MATAURA

Southland Times, Issue 24438, 19 May 1941, Page 9

MATAURA

BOROUGH COUNCIL The following were present at the monthly meeting of the Mataura Borough Council: The Mayor (Mr C. D. j McConnell), Crs J. P. McErlean, D. A. i Bell, J. McAlister, S. J. L. McKelvie, | J. W. Swale, A. Bradley, M. Walker, J. [ Ingram and R. Hutton. Reference was made by Cr Bell to the bereavement suffered by Mr and Mrs T. Ramage through the death of their son on active service. He suggested that a letter of sympathy be forwarded to the family, and also suggested that letters be sent to relations of soldiers wounded while serving overseas. It was decided that this course be adopted, members standing for a few moments in silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the late P. J. Ramage. The secretary of the Southland Electric Power Supply (Mr Charles Campbell) wrote in reply to a letter from the council pointing out that a price lower than Id a unit for heating the new council chambers could not be granted. This advice had been received from the chief electrical engineer, Wellington. It was decided to make further representations to the Minister in charge of the department. The manager of the Southland Frozen Meat and Produce Export Company’s works at Matura wrote in reply to the council’s letter confirming the new scale of water charges. He said that so far as a domestic and stock supply to the company’s farm property was concerned, it was considered that because of the high estimated cost of this limited supply, due no doubt to the present high cost of piping, the company’s application for this supply could be deferred in the meantime. The i

writer asked that if any extensions were contemplated in the area at a later date the company should be considered and again be given the opportunity of discussing subsidy and charges.

The secretary of the Local Government Loans Board wrote acknowledging the council’s letter requesting authority to raise the balance (£400) of its loan authority of £l6OO and also applying for the issue of an Order-in-Council to raise an additional £lOO, already authorized by Order-in-Council. The raising of the £4OO would necessitate the issue of an Order-in-Council reviving the authority set out in the Order-in-Council issued on July 7, 1937, which expired on July 7, 1939. As the Loans Board stipulated that any amount required over and above £l6OO was to be submitted to the board for further consideration before authority was granted,' it would be necessary to place before the board the council’s application for the additional £lOO. Before doing so, however, a report from the Public Works Department would be required, and this was now being obtained. If the report was favourable, the application would be submitted to the Loans Board for consideration, and if the board granted sanction the additional £lOO, together with the balance, £4OO, of the present authority would be authorized as one sum of £5OO in a new Order-in-Council.

Mr W. Buchanan, honorary secretary of the Mataura Pipe Band, wrote applying for a donation towards the funds of the band. It was decided that the council make a grant of £l5. A letter vas received from the officer in charge of the Country Library Service, Wellington, detailing the conditions of the service. It was prepared to supply Mataura with 275 books, part or the whole of which could be

changed three times a year. Readeis would be able to tap the whole stock of 40,000 books. The letter was referred to the Library Committee for a report. A grant of £5 was made to the Mataura branch of the Plunket Society. The Mataura Women’s Hockey Club was granted the use of the recreation ground for the season. The Finance Committee recommended that the question of installing an additional light in Doctors Road be favourably considered- by the incoming council. The librarian, Mrs FI. G. Walsh, reported the disappearance of several books from the library shelves. As far as she could see they were not being taken during library hours. As it was the last meeting of the council before the elections, the Mayor took the opportunity of thanking the councillors for their assistance during the term. Crs. McKelvie DeputyMayor) and Cr. Ingram (chairman of the Works Committee) replied.