QUEENSTOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

Lake County Mail, Issue 7, 9 July 1947, Page 2

QUEENSTOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL

Monthly Meeting The monthly meeting of the Queenstown Borough Council was held in the Library room on Thursday July 3. Those present were: —His Worship the Mayor (Dr W. A. Anderson) Crs J. B. Hamilton, H. Sew Hoy, J. L. Lindsay and D. W. Thompson. Cr S. S. Aburn was granted leave of absence through sickneaa and Cr A, H. Wheatley for business reasons. Mr. A. Atley wrote drawing the the councils attention to the unsatisfactory state of the water channel in Melbourne street and also to the scoured out footpath in front of his property and asked that the matter be given attention before another flood occurs. It was decided to enlarge the size of the spacings in the gratings from 2in to 45n and that Melbourne and Stanley streets footpaths be gravelled where water has scoured them out also that the gutter be cleaned in Melbourne street. The Inspector of .Health, forwarded his monthly report advising that the following inspections had been carried •ut;—Drainage and plumbing 3, food premises 2, refuse tips 1. He reported that conditions generally througout the Borough appeared satisfactory.—Re•eived..

Mr J. S. Dick, secretary of the Southland Progress League forwarded a copy of a newspaper report covering the conference arranged by the league with Southland Members of Parliament and local body representatives at which meeting provincial and local matters were discussed.

The league also thanked council for contribution of £5 and confirmed the appointment of Mr W. A. Brown of Invercargill as councils representative on the executive of the league. Received.

Mr J. Edgar drew the councils attention to willow tree branches lying on and over his garage property on the wator front. Also to the state of the protecting wall in the front of his garage which he described as being in danger of being undermined when tbe lake rises and suggested some right angle walls to hold the drifting sand. Resolved that willows be trimmed and that the Works Committee look into the matter of the wall danger. Mrs A. E. Corner asked the council that if she acquired a hut site on the camping ground would permission be granted her to install power for lighting and cooking purposes. —To be advised that the Otago Central Electric Power Board is the controlling authority for power in the area.

The Otago Expansion League advised that in conjunction with other local bodies it was endeavouring to have published a suitable folder which they intend using for -distribution during Centennial year giving information concerning the districts depicted. Accommodation, camping, launch and land trips available together with costs would be described and he asked to be supplied with a suitable photograph of Queenstown with available data for reproduction in the folder. The league also asked if the council would be prepared to make a donation towards. the coat of such folder. It was resolved on the motion of Crs Lindsay and Thompson that £2 2s be donated .and that the letter be referred to the Queenstown Progressive League for their perusal.

The letter from the Royal New Zeeland Institute of Horticulture which had been held over from the previous meeting asking the council to contribute to the funds of;,, the institute to enable the institute to function efficiently was discussed and it was resolved that a donation of 10s 6d be forwarded.

In' reply to an inquiry from the Coun- <*!, the Resident Officer of the War As«ota Realization Board, Dunedin, advised Mint no 100-gallon circulators were at the board’s disposal as all surplus camp fttin’g had been disposed of in their area. It was decided to write to Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington,

War Assets Realisation Board to ascertain if one could be secured for camping ground purposes. v Mr T. H. Tallentire, secretary of the Queenstown Fire Brigade, asked the council to supply a map of the town so that the brigade could mark the fire plugs there-on. The brigade also asked that when sand has been removed off the tar-sealing on the streets that a two foot white circle bo placed around fire plugs so that they may be easily located. The town clerk advised that a plan had been secured for the brigade and it was resolved to meet the brigades request for the identification of fire plugs. Mr W. E. Shaw, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Dunedin, advised that no decision had been reached regards making available a portion of the Queenstown Domain for building sites.—Received.

The Conservator of Fish and Game, Department of Internal Affairs, wrote thanking the council for its gesture in loaning bird specimens to the department. —Received.

The council agreed to a technical subdivision transfer from Mr J. Thompson, senior, to Mrs M. H. Taggart of section 1 and 2, block 10 town of Queenstown, the Mayor, Cr Sew Hoy and the Town Clerk were authorised to sign the transfer on behalf of the Council.

