CIVIC AFFAIRS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 20 February 1931, Page 3

CIVIC AFFAIRS

CITY COUNCIL MEETING REPORTS AND GENERAL BUSINESS The fortnightly meeting of the Nelson City Council last night was attended by tlie Mayor (Mr W. J. Moffatt). Councillors F. W. Huggins, W. McConchie, R Watson, J. Stringer, 11. E. A. Washbourn, G. Page, S. A. Gibbs, S. Moynagli, and G. F. Russell.

CORRESPONDENCE

The Nelson Automobile Association requested the widening of Haven road near the Globe Hotel. The matter was referred to Committee to report. A resident in Wellington street requested the cleaning out of the ditch in Wellington street. The Committee is to report on the matter. A letter of appreciation was received from the Mayor of Hastings thanking the Council for its £IOO donation to the Earthquake Fund. A similar message was received from the Mayor of Napier.

Mr E. Shirtliff and Pastor Jackson made requests from the denominations they represent for stands for services in Trafalgar street on Friday nights._ Mr Shirtliff’s sect was granted permission to meet in front of the Bank of New Zealand and Pastor Jackson’s sect opposite Central Hotel (30 feet from the corner) at the pleasure of the Council. Mr 11. Baigent offered to supply a boiler with chimney free of cost, other than carting, with fuel, for the purpose of providing tepid water at the baths. The Mayor considered it would be necessary to have the baths covered if the scheme was to be adopted. Mr Baigent is to be thanked for his offer. The matter was referred to Committee to report. A request for a subsidy of £3OO for the Nelson Institute was referred to Committee for consideration with the estimates.

A request was made by the Telegraph Department, for the Council to pay the cost of shifting telegraph poles necessitated by street improvements. The Department, is to be asked to remove the post in Richardson street and the matter of payment was referred to Committee.

Gould’s Motors were granted a refund of heavy fra (lie license fee. Mr J. Hopkins requested permission to give a fireworks display in Trafalgai Park on 9th March. The matter was referred to Committee pending the receipt of further information. The Danncvirke Council thanked the Nelson Council for its expression of sympathy in its loss in the liawkes Bay quake. However, (he town was not much damaged, but was called upon to house 1000 refugees from the stricken area.

The Tahuna Sands Association was granted permission to hold a gala on the beach on Saturday, 28th February, in the afternoon and evening. The Fire Brigades’ Entertainment Committee requested a donation towards the expenses. Councillor Russell explained that in some sections it was considered the present time unsuitable for a conference, but from a fireman’s point of view (following experiences in Napier and Hastings) it was important that the conference be held. A grant of £lO (the amount asked for) was made. Mr de Lacy requested permission to erect an electric sign. Following an outline of the position by the Electrical Engineer it was decided that the Council is unable to allow such lighting from the community lights, nor allow a meter box to project into Montgomery’s alleyway, and suggest that the Electrical Engineer confer with the applicant in order to see what was best to he done to make Lhe power available.

MEETING OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE The Committee reported as follows : On letter from Mr F. Nock as to payment for sewer extension, Wolfe street: That lie be informed that if the remainder of the sewer is completed at his expense the Council will, should subsequent connections be made, allow him a proportionate sum not exceeding £2O for each connection until the balance of the cost paid by him is refunded.

MEETING OF WHOLE COMMITTEE The Committee reported as follows: On letter from Messrs Pitt? and Moore—(a) Applying for payment of agreed compensation for dedication of land for widening Queen’s road: That the agreed amount he paid, (b) Requesting! the Council to take bvleir lleacliville as a public street: That Messrs Pitt and Moore he informed that before the Council can entertain the request they must obtain an agreement with the frontagers on both sides of the street to dedicate a strip of

land 18 feet 0 inches wide without cost or expense of any kind to the Council. (c) Requesting the exemption of a portion of Albert roacl from the provisions of section 128 of the Public Works Act, 1928: That the whole street be exempted on both sides. —On letter from Mr A. Benseinaun requesting a refund of cost of drainage work: That, without prejudice, he be offered half the cost of the work. —On letter from Brook Tennis. Club requesting the topping of the trees on the banks of the Brook stream: That they have no recommendation to make.

Tlie reports of the Committees were adopted.

REPORTS CITY ENGINEER The City Engineer (Mr J. G. Littlejohn) reported for the fortnight as follows: Streets and Footways. —Top-dressing on Milton street lias been clone and the sealing coat on the new tar work in Tasman street is in progress. Some patching has been clone in Vanguard street and one man with horse and cart has been detailed to attend to the repair of trenches and other openings in the streets. Drainage.—There have been no interruptions. Reserves.—Routine work only has been clone. The soil stripping from the quarry is being taken to Botanical Reserve for use in levelling this ground. Water.—The big dam lias ceased to overflow. The restrictions on the use of the hose are not being observed. This is noticeable in the Waimea road area where tlie pressures during tlie day are abnormally low.

