BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1935, Page 14

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

NEW PLYMOUTH COUNCIL LAST MEETING TILL ELECTION. RELIEF LABOUR RULING RECEIVED. The last regular meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council before the May elections was held last night, when the Mayor, Mr. E. R. C. Gilmour, and all councillors were present. A heavy order paper was tabled, including a comprehensive report on the council’s activities during its term of office and a number of general policy matters were discussed in committee. Following the recent inquiries of the council regarding its position in the employment of relief labour, a detailed explanation of its ruling against the employment of B class men in parks and gardens was received from the Unemployment Board. While the board appreciated the council’s view regarding the employment of the semi-fit men on maintenance .work, it objected on principle to the maintenance work being carried out with schenje No. 5 labour, the letter stated. Consequently the board was not prepared to authorise the establishment of any precedent, notwithstanding the local circumstances which might appear to. be such as to outweigh any serious objection.

The policy of the board was to encourage scheme 5 workers to seek, casual employment and supplement their unemployment relief. Casual employment under local bodies was a source of casual and temporary employment in towns in ordinary times, and no argument could convince the unemployed that any type of maintenance work, no matter how justifiable the circumstances might appear, would not be carried out except with relief labour. The board had been confronted with this position where certain types of maintenance works had been put in hand with scheme 5 labour unknown to the board. The first objection invariably came from the unemployed workers, who immediately argued that such work was ordinarily available by way of casual work, and although the board announced its policy of encouraging the men to seek casual employment the opportunity of obtaining such work was denied them owing to local bodies doing work with scheme 5 labour.

“Unless other suitable light work is available for these men,” concluded the letter, “I am afraid that there is no alternative but to retain them on sustenance. However, the board’s opinion is that sustenance is not as undesirable or dangerous as employing the men on anything in the nature of maintenance work.” Work in Borough. '

Giving his monthly resume of borough work the engineer said that the Tukapo Street metalling from Omata Road to David Street had been completed and one coat of bitumen had been applied. Bonithon Avfenue and Mac Lean Street had been resurfaced and grouted. Bayly Road from Breakwater Road to the sea had been scarified and bitumen grouted. The work of concreting the watertables in Devon Street was in hand and the .footpaths in Downe Street, Standish Hill and Young Street Dawson to Queen Streets, were being regraded ready for tar-sealing. The sewer bridge across the Te Henui River by the Waiwaka Terrace bridge, which was damaged by the flood, had been straightened and reerected.

Relief works had been carried out at Te Mete Park, cleaning up, Hdri Street, formation, Wallace Place, setting back boundary, Waimea Street, filling iri washout, and Shortland Street, formation.

The engineer was authorised to remove from the upper reaches of Pukekura Park lake the silt washed down from the Brooklands Road area and to effect repairs in Leach Street from Hobson Street to Watson Street Extending where possible the footpath on the northern side of the street. He yras also instructed to alter and improve the stormwater sump at the corner of Morley Street and. Gaine Street. The draft agreement between the Railways Department, the Harbour Board and the council in regard to the widening and extension of Breakwater Road from Ngamotu Road to the port was approved and will be submitted to the (Harbour Board and Railways Department for approval. Subject to the persons concerned signing the usual agreement to take the water supply at the' charges mentioned, the engineer will be authorised te extend the water mains up Smart Road for 16 chains after the pipes arrive.

Supply of Power. The Waiwakaiho River was low to normal until March 17, when it rose rapidly following heavy rain, and overflowed the paddocks adjoining the power station, causing considerable erosion, both at the river banks and near the tail race and filling a portion of the new race with stones and shingle, stated the report of the electrical engineer, Mr. W. H. Huggett. The river returned to normal but again rose rapidly after heavy rains on March 27, overflowing the paddocks and eroding the banks near the tail race, again filling it with shingle and rocks. Fortunately the contractor for the diversion had been able to place sufficient rocks along the river bank which prevented further erosion. The contractor was pushing on with the river diversion work and a portion of the river water now ran through the cut. A gang of men was making good progress with the building of groynes and a lighting system had been installed to enable longer hours to be worked. The Mangamahoe Lake levels had been maintained between full and six inches over the spillway. Relief men had been employed about the plantations. The Public Works bulk supply had been maintained throughout the month. The supply generally over the whole area had been maintained without interruption, with the exception of small areas for transformer overhaul and adjustments, and ,an interruption over the Inglewood and Lepperton area for one hour caused by a car crashing into and breaking a pole at Lepperton on March 20. The number of new installations, additions and alterations carried out during the month was 68. The whole of the plant in the power house and sub-sta-tion had operated satisfactorily. Following are the details for the same month for the last three years:—

