BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1934, Page 3

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

REPORTS FROM OFFICERS * APPLICATION FOR TE METE PARK. « — MOTUROA DOMAIN GROUNDS. The monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council was held last night, when there were present the Mayor (Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour) and Crs. F. S. Grayling, F. Amoore, T. P. Anderson, P. E. Stainton, J. Brown, F. J. Hill, S. J. Smith and J. W. Darby. Mr. S. J. Smith wrote asking if the council was prepared to lease Te Mete Park for a period up to ten years for the purpose of laying down tennis courts. Should a satisfactory reply be received a meeting of residents would be convened. As the present lease expired on March 1 the ground would be ready for grassing down. The council would be asked to provide the seed and manure and the residents would provide the labour. The drainage at the south end would need to be connected to the southeast corner. —The matter was referred to the works committee for favourable consideration. The engineer, Mr. C. Clarke, reported that earthwork required to form a football field on the Ngamotu Domain amounted to 16,500 cubic yards, with cuttings of approximately 20 feet and fills of approximately 15 feet. Much of the spoil would be required to be moved some distance and the average lead would probably be approximately 200 feet. The cost of the work was estimated roughly at £2OOO, and if relief labour was employed at probably £lOOO. Tire clerk was authorised to forward a copy of the report to the Moturoa Ratepayers’ Association. The acting-secretary of the Ngamotu Beach Committee, Mr. F. T. Bellringer, submitted details governing the constitution of the new committee for the approval of the council. The resignation of Mr. H. Pryce as a member of the committee was accepted. Mr. Pryce was appointed secretary of the committee. ' The New Plymouth Rowing, Club is to be informed that the council is agreeable to the New Year’s Day regatta and picnic being run jointly by the club and the Ngamotu committee on the same conditions as in previous years. The appointment of four canvassers to compile the district electoral roll was confirmed. NGAMOTU DRAINAGE. . The recommendation of the borough engineer and chief inspector that temporary conveniences and pumping plant be provided at the Ngamotu Palladium at an estimated cost of £133 was approved. The Ngamotu committee is to provide £5O towards the expenditure. An application for the kerbing in concrete of the main paths of Brooklands at an estimated cost of £23 14s was received from the Pukekura Park Committee. —The work was authorised. In taking over the control of the sportsground at Pukekura Park, the Pukekura Park Committee in order to preserve continuity with the work done by the Sportsground Committee asked that Messrs. E. Jackson, N. Johnson and F. S. Varnham be added to the committee.—The committee’s suggestion was approved. The Fitzroy public hall committee advised that it had been necessary to reorganise the positions of the executive officers owing to the ill-health of the secretary, Mr. A. C. W. Bellringer, and Messrs. L. Humphries and V. George were elected chairman and secretary respectively.—The committee’s action was approved. The New Plymouth picture theatres were granted permission to show pictures on Christmas Day subject to the programme being suitable and the commencement being not later than 8.15 p.m. The borough engineer, Mr. C. Clarke, reported that cleaning up work was carried out at the cemetery and reserves. Reporting on the waterworks, he said that eight new services were laid and two services relaid. Nine sewer connections were laid during the month and a six-inch extension in Vivian and Mt. Edgecumbe Streets completed. A short length of kerbing, about three chains, was in Fulford Street on the north side, from Morley Street. The path in Currie Lane from Currie Street on the north side was asphalted. In McLean Street formation work was completed and metalling was in progress. Paths were gravelled and black soil placed ready for planting grass. Kerbing and channelling and lowering of garages and entrances were in hand. The following streets were patched: Leach Street, Cutfield Road, Mangorei Road and Dartmoor Avenue. The regrading of Tukapo Street was commenced. Relief works were carried out in McLean Street, Tukapo Street, Brois Street and Govett Avenue, and in all parks and reserves in the borough. ELECTRIC SUPPLY. The number of applications received for a supply of electrical energy was 11, and additions and alterations made to existing installations 69, 23 new consumers being added to the system during the month, reported the electrical engineer, Mr. W. H. Huggett. The Waiwakaiho River had been high throughout the month. The Mangamahoe lake levels were maintained. Relief men were employed cleaning up about the plantations at the hydro lands and had completed the tree-planting for the season. A total of 11,090 additional trees including many kowhai, pohutukawa, flowering and native shrubs were planted, 8000 of which were raised in the council nursery. In the power station the overhaul of No. 3 unit was completed. The bulk supply from the Public Works Department was, maintained, with the exception of one slight interruption for about five minutes on the 19th. The supply was maintained over the whole system without interruption, with the exception of small areas for line alterations or renewals. Linesmen were employed about the system on short extensions, pole renewals and line alterations in the Bell Block area. The number of netf installations, additions and alterations carried out by the inspection department was 92. The maximum load at the power station was 3100 k.w. and the greatest number of units supplied in any one day 46,800, with a total of 1,349,700, including 303,350 units supplied by the Public Works Department for the month, as against 2700 k.w., 47,000 and 1,026,425 units for the corresponding period of last year. The whole of the plant at the powerhouse and sub-station had operated satisfactorily. TRAMWAY OPERATION. A constant service was maintained throughout the month in accordance with the published time-table, reported the tramways manager, Mr. G. J. Wyatt. The revenue earned, £1157 18s 2d, showed a decrease of £29 8s 5d on the figures for the corresponding month of last year, and the passengers carried, 148,892, showed a decrease of 1704 over the same period. Traffic generally throughout the month was very quiet, especially so in regard to the port, where a lack of shipping seriously affected the revenue. No trouble was experienced with the plant and equipment. The rolling stock was in a good state of repair. A good deal of work was done along

the surface of the track. Two miles and a-half of overhead wire was renewed along the route, and there was approximately three miles of this work still to do.

