LOCAL AND GENERAL

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 76, Issue 6507, 28 April 1948, Page 6

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Temporary Structure The Borough Council is to proceed with the temporary erection of a “trial” town clock on the traffic filter, in accordance with a decision made at Monday night’s meeting. Approval of the scheme has been obtained from the Main Highways authorities. The work will be undertaken by local builders. I Request to Call Meeting * /• i A request from Federated Farmers ' that the Otorohanga County Council ' should call a meeting of ratepayers i to discuss the proposed housing Joan ; was before the Council at Monday's ! meeting. After a brief discussion it • was decided to advise Federated Farmers that the Council was not prei pared to call such meeting, but if the I branch called a meeting any iniormaI tion the Council had would be made • available. The Water Problem • It was disclosed by the Borough j foreman, Mr R. H. Close, in his report i to councillors at the meeting on Mon- ; day night, that at 60 pounds pressure, I the borough’s water mains would be I able to supply enough water for only ! one lead, in the case of a fire. Diffi- | culty is being experienced in main- : taining an adequate pressure of 1 water to meet the daily requirements ; of the town, said the foreman, in ! drawing attention to the need for I increased storage of water in the bor- ' ough dam at Pirongia Mountain. I Resident Engineer

The Mayor, Mr G. Spinley, stated at Monday’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough Council that a proposal to obtain the services of an Engineer to serve co-jointly the interests of three local bodies, had not met with success. Had Otorohanga been raised to the status of a borough, it might have been possible, but at present Otorohanga would not have sufficient work to justify commitments in regard to a borough engineer. Pedestrian Crossings That the provision of a pedestrian crossing in Sloane Street, near Redoubt Street, was not justified, was the concensus of opinion at Monday night’s meeting of the Te Awamutu Borough councillors, when a request from the Chamber of Commerce was considered. Cr Babbage, DeputyMayor, said that there was already too much congestion in the streets. The towm was well served by pedestrian crossings. He moved that no action be taken at present. Union Membership The Engineer, Mr B. McKenzie, in the course of his report to the Otorohanga County Council on Monday stated that action was being taken against the Council for an alleged breach of the Labourers’ Award in the employment of non-unionists. The action will be heard in the Magistrates’ Court on May 17th. After a brief discussion taken in committee, the chairman, Mr Wallis, on resumption into open meeting, announced that a sub-committee comprising the chairman, Cr Walters and executive officers was set up to deal with the matter. Mr Wallis Congratulated The chairman of the Otorohanga County Council (Mr J. L. Wallis) reported to Monday’s meeting on the visit of the Main Highways Board to Te Awamutu on Wednesday last, and which he and the engineer (Mr B. McKenzie) represented the County. Mr Wallis’ report was along similar lines to the report that appeared in last Friday’s Courier. Mr Wallis said he would press the Council’s claims at a meeting of the Highways Council to be held early next month. Cr Rothery congratulated Mr Wallis on the able manner in which he had presented the County’s case before the Main Highways Board. The chairman briefly thanked Cr Grierson for his appreciative remarks. Children Entertained Probably no two people take a greater interest in the Te Awamutu Primary School than Mr and Mrs J. H. Ansell, of the Empire Theatre, and they gave further evidence of those qualities yesterday when they entertained the children of the school at two screenings of the coloured film of the Royal Wedding. No film has a greater educational value so that not only were the children pleasantly entertained but they were given a history lesson in the greatest possible pleasing form. The teaching staff, the committee, the parents and the children themselves owe a debt, of gratitude to .Mr and Mrs Ansell for their generosity in enabling the children to see the film free of charge.

Building Sites The question of letting four borough sections at present lying idle near the Nursery block was discussed at the meeting of the Borough Council on Monday night. The Council received an application for rental of. one section as a building site. There was some doubt as to the necessity of the Council advertising • the sections before letting them, and ;it was decided that the clerk should clear up this point. Cr Quick remarked that it was “scandalous to have the sections lying idle at a time of housing shortage,” and he moved that steps be taken to have them made available Jto home-builders, with the proviso that they be built upon within a specific time. i I No Vacant Houses • ; The Department of Labour and I Employment in a letter that was ! before Monday’s meeting of the Oto- ' rohanga County Council, asked that ! steps they had taken to ascertain what houses were vacant in the County, and were suitable for occupation. The clerk (Mr M. P. Goldsbro) said he knew of no vacant houses. Cr Rothery pointed out that a Rabbit Board of which he was a member, had had to build a house for an employee. The chairman, Mr Wallis, said he did not see why the Council should be called on to do as requested. Mr Goldsbro pointed out that power was given under the Fair Rents Act, that where houses were vacant, steps could be taken to tenant them. It was decided to inform the writer of the letter that the Council knew of no vacant houses in the County, ;