Departmental Revenue. The annual statement of figures for the municipal abattoirs showed that 20,924 head of stock were slaughtered during the year, an increase of 1303

head. Forty head were condemned by the inspector. The total revenue for this period was £3453 6s 6d, an increase of £B7 9s 8d on the preceding year. Revenue for last month was £298 Is 3d. The revenue collected by the borough inspector’s department for the month of March totalled £5OO 2s 4d, the largest contributory items being camp rental £33 3s, dog registrations £lO9 2s 6d, heavy traffic fees £235 7s 4d and sewer connections £33. In 1935, 1,885,738 passengers were carried by borough trams returning £15,096 2s 3d in revenue—an increase of £93 on 1934 and an increase of £5 on 1933. In 1935 the buses carried 342,833 passengers against 309,276 the preceding year and earned £3216 16s 5d against £2786 14s 7d in the previous year. Last month the revenue earned by the bus department was £334 7s lOd and 33,506 passengers were carried—an increase of 5757 on the corresponding period last year. A total of 170,492 passengers travelled by tram paying £1363 10s lid in fares.

Work at East End. On the recommendation of the works committee the engineer was instructed to design a new bridge for the East End reserve to be erected on the site of the bridge washed away. Being of the opinion that the work of filling and levelling the swamp portion of the land at East End purchased from the Connett estate and other earthworks were works which would not be undertaken for many years were it not for the necessity of providing work for the unemployed the council resolved to declare it a relief work. The engineer was authorised to allocate relief labour. Requests to Council.

Consideration of the letter from the electrical engineer with reference to requests made by the Relief Workers’ Union in regard to unemployment relief work at the hydro lands was deferred, and in the meantime a ruling will be sought from the Unemployment Board as to whether the work of grubbing gorse and cleaning around! trees is classed as development work or maintenance.

In reply to its letter regarding the effect of the construction of the stock route through its tennis court, the Railway Tennis Club will be informed that it is part of the council’s agreement with the Railway Department to shift the tennis court on the recreation area and to plant a shelter area along the boundary between the recreation area and the street.

The following replies will be given to the requests contained in the petition of residents of Roy Terrace: The request for more street lights will be referred to the street lighting committee; the borough engineer will be instructed to clear and gravel the path on the northern side of Roy Terrace. The engineer reported that the repairs mentioned in the letter from Mrs. E. E. Winfield, Whiteley Street, had been attended to.

In view of the fact that the protective wall on the river bank near the Belt Road culvert was erected by a previous owner and does not form part of the borough’s culvert, Mr. S. Coad will be informed .that the council cannot repair the wall/ •

The engineer reported that the repairs ‘to Burns Street referred) to in the letter from Mr. W. F. Adams and in a petition of residents were in hand.

The following replies were given to the requests ' contained in the letter from the Westown Progressive Association: The work on the watertable on the western side of Seaview Road near Mr. Grayson’s property is now in hand; the tar-sealing of Dorset Avenue from Sanders Avenue to Dartmoor Avenue was left in the engineer’s hands; the condition of Tukapo Street from Clawton Street to Dartmoor Avenue was considered but the council cannot take action at present; regarding enlarging the pipes to the sump in Tukapo Street opposite Price Street, it was stated that this sump was being watched, and if further trouble is experienced the council will consider enlarging the pipes. The engineer reported that the road on the eastern side of the bridge at Waiwaka Terrace had received attention.

Consideration of the question of improving Mangorei Road near Waiwaka Terrace was deferred until next summer.

Mr. G. T. McConnell will be informed that the council‘’cannot remove the water trough in Queen Street, there being still a certain number of vehicles drawn by horses using the borough streets.

' The request of the Returned Soldiers’ Association that the council pay the expenses (not exceeding £5) of the ceremony on Anzac Day was’ granted.

An application by Messrs. Chandler and Co. for permission to erect an advertising hoarding in Queen Street was rejected by the council on a majority vote. \ Miscellaneous Matters.

The allowance to the council’s meter readers for shortages in cash collected by them was increased from £2 a year to £5. I

The Egmont National Park Board will be requested to instruct its employees not to leave carcases of goats in the river bed or within 100 yards of the banks of any river or stream flowing into the borough water- supply. Four new water services were installed last month. Six new fire plugs were fitted to four-inch mains in positions as required and all existing plugs were inspected.

1933. K.W. 1934. K.W. 1935. K.W. Maximum load .... 3,600 3,625 3,700 New connec.tions 195 168 136 Units generated & purchased 16,448,469 16,143,234 16,379,600 Revenue. £ £ £ Sale of energy 70,409 68,199 68,154 Trading and sale of goods 7,345 7,513 8,428 Sundries 4,642 2,929 2,596 Totals £82,397 £78,642 £79,178