BOROUGH COUNCIL

Waipa Post, Volume 43, Issue 3328, 28 July 1931, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY meeting.

GENERAL BUSINESS TRANS- . ACTED.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr C. G. Downos) presided at the fortnightly • mempg of Te Awamutu Borough Coißil on Monday evening, and also • prealst were Crs W. J. North, A. ' Brown', W. C, Savill, J. G. B. Gifford, - F. J. Gilbert, H. C. Rainey, G. A. Empson, • and G. .Spinley (deputy- ‘ Mayor). The town ‘clerk (Mr D. Bockett) and the borough engineer (Mr W. D. R. McCurdie) also attended the meet-

ing. Mr W. Swain attended, on behalf '’jWf the trustees of the J. L. Mandeno Estate, who had been called upon to clear noxious growths and other obstructions to a watercourse through the property which fronts Sloane St. ‘ He said the land had been cleared and greatly improved, and the tenant had done more than any former tenant to make the property useful. He could not understand the reason for such a notice. The Mayor said it was legally necessary to serve notice on all owners of property abutting on the watercourse. It was merely a formal notice, as those who had done the necessary Work had no need to worry. Cr North said it seemed foolish and ridiculous to send such a notice after

the work had bedn done—and done so very well. He had never seen the property in. better order. The Mayor explained that a formal notice had to be served. The trustees of the land in question had no cause for worry, as their tenant had already done the work. Cr Gifford- asked, if it was necessary to serve the property owners in V a certain locality, why not serve similar notice on all property owners in the borough. Such a notification might have induced the trustees to Ji. cancel the tenancy, assuming that the had been neglectful. Would not that have been a hardship ? The ■ man had done really excellent work. Mr Swain thanked the Council and

withdrew. •> The clerk, Pukekohe Borough Council,, forwarded a circular letter re the draft heavy motor-vehicle regulations, seeking support of a protest already lodged with the Commissioner of Transport. The chief objection was to the expense which, if the requirements of the regulations were to Be complied with, was incumbent on those local authorities which had protected the interests of their ratepayers by a classification of roads and which had in existence a .street-lighting sysitem. Certain expense would' be unavoidable in the purchase and erection of the specified street classification signs, and also in lighting such signs or having them constructed on the self-illuininating principle. The clerk stated that Te Awamutu borough ? s roads had not yet been classified. , The Mayor said it might be rather 'Carly to 'express support of resolu--7 tions for Or • against the regulations. Every point would be debated, and no ii' doubt the Act would be very different from the regulations drafted. It might be, he added, that Te Awamutu would move in the direction of having a motor' omnibus district created with Te Awamutu as the centre. ( It was decided to receive the letter from Pukekohe. The borough solicitors reported that they had now completed the docujments re lease of a quarter-acre section in Brady Street, and asked that 7 .the Council execute the lease.—Agreed

