BOROUGH COUNCIL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 55, Issue 3929, 21 July 1937, Page 7

BOROUGH COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. GENERAL BUSINESS TRANSACTED. His Worship the Mayor, Mr G. Spinley, presided at the fortnightly meeting ot the Te Awamutu Borough Council on Monday evening, and also present were Crs H. C. Rainey, W. J. North, G. Gifford, J. A. Maxwell', A. Brown and D. A. Wallace. The clerk, Mr D. Bockett, and works foreman, Mr R. H. Close, were in attendance. : Leave of absence was granted Crs J. C_. Monteflore and G. O. Jourdain. The Mayor, reporting on the proposed floodlight at the local saleyards, said he had interviewed the representative of the Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., who understood that Mr J. Pollard was to confer with the Mayor as to the best location. Mr Spinley said he had yet to see Mr Pollard. HOSPITAL LEVY. The Waikato Hospital Board secretary advised that the estimates approved by the Minister of Health were as follows: Maintenance levy £34,789 Ils lOd, and capital levy £4022 12s 2d; maintenance levy of 17s Id in the £, £29,752 Is; capital subsidy £4022 12s 2d. giving a grand total of £72,586 17s 3d. Te Awamutu borough’s levy was £657 10s Bd, of which the first quarter’s proportion was £164 7s 7d, due and payable on July 23rd. The Mayor commented that the levy is mounting up very appreciably. Cr North thought the latest increase surprisingly high. To a question, the Mayor said there was no redress, but the Council could make the payment under protest. FOOTPATH CROSSINGS. Re the footpath crossings near the Te Awamutu Post Office, Mr A. C. Brookes, P.W.D. overseer, wrote that the Council’s communication had been handed to the contractors, who are required to make good any damage to footpaths, etc., to the satisfaction of the Borough Council. He suggested that the borough foreman indicate to tlie contractors what is required. He added: “I am at a loss to understand the implication in the last paragraph of your letter. As regards both of the crossings concerned, I personally interviewed the Works Committee, and the contractors have carried out the work in collaboration with and under the directions of the borough foreman. I do not see what further ‘notice’ is required." The Mayor explained that the statement was not quite correct. The Council complained of the footpath cross ing in Walton Street, where the right-of-way was about three inches

below footpath level. The Alexandr: Street end was not objected to. The works foreman said the P.W.E officials apparently made a mistake it the levels, but had since rectified th< error. It was stated that the Works Com mittee has full authority to deal witl the matter. WAS IT WRONG? The secretary. Parish of Te Awa rautu, wrote calling attention to th< fact that borough workmen have re moved from church property about 3( loads of soil without permission. Th< Council was asked to return the spoil and was held responsible for any dam age done to church property. The Mayor said he understood the church’s affairs were being handled by Mr Preston, not Mr Wynyard, and it was arranged with the former that earth complained of was to be shifted. It was no advantage to the Council Since the agreement the road line had been defined and cleared. He estimat ed the earth value at £1 to £1 10s. After brief discussion it was decided to take no action at present. ROAD TO WATERWORKS. The Raglan County clerk wrote re Sainbury Road, Pirongia West, saying his Council,would not concede ( that no damage had been caused by 1 the borough vehicles to that road. Cr Corcoran, of Pirongia Riding, had reported that only a few days ago rate- » payers along that road had complained that two or three borough lorries had been on the road in wet weather with chains on. Attention was also drawn to the fact that to travel on county clay roads with chains on is a breach of the County by-laws and the Public Works Act. Te Awamutu’s contribution in 1934 of £4O was appreciated, but it was recalled that at that time the borough foreman had expressed surprise that damage to this extent had been done. It was suggested that the borough foreman meet the county engineer and inspect the road. A .PADDY’S MARKET. The local secretary, St. John Ambulance Association, wrote that it was desired to hold a paddy’s market on October 21st, and the necessary permission was sought to erect two street stalls. It was pointed out that the Catholic Church Committee has booked the Town Hall for the annual bazaar from October 21st to 23rd, and that such function would clash with the Ambulance effort The Ambulance application was granted, and it was indicated that if a change of date was decided upon, by deferring the paddy’s market a week or fortnight, the permission would be altered accordingly. GOODS ON FOOTPATH. The Mayor asked the Council to consider the matter of more effective control of footpaths in the business area. Some shopkeepers were using the footpaths for displaying theii goods and competition was creating more and more encroachment. There were by-laws forbidding the practice. Councillors agreed that it was time a stop was put to the practice, and the foreman was instructed to take action.