TEMUKA

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20780, 15 July 1937, Page 4

TEMUKA

NO INCREASE IN BOROUGH RATES COUNCIL’S PROPOSALS FOR YEAR Without having to tfiake any increases in rates to meet expenditure, the Temuka Borough Council will in the coming financial year collect £3,595 In revenue in the general account, which will be sufficient to meet all accounts and provide a credit balance of £3l. At a special meeting on Tuesday evening the Council considered the year’s estimates which provide for rate revenue amounting to £2,568 an income from other sources totalling £1,027 while estimated payments in the general account total £3,564. The income from rates in the general account will be made up from a levy of 1 21-25 d in the £ on a capital rateable value of £334,985, resulting from the recent revaluation of the borough. The total income from rates will be £4,073, the items other than the general rate being: Drainage extension maintenance (5.16 d £7O, No. 1 conversion loan (9-16 d £770, No. 2 conversion loan (Sd) £246, unemployment relief (l-16d) £54, sanitation (22/6 a service) £293, dust (5/- a service) £72. The rates were generally left at the same as last year, this applying also in the case of the sanitation and dust charges, although the Council proposes to improve the method of nightsoi: disposal at a cost of £55. The extra expenditure in that account will be met by a reduction in staff which will save £54. Practical Expenditure Items of xpenditure of a practical nature in the borough agreed upon were: Grass mowing wage £65, repairs to mowers £lO, material £75, topdressing material £125, plant and tools £6O. wages £537 and street lighting £365, making a total of £1.252 as compared with £1292. The reduction of £4O is accounted for by an expected reduction by that amount in the street lighting charges. Actually that amount of reduction will be exceeded in future years, as the result of alterations made by the Power Board on Tuesday. Under the heading of fire prevention, the Council has allowed for expenditure totalling £144 This will be made up by a grant of £3O, insurances £l3, lighting and heating £l2, equipment and sundries £l6, wages £5, alarm system allocation £2B and special uniform grant £4O. When considering the amount to be expended in grants to local organisations the Council decided to reduce the Domain Board allocation from £l5O to £lOO. The other grants provided for are: Library £6O, municipal band £5, Piunket Society £lO, Technical School £5, Coronation committee £26, King George Memorial Fund £5. For the Pipe Band a grant of £l9 was set aside, provisionally on the band submitting a balance-sheet for perusal. The statutory levies for the year amount to £361 for the Hospital Board and £216 for the Harbour Board. Disposal of Surplus Proposals for spending a credit of £447 in the general account from last year (not included in the figures already given) were considered at some length. In a special report the Finance Committee recommended that £lOO of the credit be set aside to meet current expenditure, thereby enabling a reduction in the general rate to 13d, which would produce a revenue of £2,443.

The Mayor (Mr A. W. Buzan) said he was not in favour of the proposal because of the number of major works required and the considerable length of street sealing to be maintained. The committee’s ’ iggested reduction would amount to only 9d for each £lOO of capital value 'nd therefore a ratepayer whose property was worth £5OO would save only 3/9. The reduction would amount to £125, with which the Council could do much useful work and the saving would be only a small matter to the ratepayers. While expressing pleasure that assets had been created out of revenue, Cr. W H. McMillan pointed out that, last year the rates had been increased by £313 and the credit balance made it appear that the increase was rather unnecessary.

After Cr. P. W. Lynch had said that the proposed kerbing and channelling on King street had been held up and that it should oe done out of the credit balance, the Council decided not to adopt the Finance Committee's recommendatl >n. The allocations for proposed major works out of the £447 were then settled at £B6 for the diversion of storm water from King street via Vine street. £5O for the revision of the present general by-laws, £ll for the vesting of reserve titles In the Council, making a total of £147. The amount available for major work to be decided upon later will therefore be £3OO. The Council then decided to have plans and specifications prepared for the work on King street, with a view to using the £3OO towards the cost. The decision not to include the credit brought forward in the proposals for the coming year was made after consideration of a recommendation from the Town Clerk (Mr I Butters) who stated that the Council was obliged by law to provide each year’s expenditure out of revenue for that year. As a matter of sound finance the Council should carry £2OO to meet unforeseen expenditure and moreover a credit would serve to cover expenditure during the first six months of the year until current rates were collected, thereby saving overdraft and interest which had sometimes amounted to £5O. By using the credit balance the Council could carry out some selected Important work without resorting to loan money. NEW HEALTH BY-LAWS ADOPTION BY BOROUGH COUNCIL Approval of the Temuka Borough Council's new by-laws governing matters under the Health regulations was received by the Council at its special meeting on Tuesday. It was decided to meet before the next

