NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1933, Page 3

NEW PLYMOUTH BOROUGH

monthly council meeting QUESTION OF WAGES REDUCTION. POSTPONED TILL NEXT MEETING. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held last night. Present: The Mayor (Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour) and Crs S. J. Smith, F. J. Hill, P. E. Stain ton,' T. P. Anderson, F. Amoore and F. S. Grayling. Crs. Brown, chairman of the works committee, and Darby being absent, it was decided to postpone until the next ordinary meeting of the council the following resolution from the electric light and tramway committee: “That the question of a general reduction (if any) in the wages and salaries of all employees of the council, being a policy question, be referred to the councii to deal with”; and the recommendations on the same question from the works committee, A recommendation from the Taranaki Automobile Association that white lines be painted on the roadway in Devon Street as a guide to motorists was referred to the works committee for consideration of costs. The Westown Progressive Association forwarded the following resolution relating to that part of Belt Road from Clawton Street to Gladstone Road: “That in view of the confusion existing through the similar naming of the two distinct portions of Belt Road, the upper portion be changed to ‘Sanders Avenue’ in order to perpetuate the public spiritedness of the late Mr. C. Sanders.” The letter was referred to the works committee. . Cr. Stainton referred to a suggestion that Reserve T should be renamed “Sanders’ Park:” He considered this would be a happy and appropriate way of commemorating a citizen who had made most generous .bequests to various reserves in the borough. Several other councillors agreed with the suggestion, which was left in abeyance until the application for renaming arrived. . At the suggestion of Cr. Stamton it was decided to ask the works committee to inspect the path in McLean Street, Fitzroy. Cr. Stainton said the path at the comer of McLean and Beach Streets was in a dangerous condition. WORK IN THE STREETS. The borough engineer (Mr. C. Clarke), reporting on work during June, said that six chains 18 feet of 4-inch water main had been laid in Bracken Street and all services changed over; 4J chains of 4r inch cast-iron main had been laid in Belt Road near Glen Almond and the balance was in hand. Six new services used 182 feet of pipe. One service was relaid. The surface of the Henui bridge on the northern side had been re-decked where necessary and the surface raised to the new levels of tram rails, tar grouted and finished with a layer of asphalt. The kerbing and channelling had been connected to the existing kerb and channel and the pathway, asphalted. Bayly and Seaview Roads had been metalled for a short distance, as authorised. Footpaths (had been filled and gravelled. Kerb and channelling in Webster Street (southern side) had been completed, and northern side was in hand. The gaps left in kerbing and channelling on Mission Hill for the removal of the poles to the correct line had been completed. : Brown Street (Gill Street to Devon Street) had been kerbed- and Channelled on the eastern side. Relief works had been the stock route, Seaview Road extension, cutting back Glen Almond bank and gravelling paths, and in numerous reserves. Mr. R. Day, chief inspector, reported the collection of £B5l 10s lid in license fees of various kinds during June. Good progress was being made xyith investigations under the Urban Farm Lands Rating Act. • GROUNDS AT RACECOURSE. The application of the Taranaki Jockey Club for relief labour to lay out sports grounds at the racecourse was recommended to the relief committee, the total cost of labour to be sanctioned from time to time by the Unemployment Board. The club is to provide at its own expense all materials, tools, transport, supervision and insurance premiums. It was decided to take' no action in connection with the citation to the council regarding the painters and decorators industrial dispute. Miss Wickham will be thanked for consenting to the dedication of the frontage of Mr. W. Worn’s property for the widening of Mangorei Road. The council consented to an agreement between the Tukapa Football Club and Taranaki Rugby Union regarding the gymnasium on Reserve T. Consideration of the question of calling tenders for a contract for sewers at Frankleigh Park and of the objections of Messrs. W. C. Weston and A. P. Lister to the laying of sewers through their properties was deferred. A request from Mr. P. McKie that the street light at the corner, of Lorna Street and Devon Street should be moved to the other side of the street owing to the view being blocked by trees on the rubbish dump was referred to Cr. Brown, with-power to act. , The Moturoa Ratepayers’. Association will be informed that the council has no funds to metal upper Pioneer Road at present, and that, believing the formation of the part of Bayly Road mentioned would constitute a danger to the public, the council cannot accede to the association’s request. IMPROVING APPEARANCE. It was decided to inform Mr. A. Murray and others that the engineer had been authorised to clean the sides of Massey Street so that residents might grass the strips of roadway outside the water channels, and that the council would consider next summer the sur-face-sealing of the carriageway in that street. . A copy of the engineers report explaining why it is not desirable to form and metal more than seven chains of Hori Street will be forwarded to Mr. W. F. Ellis. . ± . The engineer was instructed to iorm and gravel a footpath on the northern side of Aubrey Street from Morley Street to the eastern boundary of the property occupied by Mr. V Parkinson The electrical engineer (Mr. W. H. Hugpeti) reported that in June, 14 applications for supply were received, additions and alterations were made to the astern, and 13 connections were added. The Waiwakaiho was high to normal for the first half of the month, falling to Sy low on June 24 and 25, and then returning to normal. The highest and lowest river flows measured at the intake were 6ft 6in and Ift 9in respectively. The Mangamahoe lake had been maintained between 12 inches over and 12 inches below the spillway gap levels. Relief men had been preparing ground and tree-planting, cleaning the banks of the lake, and doing other works about the hydro lands. Extensions in the Okato and Egmont Village , districts were in hqd been drawn continuously from the Public Works Department, with the exception of two pre-arranged shutdowns for transformer and line inspection and one slight interruption owing to line trouble. At the power-station the

