The communication was received. MOVIES AT CHRISTMAS. The Do Luxe Theatre management wrote applying for permission to show on Christmas night; the programme first to be submitted for the Council's approval, and all comics and Western subjects to be eliminated. In answer to a question by the Mayor, the permission sought was granted; the programme to be reviewed by Cr. Parker and the .Town Clerk. WATERWORKS COMMITTEE. On the recommendation of the Waterworks Committee, the Council resolves that three bedrooms in the Council's house" ill Bartholomew Road bo rcjif'pered. The tender of Mr F. C Booth! for the work was adapted. The Commuttee recommended, .that' the charge for water to the Education Reserve on the CD. Farm subdivision bo £l2 10s per annum. Cr. Keedwoll, chairman of the Coin mittee, stated that, with the proposed charge to the Department and the revenue from the farms on the CD. Settlement, the Council would bo receiving £57 10s a year as compared with £i3o when the property was a State farm. The recommendation was adopted. The Council also adopted a recommendation by the Committee that the charge for power for Messrs Parker, Vincent and Co. 's elevator be reduced from £S to £5 per annum, as from Ist April last. Cr. Keedwoll stated that there was another lift in the town, run on a £4 basis. Messrs Parker, Vjncont 'and Co.'s application for a reduction of the charge to them was made early in the year, hence the retrospective reduction. PROPOSED RIGHT-OF-WAY. j Reporting on the application for a| right-of-way at the rear of the Anchoraj (,'ai'e, Oxford Street, the Borough In-j specter considered that it was noces-1 sary that the application be granted, as it was imperative that a back ontrance be provided to the premises,! the provisions of the Health Act precluding the carriage of fish and or fish j offal through the shop and dining room. The fact that the building occupied the whole of the frontage of j the section made it impossible to provide an entrance otherwise than from the back. The proposed 10-link rightof way was nothing new, as it had been in existence for about five yearß, and he understood that, on a new lease being submitted for registration,,the District Lands Registrar required the consent of the local authority to the right-of-way, which would not be fenced off. On the. motion of the Mayor, the application was granted. INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The following report for the month of November was presented by the Borough Inspector, and was adopted:— Motor Traffic. —I have been out on a number of nights during the month and have cautioned several persons for minor breaches of the by-laws'. On Race. Day, November 23rd, a considerable number of visiting cars arrived in town. I prohibited parking in portions of Mako Mako Road, so as to avoid any blockages to through traffic. At the corner of Mako Mako Road and Oxford Street, I had a traffic sign in use, and it helped considerably to control and slow-down motor traffic. Several prosecutions are pending for flagrant breaches of the traffic by-laws. Drivers' Licenses—During the mouth | I have tested and passed IB persons-as j capable of driving various classes of j motor vehicles. The total number of

licenses-issued for the present year is now 484. Public (Health,. —<During the month three cases of infectious diseases —two of scarlet fever and one of puerperal sepsis—-were reported. One . patient was removed to the hospital. At present, .the total number of reported cases of infectious diseases in. the Borough is as follows: —Scarlet fever 3, puerperal sepsis 1, and T. 13. 1. Fumigations. —During the month I have fumigated three premises where infectious diseases have existed.' Food and Drugs.—At the request of the Health Department,' I luive taken samples of certain drinking water from several iirms. These have been forwarded to the Government Analyst and I am now awaiting his report. Drainage.—During the month one new septic tank installation was inspected and passed. Several other drainage installations have received my attention. Inspections.—The usual round of inspection has Ibeen made during tho month to premises, and as a structions have been issued to have certain works attended to. These have now been done to my satisfaction. OVERDUE RATES. A resolution was passed imposing h penalty of 10 per cent, on all rates tamaining unpaid after tho expiration of six months and 14 days from the date of demand.