BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170268, 13 July 1920, Page 8

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

(Continued i'rom Page 5.) Mr J. H. W'liytc- offered £IOO fo_r a strip of lurid between his land (lot 7) end tho proposed north boundary ot the new road. - „ Recommendation: That the ofrer ho declined. , With regard to Mr Whyte s offer of £IOO for the strip of land referred to, a discussion took place. It Was stated that the formation of the road in question would greatly enhance tUo value of Mr AVhyte's property and several councillors thought lie should give £l5O for the land. ••••.-Councillor' Doyle thought. Mr "Whyte had made a generous offer :ir.d that the Council should accept it. The land wns of no use to the Council. Council lor . Murphy expressed surprint that two hard-headed business men. lilte Councillors Doyle and Allchurch "should be willing to sell this l.'nd for £I.OO. ' He would certainly vote for the recommendation of the committee. Councillor Sealey said that if Councillor Doyle owned Mr Whyte's-land. lie. thought Ire would he. willing to give £2OO for it, . The recommendation of the Council was adopted without alteration. With regard to the proposed improvements at.telic Park and Auzac Reserve Councillors Donnelly and Murphy urged that. the. committee should further consider this matter and bring in an amended report involving a smaller expenditure. -'i.Coimcillor Scnley said the committee had put their proposals in concrete form, an<« wlwi.t they had 'suggested (hcv considered necessary. Councillor Doyle said the committer had done their work thoroughly no doubt, hut in view of the state of the money market lie did not think this a. desirable time to ask for a. loan ex cent"■■ for tilings which could not done without, or which would ;eturn a profit-. The thing that struck him "'about the lomi proposals was-'' their magnitude, a. town which hu.d just increased its rates by 9d in the £ would require to . go carefully in the mailer of further loans. The Park was a credit to the town and an attraction to visitors, but sihey could not hop:? to compete,' in the matter of Park attractions, witli cities where tliey had large snms to spend. Tie was •against • raising money for Park improvements at the present time, or for draining Anzae Resferve (which they had 'oeeii told long ago was drained). They must confine themselves to work? of . urgent necessity. Councillor Satterthwaite said he was ■in favour of the clauses recommenced, for adoption. The Park improvements Were necessary, and they could only be made by means of a..-loan. The Council had not the money to effect 1 hem out of .revenue. He had no objection to the matter being referred ' back • to the Works Committee, but if

the Council adopted the proposal the'ratepayers would still have the final say when the loan came before them. ft 'was decided that the clause, in' regard to tho Park and Anzae Reserve improvements bo referred :;.ick to the committee for further consideration. Concerning the proposed loan for the Bay, Councillor Doyle suidVhc was in. favoiu- of this, as it was a paying proposition; The Council agreed unanimously to this loan. With regard to the proposed waterworks loan, Councillor Doyle saiil that before putting this before the ratepayers they should get an independent report- from Mr C. E. Dobson as to the ijec-essity or otherwise for it. .Ho would be in favour of the loan if the expert said it was necessary. The Mayor said the Underwriters' Association had reduced the insurance premiums oil condition that the water reticulation was completed. For this and for _ health reasons they should carry this proposal, which, was the most important of all their loan proposals Councillor Doyle said he would like fuller information before they committed themselves. Tf fortified by Mr Dobson's opinion they would be in astrong position to go to the ratepayers. The Mayor said that no harm would be done by passing the- recommendation that night. Councillor Shirt-cliff said they should first get a. rept. lu from Mr Dobson, as tliev could ther go to the ratepayers with more confidence. Councillor Donnelly said the Council should pass the recommendation as it stood. No.harm could possibly be done. Councillor Doyle said they should get a second report, independent of their own engineer, before going to the ratepayers with it. . [ Councillor Satterthwaite said he wag convinced that the scheme was rtcessary, and %hfit the recommendation should be adopted as it stood. Councillor vinnnell pointed oi>t that' the ratepayers had the final say in the matter, and the Council should be satisfied if they laid the proposal clearly before them. He favoured 1 caving the , e.nort as it stood.. The recommendation was .'.pproved. In reply tp Councillor Murphy the Mayor said the Council' had offered ' £15,000 for the Maori Reserve, but j they could get no definite reply from' the Department. Councillor Murphy said ihey 1 should write every •day till they got a. reply. The report of the committee of July 5 was then adopted, as amended, Crnncillor Doyle dissenting. The committee's report of July 7 was next considered. ■ _ Councillor Satterthwaite objected to the proposal to connect, the waterworks foreman's lio-'se willv the telephone. He bad done without it fo 1 * 33 years, and could do 'without :il a little longer. Councillor Washer said the object was to create a further safeguard in case of fire. Councillor Sealev spoke strongly con-

