TOWN TOPICS

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1936, Page 4

TOWN TOPICS

POINTS FROM BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING

The meeting of the Whangarei Borough Council last night was completed in three-quarters of an hour, the agenda being a light one, with no contentious matters for discussion. The Mayor, Mr W. Jones, presided. PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.

The Whangarei Women’s Civic League wrote asking if the white traffic lines might be pointed down the centre of footpaths and the “keep to the left” rule imposed to relieve congestion of pedestrian traffic, especially at the corner of Cameron and Bank Streets;. —The question was. referred to the works committee. SCHOOL BREAK-UP.

Mr A. R. Ryder, the headmaster, asked if the council would give a rebate of half the usual amount of the Town Hall hire for the annual prizegiving ceremony of the Whangarei High School, as had been done in the past. It was stated that the Education Department did not allow the school to spend money on prizegivings, and the whole amount required had to be raised by other means.—The hall was granted oh the same conditions as last year. WATER FOR GARDENS.

The secretary of the Whangarei Unemployed Workers’ Association asked if the council could install a water supply at the relief workers’ gardens. It was stated that this could easily be done from an adjoining house. — This question was referred to the works committee. 1

THIRD AVENUE. The sub-committee appointed to deal with Third Avenue has decided to form the avenue from Wilson’s Avenue to Kauika Road from 32 feet, and metal the roadway to a width of 12 feet. —The report was adopted. POWER FOR BAKING.

'Whangarei Bakeries Ltd., wrote stating that they had installed an electric oven. Their account showed a charge of Id a unit, while outside charges were £d a unit. The oven was used only at night, and it was felt that Id a unit was too dear for commercial use. The council was asked if the charge could be reduced to |d. — The electricity committee recommended that a discount on all oven units be made, the discount to be at the rate of 12£ per cent, conditional on the consumption being from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The position will be reviewed at the beginning of the next financial year. The electricity committee’s recommendation was adopted. REFUSE COLLECTION.

A recommendation by the works committee that a monthly collection of extraordinary refuse, in quantities nqt exceeding 10 cubic feet, be inaugurated this month as a trial for the next four months was adopted, RUST LANE BRIDGE.

Some time ago, Mr A. M. Rust gave the council, free of cost —The footpath ' frontage for the full length of his property in Rust Lane; all the eastern bank of the Waiarohia Stream for an abutment to take the end of the Rust Lane bridge; and the offer of a strip of land to enable the council to straighten the bridge. In return, the council was to provide a flood prevention groyne, and he asked that, as more land than was originally offered was proposed to be taken, a concrete footpath be built along his frontage. The engineer reported that the bridge at the end of Rust Lane, as well as being of one car width only, was on a very bad alignment, and, with the erection of houses on the Melanesian subdivision and the probable use of Ormond Road as a by-pass road, the time was probably not very remote when the bridge would require renewing. If possible, it was desirable that the sewer at present being constructed, be laid on a line which would not interfere with any future bridge works, and consequently, he was of opinion that the council should avail itself of Mr Rust’s offer of any land. The flood protection work which Mr Rust desired done was not very great, and could be done at no great cost when the sewer was being laid. The concrete pathway which Mr Rust proposed would cost £l6, and he recommended that the council acquire the land, which could remain in occupation by Mr Rust until it was required. The engineer’s recommendation was adopted.