PATEA BOROUGH TO-DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 12 November 1929, Page 12

PATEA BOROUGH TO-DAY

••k BOROUGH AREA 1420 ACRES k WELL APPOINTED TOWNSHIP. \ EXCELLENT SUPPLY OF WATER. • ■ '.'■■■ — k?, The present borough area is 1420 acres and the population 1200. Situated £> on the western bank of the Patea River -- > and extending toward' the coast the town is well appointed with modern •j facilities. Water and drainage, electric light, tarred streets, good footpaths, hotels,, banks, garages, shops, playing - fields, motor camping ground and beach swimming facilities all go towards mak- • ing life pleasant and • attractive. By rail it is but 185 miles from the cap? italcity, .. , ’' ■

Th® rateable capital value is set ■ down at £142,606, but actually the rating is on the annual rental value. This, j?, 1 last year, was £12,615, on which total J? 1 ; rates of 5s 3d in the £1 were struck. Sewerage is by means of a septic tank, the. effluent emptying into the river. < The system comprises 16 miles of mains. The water supply originates in two artesian bores located on the western river bank opposite the wharves. These are respectively 6-ineh and 3-ihch and ■ extend to over 409 feet below sea. level. • •The water is of excellent quality and is pumped by electricity to a water ' • tower 120 feet high in the centre of • the town. This tower is a conspicuous landmark for many miles around, and - ; ; from it excellent panoramic' views are . obtainable. The cistern at the top has /•.a capacity of 75,000 gallons, this being . about an average consumption for a day • and a-half. • The first move for a water supply 1 • "was made in 1908 when the services of the Bev. H. Mason, of Auckland, were . --obtained. An experienced water diviner, he located several sources which he recommended as providing a suitable flow. In the following year a bore was put down. In 1915 it was decided to raise a water and drainage loan of £20,000 < i and in 1916 the water tower was constructed. An additional £6OOO was also • raised to complete the water and drainage scheme. Actually the total cost has amounted to £27,600.®* In 1925 an additional bore was put down to aug'jnent the supply. I - A proposal to erect swimming baths X'was brought forward in 1918 the council > -carrying a resolution to take a poll •■■ of ratepayers on a loan of £l2OO for ■< baths and £4OO for a storage tank. The engineer was instructed to prepare an estimate and plan of the work, but nothing matured. MODERN BOROUGH OFFICES.

Excellent municipal buildings grace the main street, providing full accommodation for the administration of the . borough and a town hall with a seating Rapacity of 900. Constructed of brick at a cost of £5500, the buildiijg was greeted in 1012 in. commemoration of the coronation of King George V. A recreation reserve of 80 acres belongs to the burgesses. This affords ample facilities for popular sport such as football and cricket. A grandstand, dressing rooms, showers, electric light and training shed accommodation are all provided. In literature the needs of the populace are catered for by the municipal library of over 3000 volumes, the subscription being d modest 10s per annum. There is also a free reading room. This is at present housed in the old borough offices, but as a result of a bequest from the estate of the late Mr. Hunter Shaw more modern library building will shortly be erected adjacent to the town

hall. The library is under the control of a citizens’ committee. The town possesses a promising town band under the baton of Conductor K. Christiansen. LIST OF PAST COUNCILLORS. The following is a list of past and present Mayors and councillors:— MAYORS. G. F. Sherwood 1881-82 J. Milroy 1882-83 R. A. Adams .'... 1883-88 J. Gibson ..,4 1888-90 C. Finnerty 1890-91 W. Cowern 1891-93 R. A. Adams 1893-94 J. A. McKenna 1894-97 H. O. Clarke 1897-1905 G. Williams 1905-07 A. T 1 Christensen ] 907-11 J. A. McKenna 1911-13 C. A. Larcombe A. T. Christensen . 1919-21 J. J. Holtham 1921-23 P. S. Finlayson 1923-29 -F. Ramsbottom 1929

COUNCILLORS. Messrs. S. Taplin, J. Milroy, R. A. Adams, W. Aitchison, \V. Dixon, P. Mahony, J. Gibson, W. Howitt, A. Black (first council), F. O. S. McCarthy, T. Haywood, E. L. Barton, J. W. Bright, H. E. Deane, A. A. Gower, G. T. Potto, D. Paul, G. Williams, D, J. Williams, senr., H. E. P. Adams, W. Taylor, L. S. Barraclough, P. C. Gowland, W. Williams, senr., J. G. Beamish, R. Currie, J. A.. McKenna, VV, Brown, Hope Gibbons, A. G. H. Buck by, E. L. Jacob, J. Herbert, A. W. Tennant, W. Connolly, R. Hunger, J. G. Brown, H. Blackburn, J. J. Robinson, C. Potto, J. Paterson, W. K. Howitt, J. Balmforth, T. Irwin, A. Sergeant, W. R. Hamcrton, VV. Rossiter, C._ A. Larcombe, VV. J. Gibbons, F. G. Sherwood, J. MeComiskey, T. F. Kiely, A. F. Spooner, VV. J. Matthews, A. M. Howitt, B. McQuire, T. G. Hammond, J. K. Mitchell, W. H. Gibson, A. T. Christensen, J. O’Brien, J. J. Holtham, H. O. Clarke, VV. T. Simmons, H. P. Littlewood, G. Smith, E. White, VV. C. Hancock, F. Ramsbottom, B. T. Bennett, I’’. W. Grainger, VV. H. G. Bennett, A. W. Gunn, VV. Cody, J. E. Death, C. R. Honeyfield, J. P. Egan, L. May, VV. C. Glenny, J. C. Powell, H. H. Hicks, E. Beardmore, J. H. Cronin, D. I. Thompson, A. Davies, F. L. Harrison, R. A. Brewer, F. VV. Godfrey, J. Hore, VV. Watson, F. Naismith, A. Dunkley, P. S. Finlayson, D. Jones, D. Kerrisk, C. F. Pulley, 8. J. Whiteford, E. J. Lane, G. H. Peacock, H. F. McLeod, VV. H. Rook, J. D. G. Thomson, G. Pettigrew, T. J. C. Scott, C. H. Carey.