BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1921, Page 5

BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

KEW PLYMOUTH COUNCIL. FRANKLEIGH PARK ROADS. The. General Purposes Committee of the New Plymouth Borough Council met lasq night. Present: The Mayor (Mr. F. E* Wilson) and Crs. J. Kibby, T. N. Blackball, E. Dingle, J. Brown, R. L. Parkin, W. Rumball and V. Griffiths. An apology was received from Cr. R. A. Large. A proposal for re-metalling and tarsealing 52 chains of road at Frankleigh Park was brought up by Cr. Rumball. He said nothing had been done to the roads for many years, and if they were allowed to go back their ultimate repair would be very costly. In some places the road was nearly, worn out, and he suggested that the time was opportune for putting good roads down and tar-sealing them, so that in maintenance they would not cost much for many years. The total cost of dealing with the roads in the way suggested by Cr. Rumbali was £l4lB 18s 6d. The amount required annually for interest and principal was £79 12s, which would mean a rate of nearly 3d in the £. Cr. Rumball moved that in the event of the Frankleigh Park residents raising a loan the council should subsidise it up to 25 per cent. He said a subsidy of--25 per cent, would cost the council £354 14s 6d, and it would cost Frankleigh Park £1064 4s, necessitating a rate of over 2d in the £.

It was decided that the Frankleigh Park residents should go into the question, and. submit their proposal to the council.

GILBERT STREET GUILY.

The borough engineer forwarded plans: of the proposed filling across the gully in. Gilbert Street, between Liardet Street and Victoria Hill. The deepest part is 33 feet and the average will be approximately 29t feet. The estimated cost to form a fullwidth road, 60 feet, with metalling, paths* gravelling, drainage, etc., was £2019 12s. Allowance must be made for the purchase of land on either side, approximately 33 perchqs. To form the road 40 feet wide would be £1455, to which should be added* the purchase of land, approximately 17 perches. Neither scheme could be carried out without trespassing over the boundaries into private lands. Other alternatives are to erect retaining walls or to bridge the gully. The Mayor pointed out that the work could not be faced now. The report arose out of a report reconunending the filling of the gully with tins, etc., but this had raised a cry of protest. Mr. Wilson said many good roads were made in this way, and he instanced towns where such fiflings were made as the beginning of roads. It was decided to authorise the engineer to tip surplus soil, etc., into gully. SUPPLY OF POWER.

Information as to the possibility of obtaining power for a small factory at New Plymouth was sought by Mr. T. W. Acheson, of Wanganui, on behalf of a Welling-, ton firm. He wrote: “Unfortunately I have no definite particulars to give, and I am not authorised to make a definite application for power. My friends in Wellington propose to start a factory at some place where power is available and shipping facilities are good. I suggested trying New Plymouth, and they asked me to make enquiries. I gathered from my conversation with them that they required a supply of current throughout each day up to 15 horse-power. The electrical engineer (Mr. R. H. Bartley) wrote: “I would very much like to offer some encouragement in this direction, but at the present time I cannot see how to do it, as I have already exhausted every means. It is just possible, although one cannot say without actual trial, that when No. 1 tunnel is opened up we may get a small increase of water through, and, as this should not be long now, it will, perhaps, be as well to delay our reply, as, if given to-day, it must be a refusal.” It was decided to reply that the council regretted that under present circumstances it was unable to grant the request. G. W. Rowe applied for a supply of power between the hours of 10 pjn. and 8 a.m.. The engineer said that could be managed, but the difficulty was to control the working. A time-switch was not available, and he asked if the council would agree to a bond.—The council agreed to the request, on condition that a bond was given.

Mr. G. Sykes applied for a limited amount of electric light for his new residence, as he understood connections were possible by the use of certain instruments, providing that an equivalent amount of power can be deducted from another installation. For such a deduction he had made arrangements. The engineer- wrote that the trouble had been in procuring limiters, but he had arranged to procure eight from the Christchurch City Council.—The appli- / cation was granted, on certain conditions to be arranged by the engineer. THE CARNEGIE INSTITUTE. The Carnegie Institute Committee re*commended: That the .resolution allowing subscribers to reserve books for a payment of twopence be rescinded; that donors of gifts (a list of whom was published in the local papers) be thanked; that executors in the estate of the late Mr. Thomas Kelly be thanked for their valuable gift of books and papers. <( monthly report stated: “Since the last meeting of the committee 22 members have joined and 25 subscriptions have lapsed, a decrease of 3 subscribers. During the same period 30 new books were placed on the shelves. A donation oi old books and magazines was given to the Victoria League to forward to the backblocks, while the seamen on overseas boats were given donations of British and American papers. GENERAL. A protest against the Motor Vehicles Bill, by a conference of local bodies of tha metropolitan district of Auckland, was received. The conference protested against the proposals, particularly as to license fees for vehicles being paid into the Consolidated Fund of the Dominion. It earnestly points out that the provision is most unjust, for it wouid leave local bodies with an increasing liability Tor the upkeep of main traffic roads within their boundaries, and at once rob them of the present source of revenue from license lees. The conference approved and supported adequate taxation, whether by a tyre tax or other form.—Received With the object of making New Zealand better known overseas, especially from a tourist viewpoint, a publication, to be known as -New Zealand's Leading Towns Annual is contemplated. The editor wrote to the council stating that he would be visiting New Plymouth shortly, and he sought the couijcil’s co-operation in order to obtain data regarding the principal attractions within a reasonable radius of New Plymouth. World wide circulation tor the journal is contemplated, the annual being sent to every important hotel and club in the principal countries, with copies on passenger steamers. -Received After a discussion in committee the council instructed the borough engineer to prepare a report on tie best method of dealing with the sewerage of the town.