PORT CHALMERS BOROUGH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21386, 14 July 1931, Page 4

PORT CHALMERS BOROUGH

MEETING OF COUNCIL The monthly meeting of the Port Chalmers Borough Council was held last night, and was attended by the Mayor (Mr J. Watson), Crs Mirame, Lunn, Morgan, Smith, Love, Anderson, Craigie, Campbell, and Annan, UNEMPLOYMENT. The secretary of the Port Chalmers Unemployment Committee, wrote asking the council to continue to employ Sawyers' Bay men until -the Waikouaiti County Council made arrangements to employ them. Cr Campbell said that 70 county residents. including some of the Sawyers’ Bay and Deborah Bay unemployed, were experiencing hardship. He thought the council should get into communication with the Waikouaiti County Council and offer to employ the county men if the County Council would obtain the allocation and pass it over to the Port Chalmers Council. The Waikouaiti Council should also be prepared to contribute something towards the overhead expenses. He moved that the County Council be notified that if it obtains the allotment for its unemployed and pass it over to the Port Chalmers Council, the latter will employ county men. Cr Andei-son said it was time the council came to some finality in connection with the unemployment question. Cr Smith seconded the motion, and several councillors spoke on the subject. Cr Annan said some of the single men had done no work for a month, and some of them were experiencing severe distress. He thought something should be done to provide soup and other food at the school for children of the unemployed. Cr Anderson moved that the position of the unemployed be placed before the Unemployment Commissioner with a request that the amount of the allotments for relief works be increased. Both motions were carried.

The secretary of the Mansford Ratepayers’ Association wrote asking that the unemployed residihg in Mansford be employed there. No definite reply had been received to a deputation’s request that a rate collected for a children’s playground be expended on a bathing shed at Mansford.—Cr Anderson said the council could not be responsible for anything done by any previous council, and he moved that no action be taken. —The motion was carried. MUSSEL BAY EECLAJIATION. Mr F. R, Fordham wrote stating that the Progressive League had decided to ask the council to hasten the reclamation of Mussel Bay. The league was willing to assist in the work. The Mayor said that_ as soon as the council undertook the initial work the Harbour Board would be ready to continue the reclamation of Mussel Bay. As soon as the council approved of the work a poll of the ratepayers would be taken to raise £IOOO to pay for the council’s part. Cr Anderson said he wanted to get a fixed date on which the reclamation work •Would be started. Cr Campbell and other councillors also expressed the opinion that a date in writing should be obtained from the Harbour Board. ’ Cr Anderson moved' that the board be asked to submit the earliest date the work could be started. . The motion was carried, and it was decided that the league be informed what steps the council were taking in regard to the reclamation of Mussel Bay. CORRESPONDENCE. Four applications were received for renewal of eating-house licenses.—The licenses were granted subject to the approval of the Health Department. Mr W. D. Sutherland, on behalf of motor car owners, wrote thanking the council for the parking place in Mount street. A letter was received from the Fire Board asking the council to nominate a commissioner in connection with the board’s capital expenditure fund.—The Mayor was appointed to the ’ position. A letter was received from the Milton Unemployment Committee asking for the council’s support in regard to using the .unemployed to construct roads for the convenience of backblocks’ settlers rather than construct roads to tourist resorts.— Cr Anderson said the council should support the Otago Expansion League in its endeavours to-make the tourist resorts more attractive. He thought the council would be acting on right lines if such action was taken. —The letter was received. . A circular letter was received from the Main Highways Board in connection with the regulations to prevent cattle straying on the highways.—The letter was received. A letter was received from the Progressive League asking the council to support a request made to the district traffic manager for the Railways Department to reduce the haulage charges on oversea cargo carried from Port Chalmers to Dunedin.—After some discussion a motion was carried to the effect that the council place the matter before the Railway Board when that body visits Dunedin. A suggestion by Cr Morgan to support the Progressive League in the matter was_ included in the motion. A sub-committee was appointed to wait on the Railway Board. ' The district traffic manager for the Railways Department wrote stating that, contrary to instructions, the Port Chalmers upper station was not illuminated on Sunday, June 14, until after the arrival of the train from Oamaru.—Cr Smith and Cr Mirams said the station had hot been lighted on more than one night some weeks ago.—lt was decided to advise the department to that effect. The district telegraph engineer advised that no change in the Port Chalmers telephone system was contemplated at present. —The letter was received. The chief postmaster at Dunedin, replying to the council’s protest against'closing the Port Chalmers Post Office between 7 p.m, and 8 p.m., stated that the office was opened on Friday evenings to receive savings bank deposits. The facilities at hand were adequate in the present circumstances. —The letter_ was received. A letter was received from the provincial secretary of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union calling attention to another aspect of the Government’s decision with reference to the use of unemployment funds. The matter was not one of slight importance, as it infringed the liberties of the people.—The letter was received. REPORTS.

