Waipawa Borough Council.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 5709, 6 May 1911, Page 1

Waipawa Borough Council.

The Waipawa Borough Council held its adjourned meeting on Thursday night. Present—The Mayor (in the chair), Crs J. Ross, H. M. Kathbone, W. H. Rathbone, T. M. Bloor, S. McGreevy jnr, W. A. Roberts, W. Pellow, K. Bibby. CORREBPONDRNCR. From Old Boys’ Football Club, asking use of Lindsay Reserve Ground for football purposes on Saturday afternoons, and permission to charge for admission.—Granted, to charge on three days. From F. E. Rennett, librarian, asking council to install patent W.C. at rest room.—Owners to be asked to do the work.

From clerk, Waipawa County Council, asking council to erect horse trough near brewery, his council to bear half cost.—Agreed to. From Inspector of Noxious Weeds, asking council to clear noxious weeds from Lindsay Reserve. Commissioner to be asked for further inform ation.

From clerk, Waipukurau Town Board, asking council’s payment towards maintenance of Waipukurau bridge, per Commissioner Short’s award.—TV be paid. From Sainsbury, Logan and Williams, re survey River-bed Reserve.— Mr Saxby to be written to. From L. C. Rathbone, as follows :

—“Your letter of April 21 at has been forwarded on to me by Mrs Rathbone to reply to, having instructed me to act on her behalf in this matter. I desire the following information on the subject:—(l) Width of drain; (2) Average depth; (3) Disposal of soil removed in cutting drain; (4) Do you propose bringing any more water into the new drain than has hitherto come on this land ? (5) How do you propose dealing with the water from the hills and Domain waterhole? (6) Have you a general drainage map of the borough, showing a permanent system of drainage ? On receipt of your reply I will most probably come to Waipawa, to inspeot the proposed site.”—A sub-committee consisting of Crs Ross, Bibby and McGreevy was set up to meet Mr Rathbone, examine the plans and go over the ground

—Cr W. H Rathbone asked if Cr McGreevy was competent to act, as he was interested.—Tho Mayor said Cr McGreevy would not receive any monetary consideration. Ho, however, would not give a ruling.—Or W. H. Rathbone said the other three owners interested should be asked to contribute half the cost. Those owners were Messrs Cowper, McGreevy jnr., and Avison. The resolution carried at last meeting was to that effect.—lt was decided to serve notice on all the owners. From J. W. Blackman, gas engineer, re coal supplies.—Received. ovrrsrek’s retort. I beg to report the following work done for the month. The borough employees have been engaged all the month on house connections to sewers, and metalling the worst places in the borough. The excavating on Tamarau crossing has been started, but I had to take the men away to lay a length of extra main to connect Mr H. M. Rathbone’s new residence with the main sewer, which will be finished to morrow. When tho council’s part of the excavation at Tamamu crossing is finished, there will be a strip along the railway fence and if not removed the work already done will not be of much benefit so far as obtaining a better view is concerned. The flushing tank advised by Mr H.. Metcalfe has been made, and outlet oon-

nected to the main sewer behind the Empire Hotel. The other recommendations will be gone on with as | soon as the material oomeß to hand. By Borne means, a casting at the pumping station got broken. It was j sent to Niven’s foundry to be repaired, and on a trial being given it was found to be as bad as ever, and | was returned again yesterday. I beg ! to report on bridge near old brewery site as follows : —the stud piles being fairly sound will last a few years j longer. The main sheathing on both sides is much decayed for 4 feet from the bottom but this oould be cheaply strengthened from below. The caps i are bad, one being broken and rotten, and the four old stringers are also done, being hollow and decayed at both ends. As the traffic way is narrow and the bridge too low, I [ would recommend double caps on the cantilever principle, the putting in of six additional stringers (matai) and a new deck, making the bridge 18 feet wide in the clear; this would raise it 12 inches. The estimated timber required would be 2200 feet totara and 4250 feet matai; estimate, £lO5. H. Fletcher, Borough Overseer. RECOMMENDATIONS The overseer was requested to report on the question of erecting concrete piers at the bridge. GAS COMMITTEE’S REPORT.