monthly meeting to bring the by-laws into force. On behalf of the Municipal Band, Messrs V. Thomas and S. B. Cross wrote submitting a repoi"t of practices held, progress made and other matters requested by the Council at a recent meeting. The Council decided that a committee comprising the Mayor and Crs. I. W. T Baxter and J. King meet the band and prepare a report for the next meeting. Requesting the Council to observe Arbor Day, the Department of Internal Affairs wrote stating that the date arranged was Wednesday, August 11. —The Council decided to observe the day with a special function. Cr. King reported that Mr M. A. Cameron had offered to stage a wrestling tournament in the interests of the Domain Board's funds. —It was decided to write thanking Mr Cameron for his offer and suggesting July 31 as a suitable date. A recommendation from the Works Committee for the provision of seats at the east side playground and the borough office was adopted. Arising from a recommendation in the Finance Committee’s report, the Council decided that where satisfactory arrangements for the settlement of all outstanding rates were not made within a month, the committee be authorised to sue for them at any time within the next six months. MILK FOR SCHOOLS LOCAL SCHEME TO START After some months of delay since the tenders were received and forwarded, the milk scheme for school children is to operate in Temuka from September 6, when the children reassemble after the second terra holidays, stated the chairman (Mr A. E. Smith) at the monthly meeting of the Temuka District High School on Tuesday evening. Mr Smith said that while on a recent visit to Temuka the Director of Dental Hygiene (Mr J. Saunders) had remarked on the great benefit of milk to the children. It had proved a popular scheme, he said, and had spread to SiO per cent, of the pupils in some schools. Approval of the appointment of Mrs W. L. Forrester, to the dental clinic was forwarded by the Department of Health. The Director of Dental Hygiene .had carried out an inspection of the school dental clinic, reported the chairman He had been a.- rred that the appointments had been most satisfactory. Mr Saunders had suggested that a small waiting room be established for the benefit of country pupils and parents. A motion of sympathy with the relatives of the lat M- Murdoch McLeod, a former headmaster, wa passed. Mr Smith was renominated as representative of school committees in the Temuka district on the Board of Managers of the Temukr Technical Association. GOLF WOMEN'S MEDAL ROUND Tire draw for a women’s medal round to be played on Saturday afternoon is as follows.—Mrs Dick v. Mrs Mclnnes, Miss Hanifan v. Mrs Laurenson, Miss E. McLeod v. Miss B. Lee, Miss M. McShane v. Mrs Guild, Miss N. Grant v. Mrs D. D. Wall. Mrs E. C. Brittenden v. Mrs G. 11. Gilbert, Miss II Thomson v. Mrs W. J. Hughes, Mrs E. N. Mosley v. Miss Roddick, Mrs W. J. Shand v. Miss V. Brown. Miss E. Mahan v. marker. AROWHENUA INSTITUTE SIXTH BIRTHDAY PARTY An attractive programme and a well filled hall of members and representatives of sister institutes marked the sixth birthday party of the Arowhenua Maori Women’s Institute. At supper time .the candles of the threetiered cake was lit by Mrs B Solomon and extinguished by Miss R. Spencer. Mrs T. Beaton the donor of the cake, cut it and was assisted by members of other institutes. The following programme was presented. —Acrobatic dance, Miss M. Symons; tap dances, Misses Gladys and Gwen Griffiths; solos, Messrs G. Griffiths and P. Barlow (these two also sang a duet); some clever conjuring tricks were done by Mr Robinson; a Maori play was acted by Misses Gladys and Gwen Griffiths, Miss Hayward. Mesdames Reid and P. Smith, Messrs G. Griffiths, Gordon Griffiths and P Barlow. All were Timaru artists. After the concert programme the remainder of the evening was spent m dancing. A Monte Carlo waltz was won by Miss R. Rickus and Mr Mathieson; an old time dance by Mr- Peterson and Mr Smith; and a waltzing competition by Mrs Deßenzy and Mr J. Kenny. Mr and Mrs Peebles being second. Mr J. Rickus won a competition. The music was supplied by a Timaru orchestra and Mr K. Rehu acted as master of ceremonies. BIBLE CLASS SOCIAL A play entitled “Bought with a Price” written by Mrs J. Rendall was presented by seven members of the Trinity Bible Class at the fortnightly social of the combined Presbyterian Bible Classes. Mrs G. A. Davey gave an address on “The Beginning of English Drama.” WAITEA LODGE There was a good attendance at the fortnightly meeting of the Waitea Lodge when several members of the Waihl Rebekah (Geraldine) were present. N.G. Sister E. J. Scott, presided. The Walhi lodge initiated a member into the order. One candidate was balloted for and duly elected and another proposed for membership. BASKETBALL DANCE Many couples attended the dance arranged by the Orton Basketball Club in the Orton School on Tuesday even-

ing. Mr I. Gillum was M.C. and Mr C. Kelland provided the music. Winners of the competition dances were Mr Roger Palmer and Miss Elsie Mahan (Monte Carlo waltz) and Miss Sugrue and partner (traffic cop dance). GENERAL NEWS In the report of the Temuka Library Committee’s meeting in yesterday’s paper it was stated inadvertantly thaj Mr H. Hitchcock had been elected act-ing-secretary of the committee. Mr Hitchcock was elected acting-treas-urer in place of Mr W. B. Sutcliffe, who will shortly leave the district. It was decided at the fortnightly meeting of the Oax Leaf Juvenile Druids Lodge to invite the Acorn Lodge (Timaru) to attend its next meeting. A second grade basketball match which was postponed from earlier in the season between Orton and Kerrytown was won by the former by 10 goals to six. W. H. Kirk’s half-price sale will commence to-morrow at the King Street shop, Temuka. Procter’s, the Opticians, Christchurch, will be making their next professional visit to Temuka on Tuesday. 17tb August, when they may be consulted on all defects of eyesight at the Temuka Hotel. Appointments can now be made by ringing the OTA Dispensary, ’phone 240 M. ....