MOTUEKA

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 5 July 1923, Page 5

MOTUEKA

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING

(From Our Own Correspondent),

The monthly meeting of the Motueka Borough'Council was held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening. There were present: The Mayor (Mr .T. A. McGJashen), Crs .12. Wratt, I). W. Talbot, M. Staples, I’. Atkins. ,1. McCarthy and C. L .Jackson. Minutes .'t the previous meeting were read and eonfirmed. ACCOUNTS Accounts amounting to £402 9s lid were passed for payment (general account £135 15s 6d, electric account £266 14s sd) leaving an overdraft at the Bank of £I3BO 11s. Other accounts showed the following credits: Electric Loan Account at Bank, £303 Os 9d; Domain Account, Post Office Savings Bank, £l4 2s; Cemetery Account, Post Office Savings Bank, £ll 2s: rates outstanding atthe end of the .month £BO. CORRESPONDENCE Correspondence was received from i John Chambers and Son, acknowledging letter and notifying that a trial sample of oil was being forwarded. J. R. MacFarlane, requesting that his meter be exchanged for a limiter. -(r Talbot said that he was not ;i favour of limiters and would like to see tt ■ m cut out.—Cr .Wratt stated that to do this the regulations would require to be altered. —Cr. Jackson moved Mint this application along with another be granted.—Cr. McCarthy seconded pro forma. —Cr. Wratt said to was prepared tc nipport. the resolution since they had the limiters on hand.

Thco. C. Marlow, acknowledging icceipt of letter appointing liis borough electrical engineer.

The Mayor informed the Council tl at several communications had been addressed to Mr Marlow inquiring "•] en he was prepared to commenco duties nut no answer had been received.--ne.solwd (the Mayor and Cr .McCarthy) t! at the clerk bo instructed to forward a wire cancelling the appointment. Department oT Health, submitting quarterly report on health and randary matters in the borough. The inspector stated that he had visited.MotueKa tiuee times, and on each occasion had x'suc-d, the Council to see if any complaints l ad been received that needed attention. Infectious diseases and disinfection, nil. Nuisances—Several nuisances of a rumor nature had received attention. General —Sanitary plumbing, drainage and septic tanks are being installed at r< new block of shops in course of erection m the Health Act 1920 have been gazetted. These deal with the sale of secondhand clothing and bedding . They, apply to auctioneers as well as secondhand dealers. The inspector requested that the names of these be forwarded".—(Resolved Crs. Wratt and Talbot) that the clerk supply the Department of Health with the ‘necessary information. The Mayor mentioned that the Finance Committee were to have presented a report on fire-fighting plants, hut up to the present insufficient information .was to hand to draw definite conclusions. Motueka, branch of the Farmers’ Union, requesting that the Californian thistle be declared a noxious weed within the borough.—Resolved (Or. Wratt and the Mayor) that the Californian thistle be declared a noxious weed.

Department of Agriculture, asking if the Council has any objections to rooks being added to the list of injurious birds under the Injurious Birds Act, 1908. Resolved (the Mayor and Cr. Wratt) that! the clerk draft a letter to the Department of Agriculture stating that the Council has no objection to rooks being declared injurious birds. Easton and Nicholson, re Greenwood Trust, stating that they had received the originating summons and affidavit in support filed by. the Diocesan Trust. Boqrd. The defendants cited are the Attorney-General as representing the public, and Martin Greenwood and Alfred Roger Greenwood, the grandchildren of J. D. Greenwood, the donor of the lands under the Trust deed dated 1853. The application per summons is to be heard in Wellington, and Messrs Easton and Nicholson advise the Council to communicate with the Attornev-Generay and lay the facts and claims of the borough before him, and further to rail a public, meeting to discuss the matter and convey any resolutions carried thereat to the Attorney-General. Considerable discussion took place concerning this matter.. The Mayor , said that to call a public meeting at an early date appeared to bo the most advisable course to adopt. It. was decided to bold a meeting early next week. Cr. Jackson remarked that without doubt it was the intention of tip donor 1o give the benefits to the residents of Motueka. Cr. Wratt added that that trustees of the lands were to be residents of Motueka and to be members of the Church of England. He considered that Mr Greenwood’s reonepfs should be carried out. Or. Talbot said that the solicitors must be conversant with the whole matter’ and it should be left in their hands to deal with. —Moved (the Mayor and Cr. Jackson) that the solicitors bo requested to draft a letter to the Attorney-Ceneral and the results of the public meeting communicated. Easton and Nicholson re Rocks Road, notifying that the petition, has been lodged with the proper authorities and that a copy has been sent to Mr R. P. Hudson, M.P., requesting his support. They also states that the Under-Secre-tary for Public Works advises that the petition is receiving consideration. Municipal Association of New Zealand conference of delegates), notifying that the biennial conference of delegates will bo held in Christchurch on 18th July.—Resolved (Crs. McCarthy and Staples) that this Council send no delegate to the Conference. The matter of appointing, an electrical engineer was discussed/ Mr J. Heath, being next on the list of applicants, had been communicated with. His reply by wire- was satisfactory and it was moved by Crs. Talbot and Wratt that the appointment be confirmed.

