BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Northern Advocate, 14 June 1911, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING.

The monthly meeting of the Whangarei Borough Council was held in the Council Chamber last evening, the following being present: The Mayor (Mr T. H. Steadman), Councillors J. B. Mann, J. S. Dent, R. H. Harrison, C. Chapman, H. Weaver, and Messrs A. L. Dixon (clerk) and T. J. Medland (waterworks engineer). THE MUNICIPAL BAND. Mr Bray, secretary of the Whangarei Municipal Brass Band, mado application for the Council's subscription, and also requested that a councillor should be appointed to fill a vaon the Management Committee. ' Councillor Chapman was appointed the Councils representative on the Band Committee. It was decided that the subscription be £10, despite an effort made by Councillor Weaver to have the amount doubled. KENSINGTON PARK COMMITTEE. On the application of Mr J. Andre, secretary of the Whangarei A. and P. Association, Councillors Dent and .Mann were appointed to the Kensington Park Committee. FROM TRACTION TO ROLLER. Although the cost of converting the borough traction engine was quoted at £245, compared with £810 for a new machine, the Whangarei Engineering Company advised the Council not to entertain the idea. —The letter was received, and the clerk instructed to thank the Company for the advice. BUILDING CONDEMNED. Dr. R. Makgill, District Health Offi--cer, notified the Council that a house owned by Mr McPhee, in Lower Cameron-street, was insanitary and incapable of repair. . It was decided to give the owner's agent 21 days in which to have the building pulled down. A iGENEROUS SUGGESTION.

Mr J. I. Wilson wished to know whether, if a number of residents whoso properties fronted on the roads in the Woodhill estate, were to express willingness to pay half the cost of metalling the roads, the Council would pay the other half, and take the roads over. Councillor Weaver thought that if such an offer were made, applying to whole roads, and not to portions of them, the Council should be prepared tc do their part. All the councillors were apparently in favor of Councillor Weaver's contention, but it was decided that the best procedure would be to refer the letter to the Works Committee. THE DREDGE SLUDGE. An offer was made to the Council to tender for the sludge being dredged from the river bed by the Harbor Board's dredge. Councillor Weaver favored the sludge* at 6d per yard, which he maintained was very cheap material for filling up. The Mayor did not think much of the quality of the sludge being dredged, and moved that the letter be received. —Carried.

HATEA-STREET TAKEN OVER. Councillor Weaver moved, seconded by Councillor Mann, that Hatea street he taken over by the Council, and the seal of the Council be affixed to the dedication. —Carried. KAMO-ROAD FOOTPATH. A petition containing 90 signatures, headed by that of Mr D. W. Bedlington, drew attention to the fact that the ratepayers had subscribed, supplemented by subsidies, the cost of the construction of the footpath on Kamoroad, from Manse-street to the Whau Whau Valley, and expressing the opinion that it was time something was done in the matter, and the-footpath kept in the same order by the Council as other footpaths in the borough were. ifr Bedlington waited on the Council in this connection. He thought that the councillors had not a real knowledge of the state of the footpath. It was 11 years since he had collected £25 for the footpath, and nothing had been done since. He thought that it was a fair thing for the Council to do something. There were noxious weeds on the road. The Mayor reminded Mr Bedlington that the property-owners whose land faced the footpath were responsible in that direction. Mr Cockburn thought that something could be done to patch the paths for the winter, a policy which Councillors Dent and Weaver advocated in the meantime until the work could be done permanently. It was agreed that minor repairs should be carried out to last over the winter.

VEHICLE LICENSES. On behalf of the Whangarei Co-ope-rative Dairy Company, Messrs T. Wakelin and Munro (clerk of the Company) waited on the Council in connection with the licenses for cream ejects. It was contended that :t was iffjf fair to the cream carters that they should be called upon to pay a license tv the borough as well as the County Council. Figures were quoted to show that the loads were not heavy, averaging as they did about 18M> cwts. Even in the old toll-gate days only one payment had been demanded. The matter would also be laid before the County Council. There were six carts, and the total weight carried during the last ten months had been 550 tons. The Mayor pointed out that similar objections were being raised in other iioroughs. The license fees demanded by the Council only amounted to £7

10/ in the year. The amount was in itself infinitesimal, and apart from that was due to the borough in the first place.

