BOROUGH ROADS

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 172, 22 June 1926, Page 7

BOROUGH ROADS

IMPROVEMENT SCHEME.

AGREED TO BY COUNCIL. REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT. Proposals involving the expenditure of £6OOO were agreed to by the Borough Council last evening with a view to reducing the number of unemployed locally. The matter was raised by the Mayor, Mr F. J. Nathan, who, in reporting on a meeting that morning of the committee set up locally to consider the unemployment problem, stated that the names of 15 men (with 57 dependants), were at present on the borough’s list of unemployed, while the Department of Labour had on its list 156 men, with 292 dependants, giving a total of 171 unemployed. Mr J. A. Nash, M.P., and the speaker had visited the site of the railway deviation work that morning and had found that it was not possible, as the department stated, to employ at present more than the 30 men now on the work. The position -was serious, and it was no exaggeration to state that practically all of tho men on the two fists of unemployed were residents of Palmerston North. A few came from Feilding and some from a little smith of Longburn, but tho big majority had their homes in Palmerston North. The flaxmills and freezing works had closed down for the winter, the Gorge road work was finished .and the Power Board’s outside operations were decoming less, and thus many men had been thrown out of employment. He had been instructed at the meeting of the unemployment committee that morning to convene a meeting for 10 o’clock on Monday morning next of all local bodies that had their offices in Palmerston North to see if work could bo started to meet the position, and he was hopeful that, as a result of that meeting, avenues might be derived whereby the unempiloymVwt locally could be reduced. The Borough Council itself had done all that it could up to the. present, but ho thought that the time was now opportune for extra work to be started. To get the ratepayers’ consent to tho raising of a loan would entail a considerable delay before work could be started, and he thought that an appeal should bo made to the Prime Minister to permit the council to raise money, instead of going to the ratepayers for a loan, as Auckland and other city councils had been given such permission. REPORT BY ENGINEER.

At this stage councillors had placed before them a report prepared by the borough engineer (Mr J. R. Hughes) on works that could ho undertaken. “Might I suggest,” stated that officer therein “that, as a means of providing work for a number of men who are now employed by us but who will be finishing up in probably from four to six weeks’ time, provision be made for the construction of footpaths through the borough reserves-, namely Manawaroa street ono side, Huia street one side, Eitzherbert and Avenue streets to serve houses recently erected on borough property. I would also call the attention of the council to the rotten condition of the two old timber bridges in Avenue street. Provision for re-construction in concrete has been made in the schedule. I would point out that it would bo an utter impossibility to do even half of tho work of re-metalling tho streets shown in the attached schedule of tho secondary streets which require a good coat of broken metal to bring them up to a fair standard during the forthcoming winter months, and it may bo advisable to only provide lor half the estimated cost. Street works of the nature proposed to bo carried out, that is metalling only, cannot absorb a great number of men. Tho amount of work carried out in a given time will depend entirely upon metal supplies, capacity of crusher, transport and rolling plant. In reference to James’s line, I think it is very apparent to all councillors that the approach road to the new cemetery will require a good deal of widening and casing of the gradient on the lull adjacent to tho metal quarry somo 15 to 20 chains from tho intersection of Napier road. As this work would have to bo done for tho council’s benefit, the greater part of the cost will naturally liavo to bo borne py it, and as the work is purely one of labour, I suggest that 10 per cent, of the cemetery loan bo raised for this work; this will provide a sum of £650 and will represent employment for say 12 men lor a period of threo months.” SCHEDULE OF WORKS. The .schedule of works attached to Mr Hughes’ report was as follows: Main street east (Princess street to Albert street) £568, Albert street (Fcatherston street to Main street) £525, Victoria avenue (Main street to College street) £489, Amesbury street (reconstruction) £670, Princess street (Church street to Ferguson street) £172, Taonui street £375, Lombard street £375, Bourke street £375, Waldegrave street £375, Chelwood street (Pascal street to Ivairanga road) £462, Linton street (Church street to Park road) £470, Cook street £291, West street £251, Botanical road (Foxton line to College street) £490, ltussell street (Fcatherston street to Florence avenue) £305, Heretaunga street (Grey street to Rongopai street) £623, Vogel street (Featlverston street to Boundary road) £530; total, £7346. New footpaths: Avenue road £350, Fitzherbert street £l5B, main street (Shamrock street, alongside railway line) £72, Huia street £123, Manawaroa street £l5B, concrete culverts Avenue street £600; total costs, £BBO7. MAXIMUM NUMBER. In reply to Cr Eliott, the engineer stated that the most men that could bq put on was twenty. Cr Oram: That is on road work? Mr Hughes: Yes. Cr Eliott thought that the borough should put on the maximum number of men it could, and ho moved that works be commenced to accommodate that number. Cr Graham seconded tho motion.

The Mayor: Provided that the necessary financial arrangements can ( be made. Cr Edwards expressed the view that, under the circumstances, the Government would validate any expenditure of the naturo of that proposed. He thought that the work on the secondary roads should be commenced at onco and employment bo given the twenty men stated by the engineer as the maximum that could be economically employed. Cr Fitzherbert thought that, as a further means of relieving the unemployment position, the council could raise the sum of £3OOO to complete the proposed street adjacent to the Manawatu Tennis Chib’s ground. The money that would be obtained from the sections that could be let. would more than pay tbo interest that would have to be, paid on the loan. Cr Eliott doubted whether the land would be taken up. ' Building was not going to maintain the same rato of

progress that it had of recent years. Further, to completo the roading of that street would be in defiance of tlie ratepayers’ expressed wish. Cr Oram stated that the council did not know what expenditure Cr Eliott’s motion would involve. Ho thought that a limit should be placed on the amount to be expended. In reply to a question by the Mayor, the engineer stated that, with twenty men. £ISOO to £2OOO could be expended on the suggested road works in the next three months. Cr Edwards thought that, if possible, moro money should be expended in order that more men might be given employment. Cr Oram said that the work proposed was all maintenance work, and it seemed to him wrong that it should bo dono out of loan money. He thought that the Government could bo employing more men on the deviation work, and also that private firms should be urged to give as much employment as they could at tho present time. Cr McLeavey thought tlvat, if the work was necessary, it should bo gone on with. AMOUNT TO BE SPENT. After further discussion, an amendment by Cr Edwards that £3OOO be raised for the roading works suggested was carried. Cr Fitzherbert then moved that the further sum of £3OOO be raised for the completion of tho roading of the stroet adjacent to tho Manawatu Tennis Chib’s grounds. The Mayor expressed tho opinion that, although tilt ratepayers had turned down a loan proposal which contained provision for the roading of this street, the work would not now, be seriously objected to. On being put to the meeting, tlie motion was carried by five votes to four.