OVERSEER’S REPORT The Borough Overseer (Mr R. Branch] reported that metalling has been carried out in Poole, Greenwood. Pah, Queen Victoria, Thorpe ,Beach Road, Atkins, High., Douglas Road and Whakai’owa streets. The teams are now working on Chamberlain Street; the gravel is being obtained from the river at Whakarewa. 1 was intending to effect repairs to College Street on. the completion of Chamberlain Street, but now that my time is up with the Council I am only seeing the electric light department through until the newly appointed engineer arrives. I would suggest that the Works Committee take charge of the roads department. Electrical. —Five premikes have been connected the system during the month and a good deal of work done on tiie reticulation .including the renewal of six street lamps. There is still a number of residents waiting to be connected up. The total number of units generated for the month was 5209 — No 1. engine 4910, No. 2 engine 299.

Coni consumed, 8 lons 7 owls.'; co aUp cr unit generated, 4.02 lbs; No. -1 • hours run, 231.20; No.- 2 engine, lioui'3 run, 70. ■ •„ Resolved (Cr. Talbot and the Mayor) that the Overseer’s report be received. FINANCE COMMITTEE The. reports and recommendations of the Finance Committee were brought forward. The Mayor stated that after making xaiious deductions the Works Committee were faced with the sum of £369 for maintenance of 40 miles of roads for twelve months. Continuing, lie said, no" Iccnl body could possibly keep 40 miles cf roads m order on that amount. Tho only way out of the difficulty is to capitalize the £369. The motor traffic is increasing and consequently extra wear and tear of the roads is entailed. Cr. McCarthy enquired as to how the Mayor proposed capitalizing. In roplv the latter said this could only bo done by raising a loan. Moved (Crs. Jackson and Wratt) that the reports of the. Finance Committee be apnr ov r d Car ri e d Resolved (tho Mayor and Cr. Jackson) that the general rate be six farthings and electric light three farthings. WORKS COMMITTEE The Works. Committee reported per medium of Cr’.' Talbot, that’ they bad been instructed to inspect the l iver. This had been done and they could not see their way to involve the Council in any expenditure, and recommended that a liver loard be formed. Several roads had been inspected, including Chamber lain Street, Hurst-house Street and Tasker’s corner. At the latter place it appeared that only at tlood times was tiie load in bad condition, and they could not recommend the Council to take any action. With reference to the flooding of Mr Qrooby’s property it was i ecommended that Mr Groqby be permitted to put a culvert, across the:road to the satisfaction of the. Council.—Resolved (the Mayor and Cr. Wratt! that the clerk notify Mr OWiobv accordingly-. Another case investigate! was that (of tho flood gate. It was recommended that; the batter be replaced and the work attended to at once. Gravelling of the roads had been left.in abeyance until the finance of the borough could be aseertem od The Mayor drew the attention of the. Works Committee to the washingout that is taking place under the, cqrfi cietc flooring of flu; .floodgate and suggested that besides the. batter being l fixed up several loads of extra heavy metal be put in to prevent the washing cut which is taking place. Cr. Wratt said he feTf- disappointed; 'he Works Committee’s report on- Gloy er’s. < verflow. ’°lt was an urgent- ease and something should; be done at once. Cr. Staples, replying to Or. Wratt, informed him that the river had.' a direct lead in at the point- aryl whatever work was done or rndnev'.spent wou'lo he. carried away with the. first flood. The Mayor stated that it was as well, for the public to know the danger of floods when the water gets over' the western end of Poole and Pah streets; One canrot build a bank to keep the river back, hut if a thousand . willow trees were planted at the overflow this would no doubt be beneficial: in saving the adjoining properties-an l akp saving the Cbm eil considerable' ht, Cr. Mc Carthy said that if ' the settlers on either side "of the river' disagree on the matter the best- thing to do*was''to form a river hoard and not attempt-to rush tiie river from one side to tlio other. ‘ '

Cr. Atkins-remarko dihat the river is liable to change its course at any time, and the danger of the overflow, it would appear, is at its maximum. The river appears to be changing its course even row.

The Cemetery Committee recommended that a sum of £6 be expended on the cemetery, reserve for the planting of pine trees.—Moved (the- Mayor and Cr. Wratt) that- the Cemetery Committee be given permission to purchase pine trees to the amount of £6. An application received from Mr. Dalgleisli a few weeks ago for the post of overseer was brought forward. . Cr. Jackson slated that the Council must he guided by the recommendation of the Works Committee, and it was a-question as to whether they would engage an overseer.—Resolved (Hie Major and Cr. Wratt)’ that the matter be deferred:-to' Die next meeting. '• %'■ Tiie Mayor said that lie had heard iliat one ‘of the Councillors on being approached by the dog tax collector had not paid the‘fees, being under the impression that no minute had been recorded fixing the Kate. On inspection the councillor in question found that a minute to this effect, had been recorded in January/ Resolved (Crs .Wratt and Jackson) that dog-tax defaulters he given seven da-vs’ notice in- which to pay,