BOROUGH COUNCIL

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1940, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL

MONDAY, . JULY lfitli

The Hokitika Borough Council met at 8 p.m. Present: Air G. A. Perry (Mayor), Crs. F, Freitas. J. Fox. 'J. w. Duff, D. P. Stuart, A. R. Elcock, C. Caliari. Apologies were receiveil from Crs. Heinz and Stopforth. SPECIAL MEETING. The Auditor-General returned' the annual balance sheet lor the year ended March 31st., 1940. duly certified to as correct. —Received, and the Mayor authorised to sign' same as settled. Tenders were opened for the printing of the balance sheet and that of Mr W. E. Richards accepted.

ORDINARY MEETING

The minutes were confirmed and outward correspondence approved.

Inward Correspondence.

From Under-Secretary, Department of Internal. Affairs, advising that His Excel.cney the Governor-General in Council has now appointed Mr John James Mclntosh to bo a member 01 the Hokitika Fire Board.—Received.

From Town • Clenk, Grey mouth, forwarding, forms in regard to evacu-. ated children. —Received.

From Hon. Minister of' Internal Affair's, advising that the Government have learned with great regret’ of the decision of the British authorities to re-considen the scheme for transfering British children to the Dominions for the duration of the war, with a view to modifying or suspending the operation of the scheme meanwhile on account ol shipping difficulties. In order that the Government may be aware of the full extent of the response of the public to the appeal which was made/ r shall be obliged if you will inform the Zone Committee of .the total number of homes offering in your district, .and the total estimated number/ of children these homes can accommodate. The zone local authorities are being asked to forward this information to me on a zonal basis. It is particularly asked that this information be available at .an early date.—Received.

, From Secretary, National Council for reclamation of waste material advising that two members of the Council, Messrs E. A. Batt and J. Reid, will reach Hokitika at 12.7. p.m. on Friday, 19th. July, with a view to addressing your Council, if possible, and also citizens of the town on the reclamation of waste organisation and with the object of setting up a committee to organise and control the whole of the Smith Westland District—Received. J. From. New Zealand Refrigerating Co., advising that the following quantities of meat were delivered into Hokitika Abattoir area during June, viz: 37 sheep.—Received.

From Main .Highways Board, advising that the grant, in approved cases, of ' pound for, pound subsidy towards the cost of . both construction and maintenance of footpaths on State and ordinary Main Highways, only applied to the sealing or re-sealing of footpaths and does hot include removal of weeds or the spreading of fine gravel except in conjunction with re-sealing work.— Received.

From Manager, Kanieri Electric Ltd.; advising that the 60 c.p. street lamp at the intersection of Camp and Wharf Streets, opposite the Drill Hall, was installed on. 21st. June last. — Received. - . - From W. S'. Christenson and six others, asking for the installation of a street lamp in north Sale tecreet and approximately seven chains north oi Park Street - and also asking that the old roadside pit on the other side of the. proposed street lamp be filled in with waste strippings from the gravel pit.—Received; Public Works Committee; to report.

From J. J. Thompson, asking that some gravel be placed at the pie cart stand in Tancred Street and also on the road at the entrance to liis residence in Hampden Street-.—Received; referred to Works Committee. From Mrs M. M. Rutland, Gibson Quay, . application for permission to insta.l a septic tank. —Received; granted under usual conditions. From W. D. Jr. li. O. Wills,- Ch.ristel)uieh, application lor permission ,to erect above the front verandah facia at Mr Dwan’s, tobacconist, a galvanised iron framed sign, Bft. by 3ft.— Received ; request granted. From Westland Hospital Board, for, warding ..copy- of the Board s estimated receipts-ail'd payments for the year ending the 31st. March, 1941, as approved by the Minister of Health and also a copy of the Board’s receipts and payments for the year ended 31st. March, 1940. The levy on the Hokitika Borough-Council amounts to £2202/2/8 (a decrease of £97/14/8 on the previous vear).—Received and approved. From same, asking Council to appoint a representative on the Hospital Board in place of Mr J. L. Turner who has resigned.—Received; Cr. Caliari was appointed. Authority was given for an extension of six feet to a pipe drain in Livingstone Street, and tHe necessary fitting.

