BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 July 1925, Page 8

BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

NEW PLYMOUTH COUNCIL. ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT. The New Plymouth Borough Council met last night. Present! The Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson), Crs. J. Kibby, G. A, Colson, J. Jemison, W. W. Thomson, J. Brown, J. Lobb, A. E. Surrey and V. Griffiths. Reporting on tho operations of tho electricity department during June, the engineer (Mr. W. H. Htiggett) said that forty-one applications had been received for electrical energy, 30 additions made to existing installations, and 88 new consumers connected to the system. Work in connection with the extensions and overhead lines had. been pushed on as weather permitted. Poles had been carted out in readiness for erection in connection with short line extensions, but the delay in obtaining delivery of the 25ft. poles, which were ordered for delivery in March was somewhat holding up Hie work of getting the milking machines connected, of which there were applications in for some 40 odd.

The Waiwakaiho River had been generally high throughout the greater part of the month. Work-on the hydro lands during the month had been confined to preparing ground and tree-planting. The Mangainahoe dam had been emptied, and silt scoured out, and also the old forebay, The old pipe connections to No. 1 turbine had been removed in preparation for connecting them to the bus pipe on the high head. The loading at the power-house had been heavy. The highest peak reached was 1500 kilowatts and an output of 22,000 units in the 24 hours. The whole of the plant in tho power-house and sub-station was operating satisfactorily. CARNEGIE INSTITUTE. Tho Carnegie Institute committee reported that during the period-ended July 15, 35 new subscribers had joined and 21 left, a net gain of 14. A total of 187 books were added. Since the reduction of the subscription to the children’s section there had been a steady increase of new subscribers, and that section was now becoming too small. A number of the books had -been temporarily withdrawn and stored, but with the increased number of children using tho shelves, there was a certain amount of congestion around the magazine I shelves. A number of sketches had been hung in the hallway in order to relieve the accumulation that was now on hand. A start hud been made with the external repairs to the building, and the paint work was to Ire put in hand almost immediately.

OTHER MATTERS. Tho hon. secretary of the Taranaki Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association (Mr. F, J. Shearer) advised that it had been decided to hold over the scheme of improvements at the baths at Kawaroa until next year, when it was hoped tho centre would bo in a better position to undertake the work. Replying to a Health Department question, the chief inspector (Mr. R. Day) reported that unlicensed plumbers were not permitted to undertake, sanitary plumbing in New Plymouth. There were several unlicensed-men working in ■New Plymouth-who were generally employed on roofing, spouting, etc.”, and who might help to prepare work in the shops before it went on to the jobs. The agitation for a class and an examination centre at New Plymouth was to see that the apprentices were not turned out without having passed the examination. —A copy of the letter is to be forwarded to the Health Department. Tile council decided that it had no objection-to the closing of part of Kent Road as proposed by the Taranaki County Council, and further decided to acquaint Mr. C. R. Stead, of Waitara, of its decision, advising him that if he wished to carry the objection he had made to tho council further he should communicate with the ’ Public Works Department. An offer to pay half the cost of metalling six chains of the western end of Devon Lino was made by Mr. "W. Morton-on his own-behalf and that of two other ratepayers. The engineer was instructed to submit an estimate of the cost. A request that the footpath in front of their residences in Ngaio Street, Fitzroy, be formed was made.by three ratepayers, E. T. Scott, Ethel Young and 1). W. Thomas. The borough engineer (Mr. W. H. Cook) said that a fair amount of filling would be required, and this had better be left over until the weather became more settled.—Referred to works inspection committee. The Mayor and Crs. Griffiths and Brown were appointed a sub-committee to report on the best means of using the borough reserves, particularly the Town Hall site opposite, the railway station and the old septic tank site.