KAPONGA TOWN BOARD

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1934, Page 15

KAPONGA TOWN BOARD

ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN RECEIPTS FROM RUGBY MATCHES. RENOVATION OF TENNIS COURTS. The newly-elected town board at Kaponga held its first meeting on Tuesday evening. Present: Commissioners E. L. Abbott, A. R. Bates, W. G. Cran, J. P. Gibson, R. A. Law, W. Marr and J. H. Tyack. Commissioner.. Tyack, the new member, replaced Mr. H. J. Mills, who did not seek re-election. The chairman welcomed Commissioner Tyack. • On the motion of Commissioner Law, seconded by Commissioner Cran, Commissioner A. R. Bates was unanimously re-elected chairman, this being his fifth term in the position. Commissioner R. A. Law was unanimously re-elected deputychairman, an office he has held for many years. Committees were appointed as follow: Works, Commissioners E. L. Abbott (chairman), Marr and Tyack; finance, The chairman and Commissioners Cran, Law and Gibson. Messrs. G. B. Guthrie (club captain) and S. L. -Palmer, secretary of the Kaponga Tennis Club, waited upon the board to ask it to help with the re-laying down of the eastern court. Mr. Guthrie said that last year the club spent £7 Is lOd on material for top-dressing the court, labour being supplied by the board. Unfortunately the ■ work had not been a success, mainly; it was considered, because the earlier coats had broken up. Replying to the chairman, Mr. Guthrie said that the club had no estimate of the cost of putting the court., in order, but was prepared to spend ■ £5, which was the limit of the club’s finances at present. The board decided to set up a subcommittee to ascertain the cost of the work and to confer With the tennis club regarding the allocation of the cost. As the tennis club desired to open on November 1,-the board agreed to expedite the matter as much as possible. The Kaponga Volunteer Fire Brigade wrote thanking the board for the grant of £lO 10s and expressing the hope that the board would make it an annual subsidy. RET JEF DEPOT CLOSED. A letter was received from Mrs. A. V. Tait, honorary secretary of the relief depot committee, stating that the depot, which had been in operation for the past five months, had been > closed. During the period mentioned assistance had been given to 11 families, groceries having been obtained at reduced prices and sold to relief workers at a further considerable reduction. This had been made possible by the splendid result of the appeal for funds sponsored by the town board. A very fine response had been made to the appeal for clothing and footwear and much assistance had been given to necessitous cases. The committee (Mesdames Dawson/ Guy and Tait) thanked the board for taking such an interest in the work of the committee. A letter was received from the Municipal Association of New Zealand setting out a summary of replies _ to the association’s questionaire regarding the half-rate remission of rates. It was stated that 67 local bodies rated on unimproved value, V on capital value and 17 on annual value. Twenty-seven local bodies at present rating on the unimproved value were favourable to the half-rate remission under the Rating Act, 1925, 18 favoured rating on capital value and 16 on annual value. Further figures quoted showed that a majority of the local bodies that forwarded replies to the questionaire were in favour of the remission being granted, either when the annual or capital system was employed, and there was a preponderance of opinion against the remission being allowed where rates were levied on the unimproved value. The association notified that the annual conference would be held at Christchurch, probably in March, 1935. Remits were required not later than November 25. The Taranaki Rugby Union forwarded a statement setting out the receipts at the park during the past football season. The gate receipts were: Kaponga v. Inglewood, £4 19s 6d; v. Hawera, £5 2s; v. Eltham, £4 19s; v. Patea, £9 10s 6d; v. Empire Old Boys, £3 16s; v. Tukapa, £5 Is 6d; v. United Old Boys, £2 18s; total, £46 6s 6d. On a basis of 15 per cent., the board’s share was £6 19s. An application from Mr. J. Fary for a water service to his abattoir on the old Cemetery Road was approved. The Main Highways Board forwarded authority for the expenditure of a grant of £1314 (£3 for £1) for resurfacing 76 chains on the Eltham-Opunake main highway, and for £2467 (£3 for £1) for 73 chains on the Manaia-Mount Egmont highway. MONTHLY REPORTS. Mr. A. W. Anderson, electrical engineer, reported that both plants had run without fault, but a restricted stream flow in the middle of the month and flood conditions towards the end had interfered somewhat with generation in No, 2 power house. A total of 53,640 units was generated in No. 2 power house, compared with 49,580 units last year, and a bulk power purchase of 3910 units, plus 55 k.w., was made at a cost of £25 19s 4d, compared with £2O 13s last year. Little trouble was experienced on the lines, but an obscure fault that caused the earth leakage relays to operate the automatic switch controlling the eastern section of the area seriously interrupted the service to the area during the mornxing milking periods of September 21 and

25. The service was resumed without discovery of the fault on September 21, but during wet weather on September 25 the fault was found to be due to a punctured insulator on a sectionising switch, allowing the high tension current to break a path to earth. The fault was quickly rectified. One pumping and one lighting service were installed. The change-over on the Eltham Road eastwards of the centre of the town was completed and further preparatory work on the Upper Mapaia Road was carried out.

The foreman (Mr. A. Melville) reported that channelling on the Upper Manaia Road had been completed and a start had been made with > similar work on the Lower Manaia Road. The septic tank had been opened and was working satisfactorily. A rate summary showed that for the year 1934-35 rates collected totalled £B7l. The discounts allowed amounted to £45 and the percentage was 69.84. For the 1933-34 year the figures were £786, £4O and 62.28.

The financial statement for the six months ended September 30 showed receipts at £3035 and expenditure £3659. For the corresponding period last year the figures were £3379 and £3343. The figures for the two main accounts, with 1933 figures in parentheses were: Electrciity department: Receipts £2243 (£2217), expenditure £1679 (£1102). The increase in expenditure this year was due to the electrical change-over. General account receipts were £7OO (£1080) and expenditure £1865 (£2194).