Only one application was received for attention to Cass Square and other reserves, and this was informal. Left to Mayor and Town Clerk.

Tenders. Tenders for grazing rights over reserve No. 446 were received from E. T. Sherriff, £2O per year; F. J. Andrews, £0; C. Coyle, £6; \\. J. Straight £3. The tender of E. T. Sherriff was accepted. Permission was given to remove trees on west side, no drainage to run into the east road drain. A formal motion approving of a bank overdraft up to £3500 was approved.

REPORTS The Treasurer reported receipts: £972/0/3, payments £1220/8/4. Debit balance £1390/15/1. —Received. Accounts amounting to £1689/2/0 wore passed for payment. FOREMAN’S REPORT The foreman reported having spent 7 days with Mr J. Johnstone and Mr Parry putting down a test pipe and making alterations at the Pumping Station. The rest of the month was on work at the State- Houses, extending Weld Street towards .Hoffman Street We continued grading and gravelling to a point where the sections stop tor the •Housing Scheme. We also removed and replaced the concrete pipes across the intersection of Jollie and Weld Streets and graded Davie Street on the east side for the lowering ol the watermain, and put in 30 feet of flinch concrete pipes extending at the intersection of Stafford Street. The section of Jcllie Street leading off Gibsons Quay was repaired and gravelled. Sixty yards of fine gravel was put on the crown of Jollie Street between Stafford and Weld Streets and one day was spent on Constitution Flat replacing a pip-' in the watermain which was* broken by the Ivanieri Dredge tractor. Mr CropD on maintenance earrio ’ out the following works:—Spoil from grading and chipping was carted from various streets and footpaths and deposited on the section leading to the swimming baths and on depressions in Rale Street alongside the pit ro-ul The water table and tVr.tnath on Gibson Quay from Jollie Street to Livingstone Street was cleaned. The growth on the Cemetery Hill was cleared an rl the water table cleaned out. The drain near the Marquis of Lome Hotel in Hampden Street and the blocked drain near Mr Howat's butchery wortcleaned nut, and also the crossing in front of No. 1 Fire Station. The N fence around Macandrew Skuare was removed and carted to the rear of the Town Hall. Screened gravel.was put on the following footpaths:—Sale Street, between Weld St. and Gibson Quay; Weld Street, between Sale and Davie, Streets; Brittnn Street, between Park and Hampden Streets; Hoffman Street, south of Stafford Street, five chains.

Screenings and rough graved was put on; Brit-tan Street, Hall Street continuing north from Park Street, and Jollie Street, between Park and Hampden Streets. 16 feet of 9-inch concrete pipes were laid at the intersection of Hall Jnd Park Streets and repaired Sale Street into the pit. Water services wore renewed at Mr Bassett’s in Hall Street and Mrs Thompson’s in Gibson Quay.

The average depth of water in the Reservoir for the month was 6ft. Bin, —Received and approved.

CONTRY LIBRARY SERVICE

The Committee appointed by the Council on the 17th. of June. 1940, consisting of His Worsjiip the M°yor. Crs. S+on forth, Fox, Elcock and S+'vnrt, to consider the application of the Hokitkia Public Library Con 1 mi tee te increase the subsidy- to the Library to a total of 285 per annum in order to obtain tbe benefits of the Countrv Library Service, the Committee /of whom three were present), after fully considering the matter in all its aspects, recommend the Council not to undertake any increased financial obligations.—Received and approved.

The Town Clerk submitted a report on uneollectable rates for the year 1935-36, totalling £422 gross which was 7-1% of the total rates levied for that year including special nn<l harbour rates and sanitary fees. The total loss of collectable rates was actually 4’°/. The Mayor Hated be considered this was a highly favourable result and the Town Clerk was to he complimented on the success of his collections. He moved that the amount as stated he written off as uncollectable. This motion was seconded by Cr. Ca'Hari and carried. The Council rose at 9.15.