BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1933, Page 6

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING

COLLECTION OF TRAFFIC FEES.

BUILDING SUBSIDY REFUSED. The Stratford Borough Council met last night, when - there were present the Mayor (Mr. J. W. McMillan), Crs. R. F. Harkness, R. E. Carryer, R. R. Curtis, W. P. P. Gordon, C. R. Finnerty, J. W. Crowe, A. H, Trotter and C. H. Speck. The board of managers of the Stratford Technical High School sought a special rate on power used in pumping water into the school bath. The bath was always filled between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. The request was referred to the electricity committee. The Unemployment Board, in replying to the council's inquiry why a subsidy under the building scheme was not granted for the boiling down works, stated that the board considered the case was not one in which a subsidy should be granted and the board’s decision in every case must be regarded as final. The board did not feel called upon to give a detailed explanation and as far as the scheme was concerned reserved the right to decline any application without comment though at all times, it tried to do its duties in an impartial manner.

“The board’s attitude is tantamount to saying that a picture theatre is more important to Stratford than a boiling down works,” Mr. McMillan said. “The letter says the board’s decisions are final and yet -I know of a Stratford case in which it altered its decision.”

On the Mayor’s motion the council decided to seek an explanation from the Minister of Employment and to send the request through Mr. W. J. Polson, M.P. The county council notified that it could not agree to the borough council’s suggestions regarding heavy traffic fees but would collect fees on lorries garaged in the county as from March 1, 1934. “I think that is satisfactory if, as I presume, the proportion is to remain at 75 per cent, to the county and 25 per cent, to the borough,” the Mayor said. He moved on those lines.

“This is doing us a lot of harm for the farmers say that we are forcing the county council to collect,” Cr. Crowe said.

The Mayor: If I had my Way farmers would not have to pay any rates at all. Cr. Harkness said he knew that collection of the fees was driving trade from Stratford.

The last counties’ conference refused to support a remit seeking exemption for farmers from the fees, the Mayor pointed out; Cr. Gordon: In your presumption, your Worship, about the percentages do you mean that we should have our share of what the county council collects or what it should collect? The Mayor: What it should collect. His motion was carried. The Mayor then moved that the county council be asked to join with the borough council in asking the Government for permission to refund the fees paid by 19 of the 29 lorry owners in the county who were entitled to pay, the inspector to collect from the ten who had not paid. Cr. Gordon: Why insist on the ten paying? The Mayor: Because the county council might not agree to our request.' Cr. Gordon: Why not postpone collection from the ten till we have a reply from the county council? The town clerk (Mr. P. Skoglund) said it would make the position very difficult if the Government did not agree. The motion was carried and the Mayor and the town clerk were authorised to prepare a. statement on the whole history of the heavy traffic question, making the position of the borough council clear. Eleven residents of Miranda Street north asked that the road and footpath be given attention, the road to be bituminised. Their request was referred to the works committee for consideration. The foreman (Mr. R. Richards) reported that all footpaths on the north side of the town bridge received attention. He expected to have the south end attended to by the Christmas holidays. Tar patching was done on Broadway Central footpaths. Several of the bitumen roads were patched. The broken edges of Regan Street west were banked from Hamlet Street to Brecon Road. Loose stone was raked off metalled roads and the roads were blinded. Good progress was made with Hamlet Street formation work. The north end of the street was completed, the metal was re-laid and all the crossings were re-graded and metalled. The south end would be completed in about two weeks. Bulk supply was maintained very well during the month, no trouble having occurred, reported the electrical inspector (Mr. A. E. Pollock). The new load to the supply comprised four lighting points, two heating points and one 7j h.p. motor. Units purchased in November were 157,400 as compared with 158,700 for the i same period last year, a decrease of 1300

units. The k.v.a. demand was 465 as against 468. The units purchased for the quarter were 584,700 as compared with 559,400 for the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 25,300 units. The k.v.a. demand was 465 as compared with 468.

The abbatoir manager (Mr. R, Jenkin) reported that stock slaughtered consisted of 114 cows, 52 heifers, 3 oxen, 6 calves, 387 sheep, 36 lambs and 100 pigs. Slaughtering fees totalled £92 17s. The librarian (Mr. C. S. Kelly) stated that books issued totalled 2389, new books added 32, new subscribers 10, subscribers not renewing 18, total subscriber? 2Q7.