ELTHAM CIVIC AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1928, Page 4

ELTHAM CIVIC AFFAIRS

REPORTS BY DEPARTMENTS. MONTHLY MEETING OF COUNCIL. The monthly meeting of the Eltham Borough Council was held last night. Present: The Mayor (Mr. Ira J. Bridger) and Crs. J, Nairn, A. C. Ricketts, J. W. Peebles, G. W. Tayler, J. O’Hagen, A. Kemp and R. L. Garden. The overseer (Mr. J. H. 'Williams) reported: The metalled portion of York Street (12 chains) and 15 chains of Conway Road, from Derby Street to North Street, was scarified, graded and clay blinded. The 18-inch culvert at the dip in Conway Road West was lowered. Footpaths in Tayler, Bridge, West, Stanners and George Streets and Conway Road, Mountain Road, South and Moir Streets near the railway station have received attention. The water and drainage service still remains good and strict attention is being maintained. The sanitary inspector (Mr. R. Gooding) reported: Three cases of a notifiable nature were reported, including two cases of diphtheria and one of pneumonia. The usual steps to prevent spread w r ere taken in each case. One new sewer drain was tested and found satisfactory. Both rubbish depots in Eltham Road and Castle Street were seen by the medical officer of health (Dr. Mecredy), who is of opinion the Eltham Road depot should be closed on account of the unsuitability of the site. The whole of the rubbish should henceforth be deposited in the Castle Street depot, or alternately, a new site in lieu of the Eltham Road might be found. The site in Castle Street was found to be levelled off and presented a tidy appearance. Notices have been served in several instances in order to bring prmises into compliance with the requirements of the regulation, and secure stricter measure of cleanliness for the future. The reserves caretaker (Mr. P. •). Willcock) reported that during the month he had worked nine days at Taumata Park, four days at the Memorial Park, eight days at the cemetery and one day at the railway reserves.

The abattoir manager (Mr. M. Bourke) reported that during the month 101 cows, one bullock, three calves, 277 sheep, 6 lambs, and 37 pigs were slaughtered. One sheep and two cows w r ere condemned.

The gasworks manager (Mr. C. J. Bagby) submitted the following report for the month, with figures for the corresponding month of last year in parentheses: Gas made 464,200 feet (554,600 feet); coal used, 37 tons lOcwt. (44 tons Bcwt); gas per ton, 12,370 feet (12,490 feet); sold per meter, 405,300 feet (454,300 feet). Sales for the month totalled £55 2s Bd, including fittings £8 4s 2d, coke £39 17s 6d, tar £6 15s, ashes 6s.

The borough inspector (Mr. A. E. Lethbridge) reported that most of Ms time had been taken up with general inspection. In conjunction with the health officer he inspected all eatinghouses and butchers’ shops and notices were served where alterations were necessary before re-licensing. Stock impounded and released totalled eight head. Recommendations of the reserves and 1 cemetery committee were adopted as follows: That the application of the Men’s Hockey Club for the use of the hockey ground on Thursday afternoons during the forthcoming season be granted, subject to a payment of £1 Is towards the funds of the Domain Board; that the Ladies’ Hockey Club be granted the use of the grounds subject to a payment of 10s 6d towards the funds of the board; that pinus insignia required to plant a shelter belt round the eucalypti plantation on the Soldiers’ Memorial Park be procured, also 6000 eucalypti trees to replace failures in the -plantation; that authority be given for the purchase of a children’s ehute-slide for Taumata Park at a cost not to exceed £l3.

The following recommendat’onß of the finance committee were adopted: That the council contribute £4 13s towards the elimination of the South Road railway crossing, Hawera; that Mr. A. E. Lethbridge be appointed traffic inspector for the borough of Eltham for the purposes of the regulations as to the equipment and use of motor vehicles; that the Taranaki Power Board be requested to give consideration in respect of the amount paid by the council for street lighting in estimating the amount payable by the council for the availability rate.

The following works committee recommendation was adopted: That consideration of the recommendation of the medical officer of health re Eltham Road rubbish depot be left in the hands of the chairman of the committee and overseer.

The Slain Highways Board advised of' the following allocations to the council for subsidies on main highways maintenance up to March 31, 1927: Auck-land-Wellington £369 3s, Eltham-Ra-whitiroa £l9l 19s, Eltham-Opunake £77 8s 6d, total £638 10s 6d. The Mayor of Hawera invited the council to appoint delegates to attend the Hawera hospital radio fund meeting on May 28. The Mayor and Crs. Rieketts and Kemp were appointed. The secretary of the South Taranaki R.S.A. advised that the trustees of the Poppy Day fund had made a giant to the council of £lO. It was announced that the council had obtained a grant of a similar amount from the Eltham Progress Committee, and together with the council’s own subsidy this would be expended on labour making improvements to the section recently acquired by the borough, on which unemployed soldiers would be engaged. The Commissioner of State Forests, the Hon. O. J. Hawken, in order to prevent unemployment, suggested that work be put in hand wherever possible during the coming winter, and advised that the Government would co-operate with the council and find 69 per cent, of the labour cost. It was uroposed that bad bends on roads, widening cuttings, fillings or railway crossings, tree-planting or similar work be earned out. The Mayor announced that the executive committee of the council was considering schemes for the alleviation of unemployment, and the Minister’s letter was referred to this committee.