TAIHAPE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 196, 20 August 1934, Page 3

TAIHAPE

a BOROUGH AFFAIRS. The Taihape Borough Council met on Friday evening when there were present His Worship tlie Mayor (Mr. L. n B. H. de Luu tour), Crs. Loader, Butler. Darville, Wilsher, Sinclair, Ryan. e Leave of absence was granted Cr. ' Mac Diarmid. A letter was received from the Mayor of Westport protesting against the extension of the life of Parliament. The Mayor moved that the letter be received stating that the matter was not one for the council to express an , opinion. Cr. Ryan: Lt does not matter what we say. The Government has a majority in the House and can please itself. 5 » The only way we can express our approval is at the ballot box. The motion that the letter be received, was carried. The Taihape Municipal Band wrote J thanking the council for the subsidy granted the band A letter was received from Mr. R. Worley’s clerk stating that Mr. Worley was indisposed and would not be able to give written answers to the questionnaire submitted to him regarding the Taihape reservoir, for a week or two. The town clerk was instructed to write to Mr. Worley a letter of sympathy and hope for his speedy recovery. A letter was received from te O.C.C. * Const ruction Company submitting a • price for repairing the old reservoir. I Lt was decided to reply that the council had engaged an engineer to carry out the necessary work, and could not consider two schemes at once. „ The manager of the Majestic I Theatre wroite asking for permission to screen a programme on Christmas Day, and stating that if permission were granted he proposed to show “Carolina,” feating Janet Gaynor and Lionel Barrymore. He added that i this film had been approved for universal exhibition and was suitable for screening on Christmas IDay. Cr. Loader moved that the request be declined. Cr. DarviU seconded. 1 Cr. Ryan: Has the council ever disi cussed the matter of allowing pictures } 'to be shown on Christmas Day before. . If this was allowed in the past why / should it be stopped this year? A Voice: The matter was discussed s when permission was asked to show 3 pictures on Good Friday. Cr. Ryan: Good Friday is not ’ Christmas Day. j. The Mayor: Other councils are turn- . ing down pictures on Christmas Day. There is a feeling in the country that L pictures should not be allowed to be screened on Christmas Day. It is a 1 matter of opinion. ’ Cr. DarviU: It is only a money- ’ making affair and should be disallowed L on this account. Cr. Loader’s motion was put to the meeting and carried. Works Committee. 1 The report of the Works Committee ■ read as follows: — That the report of the mechanicdriver. dated 9/8/34, be referred to the council for consideration and approval That the letter from Mr C. Parrant advising that he is unable to accept the position to which he was appointed, 1 be received, and Mr. Parrant be in- • formed* that as he did not accept the appointment offered him, the council > cannot see its way clear to pay his ex- > penses incurred coming to Taihape. , That the letter from Mr. R. Kilkolly re house at. present occupied by him , be left in the hands of the town clerk , for attention. That the applications received for ■ the position of poundkeeper and ranger be referred to the council for consideration. That the report of the nightwatchman. dated 6/8/34, be received. That the following building permit application be approved: —J. Boyd. Mataroa Road, additions. That a motor-shed be erected at the :own clerk’s house at a cost of £l2. ’ That the following stock was killed • at the abattoir during the month of ! July 1934:—31 cows. 40 heifers and bullocks, 15 calves, 294 sheep, 3 lambs. 39 pigs, and 4 potters. Total revenue £B2 5s 6d. Mr. R. Kilkolly was appointed ranger and poundkeeper at a salary of 10s per week plus fees collectable under the Impounding Act. 1908, Cr. Darvell asked that, the footpath in Ellis Road be repaired as it was in a bad state. Cr Ryan stated that Mr. M. Galvin had complained to the <mv,ineer that the bulb in a street light near his residence had been broken by boys and had not been replaced, but the engineer had only smiled and did not take any action. Mr. Knight: I got sick and tired of putting globes there as they were always broken. Cr. Ryan: Is the light superfluous? Mr. Knight: No. Cr. Ryan: Then it should be fixed up. Cr. Wilsher: I will npnve that the electrical engineer be instructed to restore the light and that a reward of £5 be offered for information leading . to the conviction of anyone committing , wilful damage. The motion was . carried. ] Finance Committee. . ] The report of the Finance Committee ! contained the following recommenda- ' tions: That fresh tenders be called for the ! removal of the Town Hall parapet and . repairs to the supper room chimney, ' and that advertisements to this effect ’ he inserted in the Auckland Star. Wei- 1 lington Dominion, and the Wanganui • “Chronicle.” 1 That the borough engineer be I granted sick leave on half pay during ’ the portion of the second month he is I not working. < ' The Mayor and Councillor Loader re- ’ served the right to vote against this 1 clause at the council meeting). ' That the town clerk endeavour to ’ obtain from Mr. P. Pedersen full par- < ticulars regarding the ownership of ex- I hibits in the museum. ’ That having examined accounts and 1 vouchers amounting to £l5OB 7s 7d ; same be passed for payment. $ Speaking in regard to the suggested 1 removal of the Town Hall parapet Cr. 1 Ryan pointed out that it had been , there 20 years and he considered it was > a waste of money to take it away. If an earthquake "occurred and the « parapet happened to fall on anyone, ( well, it would be their misfortune. | Even if the parapet were «emoved and a severe earthquake occurred the front « of the Town Hall would fall out. He ] considered it a waste of money to go j the expense of removing the paaa-