We beg to report that as directed by last meeting of Council we ordered 50 tons of coal, 35 tons of Coalbrookdale and 15 tons of Westport-Stock-ton. We have also ordered 12 fivelight metres and 3 dozen caps and linings. The manager’s report deals with work and installations carried out during the month. W. I. Limbrick, E. Bibby, W. H. Kathbone. GAS MANAGER’S REPORT I beg to report that since last meeting I have fixed the following services : Mr Taylor’s house, Churchstreet; Mr Butt’s shop, Great Northroad ; and M r Shackleford’s house, Sedgwick. Meters have also been fixed at Mr Bibby’s house, Rosestreet ; Mr Taylor’s house, Churchstreet ; Mr E. Limbriok’s sample rooms, Great North-road ; Mr Bott’s shop, Great North-road; and Mr Shackleford’s house, Sedgwick. There have been two cookers fitted : Mr Taylor’s house and Mr BoM’b Bhop. The pipes ordered for repairing mains have not yet arrived. The removal of lamp from post office will be completed as soon as the cement foundation sets. W. Porteb, Manager. PAY SHEET. The pay sheet, general aooount £358 18s 3d, sewerage £207 14s 4d, was passed for payment.

GENERAL It was decided to call tenders for duplicating the pumping plant. The Mayor suggested that the council should vote £SO towards celebrating Coronation Day, on which they would receive a Government subsidy. He invited discussion.—Cr W. H. Rathbono said he did not believe in throwing money away, as it was wanted for other purposes. Other bodies in the colony had “ turned it down.”—The question was deferred On the motion of Cr McGreevy, it was decided that the streets in the Bush be put in order and that byfootpaths be formed. It was decided to assist the Hadley Cemetery Trustees in laying water on to the cemetery. Repairs to be done to the main road between Waipawa and the Park. Culvert on Tamumu road to be reported on. NOTICES OF MOTION. Cr Roberts gave notice of motion that a fire station be erected at the Park and another at the Bush. Cr McGreevy gave notice of motion that an estimate be prepared for channeling the footpath from Bloor’s corner to Mildon’s corner. THE FINANCIAL POSITION. The Mayor said : —The financial position of the borough as at the 31 st March, 1911, .is very satisfactory, particularly when compared with the year ended 31st March, 1910. The balance sheet shows that for the year just ended the borough funds are in credit £570 17s lOd. The general account, which in 1910 was in debit £866 17s 3d, shows this year a debit of only £285 8s 4d. This great improvement in the general account has been brought about by transferring £9ll Bs, being loans of one-tenth on the water supply loan and town hall loan, respectively. It was very necessary that these transfers should be made, as for the past three years the general account has been drawn upon for all extensions to the waterworks, and in addition the excess expenditure on the town hall was also borne by the general account. It will thus be seen that the transfers mentioned are only repayments to general account of expenditure that the general account was not, in the first place, expected to bear. The gasworks loan account is £370 18s Id overdrawn, and there is yet the land to be paid for. Against this we have £125 owing for gasfittings which will be repaid to the gasworks loan account. On March 31st the drainage construction loan account was £IOOO 4s 9d in credit. Since then we have paid out £2OO for pipes and wages, and this meeting will pass £2OO final payment to the engineers, leaving approximately a credit of £6OO. lam of opinion that it will be advisable to leave this account open, as extensions to the sewers may be considered. At present we are allowing those who connect with the sewers half cost of the drain after the first chain, and the cost of this allowance is being borne by the drainage account. The gas consumption ac count as at the end of March shows a debit of £ll lls 9d, but it cannot be expected that the works will pay straightaway. Consumption of gas shows a steady increase, and con sumers are increasing, but a better gauge of how the works progress will be obtained after the winter is over. The theatre receipts for the past year totalled £l7B 8s 4d. Against this maintenance, custodian’s wages, lighting, and insurance, £144 3s 7d, leaving a credit on the actual working of the theatre of £34 4s 9d. The item of insurance in connection with the theatre is a very heavy one, being £7O 0s 9d, but it will now be much less, as we have been brought under the public hall rate of 36s per cent as against 56s 6d per cent previously. As yet the theatre is not paying interest on the loan and cost of general upkeep. Taken all round the conncii’s financial position stands in a very sound position. There are now no urgent works requiring attention, at least so far as general expenditure is concerned. It is expected that no delay will occur in the granting of the new pumping loan, as provisional approval has already been received. It is evident that one-tenth additional will have to be obtained on the gas loan, but no action need be taken in this direction for a month or two. Continuing, his Worship said, that according to rumours, several new works were contemplated by the new councillors. Although he was willing to support any proposal for the benefit of the town, they must understand that such proposed works could not

be done out of the general account and they would have to ask the ratepayers to sanction a loan. The general rate this year would not be less than 1-Jd, which would bring the rates up to in the £. He did not consider this too high in view of the conveniences supplied.