BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 1948, 8 April 1924, Page 5

BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The Te Kuiti Borough Council met last night. There were present the Mayor (Mr H. Rothery) and Ferguson, McHutchison, Peterson, Boddie, O’Connell, Broadfoot, and Walker. STREETS LOAN. A letter was received from the Bank of New Zealand stating that it was in a position to place £3OOO of the £6OOO street improvement loan at 6 per cent for 10 years with a sinking fund of 1 per cent, in debentures of £IOO each. The Mayor said that, seeing that the matter was an urgent one, they had accepted the loan. Cr Broadfoot remarked that it seemed good business. The Mayor: I think so. The rest of the money will not be wanted for some time, and it is no use having to put it out at a fixed deposit al 3 per cent when we are paying 6 per cent for it. The action of the Mayor in accepting the offer was endorsed. ELECTRIC OVEN FOR SCHOOL. The supervisor of the manual and technical branch of the Auckland Education Board, wrote asking thr Council to consider installing an electric oven at the Te Kuiti Technical School for the use of the cookery classes. The Thames Borough Council had installed an electric oven in the local Technical School free of cost, and supplied the current for cooking free. If this were done at Te Kuiti, not only could the oven be used in the general cookery work of the school, but arrangements could be made for regular demonstations, to be attended by the women folk of Te Kuiti and district. The Mayor: I think that, as we go under the Power Board soon, it had better be deferred till then. It is hardly fair for us to settle it for them. Cr Boddie moved that the matter be deferred, and this was agreed to. FIRE BRIGADE UNIFORMS.

The Te Kuiti Fire Brigade applied to the Council for new uniforms. The Council would remember that six were obtained for the competition team that went to Dunedin. The Auckland district demonstration was to be held in Te Kuiti on Labour Day, and ten of the brigade's members could not possibly parade in their present uniforms. The approximate cost would be £45. The brigade also asked for the use of the Domain on October 18 and 20, and the Municipal Hall on 17th, 18th and 19th. The Mayor: I think we’ve got to do something for these fellows. We’ve been side-stepping them for some time. They’re going to bring a lot of firemen into the town and give Te Kuiti a boost. Cr Boddie remarked that the matter had been put off for a very long time. The town clerk said the brigade’s subsidy would be exhausted by now. Both requests were granted. DRAINAGE BY-LAWS. The Medical Officer of Health wrote pointing out that the Council had practically no by-laws dealing efficiently with plumbing and drainage. The Department had gazetted regulations which could be used by the Council as a model. The officer would be glad if the Council would adopt them as by-laws. The Mayor: This matter should be referred to the Works Committee. If there is anything objectionable we can drop it. Cr O’Connell: Have we any sanitary by-laws? Cr Broadfoot: No. The Mayor: It is more a question of drainage. The letter was referred to the Works Committee. ANZAC DAY CELEBRATIONS. The R.S.A. wrote asking for monetary assistance in defraying the expenses of Anzac Day celebrations. Cr O’Connell: Is this an annual gift? Cr Walker: We gave it out of our own pockets last year, didn’t we? The Town Clerk: No; that was for General Russel’s visit.

The Mayor: If they didn’t do it, we should have to. Cr O’Connell: It isn’t the thing for the Council to do. It is for the returned soldiers to arrange.

The Mayor: The Government expects us to do it. We are responsible. I think they should be accorded the same treatment as last year. The Town Clerk: We don’t give them a grant; we pay for the printing of the hymn sheets, and so on. It was decided to grant the request on the same basis as last year. WATER FOR RAILWAY HOUSES. An application was received from the Railway Department for the continuation of the borough water main to their residential area. The Mayor: We have added an inch pipe. They are asking us to put a four-inch main down from the school

to the boundary of their property, and they will carry a three-inch main along the front of their property. I think we should insist on a four-inch main in case of fire. The estimate is £285, and while this is fairly high, I think we should grant the request. We would draw a pretty high revenue from these houses—it would come to about £6O.

The Mayor remarked that while the Railway Department paid no rates, they would pay £6O in for the water at £2 a house. It was establishing a precedent, but they were helping themselves. Of course it would make a big hole in our estimates. Cr O’Connell: Can’t we get a special rate.

The Mayor: No. He continued that he would like to grant the request, but it was going to cost a lot of money.

After a little further discussion, it was decided to lay a four-inch main to the Department’s boundary, provided it carried a four-inch main through to the other side.