BOROUGH MATTERS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16547, 23 September 1919, Page 4

BOROUGH MATTERS.

REPORT FROM TOWN CLERK. Mr. F. T. Bellringer, town dork, submitted tho following report to the Borough Councillor! Monday night with reference to various matters which ho ■had looked into during his recent visit to Wellington:

HYDRO-ELECTRIC EXTENSIONS,

Owing to tho Moa Road Board hav- ] inrr lodged an objection thereto, the councils application to the Public Works Department for an extended, area of -supply was hold up. A deputation consisting of tho chairman of the Elec-trio Lighting Committee (Councillor Clarke), the Electrical Engineer and i proceeded to Wellington to interview tne Undor-Sccrctary and the Minister of I’ublic Works with' tho object of expediting the issue of the license. mo deputation conterml with the Undcr-Scerctary, the Munster and the Lhiot Electrical Engineer, and was rcciuvca with every courtesy. Eventually tuo Minister, cl order to bring matters to a bead, decided to appoint the CiKicr-Scc-miuy u conuuis,su,n to hear objections and report to Jiiiii. He promised i.iai the commission would sit within ten clays and that his final decision Mould be given immediate;; v upon receipt of tho commissioners report. it was subsequently arranged "unit ihe commission would sit on Wednesday tne 24th msc. TRAMWAYS—ONE MAN ONE CAR SI STEM, The deputation also interviewed the Minister In regard to this matter, and lie promised to expedite matters and to give a decision waliin a few days. LOANS FLOTATION. Councillor Clarke and I interviewed the Board of Management ol tho Emilio Trust Office in regard to special loans. Subject to the poll of the ratepayers hoi.-iq favourable tho board promised that”money would be provided for 1..0 .CIO,OOO housing loan. In view ol other heavy commitments the money, however, would not ba available until allot- March 31 next.

VALUATIONS. Alter rating upon unimproved values was carried, liie council, with tlio provisions of the Rating Act called upon the Valuer-General to supply tiie necessary valuation rods upon which to base the rates for tho next financial rear. It will be remembered that tho Valuer-General intimated that owing to pressure of omer work no would not bo ablo to supply a now valuation, but was compelled to adhere to his last valuation, part ot which was made in 1012 and tho balance in 1914. Tho valuations being live to seven years old naturally contained many anomalies. I therefore took the ojiportunity of interviewing the V alucrGcneral, and eventually eamo to an arrangement whereby ho will ac.opt tuo valuations made by the Council s valuer Mr. 11. F. Russell, in 191.8. As tho’rating will now bo upon tho unimproved values an assessment court will lie held, and - ratepayers will bo given an opportunity or lodging objections should they desire to do so. Tho compilation of tlio valuations In 1911 cost £3OO, of which tho Valuation Department, the Land and Income Tax Department, and tho Council each paid £IOO. . Tho valuations m 1918 wero prepared for tho Council alone and also cost £3OO. As the Valuer-General and tho Land and Income Department are to have tho benefit of those valuations I suggested to the Valuer-General that it was only fair that the cost should he divided’in Hie eamo wav as m 1914, and tho council reimbursed £2OO. This, however, he could not see ms wav to agree to for two reasons, the first being that in his opinion tho council had been charged an unreasonably small amount in 1914 and secondly that although tho council was to supply tho 1918 valuations, still tho Department would have a good deal of work to do in. compiling the rolls m tho form required by the Act. Ho stated, however, that ho has no desire to treat tho council untairly and would meet them as far as possible by making a very generous set-off m any charges for work which his department would havo to do for tlio borough m connection with supplying tho rolls in tho form required. CEMETERY. As already reported, hy telegraph I interviewed Air. Townsend of Messrs. Townsend and Paul in regard to tlio purchase hy tho council of tho seven allotments fronting Watson, Street, and within tho outer cemetery gates. Eventually, under instructions, I concluded tho purchase at £370, being a reduction of £3O upon tho seller's previous lowest offer. SAXTON’S BUSH. T S nw Mr. Smith in regard to this matter and also had an opportunity of conferring with Mr. Ell, who is also takin" a keen interest in tho matter. Mr. EH suggested that it would greatly strengthen their hands if a report were obtained from a competent person "iving some idea of tho various classes of trees and the size of some of tho largest comprising tho bush. Mr. Smith suggested that such a report could bo obtained from tho curator ot tho Pukckura Park. MOTUBOA DOMAIN. X also made inquiries into fuis matter and it appears to bo progressing satistQ tllo widening of tho Breakwater Road, which was mentioned in the council’s application in regard to the above, it appears that the S* -.U! (N.z.) Oil Wells, Ltd., aro Ivlc rically owners of a part’of tb» Prison Reserve, and it will bo necessary to approach this company also. . I recommend that the borough solicitors bo instructed to search tho whole of the titles from Mr. Honeyfield s to Pioneer Road and to submit a plan showing all owners whoso lands would be affected by tho widening. municipal conference. As tho council’s delegate I attended Hin above conference. There were approximately 100 delegates present. P Altogether 156 remits were moved by tho various delegates, 108 berng passed with some slight amendments, an 48 were thrown out, withdrawn, or allowlorparclcdMi remits

to tho Conference. Of these U wero passed and one was withdrawn, the law having been amended after tho i emit was prepared, and two were 10.->t. Taken altogether tho Council s reI mits received a very good reception. Several .of the tea»l Pf^^ris/ our remits -causca considoia-.u. sUJPriit being found that powers sought by the remits had been exorcised for ycaia I past by the majority of tho councils in : the belief that these powers had alI ready been granted by 1 arhament. Tho Mayor of Wellington extended j every courtesy to tho delegates, and entertained them at luncheon. T, conference tendered him its sincere I thanks for his kind attention. j 1 It was decided that in the future the I conference should not be held exclusno- ; ly in Wellington as m the pact, but : that it Should be held in turn in the four cities, and in tho larger torins.of i the Dominion, commencing l cities. Tho executive will fax the locai tion of the next conference, which will I bo held in two years time. 1 CONCLUSION. , i In conclusion 1 desire to express my ■I sincere thanks for the grem, assustanco ! rendered to the deputation by Mi. faSmith, M.P. He took the keennest interest in all matters in which his assistance was invoked, and. wont to end--1 less trouble to facilitate in every way i tho business of the deputation. r ■ would recommend that a letter expres?i ino- the thanks of the council lor suen ■ assistance bo forwarded to him. Appreciative reference was made to ■ the good work the town dork ha ■ able to accomphsli whilst in ton, and the recommendations contem- - ed in his report will be acceded to. A very hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. R. 0. Smith, M.P.. for his. valuable Assistance.