BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1300, 8 July 1884, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last evening, when there were present, the Mayor and Crs A. Orr, R. Eriedlander, S. /Nelson, if. Bird, W. Leggett, and J. Orr. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. •mayor’s statement. Tho Mayor said that tho debit balance at tho Bank amounted to L 590 10s. The following amounts had been received since last meeting:—Rent, L 3 10s 3d; licenses, LI ; rates, L 1 19s 6d ; L 720 161 still remained of rates not collected. The Mayor added that no doubt the attention of the Councillors had been called to a recent fatal accident on the Alford Forest road at the new cutting. He noticed that one of the papers had stated that the fall was four feet six inches at this particular part of tho road, but he had examined that place, and found that it was not more than two feet. A rider had also been appended to the verdict of the jury which seamed to infer that tho Council was comowhat to blame. He, for one, would disclaim anything of thut kind, as the road was good, and the Council could do nothing except to erect a fence on a private section. If a fence was put at one end people would come in at the other end, and no remedy would bo afforded. However sorry they might feel that tho sad accident had happened, he could not see that the Council could be considered in any way responsible. IT.ANTING RESERVES. A letter was read from tho Crown Lands asking for the Council to send returns of tho planting reserves within the Borough. The Mayor said that the Borough had no reserves at present^but there was a block of land near the sports ground and close to tho Town Belt, and he thought that an application might well be made for that reserve for plantation purposes. Ho would move th a t such application be made to the Government, Cr Harrison seconded this, and it was carried. CR. ST. hill’s RESIGNATION. On the letter from Or St Hill, resigning his seat in tho Council being read, the Mayor said that even if they wished to act otherwise they could not do anything else than accept tho resignation. Hy would move to that effect, and also that the Clerk be instructed to take tno .-pessary' steps to fill up the vacancy,—Carried.

burning rubbish. The appliertions from A. Pritchard and H. W. Felton for leave to burn rubbish on their sections was granted, subject to the usual conditions.

’ 1 engineers’ retort. The following report was read and adopted

As instructed at last meeting we have called s lor tenders for the formation of Grey street, ( and as it was suggested at the meeting of the t, Works Committee that it might ire preferable jto do the work by day labor, instead of by g contract, we have obtained alternative tenders f for supplying teams. The tenders were opened at a special meeting of the Works Committee held this afternoon, that of H. Hooper being the lowest at Li 17s 6d per 1 chain, equal to L 63 for the whole length. The 1 tender of John Griffin was lowest forsupp'ying J teams at 9 s each for three learns per day. We i believe it was the intention of ti e Council to £ complete the formation only so far as William 1 street, but as this would not allow for the dis- , posal of storm water we have the , whole length in the contract. The Works Committee resolved to suggest to the Council the advisability of placing a lamp at the corner ( of the Wakanui road and Cameron street. The labor gang have been engaged in the formation of Havelock str et west and Cameron street, carting soil to private sections, clearing rubbish etc., from streets, making and fixing culverts and bridges, attending to water supply, etc. As one of the gang is now engaged in spreading shingle, the Works Committee authorised the engagement of another mm to fill his place, which has been done. SEW LAMP. Cr A. Orr moved and Or J. On seconded That a now lamp be erected at the Triangle, Wakanui road.’’—This was carried, Cr Nelson alone dissenting. HOAD IMPROVEME VIS. Or Harrison cal Bel attention to the state of the road where the fatal accident had recently occurred on the Alford Forest road. He thought that if a chain, or even less, of fencing were put at each end of the section it would prevent the recurrence of a similar disaster. After some further conversation on the subject, in which it was pointed out chat the sections were not private ones, Cr. Harrison moved, Cr .Nelson seconded, and it was carried—“ That sections 1210 to 1212, inclusive, should be fenced and planted.” Cr Leggett called attention to the necessity of fencing the extension of Grigg’s road, where it sloped towards the river, and it was decided that this work should be carried out. CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACT. The discussion of this question, which had been adiourned from last meeting, was resumed by Cr Harrison, who expressed himself strongly against the adoption cf the provisions of the Act in this locality, as he thought it would bring -shburton into unpleasant notoriety. It was no reason that we should adopt it because Christchurch had done so, and he knew that in other large towns in the colony it had met with strong opposition. Ha would mOV9 _“ That consideration of the question by this Council be indefinitely postponed.” Cr Nelson seconded the motion. The Mayor, as one of the oramittee who had suggeoted that the matter should be brought before the County and Borough Councils, deprecated the idea that some i Gouncill rs appeared to have that the Act was altogether a stupid one. The hue r and cry that had been raised against it at ■ Home was not so deserved as it appeared to ; be. He argued at some length that by bringing it into force not only the present • generation but also posterity would be : benefited. as the feeling of ; the Council was evidently against him he ' would not move an amendment, but ' simply content himself with expensing I his opinion. 1 Cr Harrison’s motion was then put to 3 the Council and carried. FINANCIAL. 1 The Mayor remarked that there were a r great many outstanding debts remaining 1 unpaid to the Council, and he would 5 move—“ That the Clerk be mstructed to 1 press for the payment of t ess.”—o ; fried. • ACCOUNTS. j The Usual fortnightly ;ccounts, amounting to LOG 12i Bd, having been passed for payment, the Council adjourned.