BOROUGH AFFAIRS

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXIV, 11 August 1926, Page 5

BOROUGH AFFAIRS

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The Borough Council met last night. Present: The Mayor (Mr G. Dash), Councillors Lewis, Nash, Robinson, Atwill, Paul, Smith and Nelson. —Correspondence. — The County Clerk wrote saying that permission had been granted the Council to. erect notice boards or the Main South Road, subject tc the approval of tlie Engineer. It was decided to thank the County Cbuncil for the permission. The Vacuum Oil Co., wrote thanking the Council for the ’kind reception of Mr Leask during his visit to Waimate. —Received.

The Melbourne City Engineer wrote stating that the enquiry of the Council for asphaltum was vague.—The matter was left in the hands of the Works Committee. The Postmaster agreed to the putting of notices on telegraph posts.

The South Canterbury Electric Power Board wrote agreeing to the Council’s terras of repairing the asphalt round electric light poles.

Dangerous holes in Manse, Shear man and Harris Streets were alluded to. The Health Officer wrote notifying that there was one case of scarlet fever in the borough.—Received.

The Government Printer wrote that the publication about town planning required by the Council was out of print. The Town Clerk, Christchurch, wrote in regard to Canterbury Court at the Dunedin Exhibition. The Mayor said there was a meeting in Christchurch in regard to the Canterbury Court and the allocation of the cost. The balance-sheet was laid on the table. It was decided to write intimating that the Council agreed to the allocations. The Hawera Borough Council wrote disagreeing with the Town Planning Bill as it compelled the Boroughs, and asking support from the Council.

The Mayor said that Boroughs had had plenty of time to consider the Bill. Ten years ago- a Bill was brought in containing the bulk of the matter. If a Borough was not compelled it would not do anything. The Mayor supported the motion in the letter saying that all Local Bodies Bills should be sent to local bodies. Members of local bodies were experts in local bodies’ matters. The Mayor moved that the latter be carried and the rest, received.

The Mayor: There is a majority of Government officials on the Board and that is the one objection. The Bill is a wise measure and I am quite glad it was Brought in. The motion was carried.

The Fire Brigade applied for the exclusive right of Victoria Park for the days October 23rd and 25th for the Fire Brigade Demonstration. The Mayor said he was glad it was bein gheld here as it would give publicity to the town and he congratulated the Fire Brigade on getting it.

Permission was granted. Messrs Hamilton and Fitch sent a memorandum of lease. This was referred to the Chairman of the General Committee to sign and also Cr. Atwill

Messrs Hamilton and Fitch wrote asking that a house in Lower Queen Street, be joined to the drainage system. The matter was left in the hands of the Sanitary Committee to do as required. —Victoria Park.— Cr. Nelson reported as follows: —“I was asked to supervise the deposit. of road spoil in Victoria Park. The spoil has been so laid as to make a car way around the side of the oval from the Queen St., gate to the gate at Shearman St., and will serve quite well. The Council should adopt a policy of spoil deposit in this Park. There is a slope from the asphalt track for the onlookers and this is about four foot six inches across. What is needed is a promenade track outside this and perhaps at places a little lower. This would do away with the unpleasant walking conditions experienced when public gatherings are held in this place. This promenade should be at least the width for two persons to walk abreast. It will need many hundreds of loads of spoil to complete such a track, but every little helps and I suggest that we place all available spoil from road work or from building excavations on the site and gradually fiom year to year complete sections of this proposed promenade.” The Mayor said it was a good sug gestion. Anyone excavating should take the soil along. The .report was adopted.

■ —Publicity.— Cr. Lewis reported that enquiries had been made as to the cost of space in the Motor Olympia to be held in Timaru during Shopping Week Sept. 26 to Oct. 2nd., and that if it was found advisable, space should be taken to advertise Waimate by the exhibition of photos and the like, and that His Worship and Cr. Nelson be asked to act as a publicity committee and report at next Council meeting. The, Mayor: It is going to be a big week in Timaru and the bulk of the people in South Canterbury will go. Waimate should be the week-end place for Timaru people, and it had surprised the editor of a Timaru paper that Waimate had not become the mecca for Timaru people. We should certainly show pictures. Cr. Nash: The pictures round the walls here are not quite the right thing they will not appeal to the people who want to come here. They want pictures of the rest house in the bush and some bush scenery.

The Mayor : Or. Nash is quite right. It was left to' the Mayor and Cr. Nash to report on the matter.

—Seddon Square.— Cr. Robinson reported:—“The Ladies Croquet Committee express their appreciation of the Council’s permission to play in Seddon Square and are prepared at their own expense with the consent of the Cbuncil to top dress that part of the Square used for their game. This will permanently improve the ground and will add to the appearance of the Square. The dub will be pleased to have the consent of the Cbuncil to this work. The consent of the Council was given the work to be under the supervision of Mr Taylor. —Hawkers.— Cr. Smith reported : “There is complaint made by traders in this town about the hawking continually indulged in by outsiders to the detriment of rate paying businesses. There are the pedestrian door to door vendors of small articles, the canvassers for orders for goods for later delivery, the auction distributors of all sorts of goods, the occasional visits of specialists in silks or the like and the motor vans of large city firms These all militate against the business which has to pay rates in slack times as well as times prosperous and they do not contribute a fair share to the upkeep of the town. It is urged by local traders that some exhaustive examination be made by this Council for ways to extract by license fees or other levies from these people that contribution to the funds of the Borough which should be paid by those who come and go to their own profit only.” Cr. Srr’ith: Something should be done. They take a lot of money from the town. Ct. Nash : We can do nothing. The Mayor: The ratepayers have a grievance.

