WAITARA BOROUGH COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1932, Page 3

WAITARA BOROUGH COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING HELD. BOROUGH ELECTRICAL LICENSE. The monthly meeting of the Waitara Borough Council was held lest night. Those°present were the Mayor (Mr. J. Hine), and Crs. E. A. George, H. Wakely, T.. 0. Wilson, T. B. Ewens, W. J. Reeves, W- B. Glasgow and H. Spurd Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Ltd. wrote notifying that its payments of rent would in future be reduced by 20 per cent., as allowed by the National Expenditure Adjustment Act. Or. George suggested that the matter be left to the solicitors to prevent confusion. ' There were some cases, said Die Mayor, in which the reduction did not apply. There was a letter from the council’s solicitors drawing attention to this fact and he thought the matter should be left till the next meeting, ■when the position would be cleaied. ■ The lease of the recreation reserve to W. T. Joll was forwarded by the council’s solicitors for execution, and this was done. ■ Mr. G. J. Mackie drew the councils attention to storm water that was affecting his property in Raleigh and High ’streets. —The matter was left to the. works committee. The Unemployment Board notified that accident insurance premiums chargeable to local bodies would be affected by a general reduction under an arrangement with the companies. The reduction would probably take effect about July 4. T. Borthwick and Sons, Ltd. wrote regarding the charge for water supply to°the firm’s fellniongery. It was suggested that a meeting to discuss the matter could be arranged between the waterworks committee end the firm’s Waitara management. The council decided to arrange the meeting. Outstanding water rates were referred to the waterworks committee for investigation and action. ELECTRICAL SUPPLY LICENSE. The Mayor read a memorandum received by Mr. S. G. Smith, M.P., from the Minister of Public Works (the Rt. Hou. J. G. Coates) regarding the Waitara borough electricity supply license. The letter stated that the clause relating to the purchase of the license by the Power Board had been inserted in accordance with the general policy of the Government over a long period. Mr. Coates was not prepared to issue an Order-in-Council deleting the clause. . “It . has taken nearly two years to obtain a definite answer,” said, the Mayor. The opinion had been expressed tliat the clause was ultra vires. The manner of the Minister of Public Works had been evasive and unsatisfactory. The only way to have the matter .cleared’up was ,to petition Parliament and he did not think it worth.'while. As far as he could see payable borough schemes were used to boost board failures.

Apparently the clause was of no value to the Taranaki Board, but he did not think any good would be gained by pursuing the matter further. The No. 7 and 8 District Highways Council wrote requesting estimates for main highways work under the council’s control., Attention was drawn to the fact that only a small sum ■ would be available for new works. The balance of the funds available for construction would be entirely absorbed by the reconstruction of the most urgent bridges. Ordinary ’ maintenance expenditure should be kept approximately 15 percent. below last year’s costs. The town clerk and engineer were instructed to forward the necessary data. A letter from the Blenheim Borough" Council regarding the postponement of the payment of sinking funds was received.

Property-owners had written. regarding King Street, Waitara East, said the Mayor, and it had been investigated. The street was not in very bad order hut . in any case little could be done at this time of the year. The Mayor suggested that clearing of the - gorse on built-up land by the recreation reserve might be satisfactorily undertaken by unemployed men. The council agreed that when work elsewhere was slack such clearing could be done. SICK RAY FOR EMPLOYEES. Or. Ewens moved that a council employee who had been prevented from working through sickness should be granted half-pay during the period of Sis incapacity. Cr. Glasgow said such a move would be open to abuse and might commit the council. He moved as an amendment that the matter be referred to a committee of the whole council to report to the next meeting. The council is t-o go into the question of putting matters at the cemetery into a satisfactory position. Seven water mains had been repaired, one service laid and one altered, reported the inspector (Mr. L. T. Kendrick). Fire plugs and the settling tank and race at the intake had been cleaned. The tunnel had been found satisfactory.' The inspector of . explosives had paid a visit and was satisfied with storage conditions. Two permits had been issued for petrol tanks and two building permits. Licenses had been issued to 171 motor drivers. Twenty-one cows, 9 calves, 3 heifers, 3 horses and a bull had been impounded, reported the ranger (Mr. O. Jury) and £2 3s 6d collected in fees. The matter of the ranger’s wages will be considered by the committee appointed to deal with wages.. Three stoppages in electrical, supply had occurred, two being for repair work.

Arrangements had been made with the operator of a welding machine to cease operation during lighting periods. Two installations were re-wired, two extended, and two new ones installed. Units registered during May were 41,214 (36,087 in May, 1931), an increase, of 14.31 per cent. An extra man had been engaged temporarily.

'The council sat as the domain board.

The hockey club wrote, asking for the use of the Camp Reserve each Thursday at a rental of 2s 6d per week, the club to be authorised to charge for admission.

Air. George moved that the club be allowed the use of the ground and the usual consideration, providing it was understood that no monopoly was being granted. The motion was carried.

The athletic club asked for a, refund of the percentage of gate takings due to the board from the recent sports meeting. The ' club had been unfortunate in having wet weather. It was decided that owing to the parlous state of the board’s finances and the fact that all revenue went into reserve improvements the board regretted it could not make the refund as requested.