BIRKENHEAD INTERESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20618, 17 July 1930, Page 14

BIRKENHEAD INTERESTS.

RATES STRUCK FOR YEAR, AUTOMATIC TELEPHONES. The Birkenhead Borough Council met last evening the Mayor, Mr. J. P. Mc Phail, presiding. Rates for tho year ending March 31 next were struck. The total for interest and sinking fund charges on various ]o;ins, and for general purposes, including Auckland Hospital and Auckland War Mem orial Museum levies, and street lighting, is 6jjd in the pound on the unimproved value over the whole borough. There is also a wafer consumer's rate of Id in the pound, and u yearly sanitation fee of 355. The charge for water by meter is to be Is 6d per 1000 gallons, with a minimum charge of £3 a year. The Hon. J. B. Donald, PostmasterGeneral, advised that arrangements were now in train for the extension to tho I Birkenhead antd Northcote districts of the Auckland automatic telephone oxchange system. When completed, sub scribers in the greater portion of those districts would have telephone facilities on the same conditions as those afforded city subscribers Mr. E. C. Gage, district telegraph engineer, wroto stating that he expected to be in a position to give the automatic service within a few weeks. It had been decided that the rental for connections within the area bounded by Gordon Road, at Northcote, along Onewa Road 10 Birkenhead, and approximately down Rawont Road to tho waterfront, would be at the minimum rate for Auclc land subscribers, viz., £8 10s for resi dential and £ls for business connections a year. Outside this area, tho rental would be governed by the distance beyond the boundary mentioned. With a view to bringing before the department the in. justice of excluding the Birkdnln district, which is part, of the present i'Vkenhead telephone exchange, from the benefit of the charges within the base area, the town clerk was authorised to obtain fufl information of the proposed charges to tin; ou(.districts.