BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10109, 17 October 1917, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

OB DEN ARY MEETING . The fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held last evening, 'flit- Mayor (Mr -I. A. Nash) presided, and Os. E. H. Crabb, L. I{, Brvant, M, O’Reilly, E. L. Broad, C. N. Clausen, F. Roll’e, H. E. Bennett, C. F. Spooner and 11. J. Canton were present. . Dr. Frengley, deputy chief iiealth officer, wrote in reply, stating that ho would be glad to assist die Council with regard to proposed alterations and improvements to the abattoir and boiling down works recently acquired by the Council. Hi* proposed bringing J)r. Watt, district health officer, with Jum,'and hoped the Council would be agreeable to this proposal.-—Receiv-ed, the Mayor stating that Dr. Frengley would arrive hero to-day, and would be met by the Abattoirs Committee and taken out to the works. The Clerk of Awards notified that a sitting of the .Court of Arbitration would bo held at Wellington on Monday, October 29, to hear the dispute between the Palmerston North branch of the Society of Carpenters and Joiners and the Palmerston North and Masterton Builders and Carpenters’ Union of Employers.-—Received. Mr W. T. Penny applied on behalf of the Town and Country Women Workers for the use of chairs for the dining rooms at the Spring Show. — Left in the hands of t!i<> Mayor. Mr L. A. Abraham wrote asking that something be done in the matter of the big macroearpa fence at tho corner of Ferguson and Linton streets, which was dangerous for motorists, as it shut* out the view of Ferguson street.

The Mayor said he quite agreed with what Mr Abraham said, .and the owners of such fences should be compelled to cut, them back. Cr. Crabb moved that the engineer be instructed to obtain a list of such hedges, with a view to ordering tho owners to cut them back.—This was agreed to. The Wellington, .Napier, Auckland and Christchurch Councils forwarded, as requested, oqpies of by-laws and other information regarding their swimming baths.-—Referred to Baths Committee.

A. S. Gibant wrote siloes tins that tht' !dm;i, formerly known as Gibant street, but re-aamed with a Maori name, should be called Heresford street.—lt was deeidt'd to inform the writer that the Council was unable to alter its decision.

Messrs Junes and Oakley applied on behalf of Archbishop Redwood to have a water main laid through Martin street.—lt was resolved that the street be piped when pipes tiro available. On the motion of the Mayor, seconded bv Cr. Broad, it was decided that

the Council pay the sum of £lO 17a lei, being the amount short charged on freight in oonhoction with the 20 casks of tallow shipped to London per s.s. lonic, as per Abraham and Williams’ letter of October I*2, 1917. Cr. Crubl) moved, and it wan carried, that the Council agree to the construction of bowling green and croquet lawns, according to agreement as set ( out between the Hinemoa Howling and Croquet Club and the Council, and that | the Borough Council’s solicitor be instructed to draw up an agreement accordingly, llm Finance Committee to bo authorised to sign same. ■ PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. !

The commit.too mot. oil Fridayt October 1, when ft was resolved: To grant Perrin and Needham permission to erect a signboard over footway in Hangitikoi .street for ,). GrifUths, but should they cuimnii another .breach of tho by-laws proceedings will be taken against them ; lo grant the Terrace End Howling Club tiie use of the horse roller on the same conditions as last year, viz., 17s fkl per day, including man and horse; that the clerk he instructed Lo ascertain and report on what powers the Council lias with regard to the proposed erection of a milk-clearing station for the Borough. The question of sewering the dwelling owned by Mr Euybnurn and situated more than 100 feet from the sewer in Ferguson street east he deferred in the meantime. It was resolved: To notify Mr Hastings that tho Council has no money available at present for the: construction of a footway in Ferguson street, east between Seandia and Alexandra street, but that such work will be considered when next year’s estimates are brought down; that Mr 1C P. Edwards be granted a refund of half the water rate on sections 874, 870 and 882, Church street east, there being no water laid on; that Mr Vile, the owner of a house in Clifton street, be given immediate notice to connect same with the sewerage system ; to make no alteration in tho wording of the rate demands issued to ratepayers; to request tho engineer to supply an estimate ol cost of providing sulhcieut drainage for surface water in the Square, also to furnish the cost of straightening, widening and deepening the upper part of the Kawau drain within the Borough. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer reported as follows: — The Council's workmen have completed the construction (footways and roadways) of MeGiffert street, and also the kerbing and formation of footways in Wollsbourno street and Ivaulioo terraeo, and a start has been made on the construction of the new footway in Featherston street from Jersey street to Wood street. Mr Walker’s men have completed the main sewer in Martin street, and are now engaged on that in Man son street and Fitzroy street. .Mr Heat ley,’s men will complete to-morrow the removal of the silt authorised to be taken from the impounding area at Tiritea. One of the old timber bridges in Alexandra street is in a very dilapidated condition, and 1 would suggest tliat the Works Committee take this matter into consideration. The stronp protection fence in Eitaroy street is completed, and the warning notice boards are being erected.