The Works Committee reported the following activities of the Work’s Department for the month ended June 30: — Asphalt patching had been' carried out on footpaths in George street, Bernicia street, Ajax road, and Scotia street. Ten yards of rubble and four yards of metal were spread at the intersection of the Sawyers’ Bay road and the railway bridge. The nine-inch storm water pipes in the latter vicinity were fractured and were replaced with 12-inch concrete pipes. Metal was raked in on the Lower Harbour road and the pot holes in Macandrew road were filled. In Coombe Hay terrace a depression appeared in the roadway owing to surface water breaking through. The hole had been filled with stone. The steps in Meridian street and Aurora terrace had been repaired. A kerbing of concrete blocks was laid around the plot at the lower end of Currie street, and it was the intention of the committee to have the plot sown in grass during the spring season. The five-inch water main pipes which were brought in from Sawyers’ Bay had been cleaned and were being laid in Beach street to replace the present three-inch main, which was badly corroded. During the month the water main in Beach streets burst on two occasions, and on investigation it was found that the pipes were fractured. One water service was repaired and one old service renewed. Relief workers had been engaged on removing shoulders on the High road. Tree-cutting had been completed at the cemetery and the widening of the Cemetery road was now in progress, the spoil being used to fill in a gully in Harbour terrace. It would be necessary to extend the 18-inch storm water drain a distance of 18 feet to allow for the filling in of the gully. The committee had made an inspection of the proposal to put a road through from the Cemetery road to William street. The estimated cost of the work, exclusive of wages, but including metalling, was £l3B, and a recommendation was made that the work be proceeded with, with the exception of the metalling, which could be carried out when funds permitted. A petition had been received to have the light shifted in Ocean View terrace, or an additional light installed. After making an inspection, the committee considered that the removal of the light to one pole further up the street would adequately meet the wishes of the residents, and made a recommendation accordingly. The committee recommended that the request of the Mansford Ratepayers' Association to name

that portion of the Lower Harbour road from Slant street to the borough bouadary, Bauchop road, be acceded to. In the matter of a communication from the Port Chalmers Fire Board asking that fire plug discs in the borough be painted and placed in proper positions, the committee recommended that the work be carried out as soon as possible. The committee recommended that tenders be advertised for carrying out all cartage required outside that performed by the corporation tractor. —In moving the adoption of the report, Cr Smith said ' the committee thought the proposed new road at William street should be formed, but the metalling could be left until a later date.r-Cr • Anderson said the road should be formed and metalled, as it would provide work for the unemployed.—Several other councillors expressed the opinion that the new road would be a benefit to the district, and that it could be carried, out by relief work.—The report was adopted. The General'Committee reported having considered an application from lessees, of the council’s reserves at Purakamii asking for a reduction in rentals. A similar application had been dealt with early in the present year, and the (committee recommended that no action be taken in the present instance. A report wasi presented fay the sexton stating that 25 rabbits had been trapped in the cemetery up to June zO. Trapping operations were 1 still being continued. Prices were being obtained for shrubs suitable for planting on the town belt reserves. The committee recommended that a screen be erected along the counter' in the borough office, and that the price submitted by Mr D. Fletcher be accepted. The 'gas engineer reported, inter aiia r that for the month ended on June 30, 29 tons of coal was carbonised, yielding 417,200 cubic feet of gas, an average of 14,430 .cubic, feet to the ton. The manufacturing plant at the works was running satisfactorily, and no trouble was experienced during the month. The cold .conditions of-late had resulted in a demand for gas heaters, and the .small portable type of heater was selling well. The department was arranging for a demonstration-of gas cookery to be held in the Town Hall as soon as the services of a demonstrator could be secured. At the demonstration ■ the drawing for the Mayor’s free .gas cooker would also take place. The committee was giving close attention to the matter of the special reports on the gasworks, and would bring down recommendations to a later meeting of the council.—ln moving the adoption of the report Cr Campbell said that the committee had decided to hold back the special reports in connection with the gasworks until the next meeting.—The report was adopted.