BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVIII, Issue 18573, 27 November 1920, Page 9

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

RANGIORA. A special meeting of the Rangioxa Borough _ Council was held last evening to consider • •<- report prepared by the town manager, M, ■ C. Dash, with a view to improvement oj the finauoes of the borough generally, one especially in respoct of the electricity one gas undertakings. The Mayor presided, and there was a full attendance of the council. In connection with the electricity department, the report recommended that a fully qualified eleotrical engineer should b e engaged to take charge of the installation, and a letter from Mr F. R. Shepherd, chief electrical inspector for ffhe Underwriters' Association, was r«ad, strongly supporting the recommendation. Mr F. Horrell, chairman of the Rangiora County Counoil. and Mr J. Mnrehall, county olerk present to support a suggestion that* the Borough and County Councils should join in the appointment of an engineer to take charge of the installations. After a short discussion, it was agreed to adopt the course suggested, and a joint committee was appointed to go into details for the engagement of an engineer at a salary of £350 per annum. As a means of reducing the excessive load the borough installation has been carrying ’ lately, it was decided to compel all power consumers to provide time switches, also to endeavour to prevent the use of heating points for cooking and ironing in the evenings. It was resolved to take a poll on a proposal to borrow £IOOO for tho extension of the installation, and to make no further extensions until such authority were obtained. With a view to th. more profitable work- " ing of the gas department, the report suggested that a special effort should be made to increaso the output of gas by pushing its use for cooking purposes. It was decided to reduco tho staff, and to take a poll on a,proposal to borrow £R»O for the purchase of new meters and for extension of the mains. Concerning the conditions of employment of the outside staff, it was decided to. be governed strictly by th„ awards, and to discontinue the practice of giving each' man a week’s holiday on full pay. A proposal to add a strong-room to the manager’s office web rejected, but it was decided to have a new map of the borough prepared. The Mayor stated that the legal formalities for. taking over the Literary Institute Hall and Public Library by the council on. January l 1 were about completed and a committee consisting of the Mayor, Councillor* Archdall. Rows e and the town manager, was appointed to make arrangements for ths management of the institution.