PATEA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume XXXIX, 8 July 1914, Page 2

PATEA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ordinary Alerting.

C The ordinary meeting of the Patea I Borough Council was held in the i Borough Council Chambers on Monday night, his Worship the Mayor, Ors Bennett, Honevfield, Grainger, Ramsbottom, Gunn, Egan and Glenny being present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Correspondence was read as under : From secretary of the Patea Hospi til Board stating that as the act provides that 14 days notice must be given of the proposed valuation and that as this had been done the valuation must stand.

Cr Grainger said he objected to the valuation being based on a valuation that was not in existenc* when the assessment was made* He did not object to the valuation in itself. His Worship said that what C' Grainger had stated was correct. However be did not think the matter was worth bickering about any further.

Cr Ramsbottom asked what was the legal position. Cr Grainger said there was no good fighting the matter. As a matter of fact the Hospital Board had not a leg to stand on if the matter were taken to court. He would move that the letter be received and the Board’s account paid. From the Yaluer General stating that the full cost of the roll for the Borough would be £l4 His Worship said this seemed ti him a very reasonable amount He thought, the coat of re-valuing the Borough would be much more,

It was decided that the Roll be ap plied for. From the Municipal Association notifying date of biennial conference nd requesting namp of delegate, a It was resolved that Mr Gf T Pearce MP. be asked 1 to represent the Council at the Municipal Association’s Confer enoe snd that a copy of the remit which the Council desired passed be forwarded to him.

Prom Westpmt Borough Courci enclosing remits wfiich were being placed before the Municipal Association. The remits dealt with the rating on Unimproved Values Act and the Rating Act. The latter was in the direction of grating a rebate of ten per cent on all rates paid within three months and 5 per cent if paid* within 6 months. It was decided that Mr Pearce be asked to support the first two remits. From the Druid’s Hall Committee applying for 2 32 c p lambs. Cr; Grainger said that there was a clause on the form of application which was being persistently ignored. The clause dealt with the wiring of buildings and alteration in wiring without the consent of t&e Council. The present was one case of many and it was time the Council put a stop to it. A number of people had got the idea that the internal wiring was not the business of the Council, and they should be informed to the contrary. His Worship said the matter was entirely one for the Lighting Committee. He would suggest that they should cancel the permit of any one using the light without permission. All electricians should he licensed and if any were found wiring properties without a permit from the Council his license should be cancelled.

Cr Grainger said there were no by* laws to this effect. That was the trouble.

CrEamsbottom said he had applied for the lights in question. At present a person applying for a light had perhaps to wait a month before .he could get tbe light installed. Ho thought the Chairman of the Committee ought to be able to give the necessary permission*

Or Bennett sml the matter of the two lights had been mentioned to them and he was of opinion that they were in order to granting the necessary permission. With regard to the wiring of the Hall none of the Committee knew anything about it.

His Worship said he would formally move that the lights be allowed. Seconded by Cr Honeyfield and carried. His Worship said he would move that the Electric Lighting Committee consider the question of licensing electricians so that none could undertake any wiring without the permission of the Council.

Cr Honeyfield said the , better plan would be. if anyone required additional light* between Council meeting?, were to obtain the permission of the. Electric Light Committee, and the Committee’s action could be endorsed by the Council. The resolution was seconded by Or Egan and carried. From A V Baxter stating that he would not be responsible for his horse being at large in the streets as he had do paddook. Mr Baxter wrote later stating he had now secured suitable pacldocking for the horse in question,—-Received. From J 0 Suckling, Eketahuna offering his services as manager of the picture show and Sanitary Inspector.— Replied to by Town Clerk. From Department of Internal Affairs asking if the Borough had appointed a Building Inspector in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act. Hia Worship said the Council was bound to make the appointment. Cr Grainger said it was no use appointing an inspector unless there were regulations to guide, He would move that the matter be left to the Finance Committee to ascertain the Council’s position in the matter. The resolutio was seconded by Cr Bennett and carried.

Tim Foreman's report was read and adopted. The Electrical Engineer’s report was read as under.

Electrical Engineer’s Report; The plant, at tho powerhouse is running very well! Oil tho 20th ult., Mr Booth refused to work at the powerhouse any more, his reason being that ho did not got sufficient sleep. 1 saw Mr H Lawson nncl asked him if ho would go out with me for a few nights, T intimated to tho Chairman what I had done, and wo woro pul to very little inconvenience. As instructed by the Chairman, I connected Mr Deane’s shop for Mr Wilson.