Mr J. H. Muir, in reply to a letter from the council stated that ho had secured the authority of the lease holder, Miss K. Leary, before removing any timber from the gully, block 41. It was decided that as tbe borough employees had cut portion of this timber that Mr Muir be paid 10s a tree for the timber they had cut. Mr J. A. Taylor, taxi proprietor, made application for a taxi stand on the waterfront or in proximity to the Post Office. Resolved that application be granted but only in the parking area on the waterfront or Camp street at a rental of £2 per annum. Library Committee Report Miss N. Davidson, librarian, reported for the month of June as follows: —Three members of the district became new members of the library. Two visitors joined the library for a short period. Pees and fines for the month amounted to £4 11s lOd. On Monday, June 16, the Country Library Service van called, leaving 200 books for the library’s use. Hence forward these books will be ,changed every four months instead of six months as at present. Before the report was adopted Cr Thompson asked the chairman of the committee if it was necessary to open the lending library in the mornings. He was assured by Cr Sew Hoy that same was necessary, owing to the reading room having to be opened for fires and cleaning purposes. —Report adopted. The Works Committee reported that 'the dayman and A. E. Farrant had been engaged ’on clearing blocked sewers in Dublin and Hallenstein streets. Inspections had been carried out at the Brewery Creek and One Mile intakes. Hay and Brisbane streets had been gravelled and repaired. The stop-cock in Man street and holes in Beach and Camp streets had been attended to. Rock had been shifted from Cemetery to Gorge road for, McMillan’s crossing. For water and sewerage connections Mr Buckham dug a trench and backfilled same; flushed dead-ends and inspected man-holes. An attempt was made to drain the water from the end of the sports area, but was unsuccessful. The entrance to the new dump at Two Mile Flat requires gravelling and a stop erected at the top of the face of the dump. The report also drew the attention of the council to trees growing on the commonage at the back of Mrs Johnson’s that are shading certain properties and asked if the council would authorise the calling of tenders for same. —The report was adopted. Arising out of the discussion from the Works Committee report it was decided to look into the matter of securing fallen trees on Queenstown Hill comm'ange with a view of getting this

wood out if possible for firewood purposes. Cr Hamilton, 8l oil’s attention to the fcad state of the Gorge road, which he stated had some very deep pot-holes. —It was decided to try a mixture of clay and gravel and experiment on the pot-holes around the different streets requiring attention. Wandering Stock Cr Lindsay placed a notice of motion before the council dealing with the wandering stock menace, which read as follows:' —“ Tlhat a by-laAv be made that no ox or other cattle shall be kept in the borough inside the boundary of the following streets:—Brunswich, Man, Skippers road, Turner, Hallenstein, Dublin and Suburb. Speaking to the motion Cr Lindsay stressed the need for this by-law, and asked the council to “ get this by-law through. Cr Sew Hoy: You cannot make a by-law that is giving a privilege to one section of the town. After a discussion on the motion his Worship asked for a show of hands. Or Lindsay was the only recording vote. Further to this discussion Cr Sew Hoy moved that the council go into the cost of dedicating a pound, and that the Lake County Council be asked if they would be interested in the matter. —Seconded by Cr Thompson and carried. Conveniences, Garrison Hall A further notice of motion by Cr Lindsay was laid on the table, “ That the sum of £l5O be spent on improvements to the Garrison Hall.” In support of this motion, Cr Lindsay submitted takings from carnival dances, and quoted if the council had still a 15-year lease of this hall the cost would only be £lO a year. In reply to a question Cr Lindsay stated that complaints were received after last year’s carnival that unsatisfactory conditions prevailed. —On a show of hands the motion was lost. Cr Sew Hoy: I refrained from putting in a notice of motion asking for conveniences and hand wash-basin at the library owing to other essential work that is pending, but I consider that conveniences at the library are more important than conveniences at the Garrison Hall. After a discussion on the matter the council agreed to let Cr Sew Hoy submit plans of same for discussion. Applications for Full-time Caretaker ' of Camping Ground It was resolved that applications for the position of full-time caretaker - of the camping ground be advertised at a salary of £286 per annum, less 10s a week house rent, and to compensate for overtime an allowance of 10 per cent, commission on camp fees (no commissoin to be allowed on private huts)/ A schedule of duties to be drawn up and that advertisements be placed in the Otago Daily Times, the Sowthland Times, aad the Lake County Mail. The Fire Brigade was granted permission to p,»r«ha«e a new battery for the trailer pump and to secure leather for washese for hydrants. Accounts amounting to £BIB 3s 3d were passed for payment.

tie* kM long been u secularised,* but through the foresight of our pioneers, the ehurch still has much to say rejpanling edueatien. The mere imparting of knowledge may be secular, that la amoral, but the training of character ■mm4 always be a Christian concern. The main intention of these articles is to attempt, however imperfectly, to trace the debt this corner of the province 'owes to the rest and fed the pioneers in itg religious life, and the part we hdvo played in the life of the yrovipee.