II i m mm cerning the thieving which was continually going on in" the Park. Year after year valuable plants were stolen, and no words were strong enough to | condemn, those who were responsible for j these mean acts. ! Councillors Vinnell and Donnelly said they should appeal to the public! to protect their own property. Councillor Allchurch said lliat What was done in tlie Park was an absolute disgrace.' Tlie thieving was not the worst aspect of what was done; the wilful damage which was done v, as tho worst. The Mayor deplored the thefts and damage at the Park, and said he i ' thought they should erect some notice boards in the Park appealing .to the people to protect tlieir own property. (Hear, hear.) x The report of the committee of July 7 was then adopted. IMPROVEMENTS TO RESERVES. This committee (Present —Tho Mayor Deputy-Mayor (chairman), Councillors Satterthwaite, Washer, Vinnell and Foster) reported as follows on their meeting of July 5: — Proposed loan for improvements "at Park and Anzae Reserve.; —After con- i sidering the curator's report of June 2, and alternate loan proposals ol £5045 and £13,645 it was decided recommend the Council to submit a loan proposal to the ratepayers for the sum of £4OOO for making the"following improvements at the Park and Anzae Reserve: At the Park. (a) New gates at main entrance, Charles Street and Edward Street with j reinforced concrete pillars faced with brick, (b) New fence of posts and. ! standards and wire with hedge of j olearia from main entrance to Charles Street. (c) Retaining wall on part .of j King Street frontage from the main entrance to the hack entrance with hedge, also gateway and gate to back door of- cottage.* (d) Men's .lavatory, (e} Rustic, fence round pond, '(f) Finishing native garden, (g) Improving that portion of the ground between 'middle drive and the upper pond. (h) Tree planting with * protection. ! (i) New begonia house , (or modified winter gardens) totalling £3540. At Anzae Reserve. Draining football grounds and asphalting and fencing and forming" the proposed tennis courts, totalling £4£o. At Caroline Bay. .Recommendation: That "the Council be recommended to. submit a loan proposal to the ratepayers for the sum of £6OOO for making the following improvements; (a) Asphalt footways, (b) Amusements for children, (c) Supper room to Hall. (d) Additions to Tea Rooms, (e) Additions to bathing sheds, .(f) Completion of hot sea-water. Vmths. (g) Subway- for motor rars. (Ii) E'xtra, tennis courts. (ft Public conveniences, (j) Sun room. (V. Contingencies in connection with the above.',

V'ATKRAVOKKS. I'econimendntion : That the' Borough ICngineov's report of June. 7 on the • reposed irci.iovfments to the Boi'ongli •ii<ter.\vorks fco submitted to iv:lr A: L>. obsoii. C.E., lor his report thereat i, •id it' siu h i eport is satisfactory, that lostn projiosal be submitted to the R'payprs lor a loan of £50,000 to ry out siu'h improvements, f'he Timtmi Fire Board wrote asking •«i Council to put in ten extra fire :■;« in Stafford Street.—Agreed to. .: cost feeing estimated at-£JGO OTHER. JSLECTJ* jc LIGHT A letter was read from Scott- Bros. - King lor .a. iurther payment- tai ac.i..nt_of the new engine wmcli they are ...).v installing, ana suggesting extra t ..<yiiient because the location oi the -Oit hacl been altered.

J'lie Mayor said tho engine was to cost £4056, and fcieotb Bros, 'jiad been paid &v(j(JO.