pet, and moved an amendment that the chimney only be repaired Cr. Loader: The Government said that these parapets must come down. They are forcing our hand. 1 Cr. Ryan: Let an earthquake shake I it down, then it won’t cost you any thing. Or. Ryan’s amendment lapsed for ’ want of a seconder. The clause “that the borough- ‘ engineer be granted sack leave on half pay during the portion of the second 3 month he is not working,” was the L subject of some discussion. • The Mayor: I think that we have ( paid sufficient and 1 also think that 5 the borough engineer should have noti--1 fled the town clerk when he was returning to work. t Cr. Loader: I agree. We have paid over a month’s sick pay already. He • should have notified the town clerk when he intended to resume his duties. ; The Mayor: He is a poorly paid engineer Cr. Loader: He works a lot of over- - time for which he never gets paid. The Mayor; I believe he resumes work on Monday: If he is really in- • disposed he should be paid full wages. ■ all the time he is away. - Cr. Loader: He told me be would • be back on Monday. The Mayor: We have received no u official notification. Cr. Sinclair: It was mentioned at ) the time of the engineer’s operation - that he would be away for either four - or six weeks. The Town Clerk: It was understood . that he should be granted one month’s i leave on full pay, the position to be . reviewed at the end of that period if I he is not fit. ; The Mayor: I. want to see the - engineer about the system he works on in connection with the borough under- » takings. I am not satisfied with the t present system and want the engineer 5 to work on a definite system. , The discussion lapsed without any • amendment being put to the meeting. It was resolved to make and levy , rates to bring in £8592. Cr Wilsher was appointed chairman • of the Domains Committee in place of Cr. DarviU, who was appointed to the ; Works Committee. Cr. Ryan drew attention to the fact that several of the borough interest ac- [ counts were in debit'while others were in credit. He suggested that there should be a general cleaning up process by means of transfers. The old accounts should be “cleaned up.” The Town These debits are over a special rating area and it is illegal to make transfers as suggested. We cannot realise the funds of the ; whole of the ratepayers for a benefit ; of a section. < Cr. Ryan: But this is done in regard > to the electric light profits. The Town Clerk: If the Audit De- | partment were approached I think they would agree to a general cleaning up ( process as suggested by Cr. Ryan. The Mayor suggested that the town j clerk should write to the Audit Department along the linos indicated. ’ Domains Committee. A The Domains Committee presented j. the following report which was adopted:— That the caretaker’s report, dated 10/8/34, be referred to the council for consideration and approval. v That the request of Messrs. F. Read n and Co. Ltd. for permission to com- p mence their tenancy of Section 42 of r the Taihape Domains, on October 1, 1934, be acceded to. , } That the caretaker, Mr. E. A. Abbott, be granted one month’s sick f leave from August 13, 1934, and that the matter be again reviewed if he is f not lit to resume his duties at the ex- ■- piry of the month. That during Mr. Abbott’s absence, Mr. C. W. Harding be engaged to cany • out his work as required.