MAIN TRUNK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 425, 17 November 1930, Page 3

MAIN TRUNK

RAETIHI OCCUPATION BY CROWN. REMISSION OF RATIOS. Members of the Raetihi Borough Council were surprised at. the request made bv the District Engineer, Mr Koller, * Public Works Department. Stratford, for remission of rates on the property of the M aimarino County Council.

The District Engineer wrote asking if the District Valuer had notified the Council of the alteration in values in respect of the premises leased by the Crown from the Waimarino County Council. Such premises are exempt from rates and a request was made that the alteration should be made on the roll.

It appears the Department of Agriculture leases an office from the County Council, a room upstairs. The valuation of the portion occupied by the department is set down at capital value £27;», unimproved value £25, and value of improvements £250. The Town Clerk said he replied to the first letter from the District Engineer t.i the effect that the valuer had made the alteration after the rate for this year had been struck and after the rate demands had gone out. He then received another memo asking for an assurance that the matter will not be overlooked next year and he replied in the affirmative. ‘He received a third communication to the effect that oth.*r Town Clerks had been approached and remission of rates had been made insimilar cases and he was asked if the lessor would not be relieved of part of the rates represented by the premises occupied by the Crown. The clerk’s reply was to the effect that the rates had been paid on the property and ho had no authority to make a refund. Ajsked by a councillor the amount of the reduction the town clerk said there would be a difference of £3 6s. Another councillor expressed the opinion that because a Government Department leased an office, perhaps on a week to week tenancy, it did not appear to him to be a good reason why the value of the land should be altered an.l less rates paid to the Council by the owner of the land.

It was suggested that this would be a suitable subject to obtain the opinion of the Municipal Corporations association. The matter was referred to the Finance Committee to deal with. GENERAL. At the meeting of the Raetihi Borough Council on Thursday Mr H. Rio per, on behalf of Mrs Keuke, presented to the Council a large photo of the lace Cr. Keuke to be hung in the Council Chambers. The Mayor thiuked the donor for the handsome photo and asked Mr Ripper to assure h f -r it would be highly* appreciated and Lung on a suitable place on the wall, with the name underneath it.

The necessity for a pab'ic conven'encc was mentioned bj a councillor a: the Borough Coancil () n Thursday and the matijr was referred to the AVoras Committee tu consider a id report to the Council.

During last month the borough ranger impounded five horse? am’ four cows found at iarge on t? ■ Raetihi roads. Fines amounting to £3 6s 6d were collected nt the Raetihi M'-ggrates’ Court and on to the Raetihi Borougli Council at its last meeting. The Minister of Edu cation has notified the Mayor of Raetihi that he hopes to be able to pay a visis to the district at an early date.

The representative of a carrying firm was in Raetihi on Thursday canvassing for support in connection with cheap transport from Wellington. It is understood that the firm has secured a con tract for about three year’s cartage of timber from the locality of Raurimi and back loading from Wellington will be carried at a low rate. The freight on small parcels collected in Wellington and delivered is exceptionally low. Mr E. Pringle, commercial agent of the railways, will meet all interested in the railway question at Ashwell’s HiR on Tuesday when Le will discuss the question of freight and the goods traffic on the branch Irie. It is hoped that settlers and business people generally will take this opportunity of considering the work of the branch railway and the best means to adopt to ensure th ut it. will be continued.

RAETIHI WATER SUPPLY.

EXTRAORDINARY CONSUMPTION.

The pumping of the water supply for the Borough of Raetihi has given the Borough Council a basis for much thought and conjecture. At the meeting of the Council on Thursday night the engineer, Mr W. Journeaux submitted another report on the matter. According to the engineer last month the water drawn off by the town supply was 1,812,720 gallons. This wag an increase of 613,200 gallons on the same month last year. The engineer compiled an interesting comparative statement of the two years. In January, 1929, there were 1,554.200 gallons pumped and in 1930 the quantity was increased by 2.6.56.200 gallons, making a total of 4.204.200 gallons for the month. The engineer remarked that he thought there were some fires in the latter period and this helped to swell the total.

It is noted that the recorded rainfall for the month of January this year was 6.63 inches and in 1929 the fall was 3.38 inches. This was the heaviest fall in January for the last seven years.

For some reason not apparent the consumption in February of this year showed a decrease of 291,480 gallons the totals being 1,530,480 gallons in 1929 and 1.239,000 gallons this year. The rainfall in February this year was 1.68 inches and last year it was .98 inches.

