FORT CHALMERS BOROUGH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23016, 20 October 1936, Page 6

FORT CHALMERS BOROUGH

MONTHLY COUNCIL MEETING The monthly meeting of the Port Chalmers Borough Council was held last evening, and was attended by the Mayor (Mr T. Scollay) and Crs D, Forsyth. E. Rouse, J. Farquharson, T. Armstrong, F. Smith, L. Jack, J. Annan and H. S. Watson. The member for the district, Mr A. Campbell, was also present. CORRESPONDENCE Mr H. Bremner wrote asking permission to hold a motion picture entertainment in the Laurier Theatre on the evening of Christmas Day.—Permission was granted. The Port Chalmers Progressive League wrote suggesting that the council should endeavour to interest the Postmaster-general (Mr F. Jones) in a proposal to have slot telephones installed in Port Chalmers. It was mentioned that a similar request from Lyttelton had been successful.—Mr Campbell, who was invited by the Mayor to speak on the matter, said that if Lyttelton had got it, he would get it, too. It might be advisable for the council to accord him the support of a de-putation.-—Cr Smith also spoke of the urgency of a better system than that jn existence.—lt was decided to leave the matter in Mr Campbell’s hands, and if necessary to send a deputation to Wellington. The Progressive League wrote complaining of the dust nuisance in Allen highway, and urged the council to hasten the tar-sealing of this road.— Cr Watson said they all wanted the dust nuisance abated, but the question of finance had to be considered—The matter was referred to a special committee consisting of the Mayor, chairmen of committees and the town clerk, with the recommendation that an endeavour should bo made to raise money for tar-sealing the highway. The Municipal Association wrote advising that the annual conference would be held in Timaru next March, and asking that any remits which the council wished to submit should be forwarded by the end of November.— The matter of remits was left in the hands of Cr Forsyth and the town clerk. Authority was received from the Local Government Loans Board to take a poll of the ratepayers on a proposal to extend the water reticulation to the Mansford end of the borough. The loan asked for was £2OOO, which, if authorised, would be subsidised from the Employment Promotion Fund. The matter was referred to the General Committee to make the necessary arra The m Mirdster of Labour (Mr H. T. Armstrong) wrote in reply to the council’s request that the railway from St. Leonatds to Port Chalmers should be duplicated, stating that the matter was receiving full consideration. —Mr Campbell said it was the intention of the various members for Otago to urge the duplication of line and also to find other major works to provide employment.—The letter was received. FIRE BOARD REPRESENTATIVE Cr Farquharson was appointed the council’s representative on the Port Chalmers Fire Board in place of Cr T. F. Mackie, who had left the district. WORKS COMMITTEE The Works Committee’s report stated:— . The rainfall registered at the reservoir for the month was 4.29 inches with rain on 17 days. For the corresponding month last year the rainfall registered was .75 inches with rain on five days. Instructions have been given to have the work of forming the children’s playground at Carey’s Bay pushed on and the area top-dressed and sown with grass. . ’ Two tenders were received for the carrying out of the borough cartage work. The committee has deferred acceptance of a tender in the meantime. The report was adopted. GENERAL COMMITTEE The report of the General Committee stated: — The committee has considered a statement prepared by the town clerk of the income and expenditure for the half-year ended September 30. The total expenditure budgeted for the whole year was £8306, of which £4136 16s 5d has been expended during the half-year. On the income side the sum of £1745 5s 5d has been received for the period under review. The gas manager, in his report for the month, states, inter alia, that 23 tons of coal were carbonised, yielding 319,300 cubic feet of gas, an average of 13.800 cubic feet per ton. Two purifiers were cleaned out, and the manufacturing plant has given no trouble. Instructions have /been _ given to have necessary repairs carried out to tire footpaths at the cemetery. It has been fvtind that in some places storm water was runnning over the paths and will be diverted in order to prevent damage to plots. It is also proposed to prepare a further area of ground at the lower end and construct the footpaths. The remaining stumps are to be broken up and removed. The Koputai Women’s Cricket Club has been granted the use of a wicket at the south end of the recreation ground on every alternate Saturday during the cricket season. The report was adopted. > ENGINEER’S REPORT

The borough engineer (Mr F. J. Williams) reported as follows:Main Highways.—The raking in of the metal and attention to drainage has been the work undertaken on mam highways since my last report. The highways are in excellent order, and beyond keeping the metal in. place where the surface is loose-topped no maintenance has been required. On highway No. 225 some difficulty was experienced with the drainage at the intersection of Ajax road, but this has been remedied. . Playground Carey’s Bay.—This work was not completed on account of a suggestion that a certain amount of settlement would take place on the portions that were filled. It now appears that all the settlement that could be expected has taken place, and instructions have been given to complete the area, to obtain some sort of surfacing, and to have the same prepared and sown with grass.' Wicklifl’e Terrace Sewer- —The foul sewer near Bernicia street has been completely renewed, while the old stone drain has not been removed. The work has been very heavy. All the sewers discharging about this area have been connected to the new putjet, and the whole is now drained through the Mussel Bay reclamation by the Bernicia street sewer outfall. Recreation Grounds.—Considerable time and attention have been given to the Recreation Ground near Mussel Bay station, getting the area in order for the cricket season. The pavilion has been cleaned out, and the floor lias been tarred and covered with top- 1 * pings. The children’s playgrounds have been cleaned up, swings, etc., being overhauled. It was found necessary to renew some of the cast steel pins in the swings. Relief Works.—The work undertaken by relief labour was as under:—Forming path, town belt; clearing noxious weed: cleaning water tables in Hansford Town, Bellevue place, Currie and Burns streets; turning place in Island terrace; formation of scenic road along the Peninsula; Mussel Bay reclamation; trimming trees and shrubs. The report was adopted.