WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 168, 15 June 1940, Page 8

WOODVILLE & DISTRICT

BOROUGH COUNCIL. DONATION TO RED CROSS. At the monthly meeting of the Woodville Borough Council, on Thursday, there were present the Mayor (Mr R. R.#Johnston) and Crs. H. Galbraith, C. Forbes, J. T. Horne, J. Sullivan, E. J. Harding, A. Olssen and A. H. Hustwick. The Minister of Internal Affairs wrote asking tor information as to what progress the council had made in connection with the emergency precautions scheme. The Mayor stated that on the outbreak of , hostilities, emergency committees had been set up in Woodville as requested, and his motion that the Minister be advised accordingly was seconded by Cr- Galbraith and carried. A letter was received from the Transport Department advising that leaflets urging motorists to conserve petrol would be forwarded to the council for distribution. —The town clerk (Mr D. Keay) reported that the leaflets had been handed to motorists when renewing their drivers’ licenses. The acting-foreman (Mr G. Hardy) reported that drains had been cleaned in the Stanley, Mabel, Pollen, Atkinson and Palm Streets, Both reservoirs were full. Pot-holes had been filled in on various streets and highways attended to. Five chains oi kerb channelling had been laid in Pollen Street. Paths had been cleaned and metalled and. grass cut. The treatment works were functioning satisfactorily and the drain had been cleaned from the works to the outlet. The gas manager (Mr H. Petterson/ reported that expenditure for the month totalled £238 6s sd, as against earnings amounting to £173 15s. The tovn clerk reported tha+ the following licenses had been issued during the month:—3 heavy traffic, 2 dangerous goods, 1 industrial efficiency, 1 shop, 1 drainlayer’s, 140 drivers’ licenses and 2 building permits. Receipts totalled £572 13s Id, the main items being;—Cf as works, £2Ol Is Id ; credit balance May meeting, £l3l 8s; licenses, £63 18s; sundries, £6l 8s 7d; rants, £2B 12s 9d: water supply, £l9. Various payments accounted for £450 19s sd; credit balance June meeting, £7l 13s Bd. FOOTPATH CONSTRUCTION.

Discussing the acting foreman’s report, Cr. Harding asked whether the footpath in course of construction in Pollen Street came under the street and footpath improvements loan. The Mayor replied in the affirmative, adding that the footway was necessary in the interests of public safety in a street where provision had not previously been made for pedestrian traffic. Cr. Olsen agreed with this view, but Cr. Sullivan pointed out that ratepayers had complained that the construction of a new footpath, in Pollen Street was of less urgency than the need for repairs to the existing footpaths in Ormond and Ross Streets, for instance, which badly required re-surfacing. The Mayor intimated that repairs to existing footpaths would be attended to in due course. Cr. Forbes said there was a point in connection with the loan on which he was not clear. Would adjoining property owners have to pay half the cost of new footpaths constructed ? The Mayor said he did npt think they would have to do that. Cr. Harding: That is not what we were given to understand when the loan was raised. It was stated then that householders would be liable for half the cost, of new footpaths. Cr. Forbes said it was his opinion that it would be unfair to the rest of. the ratepayers if those be-' ing served with new footpaths received them without cost, in that the whole of the ratepayers had to pay for something that benefited only a few. In the course of further .discussion the Mayor pointed out that footpaths were for the use of all citizens. The council had in the past .charged half the cost to the ratepayers fin some instances. They had the power to do that, but it was not a general rule and was for the council to decide. Cr. Olseu moved that all footpaths constructed under the street and footpath improvements loan be not subject to the ratepayers paying half the cost. The motion was seconded by Cr. Sullivan and carried, Cr Forbes recording his vote in the negative. The question of a donation to the patriotic funds, which had been held over until after the end r.f the financial year, was mentioned by Cr. Ho'rne, who, to test the feeling of the meeting moved that the council donate £25. Cr. Galbraith said they should remember that the financial, year was only beginning and the council had only limited funds available. There would 'doubtless be other appeals as time went on, . Cr. Horne amended his motion to provide for the council donating £lO to the Sick and Wounded Fund. This was seconded by Cr. Galbraith and carried.