CIVIC AFFAIRS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 18 December 1936, Page 6

CIVIC AFFAIRS

~ NELSON CITY COUNCIL ~ fortnightly meeting last 7!- night *" CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS The fortnightly meeting of the Ncl- :: son City'Council held last evening was 7 attended by the Mayor (Mi G_ L. Page) ."Councillors E. R. Nea.e, J. Fit '; Gerald. J. Glasgow, L. C. Pettit. S. A. - Gibbs, H. G. B. Hurst, S. McArthur, 7 G. P. Russell and J. A. Harley. payments It The following payments were authorised from the various accounts:-^

correspondence Mrs B. S. Oldershaw, Messrs C. .T. 7 Kerr A. Douglas and J. C. Waisn •••• wrote drawing attention to the danger S to children at the unfenced portion °* the bank of the stream in Brook ; g^ ree t. 7; it was decided to reply that the • • work was at present in hand. 7 Mr R Brownlie wrote in regard to ‘ the flooding of his property in Van- " guard street by stormwater. The " Engineer is to confer with the writer. *.• Messrs S. Kirkpatrick and Company 7‘ wrote agreeing to an extension of ■ time to the 31st March for the cover- ~ ing of the ditch in Vanguard street. " » Messrs F. E. Jackson and Company % asked for a reduction in the charges “ for the use of the weighbridge in re--7 spect of scrap iron shipped by the 7 firm. It was decided to reply that 7 the charge could not be reduced below 7 the usual charge of 6d per ton. * '• The District Inspector of Factories %* advised that the Labour Department js now of the opinion that extra rates 7 of pay are not payable to shift engineers in the Power House in re--7 S p e ct of Saturday afternoons, Sundays 7 and holidays. The letter was receivw ed. ? The Amalgamated Engineers and '* Allied Trades Industrial Union sub7, mitted claims for an industrial agreewment. The Finance Committee is to 7. meet representatives of the Union. ” The Nelson Regimental Band was granted permission to give a sacred 7 concert in the Botanical Reserve on w Sunday evening next and to take a 2 collection. f The Regimental Band was also % granted permission to give a concert 7 in Trafalgar street on Friday evening 2 next arid’to take up a collection in 7 aid of the City Pipe Band. - The Nelson City Pipe Band applied 7 for a grant to the funds of the band. 2 A donation of £lO was "■ r r ~»;!|r»Trw pvqtFJ WX’—TO 7 The Fire Brigade contest committee 2 asked that a 6-inch water main be Z laid to Trafalgar Park for the iNew - Zealand' Fire Brigades’ Demonstra- : 7 tion, or alternatively a 6-inch line of - pipes to the Botanical Reserve. It was decided to reply pointing out that the loan proposal could not •• be put before the ratepayers in time Z. for the pipes to be laid to the Park by the' date- of the demonstration, and stating that the Council would provide the necessary facilities at the Botanical Reserve. • The'-Telegraph Engineer, Nelson, wrote declining the Council’s offer to