to. , The secretary, Eden Chamber of Commerce, wrote asking. for support of representations pointing out the ..economic necessity for a reduction of at least li per 'cent on all internal in-. terest on Government loans, local body debentures, and private mortgages, and that the Government be requested by each and every local authority to bring down legislation at once to carry this into effect. It was mentioned that the yearly interest payable internally in New Zealand was as follows: On Government debentures £2,014,715, and on private mort- 1 gages £24,000,000; total, £31,247,170., The above figures did not include interest payable to persons overseas. A 1£ per cent reduction in interest would save each year on the public debt £1,000,000, and lessen taxation by that v amount. It would enable local body . rates to be permanently reduced by £750,000, and would save propertyowners and farmers £6,000,000. The above reduction on all interest payable internally would therefore entail a :rfj. national saving to the people of New Zealand of £,7,750,000. Cr Spinley remarked that he could not follow the argument. A local body borrowed money at a fixed rate of interest over a period of years, and later it spent its money wastefully; then it asked to have the rate of interest reduced. Was that fair ? It would not be conducive to gaining confidence of people with money to lend. Many debentures were bought with the mbney of widows and children. He tfckd no objection to fixing a rate of ifteHst payable on future loans. No. '4ction was taken. ; The secretary, Waikato Hospital "’Board; 'Wrote, re the statement of estimated maintenance receipts and expenditure for the current year, that the Health Department would not agree to the Board showing an esti- . mated-deficit of £5089 17s Bd, and m consequence the estimates had been amended reducing the item, “ estimated hospital maintenance ” from £46,070 to £41,730 2s 4d, and the “ par tients’ payments ” (receipts) increased from £17,675 to £lß,42s.—Received. The dog registrar reported that all dogs-in the borough had been registered to date. Three owners had pot ' yet registered, and he gave particulars. There were no stray dogs, and had destroyed six to date. He added: “ Any dogs not registered belong to ’ farmers and other residents outside the bprOugh who come into town every day.” One councillor remarked that there were still too many dogs roaming the streets. Any dog' without a collar should be impounded. When it was reported by the town clerk that the Government’s subsidy on rates paid had been reduced by ten per cent, the Mayor remarked that

the Council had not foreseen this reduction."

Cr Brown reported that the small tables provided for the use of motorists at Selwyn Park had been removed, and one of them damaged, apparently by someone desiring to run his car under the shelter for sleeping purposes. Cr Empson asked why the traffic inspector was not preventing the parking of motor vehicles in Sloane Street. He had witnessed a very narrow escape from what must have resulted in a fatal accident, entirely through a pedestrian’s view of oncoming traffic being obstructed. Motorists seemed to forget that there was a gradient in the street. It was mentioned that there was a prevalent belief that the Council would not enforce its by-law affecting that street. Cr Spinley said he understood the by-law would not be enforced. If it was intended to do so, he would move to have the decision rescinded.

Cr Empson said there was no denying that the street is too narrow, and therefore it is a danger. He had heard several complaints, and the police were of the same opinion as he himself. Cr Rainey said lorries should be forbidden to park there beyond half an hour. Cr Brown said a limit of twenty minutes was at first proposed, but later altered to half an hour. Cr Spinley said it would be a hardship on business people in the area to forbid motor traffic. Cr Gilbert said some councillors took a narrow view. Actually no vehicle owner had a right to parking space in front of their premises. Cr Spinley was in the fortunate position of having parking forbidden in front of his premises. Cr Spinley said in other parts of the business area cars were parked all day without hindrance. Why not apply the restriction universally ? To the Mayor, Cr Spinley said he would admit that Sloane Street was too narrow for unrestricted parking, but he quoted the much greater traffic in some of Auckland’s streets. It was decided to instruct the traffic inspector to carry out the borough’s by-laws. Cr Savill said the situation would be eased if the 30 minute restriction were applied over a wider area. Parking was absolutely forbidden nearer than 20 or 30 feet from the corner. ,Cr Spinley said car owners were harassed. He was surprised there had not been complaints. Cr Gifford said that was contrary to his information. Several farmers had referred in complimentary terms to the improved traffic arrangements. Cr Spinley said the restriction would prevent any motorist pulling up for luncheon or dinner at the hotel.

Cr Gilbert said it was short-sighted to say motorists were harassed. It would be far better to save a life by regulating traffic than to.allow motorjists to do just as they please. Cr Spinley then gave notice to rescind the by-law forbidding motor parking in Sloane Street for more than 30 minutes.

His Worship brought forward a notice of motion to rescind the de-. cision arrived at last year that the new public library and reading room should be erected on the Bank Street section near the Plunket room. He said he desired to .leave the way open for any other, resolution on the subject at a later meeting. He considered the recission would be a courtesy to the Library Com^nittee. Cr Spinley asked could the same resolution be proposed at next meeting ? He suggested that the motion be formally moved, and discussion deferred until next meeting. After consideration it was agreed to delay the motion.