NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1930, Page 4

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH

ADMINISTRATION MATTERS MEETING OF THE COUNCIL. ] ELECTRICITY AND TRAMWAYS. The New Plymouth Borough Council met last night, when there were present the Mayor (Mr. H. V. S. Griffiths) and Councillors F. J. Hill, J. Brown, P. E. Stainton, R. J. Pentecost, F. Amoore and G. M. Spence. Th> assistant electrical engineer (Mr. G. Simpson) reported as follows on the activities of his department during the past month: —“The number of applications ’received for the supply of electrical energy was 30. Alterations and additions made to existing installations numbered 170, and-40 new connections were added to the system during the month. The Waiwakaiho River has been normal throughout the month, the highest and lowest levels recorded at the intake being Sft and 2ft 4in respectively. Assistance has been obtained from the Taranaki Power Board’s system on 26 days, the board supplying 46,500 units at the power station. “The Diesel engine was started on 28 occasions with a total running time of 102 hours and generating 30,381 units, with a fuel consumption of 2250 gallons. The new turbine at the power house was put into commission during the month and so far has given every satisfaction. The 1 extensions to the system on the Hursthouse Road in the Tarurudistrict have been completed and livened and the Koru Road extension is well in hand. Work in connection with the 11,000 volt change-over is being pushed on with as opportunity arises. “The number of new installations, additions and alterations dealt with by the inspection department was 212, and 157 re-inspections were made. The maximum. load recorded at the power station was 3300 k.w. and the greatest number of units generated in any one day was 48,812, with a total of 1,360,4u7 for the month, as against 2700 k.w., 40,500 and 1,038)100 units for the corresponding period of last year. _ The Taranaki Workers’ Council is to be informed that the delays in the tramwavs services which occurred at the beginning of the present month were not entirely due to the initiation of. the one-man car operation, but were partly due to an interruption in the electricity supply the morning the new system came into operation, and that every possible endeavour is being made to obviate delays occurring in future. • An application for the exclusive right of advertising on the inside walls oi the tramways shelters was granted, sub•iect to the following conditions: (a) The term to be two years;, (b) the charge to be eight shillings per square of loin by 15in, with a minimum charge of £2O per annum payable half-yearly in advance; (e) other conditions as set out in the applicants letter with a fur- : ther condition that if repairs to the advertisements are not effected within seven days after notification from the council so to do, the .council may effect the repairs at the cost of the or it may determine the agreement; (d) such other conditions as the borough solicitor may deem necessary. . The complaint of Mrs. Caroline McCracken in regard to alleged discourtesy ' on the part of a motorman was referred to the tramways manager. . ' Consideration of a letter from the town clerk with reference to the advis- , ability of installing electrical meters . on tramcars and of increasing the speed of tramcars and obtaining higher acceleration, and of the tramways manager’s report on the matter, was deferMr; James Davidson is to be informed that his suggestions- in regard to the ■ electric light and tramway matters do i not appeal to the council, and that in regard to the Gorman process of sewer- ■' a-'c treatment 1 the borough engineer has full information in regard to it, but i the system adopted for New Plymouth . is less costly and under the circum- • stances is as satisfactory. . 1 An application of the chief postmaster ! for permission to affix posting boxes on qlectric light poles in the streets was granted, the boxes to remain during the E pleasure of the council. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.

The Moturoa Ratepayers’ Association is to be informed that the council cannot effect any further works in Pioneer Road at present. A copy of the return prepared by the borough engineer from and including the expenditure of the £l2OO Pioneer Road loan is to be forwarded to the association. In reply to his letter agreeing to thecouncil’s conditions in regard to trees cut down by him at Western Park ana requesting permission to do the replantin'* himself, Mr. Colin Smart is to be informed that in addition to grubbing out the stumps of the trees cut down by him and' clearing away all the debris he must deposit the sum of £2 10s with the council to cover the cost of 16 pohutukawa trees and planting them, the council to effect such planting next season at no further cost to him. The petitioners for metalling Broadmore Street are to be informed that the council is unable to effect this work at present but that if they apply again after March 31 the request will be reconsidered. . • Mr. Benoni White is to be informed that the land available in Leach Street is insufficient for a children’s playing ground without the expenditure of a very large sum of money, and that in additio*n so long as Leach Street remains a cattle route a playing area for children at the site suggested would be unsuitable. ' Mr. White is also to be informed that the council adheres to its resolution of September 15, and that the words “unless the situation substantially changes” used in such resolution were and are intended to mean “unless the situation substantially changes by any works effected by the council in the future,” and he be further informed that for the reasons set out .in the resolution in question the council will not reply to further correspondence from him on the subject.

