BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 625, 2 May 1882, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the above was hold last night. Present— His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Ivess, Roberts, St. Hill, Parkin, Bird, Orr, R. Friedlander, and Harrison. Mayors' Statement.— His Worship the Mayor reported the overdraft at the bank to L99G 0s od. Amounts received since last meeting : Rents of reserves, L 73 17s 5d ; rents of cottages, LI IGs ; licenses (by-laws), H 5s ; earth sold, 4?; dog licenses, L 8 Gs ; rates, L 32 16s ; by-laws, Is.

Correspondence. —Letters were read from :—Sergeant Felton, asking whether the Council would like to have the by-law relative to the driving of cattle through the streets of the town during prohibited hours enforced. —It was resolved that the by-law be enforced as far as regards East street. From the Railway Department, refusing to entertain the application of the Council for a railway crossing at Moore street, owing to the danger to the public and inconvenience to the department. From same, re crossing at Havelock street, and referring Council to former letter on subject, stating that the proposed railway station extension precluded the granting of the request. From the County Council, re charitable aid and the nayine'nt of the Council’s share of same. —lt was resolved that the County Council be sent a reply intimating that the Borough Council will pay its share monthly. From Messrs Gundry and Pavict, asking for the removal of the earth which had accumulated on the East Town Belt during the formation of the outfall drain, also requesting that the footpaths on the belt might bo formed, and intimating that the Wakanui Road Board would defray the cost of same.—The first application was referred to the Works Committee, and to communicate with the Wakanui Road Board on the second. From Canterbury Insurance Association, in reply to Council’s letter asking to be supplied with some additional handpumps, for payment. The letter stated that the Association had ordered some more of the pumps, and they would be to hand in about five months' time; in the

meantime, the Council could have three 1 pumps at L 4 10s each at once, if they de- | i sired it.—lt was resolved that the three I i pumps offered be obtained. The disposal I of the pumps was left to the Fire Brigade. Frotn'Reid and Gray, asking permission to light fires in the open air for the pur- 1 pose of 'putting tires on wheels, every 1 precaution being taken to prevent acci- 1 dent. —Cr St. Hill said the granting of 1 the request would be to establish a bad precedent. It would be to handicap the tradesmen who had been sufficiently enterprising to erect furnaces. He would move the by-law be enforced.—Seconded by Cr Parkin.—Cr Ivess said that he would move, as an amendment—“ That the request be granted.” He thought that for such a young Borough it would be a pity to make the by-law too stringent. If duo precautions were taken, he could not see why the request should the refused.—Or Orr pointed out that similar applications from others had been refused. Still, he felt with the last ! speaker that it would be a pity to make the by-law too stringent. From the little experience he bad of such matters, he should say that the lighting of these fires was attended with very little danger. Cr Harrison thought that tho Council should not permit any one man to do what might bo attended with disastrous consequences to others. There wove men who possessed furnaces here, and ho was sure that a firm like Reid and Grey could afford to erect a furnace which would not exceed a cost of LlO or L2O. He thought the Council ought to stand by the position they had taken* in this matter. —The Mayor concurred with the remarks of Cr Harrison. The resolution was carried, only ; Crs Ivess and Orr voting for the amend--1 ment.

Engineer’s Report.—This report, was read and adopted. It was as follows ; Water Supply.—The contractors have, substantially, completed the new race for the supply of the north-west part of the Borough, but we have not yet passed the work. As this will be done in a day or two we have sent in and signed a voucher for balance due on the contract. It will be necessary to make arrangements with Mr Bradley for laying some short lengths of channelling at junctions of streets ; for the control and direction of the supply.—The labor gang have been engaged in reforming and metalling streets as before, lowering West street, forming railway crossing Kermode street, carting timber for and making and fixing culverts in new water race and attending to water supply. Inspector of Nuisances.—The report of this functionary was also adopted. Auditor’s Report.—Messrs W. R. Boyle and S. E. Poyntz reported auditing the Council’s accounts and to finding the same correct.

Tancred Street South. —lt was decided to instruct the Surveyor to proceed at once with the channelling of the above street.

Footpath Formation. —Or St Hill's notice of motion—That the footpath across one side of Tancred street and Burnett street, across the railway reserve be formed at a cost of L 4,” was seconded by Or Harrison and carried. Asphalte Channelling. Respecting Cr Ivess’s notice of motion — a That the Surveyor be instructed to proceed with the laying of asphalte channelling, from the corner of the Post Office, Wakanui road, to the Central Butchery; from Fooks’s office to the corner of Cass street, Wakanui road,” it was decided to refer the question to the Engineer, with power to act.

A Little One of their Own. —Cr St. Hill informed the Council that the residents on the west side of the town had resolved to purchase privately a small fire engine, say at a cost of about LBO. These residents would be in a very helpless state if a fire broke out in their part of the town. They proposed to organise themselves into a fire brigade, and wished to ask the Council for one of the immigration cottages to be used as an engine-shed and to be placed on the reserve on which the small fire-bell stands. The prime movers were Messrs Cambridge, Braddell, and himself. The request was unanimously granted. Accounts. Sundry accounts were passed for payment, and the Council adjourned.