EASTBOURNE AFFAIRS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10544, 22 March 1920, Page 3

EASTBOURNE AFFAIRS

MEETING OF COUNCIL. , FERRY AND OTHER. SERVICES. A monthly mooting of the Eastbourne Borough Council was held on Friday night, when Mr H. Mayer presided in the absence of the Mayor (Mr F. 11. Maher). The following councillors were present:—W. Baine, S. F. Fisher, H. Black, T. W. F. Mansion, T. H. Giles, C. L. Green, and R. B. Mauley. The newly-elected councillors were formally sworn dn. A letter from the Hutt Park committee asking for a contribution of .£5 towards certain repair work to the park was received. —The sum of £3 was granted. The report on the new scheme of run. ning the Duchess in place of the Cobar stated that ai .considerable .extra cost was involved. A larger staff had to be employed and the extra cost worked out at .£6 3s a ueek or nearly -£325 per annum. The Acting-Mayor stated that the alteration hai been made owing to the complaints of the theatre-goers and other late travellers that the Cobar was unsuitable. It was decided to arrange a further trial of three months. The offer made by Mr J. M. Geddis to give some laud for drainage, under certain conditions, was a subject of discussion for the council. —It was decided to await the advice of experts. The reserves committee’s recommendation that a competent man should be engaged during the ee planting season was held over until after the Beautifying Society's conference with the committee. Mr Heath, the manager of the ferry service, reported that owing to the congestion of boats at the patent slip the terry boats would not be able to go on the slip until after the first week in April. Councillor Marsden reported there was' a probability that the present telephone services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. would be extended from 8 a.m. till midnight. A deputation from the council to the engineer, requesting that an all-night wire be provided, had received the reply that the proposition was not possible at oresent, but as it was likely that the automatic system would* bo extended to Eastbourne in the near future, the all-night service would the# be able to come into oponUroiL. : Oqiin.ollior Tisher stoked that the question of a. slot telephone had also been brought up before the engineer. but owing to the difficulty in procuring the necessary material it was impossible to provide an additional main trunk line.-—lt was decoded to ask the Post and Telegraph Department for the use of one of the three all-night lines to the city. The question of carrying secondary school children across on the ferry steamers was also a subject of discussion at the meeting. The town clerk (Mr Heath) stated that the present regulations needed revision owing to the fact that certain irregularities had crept in. Councillor Green said free passes should bo issued to the children at the Eastbourne school who had obtained free places, but the town clerk replied that certain exceptions would have to be made to this rule. It was agreed, on the motion of Councillor Marsden, that no action be taken until the council were acquainted with the method used on the Auckland ferry service. The council rose at 1 a.m.