In accordance with the Council’s instructions, I estimate the construction of laying concrete watertables as under: In King street (both sides), T10U; in Main street east (both sides), Irom the Square to Duke street, TAJ. The matter of the Alexandra street bridge was referred to the Merits Committee for inspection. It was decided to carry out a portion of tint concrete watertable in King street, but the proposal tor similar work in Main street was held over. The engineer further reported on his recent’visit to Auckland: —When in Auckland recently in company with the assistant engineer 1 visited the corporation quarry and there saw a Baxter granulator. This machine is for the purpose of further breaking road metal to any size after it has passed through the ordinary crusher, and the product is used for the purpose of aggregates for concrete roads, and lor patching pot-holes in .macadam road surfaces. Such a machine would be very valuable for similar purposes in this Borongn. 1 understand the cost was about C2OO. Another machine (American) _ noticed was a concrete and tar Mac mixer, belonging to the Auckland Tramway Co. This machine, will heat the stone for and mix half a yard of tar-mac in six minutes, and halt a yard of concicte in three minutes. Ihe whole is fixed on one set of wheels, and is driven b\ oil engine. 1 procured the undress of the maker, and will write for lull particulars and prices, and will further report. COUNCIL AND EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION.

At last night’s meeting of the Borough Council Cr. Crabb moved: “That as the Council has never had occasion for an arbitration between its employees and itself, the Council resign from membership of the. Mauawatu Employers’ Association.” Speaking to the motion, Cr. Crabb stated that the Council did not specially represent the employers, therefore there was no need to he a member of the Association. If the Council belonged to the Employers’ Association, it should join the Employees’ Association as well. lE* could not for the. life of him see why the Council should continue, its membership of the Employers’ AssociationCr. Spooner seconded the motion. Cr. Broad said the reason why the Council joined the Association teas that a few years ago the Council, owing to the, difficulty of finding employment for some of the men in the winter months, ppt some of them on painting some of the Co in nils buildings, and the .Painters’ Cnion proceeded.against the Council for a breach of the painters’ award. The Employers’ Association took up the matter am! won the case^ for the Council and the ratepayers. The same thing occurred when some of the Council’s nion wen* being employed temporarily on bridge work. Iho Carpenters’ Union this time took action, and the Employers’ Association again won the action for the Council and ratepayers. He thought it was a good sateguard to continue the membership oi the Association, and ho would support it as long as he was a member oi the Council. (Vs. Bryant, O’Reilly, Clausen, Canton and Unite supported Cr. Broad’s remarks,, and considered the Council was acting wisely in the course it had taken in joining the Association. Cr. Bennett said he favoured the motion, and considered the Council could have overcome the labour difficulth mentioned without the assistance ot the Employers’ Association. Cr. Crabb considered he had justice on his side, and said he would continue to bring up the motion until it was successful. The principle in belonging to the. Association was wrong, its it put the Council in the position of pitting one half the ratepayers against the The motion was then put and 10-.t.