In March the water consumption this year increased by 15,120 gallons on last year’s supply, the figures being 1,695,000 this year against 1,680,000 last year. The rainfall was .59 inches this year and 3.97 inches last year. In .'jpril, the totals are less but there , is still an increase this year of 66.360

gallons the figures being 1,202,880 gallons for 1929 and 1,269,240 gallons this year. The rain for the month for April 1930 was 4.27 inches as agaiist 2.58 inches the previous year. In May 1929, there were only 740,460 gallons pumped, but this year there were 1,309,560 gallons, an increase of 56°,100 gallons and the rainfall was 3.33 inches this year and 3.6 inches last

year. ' It would appear as if the Borough officials were on the look out for leaking taps about this time for Juue and July this year both show a decrease, and there was also a considerable less rain during these two months tills year. In 1929 the consumption for June was 1.536,660 gallons and for July it was 1,684,200 gallons and this year the ligures were only 873.600 gallons and 989.520 gallons respectively, the decrease in the first case being 690,060 and in the second instance 694,680 gallons. The rainfall for the two months this year wag 4.16 inches and 4.86 inches against 12.17 inches and 5.76 inches last year.

In August this year the consumption jumped up to 1,470,840 gallons, an increase of 55,440 gallons over the same month the previous year. The rainfall was about the same.

September this year showed a decrease of 265,440 gallons, the figures being 1.671,600 gallons in 1929 and 1.406,160 gallons in 1930. The rain was a shade less this year.

Last month showed an increase of 613,200 gallons on last year, the figures being 1,199.520 gallons and 1,812,720 gallons. The rain was also much heavier this year, the fall being 6.4 inches as against 2.49 inches in 1929.

In 1929 there were pumped 17,929,680 gallons and for the ten months of this year 16,269,960 gallons.

In this special report the engineer explained there were two pumps, one a four-stage centrifugal pump, direct coupled to a 37 h.p. motor. This pump is delivering more than 250 gallons per minute. It was designed to deliver 250 gallons when run at a certain speed, but it is being run at a greater speed against a smaller head. The second set comprises a five stage centrifugal pump, direct coupled to a 16 h p. motor and is controlled by automatic switch gear. This is designed to deliver 7(1 gallons per minute against a head of 285 feet, when run at a speed of 2,900 r.p.m. The actual head it is called upon to deliver against is only 214 feet so the output again must bp in excess of 70 gallons per minute. The engineer stated he had made tests and kept the pumps under observation and he knew 7 the pumps were delivering more than their designed quantity. The automatic pump took six minutes to register 1 k.w.h.r. and in that time it had pumped 420 gallons. The loading was steady and the power was checked up by a wattmeter and any abnormality would be readily seen on the power pressure gauges and ammeters at the pumping stations. The water tank which is used as a reservoir is 44 feet inside diameter and 21 feet inside depth. The total fluid capacity equals 199,570.14 gallons. The electrical engineer recently carried out a test. The storage tank was full w’hen he shut down the pumping plant and in 18 hours afterwards it was found that 149,677 gallons had been taken out through the supply mains. This was by no means the heaviest draw off that had been observed by the engineer. The average water supply systems are designed on a basis of 40 gallons per 24 hours per head of consuming population. During the test period the consumption was over 8315 gallons per hour. The electrical engineer did not know the number of actual consumers so he was no f in a position to give the average consumption per consumer. The Mayor Air H. W. Littlewood, said the Borough, was losing £l3O a year with this extraordinary consumption of water. They should sell the electric current elsewhere. The Electricity Committee recommended that all commercial user’s of water be metered. It is stated that the number of connections is about 210 and inspections by the Borough foreman has always brought some leaky tap's to light. Cr. T. S. Fagg pointed out that someextra bylaws might be required to deal with the installation of the meters and collection of a charge.

It was finally agreed to refer the matter to the Legal Committee and the Electricity Committee to confer with the engineer and report to the Council. The consumption of water in London is given by authorities as 35.7 gallons per head per day, in Liverpool it is 34.5 gallons, in Manchester it is 33 gallons, in Birmingham 26 gallons and in Glasgow it is 63 gallons.

TAIHAPE

MAJESTIC THEATRE Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, filmdom’s favourite sweethearts, will make their Fox Movietone musical comedy debut on the Majestic Theatre screen in “Sunny Side Up,” written by De Sylva, Brown and Henderson. This elaborate production, hailed as the greatest of the year, will be seen and heard to-morrow and Wednesday. Farrell reveals a pleasing baritone voice in several song numbers which is certain to add thousands to his already long list of admirers. Miss Gaynor, in addition to singing, dances and plays the zither. An unusually fine supporting cast surrounds the stars in Sharon Lynn and Frank Richardson, who made individual hits in the “Fox Movietone Follies”; Marjorie White, sparkling Broadway comedienne, and El Brendel, whose Swedish impersonations have made him one of the screen’s most popular performers. Augmenting the imposing cast are 100 singing and dancing beauties in the chorus ensembles. Box plans are now open at Dashwood’s, ’phone 147.

