MATAURA BOROUGH

Southland Times, Issue 21649, 10 March 1932, Page 11

MATAURA BOROUGH

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. (From Our Correspondent). The monthly meeting of tho Mataura Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening there being present his Worship the Mayor (Mr 0. D. McConnell), Councillors John Heslin I. Maslin, J. G. Sutherland, G. Halliday, J. Ingram, G. Beaumont, C. E. Rowe, J. W. Aitken, and W. P. Thorn. Correspondence. Circular correspondence was received from the Unemployment Board to the effect that , a considerable surplus of tree stocks would , be . available after the winter planting pro- , gramme of the department was provided ; for. The trees were offered to local bodies ; on payment of lifting, packing and freight ' charges only. The board was desirous, that, [ where possible, local bodies having suitable areas should avail themselves of the offer [ and organize a programme for the utilizati ion of unemployed labour.—-Resolved that . this letter be referred to the Uhemploynient [ Committee for consideration. In connection with the Wyndham* 1 Mataura main highway and the Mataura ; River bridge the board’s representative, No. [ 18 District Highways Council, advised that > the Main Highways Board was fully in sympathy with the council’s desire for a , new bridge as was evidenced by past correspondence and interviews. The decision to defer the erection of a new bridge was the i result of the present financial stringency . and in the existing state of affairs the council would agree that it would be wiser to . repair the present bridge at a small cost . than to incur the large expense of a new bridge. As the board had indicated, the re- | pair work was to be carried out and the board would be pleased to know that the council would find its share of the cost. The Southland County Council engineer had > submitted proposals for repairs at an esti- [ mated cost of £3OO. —Received. . The secretary of the Southland Electric , Power Board wrote stating that the board . was most anxious to effect a policy of economy in regard to the collection of , power board rates. It was pleased to advise ' the council that the board’s representations 3 to the Southland .County Council had resulted in the county council agreeing to re- • duce the commission charges for collecting ; the 1932-33. rate-from 3 per cent to 21 per cent. The board fully appreciated the ex- , cellent service which was being rendered . by the council but it would urge that the [ work be carried out on the same basis as , that agreed to by the county council. —Resolved that the letter be received and the board be informed that the Council cannot see its way clear to a reduction in the . charge. In response to representations made to , him by the council Mr D. McDougall M.P., ' forwarded a letter received from the Prime , Minister relating t-o audit fees charged. The . question had been gone into with the Minister for Finance who advised that it was correct that the salaries of audit officers . had been reduced by 10 per cent, per an- : num. As pointed out by the Auditor-General tho rate charged was still substantially be- ’ low the scale fees of the New Zealand So- . ciety of Accountants, and moreover any re- ' duction in the audit officer’s charge, by , reducing this form of state revenue, would necessarily result in increased taxation in ’ other respects. Under the circumstances no reduction was possible in the meantime. A [ similar communication from the Audit Of- , fice advised that fees were based on actual , time worked on each audit and were calcul- ’ ated at the scale rate of 9/- per hour or £3 3/- per day of seven hours as fixed by Order-in-Council. The Audit Office had no - power to make any reduction.—Letter rei ceived. i Mr A. Holmes, picture proprietor wrote 1 stating that as the power service of the - Borough would be unsuitable for his pro- - posed motor, he be granted permission to > allow the Southland Electric Power Board t to supply same.—Referred to the lighting 5 committee to report at next meeting. . The water and dainage committee had t no recommendation to make as regards S. • K. Clarke’s account for drainage connectl ion.—Report adopted. , The Works Cr nmittee reported that Mr > J. J. Dobbs had been appointed Pound--1 keeper and Dog-Tax Collector for the bori ough. It recommended that an offer of £7 5 10/- for the farm waggon be accepted and r that about £2 be spent on sand for topr dressing the portion of the Domain Grounds » recently levelled. —Report adopted. r The Finance and Lighting Committee re- - ported that the matter of boarding houses ? was still under consideration. It recom--1 mended that arrears in rates, electric light, 1 cemetery fees and chainage as per state--1 ment be written off, the amounts being f now unrecoverable. Accounts as per schedule amounting to £9BO 15/10 out of district fund account and £2 10/- out of Domain > account were recommended for payment.— r Report adopted. , Reports. The foreman of works reported on work 1 done during the month as follows: —Water j connection to theatre in End street; water ’ supply to Culling Terrace to serve resident- ' ial site; sewer connection made to theatre; shifting dome and painting same in Blam- ’ pied street; placing new ball in fire plug j in End street; erecting notice and cutting grass on the Domain; putting in concrete • crossing in Kana street; laying a new road , to obtain gravel from the top of the island; ' patching Gore road and Main Highway , and grading for five and a half days; cleaning channels in Bridge and Main streets. ’ Resolved that report be received and , adopted. ’ General Business. Cr. Beaumont asked if it would be possible to continue the concrete kerbing in Back street towards Albion street and also . stated that the footpath in Seibourne street . should be gravelled. ' His Worship the Mayor brought- up the matter of defining the boundaries of the ■ island from whence the gravel is obtained. Cr. Sutherland said the matter was a step in the right direction and further suggested ’ that a small charge per’ yard of gravel should be imposed. Cr. Aitken stated that authority to charge was already provided for, but the trouble , was how could it be collected? ’ Cr. Ingram said he considered the island [ should be vested in the Borough and steps should be taken to have this suggestion given effect to. He agreed that provision had already been made for the charge but it was unreasonable to ask a ratepayer to do so having regard to the fact that after a fresh a new supply is available. In connection with the main road there was no question it was in a bad state of repair and he considered that the time was opportune for a supply of gravel to be got out for ' winter use and maintenance. 1 Cr. Sutherland replied that it was the intention of the Works Committee to take i out a supply sufficient for the footpaths at all events. As far as the road was con1 cerned it had been starved for gravel and f graded to death. Cr Halliday agreed with Cr Aitken’s sugl gestion that if the grader be used often ’ enough the road would soon be in good order. _____