Borough Council.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 375, 16 July 1903, Page 5

Borough Council.

The ordinary meeting of the Alexandra Borough Council was held on Monday'evening last, when there were present—Crs Spencer (deputy-mayor, in the chair), Appleton, Buchanan, Ryan, Anderson, Laidlaw, and M'Math. The minutes of the previous meeting were reid aud confirmed. Inward correspondence was read as follows: . • —From Mr J Kirby, enclosing report of meeting of the Ivaseby Hospital Trustees. —From the Commissioner of Crown Lands, stating that the title of sec ion 2, block xx, would be ready in about a w*>ek. —From Mr T Short, asking that Ken mare-street should be opened, to allow of acce-s to his prop rty. From the Commissioner of Taxes re subsidy on rates. From Mr R Hay, engineer,stating ] that the Council must be uuder some misapprehension if they are o!: opinion that the engineer has to pay an inspector's wages. —From the Colonial Secretary's office, notifying that July 15 will b observed as a public holiday in celebration of Arbor Day. The inward correspondence wis re ceived and the outward approved | Resolved—That the'fee (£1 2<) for tjt.le of section 2, block xx, be remitted to the Crown Lands office. On 'he motion of Cr Ryan, seconded by Cr M'Math, it was resolved that the District Road Engineer be again communicated with re subsidy for maintenance of roads through the Borough; and that ; Mr Bentfet, M H R, be written to on the subject. On the motion of Cr Buchanan, seconded by Cr Appleton, it was unanimously resolved—That, in order tc open the street leading to Mr Short's and other sections, Mr Terry be asked to remove his fencing off Kenmarestreet. Cr M'Math directed attention to the state of Shannon-street, in the neighborhood of the Anglican Church. The street was almost impassable, and he thought another man should be put on temporarily to assist in forming tbe footpaths Other councillors also spoke in regard to the bad state of repairs of streets in other parts of the town. After some discussion, it was resolved —That the Works Committee inspect the various streets', to ascertain the places most in need of gravelling ; and that they have power to instruct the dayman. Cr M'Math asked if anything had been done with regard to appointing an inspector to supervise the laying and testing of the pipes. The deputy-mayor said that the Mayor had personally supervised the testing of the pipes, and that he was so far perfectly satisfied with the tests made. Cr M'Math said he was still of opinion that an expert inspector should be employed, and he took exception to the slip-shod manner in which the Council was allowing the work to be earned out. He moved—That appli cations be called for the position of inspector of tbe contract work at present going on. The motion lapsed for want of a seconder. Cr Buchanan moved, and Cr Laidlaw seconded—(l) That the Borough of Alexandra, in anticipation of revenue, do borrow from its bankers, the Bank ot New Zealand, from time to time as required, by way of overdraft on the District Fund Account, the sum of £I2OO, or any sum not exceeding th-*t amount,at interest, at the current rate or rates from time to time charged by the said bank for overdrafts, at Alexandra,' -Otago, such interest to be computed as from the respective days ot the moneys being advanced by the bank, and to be considered as accruing From day to dav and to be payable on demand, but unless and until demanded to be payable on the last days of March and September in each year, and to be turned into principal on the balancing of the books of the bank on those days, and thenceforth to become principal and bear interest accordingly at, the rate before mentioned. (2) That the moneys so«to be borrownd brr ». K y 0 f overdraft shall be draw- out of the said bank by cheques signed by the treasurer and countersigned by any two of the councillors from time to time appointed by the Borough Council for that purpose, and every cheque so drawn and countersigned shall be a sufficient authority to the Bank to advance the amonnt therein named by way of overdraft to the Borough of Alexandra, Otago, and to charge the ' account of the Borough of Alexandra ! Otago. kept with the said bank, with that amount. (3) That the town clerk be authorised to undertake that the overdraft required is within and shall be kept within the limit prescribed by section 154 of The Municipal Corpora tions Act, 1900. On the motion of Cr M?Math, seconded by Cr Anderson, it wits re solved" that the F'nance Committee make inquiries re reduction of interest on overdraft and report to next meeting. On the motion of Cr Ryan, seconded by Cr Buchanan, it was resolved that the cost of laying an inch pipe from the mains to the Cemetery be ascertained. The statement of balances was read as follows : Dr General Account, £762 4s 10 I ; Or Interest Account. £331 19< 8; Or Charities Account, £B9 18s 3d ; Cr Contractors' Deposit Account, £55 17s; Cr Cemetery ccount, £45 11* 2d; Cr Library Account, .£8 2s 3d ; total debit balance, £230 16s 6d. The following accounts were passed

for payment:—A Bruce, £8 3s 6d ; W Theyers, £1 4s 6d ; J D Thomson, Is 3d ; J Rivers, £2 14s 9d ; Callaghan and Wilson, 15s 6d ; J Young, £l7 6s 8d; E Terry, £l2'; A and T Burt (wateiworks account), £175 2s; D ■O'Rourke, £6 ; M'Kechnie and Fleming £360. The Council then rose.

The Making of Dover HarbourThe colossal tsisk of enclosing nearly one square mile of the open sea and so creating the largest artificial harbour in the world, which is being carried out for the British Admiralty at Dover, is described in the ; May number of " Oassell's Magazine" The harbour will afford safe anchorage at low tide to at least twenty first-class battleships. The contractors, Messrs Pearson and Son, began the work in March, 1898, and it will require four or five years more to complete the work. T e total cost is put down at about four millions sterling. A sea wall thirty feet deep, 3,850 feet long, has already been built of blocks of concrete cemented together and faced with granite This has reclaimed twentyo>e acres from the sea. The piles used for temporary staging each weigh abuut ten tons. They come, strangely enough, from Dover, Tasmania. They consist of Australian blue-gum, which is too heavy to float, and is immune to sea insects. The foundation-stones of the piers are laid by divers when the weather is not rough ; but, strange to say, the "blocks below water level are not cemented. There are eighty divers at work. The Dover Harbour Board is availing itself of the commercial opportunity thus presented by improving their port for commercial purposes at an expenditure of one and a quarter million sterling. It is intended that Dover should be the port of call for passengers to America from England, France, Germany, and Belgium.

Land Board «■ The following business of local interest was transacted at last week's meet-, ing of the Waste Lands Board : A letter from A.. R. Barclay, on behalf of Mrs Johanna Ooyle, in reply to the board's notice requiring her to show cause why her lease in perpetuity No. 1169 over section 14, block V, Lauder district, should not be declared forfeited for her non-compliance with the residence condition, was received, and request granted during the pleasure of the board. Applications for leave to transfer leases or licenses were dealt with as follows :—S G R 219, runs 262 c and 262J, Teviot district, James Ouoningham to Joseph H Hanghton (J R Bartholomew, solicitor). —Approved. The secretary of the Education Board applied to have an area of 10 acres in the south eastern corner of section 4, block V, Tiger Hill district, as a site for a school (Moa Flat), — Granted, subject to survey. Memo from the fSurveyor-general, stating that James True3dale desires the area applied for by him on Matak mui Run to be increased to 300 acres or more, was received.