ROUND THE BOROUGH COUNGIL TABLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 30, 10 June 1913, Page 5

ROUND THE BOROUGH COUNGIL TABLE.

BY-LAWS TO BE ENFORCED. Lights on Vehicles. Excessive Speed of Motors. Matters arising out of the recent fatal accident in .Fenton Street were discussed at the meeting of the Borough Council last night. Cr Dingle said that s,ome carters merely carried lights in their hands, and sometimes these lights were obscured by their coats. He did not know the Council's by-law on the matter, but if it demanded two lights, the Inspector should see that they were carried. If a carter carried one light in his hand the position of the light did not indicate to anybody approaching him the-position of his. vehicle. The Mayor said that the Inspector had been instructed to see that all vehicles carried two lights. Cr Masters queried if the by-laws would allow of them to demand two lights. Cr Thompson quoted the by-laws, would allow of them demanding two all vehicles. The Town Clerk said that since the fatality the Inspector had asked if he should prosecute persons whom he had found carrying only one light. He (the Clerk) had advised the Inspector not to prosecute in the meantime, as heretofore one light had been allowed as sufficient.

The Mayor thought that the Council should pass a resolution io the effect that in the future the by-law governing lights would be strictly enforced, and Cr Thompson moved in that direction.

Or Thompson: In the past has it been the practice to allow carriers to go along the streets holding one light?

The Mayor: Yes. Cr Thompson: It is a very bad practice. The Mayor explained that the practice was allowed, as the carriers had often to take the lamps from the sockets to help them when unloading. Since motor vehicles had become sr numerous it was necessary to be more strict in respect to lights. Cr Richards thought it should be impressed on people that all lights should be -visible from behind.

On Cr King's suggestion it was decided to give notice by advertisement to owners of vehicles of the Council's intention regarding lights. The Mayor: Perhaps the carriers will desire, some time to emable them" to have "sockets put on their vehicles.

The Town Clerk: I believe all the carriers have now had them put on.

The motion to strictly enforce tht-bv-law was carried.

Cr Thompson said the by-laws should be amended to cover the question of speed of vehicles.

The Clerk said the matter was covered hv the Police Offences Act.

Cr Thompson said a great deal of racing with motor cars and cycles went on in the Borough. He thought representations should he made to,, the police With a view to checking excessive speed. . ' ' * On the motion of Cr Richards, seconded by Cr King, it was decided that the Mayor, Crs Masters and Thompson he a committee to report on the best method of dealing with dangerous speed of vehicles in the 13oriugk.

hire of a horse and drny. The A. and P. Association forwarded an account for £26 4s for 66 days' hire of horso and dray. The Mayor said it was proposed to pass the account for payment, subject to the approval of the Overseer. Cr. Boon said a high enough charge for a horse and dray was £1 per week. Cr. Dingle said there had been no arrangement between the Overseer and the Association. Eight shillings per day was the usual charge for a horse and dray; but when the outfit was hired for weeks or months, there should bo some reduction.

The Mayor suggested that the account be passed for payment subject to the approval of the chairman of the Works Committee and the Overseer.

Cr. Richards objected to the account being passed. He thought the account should merely be referred to the Works Committee and the Overseer, with power to act. Cr. Morison moved that the account be referred to the Works Committee and Overseer.

Cr. Masters said the account was put forward and the Association seemed to take the attitude that if the Council objected to paying the full amount, they would take any lesser sum offered.

The motion was lost. 4 Cr. King moved that the Association bo offered 10s per week.

This was lost. Cr. Thompson moved that £1 per week be offered. This also was lost. Finally the account was referred to the Works "Committee for report.

TAXES FOR WATER USERS. A Committee to Report. Cr. Boon moved to amend the bylaws governing water supply and to substitute for the present charges the following:—For flush closets in hotels and boardiughouses, and factories and business premises employing 30 hands and upwards 30s per annum, and 204 for each extra one; all others £l, and 10s for yach extra one- all premises unconnected past which sewer runs, 10s per annum. Cr. Kicimrds thought Cr. Boon would be well advised to have a "committee set up to consider the whole' question. . Cr. Masters queried the cost of a revision of the by-laws, and counselled a,consideration, of j the,cost phase be* iore? proceeding fiirtheij. ,LJ : <

Or. Boon said the Council was..hampered! by' lsick! ol fiinds in'dealing" "wltii 1 water and ( drainage, .When- Jiej ; qan#j» ; on the Council first there was loan' money to spend, but that money was now exhausted, and the Council had" nothing to spend. In other towns, flush clonets were paid for. In Auckland the charge ranged from £3 for hotels to 17s 6d for residences. There were a number ofr people on the outskirts of the Borough of Stratford and who paid rates equally- with thoie j ih the centre of the Borough, but un- ' der present conditions the outlying residents had, no chance of having water and drainage laid to their properties'; " In view of the present high rate of interest, he inadvisable to\ borrow money for the purpose, and he. thought' the money should be supplied by the users of the water and drainage services. . Ifc might be considered hard to force people to pay up to £25 to connect with' the drainage, and by the users paying an annual charge.* money would be supplied for this work. The imposition of the charge <vas really a matter of necessity. He thought it was wrong to use money, from the general revenue to make drainage connections, while those connections brought in no revenue. If the levy were made, the Council would get about £250 per annum, which would enable the septic tank to be enlarged at once. »

Cr. Fredric seconded the motion pro forma, but said he was absolutely opposed to the motion. Cr. Boon might as well have proposed to put a tax on people who used a hot water service, which used quite as much water. The last loan had been lost simply because people thought their rates would be increased, and if this tax was imposed, a like fate would overtake all future loans. In other towns the, rates were levied on the improved value, hut he thought tire proposed tax inconsistent when the rating was on the unimproved value. After a short discussion, it was d 6« cided to refer to a committee consisting of the Mayor, and Crs. Booh, Masters and King the whole question of charges for water.

ALL-AGED STEAKS. The Meat We Eat./ There is presented at each monthly meeting of the Council a report showing the number of animals killed to the order of each of the butchering firms in the district. Also there is given the average age of the beasts, and those figures make interesting reading. Hie figures supplied at last night's meeting were as follow, each line referring to a different firm:— \ Averans

Cows Heifers. Oxen Age. 10 6 1 4$yrs 12 1 4 ' 5 yrs G ~ 4 3|yrs 9 — ■ 1 S|yps 12 4 — 5 yrs 11 — 4 4$yrs 2 3 yrs