BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1933, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

LAST EVENING’S MEETING. The Borough Council met last evening when there wore present the Mayor (Mr G. A. Perry), and Ors. A. Thompson, 1). P. Stuart,- J. King, M. McGavin, E. Teichelmann, R. Eclock, A. C. Armstrong and T. W. Duff.

INWARD CORRESPONDENCE. The N.Z. Refrigerating Co. Ltd., intimated that four sheep were delivered into Hokitika during May. The Sanitary Inspector, Greymouth), forwarded a report of sanitary inspections performed during June, 1933—Received.

Pastor D, Sibley, applied for permission to conduct a series of religious lectures in the Soldiers’ Hall on Sunday evenings. No fee was charged for admission, but a collection would be taken.—Granted. Mrs F. Preston, Hall St., drew attention to unsatisfactory condition of footpath in front of her residence, and suggesting that the footpath be cither tarsea'ed or re-conditioned.—Attention to be given. The Hokitika Fire Board forwarded a resolution passed by the Board, drawing .attention, to the fact that the extension of the water service for fire purposes In north Sewell St; had hot yet been made, and (pointing out that such work is an ul'geht necessity—Referred to Mayor and Or. Heinz to inquire into eoet, and material and report.

Mr T, Stankcy, asked that some act* ion be taken to relieve the continuous flooding at his property in Rolle-ston Street, near Weld Street, and suggesting that a downpipe be placed at his frontage to allow the water to escape.—. Suggestion adopted. Messrs E. W. Bruce and L. -I. Kirwan applied to the Council to have the water course, that is carrying the ujgp.ler flowing from Sewell Street through their sections into their drains at the back, * covered in.—Works committee to carry out work if cost does not exceed £6. The Hokitika Lawn Tennj g Club intimated that their committee; has in-, spected the area ifor the proposed tennis counts ;at the botanical gardens, but it considered that-even .with’ a new drain, the ground in the original plan was not altogether satisfactory, and suggested that the Council offe r an extra two, or two and a half,' chains taking in the higher and firmer ground,

on the present proposed area. Failing this, it is* suggested that perhap s the Council could offer -a suitable portion of Whiteombe Square at more reasonable ternis than previously.—The Council decided to offer the additional 2Jchains, and to .advise’'what it'will cost in rent and rate.

The Wairoa Harour Board forwarded a copy of proceedings of conference held at Wairoa in regard to local body rates, and asking the Council’s co-operation.- ••Received, Messrs P, S', Stephens and G. Stephens requested that the Council repeal its -by-law fixing the closing hour of billiard rooms at 10 p.m. Mr P. Stephens, who waited on the Council, said that elsewhere in New Zealand the closing-time was 11 p.m. Or. Eloock said he did not think the Council was really justified in enforcing the 10 p.m. closing. The Council were not concerned with the moral point of view. If the Government approved of a. general closing of 11 p.m. he thought it should suffice for Uical saloons.

A member: The police report is opposed to it.

Or. Elcock: No, it only advises that it does not recommend it.

O’*. Armstrong supported the application, and said he thought it was penalising the looa'l proprietors. The Council was originally in favour of the proposal until the police report w,as 'received.

j Or. King considered the Council ishould abide by Jits decision. The Mayor suggested that the letter be received, and , a ny .further action would have to come from a member of the Council, in the form of notice of' motion. The financial statement showed that receipts for the period .amounted to £1157 13s Bd, and the expenditure to £629 11s Id, There w.as a debit of £685 13s 10d in the distiict fund account. Accounts amounting to £866 9s 4d were passed for payment. The Mayor said that the finance committee was of the opinion that 'it was ■in the best interests of the borough to keep the rate 6 as low as possible, and they had decided that the rates be the same as at present, .Is 2d in the £l. This would leave the Council with am overdraft? -similar to the .present ll receipts and expenditure l came out as anticipated. It was proposed to reduce the sanitary fees from 18s to 15s, so that there would really be a. .slight reduction in the rates to the public. One feature of the finances was the ■amount of outstanding rate s which was I growing yea r by year. Last year the I amount was £2027. A great part «fj this was uncollectable. :Some of these! ratepayers were relief workers, and the Council would not take action, but there were others who were in , a position to pay, and the list would be gone through and the of the latter noted, and steps would be taken .to secure recovery. On the motion of the Mayor and Or. King it was decided that the estimate proposals as considered by the finance. tcbmmiUee be adopted, Stock was slaughted at the municipal abattoirs' during June as follows; iCows 20, bullocks 55, heifers 19, sheep 243, calves 30, lambs 111. pigs 5. Condemned one -cow and one heifer. Abattoir fees totalled £67 9s 6d compared with £6l l? s 6d for the corresponding month -U|s(. year..

FOREMAN’S REPORT. The foreman (Mr F. C'hesterman) submitted his report wg follows ; Drains : Tanored street drain was carried across Stafford street to tbreast side of street. A concrete sump was put in at the intersection before crossing and this work h ■$ now reached about half way between -Stafford and Hampden streets, at the rear of J. Cameron’s A drain wa,s put across Davie .sireet footpath, north g : de of Hampden street, being piped with nineinch earthenware pipes.

Water: The first week of the month was taken up with the water supp’y. The delivery into the reservoir was normal, but. owing to a leakage gomewhere about town, the pressure was unusually lew. The cause was located in the Mental Hospital grounds, where a lead packing joint had blown out, and the wnte- r was escaping into a drain underground. With this repaired, the trouble wap overcome.

On July 9 a pipe burst 'an the eight inch -main at the bottom of Blue Spur hid, , a .nd this took tall ten o’clock at night to repair. The water service at 'Mr W. Williams’ in Stafford street was renewed and the services were repaired at the following places :—At Mr Ohetwynd’s in Be’.ley street, and Mr -N. Wilson’s, Sale street, and Miss Aitken’s in Rolleston street. A burst pipe wag repaired between Davie and Jollie streets in Stafford street, and the water service repaired at the cemeterv. Crossings were put in at Mr W. Wilson's- in Davie street, and at M r P. -Renton's in Fitzherbert -street. A number of leaks were repaired in various parts '°i the town. The- average depth of water in the reservoir for the month was 3 feet 10 linches.

NO. 5 UNEMPLOYED SCHEME. The following work was done during the month by relief workers :—At botanical gardens the heaps were spread a,nd dug in, .and a fair amount of ground turned up ; the Davie street drain was -completed to the fence; spoil from drain s carted away to various depressions, also to Goochs’ reserve; drains . were cleaned in Park street and Bri.ttin street • Gibson’s Quay, Rolleston -and ‘Park streets footpaths were gravelled; scything in Sale, Park and Brittan-'streets ; 'sand wa 6 carted to <Ctyss Square -on the plcyabg-. field ;. Stafford- street around the Square had spoil and sand from) grading', side of roads; cottage at -abattoirs ..was repaired, also -gravel carted on - the road; various footpaths cleaned and graded; aerodrome work wag continued ; a number of men on the harbour repairs were fully "employed; " ;i The reports were adopted.