Foxton

Manawatu Times, Volume 60, Issue 246, 18 October 1935, Page 11

Foxton

From Our Own Correspondent. Borough Affairs. Those present at tho monthly meeting of the Foxton Borough Council were the Mayor (Mr M. E. Perreau) and Councillors J. Ross, W. H. Read, J. L. Christie, J. R. Middleton, T. Chaftey, W. A'ye, !<’. Robinson, D. R. Barron and the town clerk (Mr AV Trueman). Au apology lor absence was received from Cr. R. llangiheuea. Finance. The town clerk, in submitting figures relating to the borough's financial position, stated that the council’s overdraft for the six months ending September 30, 1935, was £377 0s 2d as compared with £2,740 8s 4d at the end of 'September, 1934, making the position £2,300 odd better. The interest on overdraft had accordingly been 'reduced from £75 Is 3d for the period last year to £2S 17s for the, six months this-year. The treasurer’s statement for the month intimated that the sum of £1321 9s Id had been received during September and had. been banked as follows: Cemetery account, £9 10s; district fund account, £l3ll 9s Id. The state of the various ledger accounts at September 3U was as -follows: In credit: Rato arrears, £535 3s Id; cemetery, £I2S 10s; heavy traffic, £97 7s 2d; interest, £1033 19s srt; reserves, £199 lis 3d; town hall pictures, £437 0s 2d; workers’ dwellings, £3l 10s Sd; waterworks, £729 3s Od; making a total of £3192 6s 3d. In debit: Gasworks, £1685 2s 7d; general, £740 6s 3d; hospital board, £2B 12s Id; library, £34 12s 6d; town hall, £937 3s; making a total of £3425 10s sd. Tho Mayor said that it was most gratifying to find how the accounts wero improving. Gasworks. In reporting upon the operation of the local gasworks, the clerk stated that the amount of gas manufactured during the month of September was 297,300 feet, which with the amount in the holder on September 1, viz. 11,105 feet,, made a total of 305.405 feet. During ■ the month 239,100 feet was used by consumers 26,900 feet at the works, and there was 12,807 feet in tho holder on September 30, making a total of 275.507 feet accounted for and leaving 29,598 feet, representing 9.6 per cent, unaccounted for. Twentyseven tons of coal were carbonised, yielding 11,02 Sc. feet of gas to the toil. The amount of coal in stock on September 30 was 141 tons and tho amount of coke in stock was one ton. Tho gas manager (Mr A. U. Thomson) reported that on September 30, 121 tons of coal were received from Greymouth. A large hole developed in one of the top retorts during the month but this had been repaired. This, however, together with other interruptions, caused the meter reading to bo drawn out rather long this month. Wandering Stock. ■When tho poundkeeper’s report, stating that during the month of September six head of stock had been impounded and 3s driving fees collected was read, Cr. Barron asked that tho ranger’s attention be drawn to the fact that thero was too much wandering stock on borough roads at the present time. One householder had to remove five cows from his garden recently. Traffic Control. A letter was read from the Commissioner of Transport in reference to two resolutions passed at the conference held in Palmerston .North seeking more adequate enforcement of tho motor legislation, stating that the proposals wero fully endorsed by the Department. it was pointed out, however, that the power to enforce the regulations was vested in tho local authorities through the. traffic, inspector and no material benefit could accrue unless concerted action was taken in this direction. The Department accordingly asked That the local inspector bo asked to rigidly enforce the regulations. The Mayor said the matter was a big one, pointing out, however, Uiat tho unfair side of the business was that the Transport authorities received practically all the motor registration fees and the local authorities wero asked to carry out the inspection work at their own cost. After discussion it was decided to confer with the Manawatu County Council on the matter.

Repairing a Main Highway. During a discussion on the bad slate of the borough streets, Cr. Middleton inferred to the disgraceful state of that portion of tho main Auckland-AVelilngton highway which traverses Russell street, and asked that something- be done to immediately repair the road. The Mayor said that tho council had not. taken any action in the matter as it was considered that the repairing of the road, which was recognised as the main highway through Foxton, would mean tho diverting of traffic out of tho town. Cr. Middleton considered this a weak policy. The council should tako direct action either to put the road in a reasonable state of repair or to have tho main highway altered to Main street. Cr. Robinson endorsed Cr. Middleton’s views. lie said it was manifestly unfair to the ratepayers in Russell street to leave tho road in its present unsatisfactory state. The bad stato of tho road was not diverting tho through traffic as some people imagined and it was not fair to leave it in its present state,

The Mayor said that it luid to bo remembered that the council had little finance to undertake the work of reconstructing the road. Cr. Robinson asked how much the Highways Board contributed towards the upkeep of the road. The clerk: Seventy-live per cent. Cr. Middleton: Then we are not playing the game with the Highways Board. We are not diverting the traffic by neglecting the road hut only giving Foxton a had name. Cr. Barron said that the council had applied to the Main Highways Board two years ago to have the main highway through Foxton diverted to Main street but had not been successful, lie endorsed the remarks of the previous speakers that the bad stato of the road did not divert traffic into Main street. More cars passed through Foxton via Russell street than .via Main street. Cr. W. Nye said that even if the highway was diverted the council would still have to repair Russell street. . Cr. J. L. Christie opposed any work on Russell street, saying that previous councils had done a wrong thing in ever tar sealing Russell street. Tho matter was one that vitaliy concerned the business people of Foxton. The business people were those who paid the largest rates and they should bo studied most. General. The prevalence of glass window breaking among the juveniles of Foxton was referred to by Cr. Read, who staled that an extraordinary amount of broken glass was to bo seen. Cr. Ross said the lads did not confine themselves to bottles, bul to the fact that they were indulging in window smashing. He had found it impossible to keep glass in a shed window on the wharf and one. of the launches moored there had had its porthole smashed. Curing a discussion on tho port, Cr. Robinson suggested that tho construction of a groyne below Mr Trueman’s house on the northern hank of the Manawatu river would go a long way to overcoming the silting of tho fairway in tho vicinity of Robinson’s bend. Cr. Robinson considered tho local port was one of the best on the coast considering the small amount of money that had been expended on it. The Kairanga County Council wrote for-warding £3O Gs lid, being the council’s share of heavy traffic fees collected during the quarter ending September 30. Shipping. After having been barbound owing- to lteavy seas at Manawatu Heads, since Sunday last, the M.V. Foxton and the M.V. Huanui cleared port*shortly before noon on Wednesday. Tho former sailed for Lyttelton and the latter vessel for Greymouth. On arrival at their respective destinations, both vessels aro to load return, cargoes for Foxton. Personal. Mr E. G. Martin has returned to his home after having been an inmate of the Palmerston North hospital where lie recently underwent a serious operation. The condition of Mr W. Walker, who is at present an inma.to of tho Palmerston North hospital suffering from double pneunionia, Is reported to bo showing a slight improvement. „ , The friends of Mrs AY. L. Bullard, of Avenue road, will regret to learn that she is at present indisposed. Mr and Mrs H. J. Angus, of the Raetihi district, have taken up their residence at Manawatu Heads. A large surprise party visited Mr and Mrs AV. J. Ross at Poplar, on Saturday evening last, when the party spent a most enjoyable timo in the spacious cookhouse of tho old mill building which was recently converted into a dance hall. Dancing was indulged in until midnight, when a thoroughly happy evening closed with the singing of Auld Lang Syne and For They p.rs Jolly .Good Fellows, .