Tho wiring of tlio Church rf England Sunday School has boon done, but the separata circuit and switch board arc not completed. ' The telephone wire requires renewing at the powerhouse end, the wire is on the ground, but this work has boon held over ponding tho much talked about improvements to the plant. All the lamp shades are in a bad state, I would again remind you of tho condition of tho primary lines, within the Borough. The aluminium secondaries will soon require rebinding. The meter at Mr ft \V. Hamerton’s house inquires adjusting. Us punted out some two months V.o. there are several Schallenburgh outers that art' not reliable.

Or (i mincer aftid the report, was a roll .-'otic o on the Committee.' Previously the ougiuoer hid reported everything waa in good working order and now

the last moment the lines were said tJ be in a bad stati. Cr Bennett said he would endorse Or Grainger’s remarks. He did not think the report should he adopted. It was decided that the report be referred to the incoming engineer. The Wandering Stock Committee , reported that several owners of wander

ing stock had been prosecuted and fined since the last court day. In moving the adoption of the report, Gr Egan suggested that as the Pound was in a very dilapidated stata the Council might shift the site to the “ windmill *’ paddock which was nearer the centre of the town, Cr Bennett seconded the adoption of the report which was carried.

It was decided that the Committee attend to the repairs to the pound. The Kaufyary Inspector’s report was read. Mr Peed offered to undertake the work 6f Cemetery Custodian and Poundkeepar if appointed. He would move that tho Council purchase the horse, harness and buckets of Mr Laiug on the terms suggested by Mr Reed* Or Glenny said he would second the resolution. He thought the Council should give Mr Read every assistance. The resolution was put and carried. On the motion of Cr Grainger, Mr Read was appointed Poundkeeper under the former conditions which were read. Cr Gunn said the Council would have to take into consideration the removal of the ponnd shed at an early date. It would be quite close to one of the Workers Dwelling’s that was about to 1 be erected. It was decided to bear the matter- in mind. , It was resolved that the Foreman prepare an estimate of the cost of repaying the Pound and last paddoak. fence and that the Stock Committee bo authorised to carry out the work at a cost not to exceed £lO.

The Town Clerk’s Salary. Cr Bennett in moving that the Town Clerk's salary he increased by £25 per annum, said Councillors knew that the matter had been discussed at the last meeting of the Council when it hadl been decided thut a £lO rise was ir■•sufficient* In v ; ?w of the extra work likely to be placed on the Clerk’s shoulders in connection with the Electric Light, Water and Drainage Schemes, he thought the Clerk's salary should undoubtedly beinciea^jd.

1 Cr Gunn seconded the resolution, His Worship said he had been instructed to write to various Borough Councils asking for the information desired by the Council at the last meeting with regard to their Town Clerk’s salaries, but so far no replies had come to hand.

Cr Egan said as the mover of the resolution that information with regard/ to other Councils be obtained, he thought the matter should be allowed to stand over until the information was to hand.

Or Bennett •said : be thought the matter should-he's titled that night. Cr Egan- said he thought that it would bo bttttr to give the Town Clerk a really good salary and let him do Borough- work alone. He thought the (imo had arrived when the Town Clerk should devote his whole time to the Borough work. Councillors were not expected to bo euoyclopoedias and they wanted the Town Clerk’s assistance all the time. He would be strongly ia favour of a good salary being paid, Cr Honeyfield said that Patea could not afford to pay a salary ' sufficient to monopolise the whole time of a Town Clerk, Eltham paid its Town Clerk £2BO a yoar and allowed him £l2O a year for an assistant, Patea could not afford anything like this. His Worship said if they made thn rise £35 on condition thut the Town Clerk undertook the responsibility and management of the Pictures they would be doing a fair thing. Cr Bennott said he would be quite: agreeable to this course and would withdraw his resolution with . his seconder’s consent and move in the direction indicated by his Worship.

Or Ramsbottom said he would second the new resolution.

i Cr Grainger said he hoped it would be explained to the Town Clerk that if the pictures were a success there would be a prospect of a still further increase. The previous resolution Was then withdrawn and the resolution that a rise of £35 be granted was put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Accounts were passed for payment and the Couucil rose.