SOUTH INVERCARGILL

Southland Times, Issue 21717, 1 June 1932, Page 9

SOUTH INVERCARGILL

MEETING OF COUNCIL. There were present at the monthly meeting of the South Invercargill Borough Council his Worship the Mayor (Mr W. McChesney) and Councillors A. V. Hope, T. W. Richards, O. H Paton, G. Smith and C. M. Dickson. The Finance Committee submitted the estimates for the year, which were adopted. The general rate will remain the same as last year and there will be an increase in one of the special rates in respect of a loan at 4J per cent, which fell due.and was renewed at 51 per cent, plus 2 per cent, sinking fund. The rates will be confirmed at next meeting. The borough foreman (Mr J. A. McMillan) reported for the mon th. as follows: Road surfacing was carried out on Scott, Stirratt, Bain, Howie and Kelly streets; also on Bluff, Elies, Avon, Boundary and Tramway roads. As requested, he had attended to the cutting on Elies road. One hundred and eight yards of maintenance gravel had been spread on several roads. Tire grader had been working on the two highways. The unemployed men had been and were at present working on Stirratt street A Ball street resident wrote: “Just a note to ask you if the footpath in Ball street is finished, or are you going to top-dress it with river gravel, for it is not much good left the way it is. After a hard frost or heavy rain it is not fit to walk on. Is there going to be anything done to the footpath on the east side of Elies road between Nelson and Ball streets? It is nothing more than a cow track; not fit to walk on in wet weather; or do you intend to give us a decent sort of crossing from Ball street on to Eiles road?” Councillor Hope said that it was no use forming footpaths if they were going to be converted into bicycle tracks. This had happened to Dipton street, with the result that there was a track right down the middle. This filled with water in wet weather and residents would not walk on it. He had no objection to the footpath being gravelled so long as it was not used as a bicycle track. It was decided to inform the writer that the work had been passed and the matters would be attended to. A Cushen street ratepayer wrote: “I am writing to see if anything can possibly be done in the way of a track of some description to my residence. The state the road-line is in now, it is impossible in this weather for motor vehicles to get in or out. I think the rates that have been paid on. this property should warrant something better than at present.” Councillor Smith said that the roadline in question was pretty bad. The road was all over-grown with grass and had not been used for years. The matter was referred to the borough foreman for report.