ST. KILDA BOROUGH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22346, 21 August 1934, Page 11

ST. KILDA BOROUGH

FORTNIGHTLY COUNCIL MEETING

The fortnightly meeting of th«: St. Kilda Borough Council was helj[ last night, there being present the I»eputy Mayor (Mr J. D. Edgar), Ore ,'N. D. Anderson, A. J. Morison, E. W. BCunter, R. J. B. Griffiths, J. A. Carman, M. J. Kelly. CORRESPONDENCE. A circular letter was received!, from the Temuka Borough Council urging the necessity for some national scheme for the relief of unemployment, and suggesting that a conference of all local authorities in the Dominion should !be held with this end in view.—The Deputy Mayor said he felt i± was time that something more was done for ujaemployment. —Cr Morison said they hs»d to do what they could to help the unemployed. The Deputy Mayor had said there were 100 unemployed w St. Kilda„ but he would say there was double thai number. He moved that the Temuka Borough should be supported in the matter. —The motion was carried. '

The St. Kilda Ladies' Cricket Club applied to lease a playing wic!;et on a portion of De Carle Park.—Grunted. The secretary of the Dunedin i Drainage and Sewerage "Board wrote stating that, following upon recent representations respecting the disposal of storm water in the area between Bay View road and Driver street, Dalgety street, and Chapman street, it had been decided to recommend the Drainage and Sewerage Board to authorise the connection frcim the mud tanks in Mills street, Cutten tttreet, Bird street, and Dalgety street to the storm water aewerage system.—The Deputy Mayor said the town clerk: had been instructed to give his co-operation in the matter. A copy of a report of the superintendent of the Dunedin Fire Brigpde was forwarded by the Fire Board, showing the results of water supply teste in the district. The council was asked what steps would be taken to improve "the supply referred to. —The town clerk wad a report which showed that the council's record of pressure was in each case higher than that of the board. He suggested that the board's gauge should be tested.—The Deputy Mayor said the only way to secure satisfaction was to have the test taken by the council's and board's testers together.—lt was agreed to have this done. The secretary of the PJouth Dunedin branch of the Labour Party wrote asking the council if it could seei its way clear to grant pome reduction ifli the rents of halls. The writer also as&ed if clause 9 of the general conditions of hiring halls was applicable to bazaai*s or carnivals, as his committee, hoped to be able to have an ice-cream and soft drjnk stall.—Held over till next meeting. REVALUATION OP BOROUGH.

A letter was received from the Valuation Department regarding a letter from the council asking that consideration should be given to the matter of arranging for a revision of tpe valuation roll for the borough. Refen-ring to a statement that a revaluation of the borough was promised for this year, the letter stated that the office records indicated that no definite promise w'as made. In connection with the Hospital Board's levy and the Drainajre and Sewerage Board's rates, the writer forwarded the following facts:—"There are 20 contributing local bodies iin the Otago Hospital districts, 17 of wljich are contributing on valuations of ait earlier date than St. Kilda, and whose claims for revision of values must ba considered before aay

district is- selected for this treatment. When the revised values for St. Kilda were first used for the Hospital levy, St Kilda's proportion of the Hospital levy was .06269 and last year was .06317, an increase of less than 1 per cent. In respect to the drainage and sewerage rate, it was stated that on comparing the annual values used for the drainage and sewerage rate in Dunedin and St. Kilda it was found that for every £1 found by the city St. Kilda found 2s in 1925. St. Kilda's proportion dropped each year until 1932, when its proportion was Is 6M. Last year was the first to show an increase, which was to Is Sid, and a further increase this year was to Is lid. It was too soon to say wnether next year would show e further increase or a decrease. The letter concluded by stating that no defiuite date by which St. Kilda would be revalued could be given.—The deputy Mayor said they must keep at the department and get the support of the ratepayers.—The town clerk said it was recognised that the valuations were far too high. Since the revaluation in 1925 the Drainage Board rate had increased each year and the board was getting close on £2OOO more than in 1925.—Cr Morison said 1925 was a boom period and values to-day would be infinitely lower. He moved that the council was not satisfied with the reply and would press for a revaluation at as earlv a date as possible. The speaker added that this letter was an attempt to side-step the council.—The motion was seconded by Cr Anderson and carried, the Deputy Mayor stating that New Brighton, which had been valued since 1925, had obtained a revaluation. FINANCE. Accounts amounting to £1348 Os 7d were passed for payment. WATER CONSUMPTION. The total water consumption in the borough was shown to be 3,773.000 gallons, the cost being £94 6s 6d, compared with £96 7s 6d for the previous fortnight. FOREMAN'S REPORT. The foreman reported that during the fortnight ended August 11 streets had

been patched with emoleum, five chains of grass channel had been formed in Victoria road and the mud tanks in Victoria road had been finished and connected to existing pipes across the roadway. The flank of a road had been finished with spalls and rotten rock. The work in Victoria road was now completed with the exception of the Plunket street entrance to the tip road, this being done by the Domain Board. For the ensuing fortnight he suggested that the kerb and channel work in Gilfillan street should be put in hand and streets patched where required. Ninety unemployed men had been working for the past fortnight on the kerb and flank in Victoria road, and in grassing streets, etc. The report %vas adopted.