When the matter came under discussion, Councillor Weaver moved that the County Council be asked to confer with the Mayor, the mover and Councillor Mann on the subject. No harm could come of such a conference, and good might arise. The Mayor approved the motion, but opposed any concessions, as the borough license fees had been especially reduced on account of the fact that vehicles would have to gn the ccunty license as well if they used the latter body's roads. Councillor Weaver's motion was carried. INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES' REPORT. Mr I. W. Moore, Inspector of Nuisances, had inspected a number of backyards during the month, and had warned several people to have them tidied up. In the matter of the drains at Mrs Drewitt's house, the Inspector had notified Mr J. W. McGregor, the owner oi the land, and he had promised to have all connections made, aft Q r his next visit to Whangarei, in a day or two. POUNDKEEPER'S REPORT. During the month 54 animals had been impounded the fees derived therefrom having been £6 8/. DOG LICENSES. To date 148 dogs had been registered and 21 destroyed, the fees for last month having totalled £4 10/. TRAFFIC INSPECTOR'S REPORT. In his report, the Traffic Inspector revived the question of vehicles, having paid license fees to the County Council, using the borough roads without obtaining a borough license. For the month £11 2/6 had been collected for licenses. WATERWORKS ENGINEER'S REPORT. Mr T. J. Medland reported that three water services had been laid on during the month. The following plans and specifications for building permits had been received, and all the permits granted: Mrs A. Devlin, additions to shop verandah in Cameron-street; Mr J. Draper, dwelling-house in Deveronroad; Mr J. S. Worthington, shed for a saw-bench in James-street; Mr H. W. McKenzie, additions to the tannery in Lower Cameron-street; Allison and Keyte, dwelling-house in Drummondstreet; and W. Proctor, dwelling-house in Cooke-street.

WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Works Committee recommended that a bridge be constructed over the creek near the butter factory, at the place where Harrison's horse w;w drowned. Councillor Dent thought the population on the other side of the creek was not large enough to warrant The construction of the bridge, and the prQperty-owners should contribute to the cost, as had once been arranged. He admitted th« bridge was necessary. The matter was left in abeyance. ACCESS TO BOROUGH QUARRY. In regard to the controversy between the Borough and County Councils over the destruction to the county road behind the hospital by the borough metal being carted over it, the Borough Council had promised to repair the road when the carting has been finished.

LIGHT FOR MANSE-STREET. Approval of the position of the new lamp in Manse-street was recorded, and Councillors Dent and Harrison were appointed a committee to decide on the spots for the Wrack-street and Aubrey-street lights. Councillor Weaver proposed, in accordance with notice of motion, that horses should be allowed to be driven loose through the borough within prescribed hours, and that a caretaker .should be put ahead in addition to the driver. He suggested the hours at 6 to 7 a.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. The Mayor said that if the 'bus and hcrse-owners would only help the Council instead of flouting it, some workable arrangement could doubtless be arrived at. Councillor Weaver's motion was carried. ADDENDA. A quotation of 5d a letter for street s?gns had been forwarded by an Auckland firm, but the matter was left until Councillor Bray could attend. The Mayor gave notice of a special meeting on July 17 to levy rates. On Councillor Weaver's motion, the sum of £20 was voted towards the Coronation festivities. Mr Cockburn's report was referred to the Works Committee. Mr J. Campbell Peacock wrote in connection with John-street, and asked that money should be spent upon it as soon as possible.—Received. Permission was asked by Mr R. H. Woods to erect a post to support a sign in Rusts-lane.—The letter was referred to Mr Medland for a report. A letter from the Lux Light Company in reference to street lighting was received. The Council rose at 10.40 p.m.