sell- the land on the north-west of Trafalgar street bridge. The Sanitary Inspector was granted permission to attend the annual conference of the New Zealand branch of the Royal Sanitary Institute at Auckland from the 25th to 29th January. The New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers asked for the Council’s engineers to attend the annual conference at Christchurch from the 16th to the 20th February. Mr A. T. Leeds was appointed to attend. The New Zealand Municipal Electric Supply Association wrote asking for the appointment of delegates to the annual meeting at Timaru following the Municipal Conference. The Mayor and Town Clerk were appointed to attend. The Director of Housing Construction forwarded copies of the regulations under the Housing Act, 1936. The matter was referred to the Administration Committee, with the addition of Councillor Russell, with power to act. An application by Mr C. M. Hoult for approval of a plan of subdivision for Mr W. V. Rout was granted. Application by Mr F. I. Ledger for approval of a plan of subdivision for Mr T. MacGillivray, was granted. The exemption from the provisions of the Public Works Act of part of Motueka street was agreed to by the Council. A letter from the Nelson Women’s Club suggested that additional accommodation be provided in the club rooms when alterations are made to the gas workshop. The letter and the Engineer’s plans were referred to the Gas Committee to investigate, with power to act. REPORTS GAS committee A meeting of the Gas Committee held on Tuesday, the Bth December, was attended by the Mayor, Councillors Pettit, Glasgow, Harley, and Gibbs. The committee reported and recommended:— As to the tenders for the rebuilding of the retorts at the Gasworks: That the date for the closing of the tenders has been extended to 14th December, 193(3. As to the Gas Showroom and Workshop: That the Engineer be instructed to prepare and submit for consideration plans for the necessary improvements to the buildings, including the upstairs portion now occupied by the Nelson Women’s Club. As to the proposed supply of gas to Tahunanui: That the Gas Sales Manager be instructed to enquire fully into and report upon the matter of Calor Gas and the possibilities of compressing coal gas, and that in the meantime the matter of the supply to Tahunanui be deferred. The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE At a meeting of the Finance Committee held on Tuesday, Bth December, there were present: The Mayor, Councillors Gibbs, Glasgow and Harley. The Committee reported and recommended:— As to the letter from the New Zealand Kennel Club asking for a donation towards the cost of experiments relative to distemper among dogs: That a donation of £2 2s be made. As to the letters from the District Inspector of Factories relative to the rates of wages paid to the stokers at the Gasworks: That the City Engineer be instructed to discuss the matter of an industrial agreement with the gas workers and in the event of a failure to come' to an agreement that the council take the necessary steps to obtain an award. As to the letter from the District

Employment Officer advising that No. 5 Scheme works were to cease by the end of the year: That the reclamation at the Tip be continued until the end of the present financial year on the conditions set out in the City Engineer’s report of the Ist December, 1936, at an estimated cost of £22 a week and that application be made accordingly for payment of the subsidy on the wages of the men employed. As to the new Rest Room erected by the Plunket Society: That a grant of £6O be made to the Plunket Society to reimburse it for the cost of furnishing the Rest Room (amounting to £45) and to defray the cost of gas appliances (amounting to £ls). An amendment to the report for the deletion of the first clause was defeated. Councillor Gibbs, who moved the amendment, said he considered there were many more deserving causes to which the Council could give than the Kennel Club, such as the Crippled Children’s Association or other local objectives. The amount was small, but he was opposed to it in principle.

Councillor Hurst seconded the amendment, as he considered there were too many calls on the Council for donations to objects not connected with the Council’s work.

The Mayor said he realised that the Council gained £3OO from dog registrations and it was considered that helping to combat distemper among dogs was in the best interests of the town. The amendment was defeated and the report adopted.

WORKS COMMITTEE A meeting of the Works Committee was held on Wednesday, 16th December, when there were present: Councillors Russell (chairman), the Mayor, Councillors McArthur and Harley. The Committee reported and recommended:— As to the letter from Mr A. G. Betts with regard to the condition of Hampden street East and Allen street: That Ihe Engineer be instructed to carry out the necessary improvements. As to the letters from Messrs A. F. Thomas and A. G. Rutland applying for an extension of gas and water services in Iwa road: (a) That the existing water main from Wakapuaka road to Iwa road be replaced by a Sin main: (b) that Mr Thomas be permitted to connect with the existing water service at his own cost; (c) that Mr Rutland be permitted to connect with the existing water service in Iwa road at his own cost; (d) that permission be given to Mr Rutland to connect with the gas main in Wakapuaka road and to Mr Thomas to connect with the existing gas main in Iwa road; (e) that the necessary arrangements be made with the Waimea County Council as to the opening of the roads. That the water be laid on to the nursery at the Cattle Market Reserve and to Croquet Lawns 'in Halifax street. The report was adopted. CITY ENGINEER The City Engineer (Mr J. G. Littlejohn) reported for the fortnight ending 17th December, as follows: — Streets and footways: Street cleaning is still in progress. Repairs to the watertable on Maori road have been attended to. The culvert at the foot of Alfred street is being reconstructed as directed. W. Drainage: Repairs to reduce leakage in the sewers have been completed in Brook street. The extension' in' Selwyn Place is completed and' that in Alton Place is, now in. hand. Repairs to sewer beUy.een/W&ime'a road and Kawai street are‘in progress.

