FEILDING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 69, 20 February 1931, Page 8

FEILDING

BOROUGH COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of tho Feilding Borough Council was held last night, tho Mayor (Mr C. E. Taylor) presiding. Also present were Crs E. Fair, S. D. Pearce, T. Collins, A. C. McCorkindale, J. C. Hill, D. Pryde, J. Corpe, F. S. Guy and H. Stewart. CORRESPONDENCE.

Notification was received from the Municipal Association to the effect that the annual conference would not bo. held this year. The Prime Minister (Hon. G. W. Forbes) forwarded a letter of thanks and acknowledgment of the receipt of a remittance of over £6OO from the people of Foilding toward tho earthquake relief fund and in this connection the Publio Trustee forwarded authority for tho expenditure of any portion of the local relief funds for tho purpose of relieving refugees, any balance unexpended to bo paid into the Publio Account. —The Mayor said that perhaps the spending of the local donations in Feilding for the relief of refugees would not quite be in accord with the motive in the minds of tho donors of the money. They had given the money with tho idea of it being used for tho rehabilitation of the devastated areas in Hawke’s Bay, but it really made little difference as £I.OO was available from the Publio Trustee for refugee relief purposes if it was required. The Mayor suggested that the £SO donation of tho council, which had not yet been paid into the fundj bo sot aside to relievo any local requirements of the refugees. Such a step would not make any difference to Feilding’s total contribution. Tho council agreed to tho Mayor’s suggestion. GENERAL. In reply to the request from the Municipal Band asking that tho subsidy paid by the council be increased by tho amount of rates paid by tho band, it was decided to defer action tor consideration when next year’s estimates were being prepared. Recently tho finance committee was asked to report on tho matter of the formation of a free ambulance service in the district similar to the Wellington Free Ambulance, and last night tho committee reported it had no recommendations to make. —Tho Mayor said that the system would undoubtedly prove more costly than the present ono, tho first year’s scale of payments showing £l5O for the Feilding Borough Council. To be of any ser-i-ico at all in a. district tho size it was proposed to form, the system would require an ambulance in every town of fair size. Tho present system cost the Feilding borough about £lO to £ls per year for ambulance services and the new suggestion called for the payment of an annual sum far in excess of that from Feilding. The council decided to refer tho matter of tho proposed central reserve bank scheme, as formulated by the Mayor of Dovonport, to tho Government tor consideration.

Tho council decided to tar-seal ICimbolton railway crossing with its own staff, the Railway Department having replied to tho council to tho effect that it could not accept the council’s terms in regard to the crossing. The Railway Department is to bo requested to clear all noxious weeds from tho railway line through tho town and also empty sections belonging to tho department, in view of the council having cleared tho roads in the borough of weeds. Tho 'borough librarian (Mr A. Farmer) reported that 1396 books had been changed by 246 subscribers r.o tho municipal library during January. During January tho fees from the borough abattoir amounted to £IBO 14s, against £159 8s 2d for the same month last year, an increaso of £2l 5s lOd. Tho borough engineer reported that up to February 14, 36 men have been employed under No. 5 unemployment scheme. The unemployment list in Feilding up to tho same date totalled 67.

Three building permits, covering a value of £159 were issued in Feilding during January. One caso of scarlet fever was reported to the health authorities in Feilding last month. It was decided on the motion of tho Mayor, that the council reconsider its previous decision regarding the wages and salaries paid by the council at a special meeting to be hold in committee at some date next month. CEMETERY ROAD.

The Mayor referred to the statement made by the chairman of the Oroua County Council (Mr A. Campbell) concerning tho widening of Cemtery Hoad under the No. 5 scheme, and stated that ho was inclined to tho view of Mr Campbell, that this road, although in the Oroua County, was of considerably more service to tho residents of the borough than of tho county. The only question was how far tho borough council should go in the work, but it was an excellent chance to utilise a necessary work for tho employing of a considerable number of the local unemployed. Following a brief discussion the council decided to help the county council in the inattor, both with labour and material and also to provide its largo lorry for use if required. INTEREST PAYMENTS. In December last the Borough Council received an offer from an insurance company to pay its annual interest and sinking rund dues in New Zealand instead of in Australia, the exchange rate at the time making such a step desirable. The council accepted the proposal and at last night’s meeting the company again wrote asking tho council to complete tho agreement, but in tho subsequent discussion members of tho council showed they were fully conversant with tho reversal that had taken place in tho exchange position between New Zealand and Australia in the interim. The Mayor was inclined to the viow that tho council should not seek to more or less gamble on tho exchange position and make money by paying the interest in Australia. If the interest payments were mado in New Zealand the money would be domiciled here and would be available for use in New Zealand. The speaker had also learned that some of tho banks would only transmit money between New Zealand and Australia at par and before the council could obtain any advantage from the exchango position it would have to do it through another bank and that, for a local body, was not moral. Cr. Fair advocated caution in entering into any hard and fast agreement with the company about the paying of interest. The council did not know whether the company would receive the money in New Zealand and remit it to Australia through its bank and gain the exchange advantage itself. At present the exchange was against Australia and probably would remain so for some time, Dut no one could say what the future would bring forth and the borough had some long-term loans to think about. Probably the banks would alter their attitude about the remittance of money to Australia, but at present the speaker thought the council should not mako anj r agreement where to pay its interest. It was decided to refer the matter to the financo committee for discussion with tho council’s banking officials. NOTES. Parents of scholars attending the Feeding Technical School will be relieved to learn that the school has been inspected by an architect of the Education Department (Mr Savage) and declared safe for use. The two earthquakes had not damage the building. Harold Hausmann, aged 13, son of Mr and Mrs C. Hausmann, Denbigh Street, Feeding, had the misfortune to break his right arm while attending a scout parade on Wednesday evening.

RELIEF WORK. Now that relief work in Feilding is easing off, the Mayor (Mr C. E. Taylor) is calling a meeting of the committee to review the work done locally. Refugees are slowly leaving the town to return to Hawke’s Bay, and a record continues to be made of all movements t o r checking purposes. There still remain, however, a large number, who are mostly billeted, while others have taken houses pending their late homes being repaired and rendered inhabitable once again.