Diesel engine was run once for two hours on full load, and an additional transformer was being installed to enable the small turbo-generator-condenser set to be used to better advantage. The maximum load recorded at the powerstation was 3475 k.w. and the greatest number of units supplied in any one day 51,770, with a total of 1,400,450 for the month, compared with 3352 k.w., 54,375 and 1,163,433 units for the corresponding period of last year.

TRAMWAY REVENUE BETTER.

An increase of £l9 18 lid in revenue compared with the corresponding period last year, was noted by the manager (Mr. G. J. Wyatt) when reporting on the tramways for June. Tram fares totalled £1224 7s lOd and passengers 155,005, an increase of 4008 passengers. The revenue from the buses showed an increase, too-£l9 17s lid. They travelled 5950 miles and earned £231 14s 6d from 26,499 passengers, an increase of 2282 passengers. Details of the tramway operations were submitted as follow: Main route: Mileage, 15,695; passengers, 119,054; fares, £935 Ha 4d. Westown route: Mileage, 7386; passengers, 35,951; fares, £2BB 16s 6d. Subject to the hospital board’s continuing to take from the council the whole of the electricity supply for the hospital and all other buildings in the hospital block, it was decided on the . recommendation of the council committee, to charge the board at the following rates, one main meter to be installed in a cubicle in the transformer platform in the street: First 100 units, 5d gross and 4d nett per unit; second 1000 units, 3d gross and 2d nett per unit; balance at 2d gross and Id nett per unit; The tramways manager was authorised to call for tenders for the erection of a tram shelter in Morley Street in wood in accordance with plan and specifications to be prepared by Cr. Amoore. The electrical engineer was authorised to grant free lighting for picture entertainments given in any theatre where the whole of the proceeds were in aid of the Mayor’s relief fund. Having obtained the necessary guarantees, the electrical engineer was authorised to make the following extensions of electric lines: Kaimiro district, Egmont Road (from Kaimiro to the re-, serve gate), two miles; Lepper Road to Upland. Road, 50 chain. Tataraimaka district, Albion Road, 40 chains. It was decided to inform the Royal Humane Society of New Zealand that the council cannot accede to the request for a contribution'to the society’s funds. In view of the fact that 3s stated to have been placed in the letter, box at the Municipal Buildings had not been received, the borough treasurer was authorised to have a notice placed above the box that money must not be placed in it.