Reserves: The laying oh of water supply to the Croquet lawns and to the Bishopdale nursery is urgently necessary. Water is also required in the children’s playgrounds in Grove and Russell streets for watering purposes.

Water: The warm weather of the last week has given rise to a complaint of shortage, and the Hanby Park pump has been put in operation. It will be necessary to run the pump continuously from now on: The screen tower at the Weir should be completed this week. It is hoped to get the K. Factory connected up with the extension of 8 inch main before the holidays start. Relief Works: The No. 5 Scheme will close down permanently on the 18th. A total of 307 men were employed during this week. The report was adopted.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER The Electrical Engineer (Mr E. Fleming) reported for the fortnight ending 3rd December, as follows: City applications 3192 (increase 6); city extensions 6029 (increase 34); total 9221 (increase 40). Lighting load applied for, 1909 k.w. (increase 5 k.w.); heating load applied for, 5120 k.w. (increase 20 k.w.); power load applied for, 2275 k.w. (increase 3 k.w.); total, 9310 k.w. (increase, 28 k.w.). City, peak load day, 450 k.w.; peak load night, 730 k.w. Tahuna, Stoke and Wakatu, peak load day, 22,k.w.; peak load night, 41 k.w. The vacuum on the turbine has been fluctuating' during loading periods. The cause has been traced to a badly corroded air extraction impellor. This. has been traced to a badly corroded air extraction impel - lor. This has been replaced and a new impellor ordered from the manufacturers. The staff over the weekend have examined the main hydraulic operating pump and fitted a new shaft. The sea circulating pipes on the condenser have been cleared of marine growth. Owing to short supplies of coal from Puponga I have had to order small coal from the West Coast. We have been put to considerable expense in shifting the coal in the yard so as to enable the motor lorries to discharge the West Coast coal. The report was adopted. ABATTOIR MANAGER

The Abattoir Manager (Mr G. W. Mitchell) reported for fortnight ending 17th December, as follows: — I hereby certify that the following stock was slaughtered during the fortnight ending to-day. Cattle, 98; calves, 22; sheep, 633; lambs, 74; pigs, 69; total, 898. Condemned during the period, one cow and one lamb.

In reply to your letter of the 4th instant re the suggestion of obtaining cool storage at the Freezing Works. I beg to state that it would be absolutely impossible you cannot cart meat from one plac'e to another until rigor mortis has set In and the carcases are properly set. Where meat is placed in a cooling chamber just after slaughter the cooling plant must be along side the slaughtering department where the carcases are run in on rails connecting the two departments together. As for supplying cold storage facilities at the Abattoir I would not recommend the Council to do so, as it would cost between four and five thousand pounds to erect a plant capable of holding the meat slaughtered here and the interest and lyorking expenses are

going to cost considerably over £2OOO per year. I consider it will be far cheaper to pay overtime for Sunday work if we have to pay double rates as it only lasts for four months in the year and this will cost approximately £SO. I would suggest that the Council erect four high power fans in the cooling room which will improve matters considerably as it will keep the air circulating continuously and will be a great benefit in the hot weather. These fans, I understand, cost about £l2 each and the cost of installation will be about £2 each. The report was adopted. "A little oTpATTEN’S" GOLDEN EMBROCATION (paste) rubbed on.painful joints and muscles gives immediate relibf. ’ Excellent for chilblains. Get a 2/- pot to-day. All Chemists arid Stores.

General Account •••••••■• Unemployment Board Ac. Water Account Abattoir Account « Cemetery Account ••• Trafalgar Park Account “•• Gas Account :: Electric Account ■■••••••■ * f. R.S.A. Poppy Day Fund Ac. 1103 2943 423 83 27 9 1157 467 0 14 3 4 19 9 12 12 6 5 11 5 11 6 5 1 5 0 2 8 4 6 ’*;< Heavy Traffic License Fees Account 13 3 6 Total £6243 13 6