Cr Smith . When I was in North Canterbury big firms like Beath and C'o. had to pay licenses. The Mayor moved that the General Committee report on the matter. There must be something definite to put before the people. The motion was carried.

The report was adopted. Ci’. Atwill moved : “Thato this Council publicly thank the generous donors of bulbs, shrubs and trees for Kelcys Water Reserve, also Mr S J. Adams for timber for four seats and Dash Ltd., for free transport of three loads of men and material. The motion was carried. • —Water Supply.— Cr. Paul reported : In connection with the Water Cbmmittee and its. proposed visit of inspection along the lower pipe line past the racecourse on to Downlands it was hinted at this table that it would be im possible jo get an adequate supply at the lower end as Downlands was on much the same level as our reservoir. Prior to the proposed visit the levels have been ascertained. The reservoir is 445 feet above sea level and the gate at Kelcy’s is approximately 645 and the seat at the head of Sanders Fall 775. The Railway Station is surveyed 175 feet above sea level and the inner gate at Downlands is approximately 163. This gives a fall from the reservoir to the end of the pipe line of 280 feet. It is clear that the Water Committee on its inspection will have to examine other causes for the shortage of water at Downlands. The Mayor : It is not a question of altitude. The report was adopted. —General Committee.— For the General Committee Cr. Nash reported that parking signs

had now been erected and Inspectors could get busy. The Town Clock was now lighted on three faces and there was a distinct improvement. * The report was received.

—Sanitary and Water Committee’s Report.—•

On behalf of the Sanitary and Water Committee, Cr. Paul reported that the question of extending the drain in common had received careful consideration. An estimate was being prepared of the probable cost of connecting Mrs Preece’s property on Parsonage Rd. with this sew er and an opportunity given to Mrs Preece of connecting with the scheme of rebate of capital cost over a number of years. Mr J. Bryce had also been authorised to prepare estimates for extending the drain in common section by section to a point close to Herbert Street thus enabling other ratepayers in the vicinity to estimate what would be the individual cost to them of connecting their dwellings with the sewerage system in like manner.

The report was adopted. Mr J. Bryce reported : —“ln reference to the drain proposed for the residence of Mrs Preece and which if is desired should be available for all the houses up to Herbert St., I wish to advise the Council that -I have taken a preliminery survey and find that as there is a seven foot depth at the Maude St. manhole and a very slight fall from there to the next house to Mrs Preece it will be possible to drain the houses at that end of the row into Herbert St. and save the expense of bringing the drain in common up the full length proposed. This would be a much less costly method of draining this area since the sewer would run in at two feet and finish at seven as against some nine foot work under the original scheme. I would ask that the Conn cil have an engineer take the levels along the way suggested beforcxjmything further is done. If this is possible and advisable it will not be necessary to use larger than four inch pipes to continue tliF drain in common to the site at present waitirig connection.”

The Mayor thought it advisable to get somebody to take the levels. Cr. Paul: It was thought it could one time but the engineer showed that it could not. I quite see it might be feasible. I move that Mr Havman take the level.

Cr. Nash: It is worth going into. The motion was carried. —Works Committee.— His Worship, acting chairman of the Works Committee reported:— The cleaning up of Hilliary St., Queen St., to the river, the Gorge Road and surroundings have been completed and the path to the Hospital along Victoria Park has been graded. The spoil from all this work has been placed in Victoria Park under the direction of Cr Nelson. Shingle patching in Opie St., Mary St., George St., and Belt St., has been proceeded with and the shingling of the Gorge Road will be next attended to. The Septic Tank eastern bed has had its clean up and both beds are now in excellent condition. The direction board at the corner of Queen Street and Mill Road is illegible and strangers are finding difficulty thereby. There is need of a notice board at the Queen Street gate of the Railway Station. The Mayor: Quite a number of strangers have stopped to ask the way to the Hospital. The notice on the corner of Queen Street and Mill Road ought to bear the word “To Kurow.”

It was moved that, under the diicction of the General Committee the notices be attended to and “To Kurow” added.—Carried

Cr. Paul asked, on behalf of the School Committee, that when Paul Street was being shingled the part next the school be done. . It was decided that the north side of Paul Street near the School have the footpath shingled. The report was adopted. Accounts amounting to £204 9s lOd were passed for payment.. The Waimate Gas Company’s accounts <amounting to £37 16s 2d were passed for payment.

Cr. Paul said that the Council were doing a lot for the motoring public and nothing for the walkers. They were doing nothing inside the Borough boundary. Victoria Park near the Hospital wanted improving. Some oft the trees should be thinned out. He would like to see some shrubs. The Mayor said ther# were certain things that the Council had on the estimates. There were quite a number of swings for the children. Cr. Robinson : Is it possible to make cricket pitches there or tennis courts?

Cr. Paul: We want something like Haglev Park in Christchurch An outer row of trees.

The Town Clerk: We do not