The trams ran 16,236 miles on the main route and 7675 miles on the Westown route, making a total of 23,911 miles. The passengers for the respective routes were 113,249 and 35,643, and the fares collected on the several routes were £876 14s 3d and £2Bl 3s lid. The bus revenue earned during the month, £259.12s lOd, showed an increase of £2B 14s 3d on the figures for the corresponding month of last year, and the passengers carried, 28,920, showed an increase of 2736 over the same period. The vehicles recently purchased were proving very satisfactory and were doing tire work economically. The chief inspector, Mr. R. Day, reported that building permits to the value of £14,349 were issued and the fees collected amounted to £277 3s 6d. Four cases of infectious diseases were inquired into and reported upon, three of scarlet fever and one of diphtheria. The manager of the abattoirs reported that there was a decrease in the number of sheep killed and an increase in the number of cattle, lambs and pigs handled. Fees due for the month were £254 19s 6d, yard fees £3l 5s 3d, chilling fees £3 4s lid and rent £1 13s 4d, making a total of £291 3s, an increase of £l7 Is 6d. The chiller commenced running on October 13. FITZROY POUND ABOLITION. Mr. R. Day was authorised to take the necessary steps to abolish the Fitz- 8 roy pound. The engineer intimated that the surface sealing of Vivian Street from kerb to kerb from Brougham Street to Robe Street and the repair of the edges of the surface sealing in Vivian Street from the bridge to Robe Street would be put in hand this summer. The following replies were made to matters mentioned in a letter from the Frankleigh Park Progressive Association: (1) That the matter of surface sealing of the council’s part of Doralto Road had been deferred for consideration with other surface sealing works contemplated; (2) the dangerous state of the water channel on Frankley Road opposite the tannery had already been attended to; (3) the question that stock route signs be erected as soon as possible was already in hand. The action of the East End Reserve Committee in reducing the rental payable by the New Plymouth Croquet Club for the current year from £lO to £5 was approved. The works committee had conferred with Mesdames W. C. Weston, Boon, BaLharry, Clark and others, and Messrs. W. C. Weston, J. C. Nicholson, G. Fraser and others representing'the Plunket Society in regard to proposals for a combined building for the Plunket Society and the women’s rest room, it was reported. The Plunket Society intimated that the old septic tank site would under no circumstances suit the society. It favoured a site opposite the Y.W.C.A. hostel in Powderham Street. The works committee agreed to inspect the new site proposed and, if they considered it suitable, it would obtain an option to purchase, and would recommend the council to acquire it, provided the price was satisfactory and the proposals made by the society were also satisfactory to the council. The following replies were made to Messrs. L. Sutton and W. W. Thomson who, representing the Moturoa Ratepayers’ Association, waited upon the works committee: In connection with the proposal to widen the lower portion of Pioneer Road at the police reserve, the engineer would, prepare the necessary ■ plan and hand it to Mr. Sutton, who would endeavour to obtain from the Government the land required; the council could not see its way to take any action on a request that the upper Pioneer Road be formed and metalled; the matter of the footpath on Bayly Road from Breakwater Road to the beach was deferred until the council considered a further schedule of works for the season. TE METE PARK ADDITION. Subject to tire owner, Mrs. A. K. Short, agreeing to the total compensation being £l4O, part section 87, Fitzroy district, containing approximately one acre 27 perches, will be taken under the Public Works Act as an addition to Te Mete Park. The engineer submitted a report upon the cost of sewer connections to various reserves belonging to the council, and consideration was deferred. The cost of the work was £552, and the reserves concerned were Brooklands (£140), Kawaroa Park (£142), Western Park £134), Huatoki Domain (£81) and Waiwakaiho Park (£55). The engineer was instructed to cut the vegetation obstructing the vision on both sides of the bridge over the Henui stream at Waiwaka Terrace and to form a footpath on the north side of Wai■waka Terrace west of the bridge to Watson Street. He was also authorised to supply the East End Reserve Committee with materials to the value of £ll 9s to complete the groyne at the river end of the sea wall. The foot bridge over the Mangotuku stream in Mt. Edgecumbe Street between Young Street and Devon Street is to be repaired. In connection with a deputation from the Federation of Taranaki Co-opera-tive Dairy Factories with reference to electric power charges to dairy factories and charges for electricity supplied to farmers, it was decided that the request that the last day for discount on accounts for electricity supplied to farm-, ers be not earlier than the 25th of the month in which the meters were read be acceded to, with the exception of December, when the last day for discount will still be the 20th. A further request that the price for power to dairy factories be reduced will be considered when it is ascertained what effect the legislation arising out of the report of the Dairy Industry Commission will have on the question of electricity supply to dairy factories and farmers. Consideration of the request from the New Plymouth Rowing Club that permission be granted the club to use Lake Mangamahoe for rowing practice for a week prior to each regatta was deferred until the views of the Health Department could be ascertained. The action of the chairman of the electric light and , tramways committee in granting the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society permission to shoot shags on Lake Mangamahoe subject to conditions was approved.

Mr. J. Bruce, New Plymouth, is to be informed that the council cannot see its way to make provision for a chess and draughts room in the proposed new library and museum buildings.