Consideration of a petition regarding Massey Street was deferred. The Moturoa Ratepayers’ Association is to be informed that the erection of the small hairdresser’s shop at Moturoa cannot be prevented by the council inasmuch as it was constructed of materials complying with the borough bylaws, and that the council has no jurisdiction enabling it to exercise control over the design from the aesthetic point of view of buildings in the borough. The engineer was instructed to submit an estimate of the cost of the works recommended by the committee that inspected the cemetery. Mr. S. Mayer is to be informed that the council cannot effect any improvement.to the embankment m front of his property on Carrington Road. The Mayor and Mr. Brown were appointed to’ represent the council, at the next meeting of the Taranaki Local Bodies’ Association. Cr. Stainton asked why it had been necessary to draw so much power from

Tariki during the winter months. Was not the council’s plant sufficient to cope with the town demands even in the winter time? The Mayor explained that it was necessary to augment the ordinary supply of current at peak load, periods. This was due not to lack of machinery, but to lack of water. The difficulty was to draw water quickly along the extensive length of the water race. The trouble would be overcome when the new Mangamahoe dam was in commision, owing to the extra supply of water being “on call” at the'entrance to number two tunnel. PIONEER ROAD EXPENDITURE. The engineer supplied the following information regarding expenditure on Pioneer Road:—-1927-28: Loan raised, £1202 45.; Government subsidy, £426 6s. 3d.; new work, £56 17s. 10d.; maintenance, £l2. 1928-29: New work, £566 3s. 5d.; maintenance £l2. 1929-30: New work, £232 6s. 2d.; maintenance, £l2. 1930: —September 30: Maintenance, £6. Totals; 1927-28, £1697 Bs. Id.; 1928-29, £578 3s. 5d.; 1929-30,. £244 6s. 2d.; 1930, £6. Grand totals, £2525 17s. Bd. Thirteen residents of Mill Road requested the council to spread a layer of sand or gravel on the ■ footpath on one side of their 'road. Owing to the clayey surface, it was said, the path was at present dangerous in wet weather.—. The request was referred to the -works committee. . Application was made by a firm of warehousemen with premises adjoining the old septic tank site near the railway yards for a lease of the site at a nominal rental for parking purposes for their motor vehicles. If this were done, it was stated, they would see that the entrance was closed as an exit ffbm James Lane, thus obviating the present grave traffic danger through lorries using the section as a street. The chief inspector (Mr. K. Day) said it was quite true that the property was used as a thoroughfare from James Lane, but he thought this was much to be desired, as it relieved the congestion in Cun'ie Street, and was a much safer exit from James Lane than the present one. He suggested that the firm of warehousemen be allowed to use a piece of the land for parking purposes during the pleasure of the council, but not so as to obstruct the traffic. Crs. Stainton, Amoore and Pentecost all considered that it was a grave menace to have traffic from James Lane coming over the section into St. Aubyn Street, at a corner that under the present conditions was one of the most dangerous in the town. The matter was referred to the works committee with power to act, the committee to interview a number of the adjoining owners with the object of letting the section satisfactorily at the pleasure of the council. < It was resolved to thank Mrs. R. Cock for donating a portion of her property to improve a sharp corner on Mill Road. It was resolved to thank Messrs. Duncan and Davies for their donation of Azalea plants for the Carrington Road bank. The planting, it was stated, was darried. out by unemployed labour, the cost being borne from the funds of the old New Plymouth Horticultural Society, augmented by Government subsidy. It was decided to place the keeping n of the, Azalea bank in the hands of the sexton. x A letter from Mr. Benoni ‘White relative to the drainage of his property was ••‘received.” It was decided to thank the Eltham Borough Council for a copy of Mr. 1. J. Bridger’s scheme of land settlement for . the relief of unei»plfiy»eiit.