WEANGAREI BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Northern Advocate, 27 May 1921, Page 3

WEANGAREI BOROUGH COUNCIL.

KATfcAOTJDIXARY MEETING. An extraordinary general meeting of the Whangarei Borough Council took place last evening; present —The Mayor (Mr D. A. McLean), and Crs. L. J. Brake, I. W. Moore. A. D. Jack, A. T. Brainsby, F. Cutforth and the actingclerk (Mr H. W. Briggs).' The meeting was called specially to discuss matters in connection with the operation of the workers' dwelling scheme undertaken by the previous Council. A special form of application for advances under the scheme as drawn up by the acting-clerk led to Cr. Brake speaking against any provision which might allow for speculation in property by applicants. In that connection Cr. Moore said he had himself built under the provisions of the borough scheme and ho could have made good money by selling, but he thought it was not right to enable beneficiaries to do so for purely speculative purposes. Cr. Jack suggested that- the Council . .-■■honld insist upon measures to prevent speculation with the. chance of making excessive profits on buildings erecteJ under the scheme, and suggested a clause to prevent it. Cγ. Brninsby quoted the case of Go-vernment-owned properties where measures had been taken to.prevent speeu- ; lation n9 far as possible. Of course : under the heading of cash buyers it was a more difficult problem to den! with, but he favoured provision being made j in the regular application form to pievent transfer of a property for (say) five years, except under cettain specified conditions. The Mayor suggested that n clause might be inserted "in the application form to Iho effect thsrti the building ; was for applicant's use only, and u mo- ! tion in that direction was proposed by I the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Brain shy j and carried. . It was shown that the result would be that in the event of an application for transfer the applicant must get the approval of the Council. • Further discussion upon the draft application form led to Crs. Brainsby, Brake and the Mayor speaking favourably towards introduction of a principle that interest chargeable to applicants should only start from the date the money was advanced or was handed to their lawyer. . The Mayor moved adoption of the form of application for a worker's dwelling as submitted toy Mr Briggs and amended, but before the form was adopted. Or. Brainsby secured a further alteration providing that all questions relative to an applicant's personal estate should be grouped together, as alsoshould be the data, relative to his : em-

jt.loyjment; ' - " The actingttown clerk submitted a proposal that the charges for-the loan should be interest at 55 per cent., plus cent, to cover working expenses, i plus 2 per cent, sinking fund, and after some discussion, in which Or. Brainsby questioned the proposal in the clerk's -j /report, it was adopted. t. ■ In connection with the collection of 1 ; : accounts owing from the workers' dwel- • ling scheme C'r. Jack suggested that it would be a better scheme to allow discounts for prompt payment rather than to impose a penalty for delay, After further discussion, Cr. Brake moved that one shilling per week bo added, to be" refunded in the ease of prompt payments. Cr. Jack seconded the proposal conditional upon it being possible to enforce it, and the motion was adopted, Cr. Brainsby objecting, , and Cr. Brake expressing an opinion that the additional charge should be termed a collection fee. CONTRACT TIME EXTENSION. The Mayor said that tho Council was faced with getting the whole of the ' Puicenni pioduction converted iuto timber next yenrT He quoted the quantities available and stated that the Council would have to shoulder too great fl. burden if all the timber were got out in the contract time. , It was a very important matter and, as. an old contractor, he realised that it was necessary for Messrs Foster and .Telfer to know whether they were to take over two years in the task. Ho moved that approval be given to Messrs Foster and Telfer to extend the cutting o£ the ' timber over that period. Cγ. Cutforth, who said he could not see otherwise how to get rid of the timber, favoured the Mayor 's .scheme, and after a fow questions, Cr. Brainsby proposed an amendment that tho wording be altered to asking Messrs Foster and Telfer if they could extend the time for one year. He added that the ■ Council wished to back the Mayor up, J)ut he wanted the motion worded dif- ** ferently as indicated, because then he felt that it would get the full endorsc : ment of the Council. The Chairman referred to what he - termed the crux of the matter, and de- ] clared that as he was an expert in timber he fnlly realised that as Mayor he was expected to make .the timber scheme a success. The public might have been inclined to make excuses for the old Council; but the ratepayers expected him to carry out- the scheme successfully. A resolution was recorded that tho Mayor should approach Messrs-Foster and Telfer concerning the extension of time for cutting the Pukenui timber by twelve months, that die Commissioner >' of Crown Lands be asked'to sanction that extension, and that the Mayor should report to Hie Council.

THtfeTY APPLICATIONS." " The Council then considered 3eriatim sotno aspects of SO applications for workers' 3v.*ellings ) and after considerable dismission it wris decided on the Afnyoi's suggestion, seconded by Cγ. P.-nintfby, thnt a circular bo -sent to all applicants for building ndvnncos under the workers' dwelling scheme requesting them to fill in the newly adopted form of particulars, and that upon receipt of that form duly filled in the Council bo empowered to denl with the applications. SALE OF WHITIv PIXE. It av.'is jmt J'lPi'wnrd by tlie iMayor that the Council should iTsi'oiintbly consider the vale of knhikatea from the Pulceniii supply to Mr I.ovatt, who was able to irnl::> bn:;cs from the timber. Tl\nt was boi.'i;.; jone by other mill-own-ers. The Mayor then qtioled technical facts showing that the Council was losing on broad-cut timber.* under the existing arrangements. On Or. ]\foore 's motion it wns left to tlio Timber Committee to arrange tlie sale a« suggested. FLECTIHOAL ENGINEER S STATUS Mr electrical engineer, waited upon the Council in reffn-iK.e to iffoi'ts being made to recover a number of outstanding accounts. In paiti- [ eular ho referred to oii; , ;•::-" in which j he. had cut off the electric supply to a ! • certain consumer. That consumer had j ! waited on the Council- with the result I that "tho Council had, temporarily [ truly, allowed the light to be restored. iMr Dawson stated that he had tried ' r-very ofi'ort to get the consumer to pay I the amount claimed without resorting to cutting ofi" the current. However, when the unpleasant duty devolved upon him of resorting to that measure he.expected the Council to endorse his action. Suhsoqn<--iif]y iho Council expressM its approval of Iho step taken l.y Mr Dawson and the current will bo cut oft' again until thr amount claimed is paid. In a case put forward by ihe electrical engineer relative to a house in Rust Lane, it was decided on Cr. Jack's motion to notify the owm>r.of the pro- ; peity Ihat legal proceedings would be taken for recovery of bills owing on that account in a fortnight's time if not settled meanwhile. Certain other matters relative to the electricity accounts were discussed before the r.iceti'ig terminated.