Councillor Doyle said it was not right -for Scott Bros, to claim extra payment because of the alteration in the 'location of the engine. Ail they might be entitled to was the return tare of their men (who had returned to ChristelHirch because of the delay), and perhaps a couple of days' wages. Councillor Murphy said they should get the opinion of their solicitors before thev paid Scott Bros, anything extra. Scott Bros. had kei)t the Council waiting a long time Tor the engine, and as the Council had made no complaint concerning this Scott Bi'qs. should reciprocate.

After further discussion it was decided oil the motion of the Mayor to pay a further £IOOO to" Scott 'Bros., whose attention should he drawn to the serious loss entailed to the Council through the delay in supplying the engine, the payment to be made without prejudice to the Council's rights under the contract, and to be subject to the approval of the Council's solicitors. .

In reply to a. question. Councillor Doyle said there was a serious leakage | of power generated at the power-house. In June the loss was over 50 per cent. Some loss could not be avoided, but it should not be more than 20 to 25 per cent. He had asked the engineer to prepare a report on the matter. The loss over the whole of last year was 43 per cent. Councillor Murphy said the sooner they got down to rack-bottom in re-gard-to this plant t/ie better. It was much to be that they had not taken Mr Stork's opinion when !;•. told them to change over from the direct to alternating current. Mr Stark had advised them (if they took power from the Governmc- I:) to scrap the present direct current pkuit and make the first loss the last. It was evident from the start that the plant was only fit for scrapping. Councillor Shirtcli.fr said the plant was in a very bad condition; and he suggested that the engineer should he left to get it in order and tell the Council afterwards all that had been done.

Tho Mavor said the pfewb was a wreck when tlie tss engineers had taken it over, and i 1" was to their credit that they had kept the light and power going. (Hear, hear.) The plant was being improved every day. hut not until the new unit was in working order would there be opportunity to give the whole plant a thorough overhaul.

At "this stage the manager of the Electric Light Department (Mr Wilson) attended, and in reply to Councillor Donnelly he said that he could not say until he had made a thorough examination whether it was wise to ■■spend a lot of money in repairing the steam engine. This examination could, not be made until the new. engine was running. In the meantime they had to keep running as besrfc they could. ■Councillor Do\le inquired whether it

would pay to scrap the three boiler* ;thd put in one modern 'ooiler in their Mr Wilson said yes it would undoubtedly pay to do this. The cost of a. modern boiler would be about £350 In reply to Councillor Murphy Mr

Wilson said they were losing a jot of coal . with the present boilers which used BTbs of coal per h.p._ while with a- modern boiler only 31bs of coal would be required per h p. In reply to Councillor -Murphy Mr Wilson said a good deal of the leakage was caused through overloading t'io mains. He had not had experience of any other plant where the leakage had been so great as it was here In reply to Councillor S'attershwaite the manager said he did not anticipate that they would have anoother breakdown as serious as the last on-. To give the plant a, thorough overhaul they would require to close down tho

works for three or' i'onr days, but he hoped to be .able to keep the plant going till the new engine was running, and then they would be able to make a proper overhaul. The report of the electric light committee was adopted.

GENERAL. . On the motion of Councillors Sealey and Satterthwii.ite a motion expressing the appreciation of the Council for the long and faithful services of Messrs Sliaw, Kemick, Yelland and O'Connor, who are retiring on superannuation, was carried.

In reply to Councillor Murphy the Town Clerk read a- report from the engineer stating that he had appointed four married returned soldiers to the street staff, and the fif.th vacancy had been filled by the Council's nominee, Mr Sullivan.

Applications for permission to erect dwellings were received from Messrs P. O'Hagan. J. A. Morgan, T. Simon (2), J. Tj. Dale and J. Caithness. —Granted. ACCOUNTS.

Accounts were passed for payment a» under: —General £696 0s lOd, bus service £97 ss, electric light- £267 7s Sd, Caroline Bay (painting) £lll 18s 6d, Park and reserves (paintings) £lll l?s 6d, —total £1284 18s 6d. The Council rose a few minutes before midnight. -

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