BOROUGH BUSINESS. His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. P. Aldridge) presided over the monthly meeting of the Taihape Borough Council on Friday evening. Also present were Crs Loader, de Lautour, Read, White, McDonald, Christensen and Kelly, and the town clerk (Mr E. J. Price) the Borough Engineer (Mr H. Truman) and the Electrical Engineer (Mr H. G. Knight). Correspondence. A letter was received from the Director of Town Planning acknowledging receipt of the Council's letter stating it did not want to be included in the Wanganui Regional Planning area and inquiring in what area the Council desired to be included.—lt was resolved to request the Director to meet the Council at a date to be arranged for the purpose of discussing the matter. The Borough Solicitor wrote advising that the Council had the power to sell the section known as the old pound site to the Vacuum Oil Company. It was resolved to notify the company of the position. A letter giving particulars of a land

settlement scheme, propounded by the Mayor of Eltham <Mr J. T. Bridger) was read by the Town Clerk, lhe letter was received, Cr. Christensen icmarking that the matter was outside the scope of the Council’s activities. Swim mi ng Baths. The Town Clerk said nothing had yet been done in regard to the swimming baths, and he had therefore deemed it advisable to place this matter on the order paper. Cr de Lautour said the matter was one to be considered by the Baths Committee which comprised the Oval Domain and Electrict Light Committees. He objected to the matter being placed on the order paper before receiving the consideration of the Baths Committee. He was surprised at the action Cr. Loader had taken in the matter. He noticed by the press report of the last school committee meeting that Cr. Loader had suggested that the baths should be controlled by . the

school authorities in the mornings. He thought Cr. Loader should have consulted the Baths Committee first before making the suggestion. Cr. Loader replied that he had made it perfectly clear at the school committee meeting that he was speaking as a member of the swimming club and not. as a councillor. He had been gathering information as a member of the swimming club. Cr. de Lautour moved that the matter be referred to the Baths Committee. The motion was carried. The Police Force. “When one of the constables is away from Taihape on relief work there is no policeman to go on duty between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.” said Cr Kelly who moved that the Police De part meat be requested to provide at all times a policeman for duty between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. The Town Clerk remarked that when a policeman was required for relief work in towns adjacent to Taihape, such as Ohakune, Raetihi, Hunterville 1 and Mangaweka, one of the constables from Taihape wag called upon. A Councillor: “1 don’t see why Taihape should be called upon to supply policemen for relief work in other centres, and go short ourselves. An extra policeman was appointed to the local force some time ago especially for night work. It is essential that a constable should always be on duty between midnight and 6 a.m.” After further discussion the motion was carried. Amateur Athletic Club. A special report of the Domains and Electric Light Committee read as follows: Your committee report:— (1) Having considered the representations made by a deputation to the Council on October 17, 1930, from the Taihape Amateur Athletic Club. (2.) Having instructed the Electrical Engineer to construct two permanent leads of the electric light system to the Oval Domain, the work to be done free of all cost to sports bodies. (3.) Having granted the Electric Light Committee power to lend all materials held ill the Electric Light Department’s stocks that will be required for the distribution of electric lighting for night sports. (4.) Having granted the Domains Committee power to allocate the required tracks on the Oval Domain recreation ground. (5.) Having granted the Taihape Amateur Athletic Club permission to utilise the services of voluntary gate and box office officials at their sports providing the persons Dominated are approved of by the Council and that the club use only the Council’s official tickets. A. and P. Association. A second special report, of the Domain’s and Electric Light Committee read:— Your committee report: (I.) Having considered the representations made by a deputation io the Council on October 17, 1930, from the Rangitikei A. and P. Association. (2.) Having granted the Rangitikei A. and P. Association permission to utilise the services of voluntary gate

und box office officials at their show, providing the persons nominated arc approved of by the Council, and that the Association use only the Council's official tickets. (3.) Having decided not to charge 10 per cent, on members’ and complimentary tickets issued by the Rangitikei A. and P. Association for admission to the Oval Domain on show day (4.) Having issued instructions that no persons other than the holder of a Rangitikei A. and P. Association’s members or complimentary ticket is to be admitted to the Oval Domain on show day without producing a ticket purchased at the ticket office. Both reports were adopted.