MATAURA BOROUGH

Southland Times, Issue 22042, 15 June 1933, Page 11

MATAURA BOROUGH

MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. (From Our Cotrespoxident.) The monthly meeting of the Mataura Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr C. D. McConnell) and Crs. J. G. Sutherland, G. McCaw, D. A. Coster, W. Piercey, J. Ingram, C. H Hargest, A. J. Cruickshanks, J. P. McErlean and W. P. Thom. Correspondence. The secretary of the Eastern Southland Rugby Football Sub-Union wrote with reference to the charge made by the Mataura Domain Board for the use of the domain when a charge for admission is made. The sub-union desired a reduction in the charge made as it had reduced its admission charges by 50 per cent, with no corresponding cut in expenses. Messrs J. W. Aitken. W. Leitch and B. Scott would wait on the council at its next meeting further to the letter.—Received, and deputation to be heard. ‘ Application was made by the Southland Frozen Meat and Produce Export Co., Ltd., for a slaughterhouse license. —Granted. The Unemployment Board advised that any relief worker who has been on relief work for no less than 26 consecutive weeks was entitled to a pair of boots on application to the local authority and by working one day without pay under Scheme s.—Received. The board’s representative, No. 18 District Highways Council, advised that the longitudinal deck planks may be carried out to the sides of the bridge and the cost to be a charge against general maintenance. The tar-sealing work recently carried out in Bridge street was regarded as being far from satisfactory and in such cases it was usual to withhold payment of subsidy until the work was satisfactory. However, in this case he proposed to pay half the subsidy and leave the question of any further payment in abeyance until next spring when further inspection would be made and when the defects would be fully revealed.— Referred to Finance Committee. The Public Trustee advised that he could not make immediate payment of the amount at" credit of the. Mataura Borough Council Electric Light Depreciation Fund as a copy of the agreement between the board and council was not received until June 8. The Trustee required time to peruse the agreement before payment could be made.—-Received. Sarah Anne and William Ferguson and A. Giles wrote requesting that the trees at the boundary fence of the domain be cut back to the boundary to let the sunshine into the sections. — Referred to Works Committee for report. The secretary of the Mataura Unemployment Committee wrote requesting that the Block VII. drainage scheme should be fully considered at the council’s meeting.—Resolved that , the committee be informed that this council would meet the Unemployment Committee at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday to inspect the drain. Mr C. E. Rowe wrote asking that his tramway license be cancelled as he had not used it for some time.—Referred ,to Finance Committee for report. A. J. Cruickshahk wrote applying for permission to lay a two-inch pipe from the front of the Bridge Hotel to the water channel to provide an outlet for a down pipe.—Request granted. Reports. The foreman of works reported on work done during the month as follows:—2soJ yards of gravel relivered to the highways and the bumps on each side of Coster’s crossing levelled off. Four days were spent in screening and patching. The parking area at the Presbyterian Church had been attended to and 10 yards of gravel spread, while two new crossings were put in in Suburb street. The batons at the edge of the footpath in Main street had been removed and the cavity filled with gravel, while concrete had been laid at the new ash dump in River street. Channels in Bridge, River and Main streets and Wyndham road had been cleaned, the spoil removed and the decking of the traffic bridge cleaned. Blocked drains in Denbigh street and Wyndham road had been cleared and work in connection with levelling off the side of Denbigh street preparatory to tree-planting was proceeding.— Adopted. The poundkeeper and Domain caretaker reported that he had been in constant attendance at the football matches on the domain and on other occasions and the conduct of the boys engaged in sport was very good. ’ln future he would like to be advised of such gatherings a day or two beforehand so as to be able to open the gates and appear in uniform. He had reported to the Mayor a cause of great annoyance at a football match on Wednesday last and suggested that some method be adopted to check the conduct of certain boys during his term as caretaker.—Received.

The following recommendations were put forward by the Water and Drainage Committee: (1) That Mr Hannibus pay half the cost of cleaning drain. (2) That the present drain at E. McGowan’s, Sei bourne street, be lifted for a distance of 4|- chains and relaid to a

uniform level.—Report adopted. The Works Committee reported that arrangements for a supply of gravel for the main highways at 2/6 per yard and grading at 30/- per day had been made; that the sides of Denbigh street were being prepared for tree-planting; that the parking area at the Presbyterian Church had been attended to and also the matter of the trees alongside the footpath in End street; that steps had been taken to stop the leaks in the brick wall at the fire station and it was recommended that the painting of the inside be completed and the ventilation in the bedrooms attended to. It was further recommended that the ash removal service revert to the control of the sanitation committee; that contractors and other, persons requiring gravel from the island below the bridge obtain permission from the council and that a notice to this effect be erected at the entrance to the island; that in accordance with the plan, the two roads into the domain be trimmed and gravelled at the rate of 10 yards to the chain (approximately b 0 yards of gravel would be required); that the name of Denbigh street east be changed to Derbie street. —Clauses 1,2 and 3, 4 and 7 adopted. Clause 5 and 6 lost and clause 8 held over. The Finance and Lighting Committee put forward -the following recommendations: —That the limit of the overdraft be written down to £lV9u for the year 1933-34; that the matter of extensions to the street lighting be held over in the meantime; that t™ s account for light and power used .at the fire station be referred to the Fire Brigade Committee for investigation and report; that the estimates for the year 1933-34 be considered at a special meeting of the council to be held on Monday, June 26, and also that a special resolution be passed at the meeting authorizing the payment of the interest and sinking fund charges on the Sanitation Loan of £l3OO, the Waikana bridge loan of £7OO and the General Purposes Redemption Loan of £2975, out of the general account. The committee had no recommendation to make regarding the proposed garden at the bridge owing to the location being dangerously close to the river.— Clause 1,2, 3. Speaking to clause 4 Cr. Ingram, chairman, explained that for the two months 966 units had been used which seemed out of all reason and needed to be looked into. Clause 5,6, 7 adopted. A notice of motion frorn Cr. J. Ingram that the business of the rire Brigade be transferred from the Works Committee to the Drainage Committee. —Seconded by Cr. W. P. Thorn and, on a vote being taken, the motion was lost. General Business. Cr. Ingram suggested that the plan with reference to the beautifying of the plot adjacent to the bridge should be returned to Mr J. J. Griffiths, to whom it was decided to send a letter of thanks for his assistance in the matter. Domain Grounds. A deputation from the Eastern District Sub-Union, Messrs J. W. Aitken and W. Leitch, waited on the council with reference to the charge for the domain grounds. The chief spokesman, Mr J. W. Aitken, expressed his thanks to the council for the opportunity of placing the sub-union s views before it. Doubtless all were aware that the sub-union had lowered its charges for admission with the hope that it might increase the revenue, but unfortunately it had-not had the desired effect as the attendances were continually decreasing. He hoped that the council might be able to meet them with regard to the lease of the ground. Present conditions made it almost impossible to run the matches at a profit and, in conclusion, he. advised tne council that the authorities at Gore

and Edendale had acceded to similar requests in connection with leases in those places. Mr Leitch endorsed Mr Aitken’s remarks. The deputation then , thanked the council for its considerations and retired. After discussion it was resolved that the charge should be £1 each day the ground is closed for this season.