Relief of 'Unemployment. —On the Sands Reserve 27 men have been employed under No. 5 Scheme and 24 at the cemetery. On the extension of the gas main, 11 men are employed, and two on Richardson street, who do not come under that scheme. The last two mentioned works and the cemetery job will not last much longer. I intend to proceed with the laying out of the Botanical Reserve ancl can find room for 10 or 12 men on that. Unfortunately we have no indication of how long we will be required to find work of this nature and it seems necessary to provide some programme to work to. I have made an inspection of the city ancl 1 am of tlie opinion that a thorough clean up of the noxious weeds, especially gorse, broom and blackberry, would be one of tlie most profitable works that could be undertaken. If all the streets were cleaned up the Council would have very good grounds for proceeding against anyone who allowed noxious weeds on his property or failed in future to keep his frontage cleared. I would recommend this as the main standby job for tlie coming year.

The matter of attention to pines on the Tahuna Reserve and the repair of the Old Cemetery gale were left to the Engineei. The Engineer’s suggestion regarding the clearing of noxious weeds was not adopted.

GASWORKS The gasworks report for the 1 month ending 31st January, was as follows: Goal carbonised, 304 tons; gas manufactured per ton of coal, 15,300 cubic feet; gas manufactured, 5,204,100 cubic feet; coal in hand, 711 tons; coke in lumcl, nil; tar in hand, 1000 gallons; value of residuals sold during month, £422 9s Id.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER The Electrical Engineer (Mr E. Fleming) reported for the fortnight as follows:—City applications 2308 (increase 10); city extensions 2091 (11); Tahuna applications LSI (nil); Stoke 94 • (nil); Wakatu 20 (nil); totals 4700 (21). Lighting load applied for 1379 (4 k.w.); heating 2039 k.w. (13 k.w.); power 1000 k.w. (nil); Tahuna 254 k.w. (nil); Stoke 113 k.w. (nil); Wakatu 44 k.w. (nil); totals (>OB9 k.w. (17 k.w.). Peak load, day, 440 k.w.; night 010 k.w.

At 9.45 a.in. on Sunday, 15th February, in shutting down No. 2 engine a serious breakdown took place. It will be necessary to import a number of spare parts from the manufacturers before we can operate this machine.

It will be necessary to employ a bricklayer to renew the arches and brick casings on Nos. 2 and 3 boilers. To date 20,wooden poles have been replaced by concrete poles. I would recommend that four tons of steel be imported to enable ns to manufacture another 50 poles. Cost £52. Satisfactory progress lias been made with the second inspection of all electrical instalations in consumers’ premises. The report was adopted. The Engineer was authorised to obtain quotations for tlie replacement of the damage done at tlie works. The engineer considered the work would cost not less than £SOO.

GENERAL BUSINESS The Engineer was instructed to report on a scheme of tree-planting where suitable on Council properties. Tenders are to be called for grazing on the property at the reservoir recently acquired by the Council. i The Council accepted an offer by the men working on the gas main work to work on a Saturday afternoon, the wages lo be given to the Earthquake Relief Fund. . . The delegates to the United Fire Brigades’ Conference are to be granted free use of the. Municipal baths. It was decided that trees on the eastern side of Normanby Bridge which obscure Ihe view of the road, be cut back, the Engineer was instructed to inspect trees which obstruct l lie view of the rail wav line at Victory Square. Councillor Stringer asked when t'e new traffic domes were to be put in 0 cstreets. The Engineer said he had not a man available for the work at present.

Councillor Page (who is chairman of the local Unemplovment Board) suggested that an extension of Queen’s Drive would he a suitable work for unemployed relief under the No. 5 scheme. The work would he of value to the city. He said there were yet 70 men to be given employment. Some 120 were now employed. Councillor Page’s suggest .m was adopted.

The Engineer was instructed to re port on the conversion of the Old Cemetery into a playing area, under ti:e No. 5 Unemployment- scheme.

ELECTRIC SUPPLY EXTENSIONS Councillor Gibbs moved the following motion which was carried: (a) That the cost of all extensions to the existing electric power mains along a public street be paid for by the intending consumer as provided for by Regulation 12 of the Electric Supply Regulations, 1927. (b) That when the consumer elects to provide for the extension under Regulation .12, clause (6) the guarantee so given shall expire either at- the period selected

or when the total payments for current supplied amount to 120 per cent, of the cost of the extension, whichever may be the shorter period. The motion was an outcome of a discussion at the previous meeting regarding electric supply extensions, and will have the effect of giving the Council a definite policy.

PAYMENTS The following i»siynients were authorised:— £ s. d. General Account 1104 13 3 Water Account 302 0 7 Abattoir Account 7.5 12 9 Cemetery Account 12(1 IS 11 Baths Account 14 19 8 Trafalgar Park Account .... 4 2 ;") Cas Account 1610 4 5 Electric Light and Power Account 950 16 6 £4279 17 6 Loan Accounts— Streets Improvement, etc. 60 0 3 Sands Reserve 176 6 0 Gasworks Extension 75 0 0 Total £4591 3 9