RUSSELL NEWS

Northern Advocate, 17 March 1927, Page 4

RUSSELL NEWS

MEETING OF TOWN BOARD

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

The monthly meeting of the Russell Town Board was held last Monday evening. Present: Commissioners Hewin (chairman), Bisset, Clow* Armitage, Baker and the clerk (Mr A. Hitchcock). FOOTPATH CONSTRUCTION. Mr F. Nutson waited upon the board to ask permission to construct a pathway 2ft Tin wide from the roadway to his property in Watering Bav.

The chairman said he thought permission should be granted subject to the approval of the other property owners concerned. Mr Bisset: 'I do not think this ‘is a matter for the board to decide, but one for the property owners. It is very hard to say exactly what our powers are in this matter. The chairman said that, subject to the approval of the property owners, the board was content to allow Mr Nutson to proceed with the work. BILLIARDS ROOMS LICENSES.

A deputation, consisting of Messrs Brooker and H. Williams, waited upon the board with reference to the license fee imposed by the board in respect to the billiards saloons kept by them.

Mr Brooker said thai the board had charged them £8 a year per table, which was out of all proportion. The only other room in the North that was charged that fee was situated at Mocrewa. He earnestly thought that the board had made a mistake in its charges. Mr Hewin said that no mistake had been made, and only the other evening he was looking through the by-laws relating to billiards saloons and he found that Kawakawa charged £lO (this has since been altered to £3), Kaikohe £5 and £1 for every table after that.

Mr Armitage: “How manv tables are there in Kawakawa?” Mr Brooker; “One.” A member: “It does ndt seem fair to compare Kawakawa with one table to Russell with two.” Mr Brooker: Mr Chairman and gentlemen, the rental is out of all proportion. In Whangarei the charges arc £2 for two tables.”

Mr Hewin: “Who is the inspector ■of billiards saloons in Whangarei?”

j Mr Brooker: “The Town Clerk, I

| presume. i Mr Bisset: “When I came on to j the Board the question was raised and ! I said that £8 was too high to charge jMr Williams. It only means that we ’could penalise a man right out of the (place. It is all clear money to us and we are giving nothing in return, j The price is too exorbitant. I think ;it is up to us to reduce the charge , and refund these gentlemen some of

i the money. ' Mr Clow said that when the board , was framing the charges they simply I adopted those charges as set out in t the county by-laws, and he had a feelling at the time that the charges were too high.

j Mr Williams: “When I paid my fee jlast time I did not know the prices ' and now that there are two saloons (the price is too high.” ! The Chairman: “I hope you will • not come up again if two more sal- ! oons open, or when three or four are ; in full swing, come to us for a subsidy to keep open.” (Laughter.) | Mr Brooker: “We are prepared to I pay £3 the same as Kawakawa.” j Mr Armitage: “I do not think the two saloons should be coupled togethi er. Each case should be taken on its ! merits. If two stores are here are -we {going to lower the rates when a third ione starts?”

Mr Hewin: “The position regarding the -matter is this: We just adopted the clause relating to billiards saloons from the county by-laws and had the charges been £2O we would have adopted them; likewise had they been £4 we would have done the same.”

Mr Armitage: “In view of the fact of what we have hoard £3 seems reasonable enough.”

Notice of notion was then given by Mr Bisset that at the next meeting he would propose that Section 6 of the board’s by-laws relating to Billiards saloons be amended. GOVERNMENT GRANT A letter was read from the Public Works Department in connection with a subsidy to the Russell Long Beach Road.,

Mr Hewin stated that the £SO granted by the Government two years ago for this road would be available after March.

BALANCE SHEETS, The clerk (imported that he had received the balance sheets back from the Auditor-General. . Moved by Mr Hewin, seconded by Mr Armitage that the balance sheets be placed in a conspicuous place for inspection by the public. SUBDIVISION. A plan for subdivision of the Mills Estate was placed before, the board for its approval, , The chairman said that- this matter would have to be gone into very carefully. Mr Clow: .“If wc are going to approve of this plan it,, means, that we are going to lose a portion of our road. ’ ’

Mr Hewin: “It means more than that. It means that other property holders will be able to bring their boundaries farther out. I presume they want to put this through the Laud Transfer Act. I would like the board to inspect this property before we go any further.”

This suggestion met with the approval of the board an d s further discussion was held in abeyance until ; the site has been inspected. , r- , , , ? MISCELLANEOUS. The clerk’s salary and rent for the month was passed for payment. iMr Bisset sought permission on behalf of tho library .committee to deposit spoil on the next site on Baker Street when making excavations for the new library. Permission was granted. Tho town clerk asked for one month’s holiday to commence from the day after the next meeting. Leave was granted.

Com. Hewin was appointed supervisor for the month.