AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 532, 19 August 1881, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wednesday, August 17

A meeting of this Council was held on the above date, in their capacity as Harbor Board. Present —His Worship the (in the chair), Crs Noonan, Gutberlet, Chamberlain, Brown, Black Cullen, Bruce, and McGregor. The Wharves Committee, bronght up an interim report. The report recommended the purchase of a lamp for the wharf for the sum of £12, and stated that up to the time of reporting no reply had been received from the Marine Department in reference to Mr Henning's lease, and the by-laws. A report on the state of the Government wharf drawn up by Mr J. Bar wick was read, and on the suggestion of Cr McGregor, referred to the Wharves Committee with power to act. The followins accounts were passed for payment:—Fergusson and Mitchell, account books, £3 17s Gd ; freight, 2s 8d ; advertising, 10s 6d, Total £410s Bd.

This concluded the business in connection with the wharves, and the

Ordinary Meeting. of the Council was then proceeded with, the same Councillors being present. The minutes of tho previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The Clerk read the outward corresponddence. Letters were read— From the Clerk of the R. M. Court forwarding return of fines payable to the Borough, collected during the months of June and July, amounting to £3. From Mr R. Bay ley, again complaining of the dangerous state of the creek near hie hotel, and calling attention to an old wooden bridge which had fallen into the creek, checking the flow of water. His Worship reported that the Works Committee had authorised Mr Barwick to get the necessary work done. It had however, not been done.

Cr McGregor moved that Mr Barwick's suggestion be carried out, and that the rotten timber obstructing the creek be removed. The motion was carried.

From the Colonial Secretary's Department, enclosing copy of quarantine regulations.

Cr McGregor with all respect to the Under Secretary, wished to remind the Council that he thought it exceedingly questionable whether the regulations forwarded were not ultra vires. The Public Health Act gave them ample power to act when necessary. He would move— "That this Council, having before them a circular, dated August 11, from the Colonial Secretary's office, in referrence to quarantine regulations, is of opinion that in the case of vessels arriving from infected ports, the powers given under "The Public Health Act 1876" be strictly carried out in terms of the Act by the Council when acting as a Board of Health." Carried. POUND. In answer to His Worship, the Town Clerk reported that be had inspected the pound in consequence of instructions received. At the time of his visit the pound was certainly clean and showed no traces of having been in the dirty state described in the late case heard in the R.M. Court. From enquiries he had made he believed the description given had been incorrect. Cr McGregor confirmed the Clerk's report, and the matter dropped. WORKS COMMITTEES REPORT. Cr Cullen brought up this report. They had had some slips removed from the Beach road, also the large stones taken up from the footpath in Jollie street, and the work would be finished in a few days. The road at the corner near the Mail Office had been gravelled since the last meeting. Cr Cullen also read a communication from Mr W. D. Wilkins, reporting on the contracts lately in progress, and making certain recommendations respecting Bruce's Bridge, and that in William street. These portions of tho report were adopted j without discussion.

The report further referred to the bridge in Jollie street, near Goodwin's forge. In view of the probable erection of a new bridge at an early date, Mr Wilkins considered that it would not pay to expend much money in propping up the present structure but thought that for r. lew pounds it could be made available for horses, if a notice were placed on it stating that it was not safe for wheel traffic. Cr Chamberlain wished to know whether tho Council had the power to block up a roadway from traffic. The Mayor thought it was better to do this than alow people to endanger their lives by using an unsafe structure. Cr McGregor thought that Cr Chamberlain had opened a very important question. He thought that the recommendations of their surveyor should be carried out, and the bridge opened for light traffic. The Mayor expressed his surprise at Cr McGregor's sudden change of opinion. It

was he who had proposed the approv.il of the report of the sub-committee, on the strength of which the bridge had been closed.

CrCullcn also thought Cr McGregor very inconsistent. Cr McGregor repudiated the charge of inconsistency. He had been strongly opposed to the proposal to have the bridge examined by the sub-committee in question, but as those gentlemen had gone to the trouble to examine and report on the matter, he had thought it only courteous to act on their recommendation. He had moved the adoption of the report, not that he approved of it. After some further conversational discussion, Cr McGregor moved that the bridge be opened for light traffic in terms of the suggestion of the surveyor, and hat tho Works Committee be authorised to expend a sum not exceeding £3 upon it for that purpose. The motion was seconded by Cr Chamberlain and carried unanimously. FINANCE. The receipts since last meeting were reported to have been £2 7s 6d. The credit balance at the Bank was £228 3s 3d. The following accounts were passed for payment—Scott, cartage, £1 4s Cd ; J, Daly, incidents, 16s ; Maguire, day labor, 198 3d; O'Sullivan's contract, £3 10s ; Maltby's contract, £3 15s. Total £10 4s 3d. Cr McGregor thought it was highly undesirable that accounts for payment should be sent in at the last moment, when His Worship and the Town Clerk had no opportunity of examining them, There had been an old absurd regulation on the subject, providing that they should be sent in three days before-hand. This was unreasonable, but a certain time was necessary. He would move that all accounts for payment be sent in not later than 2 p.m. on the day of meeting ; otherwise they would not be entertained. Carried unanimously. TENDERS. The following tenders for the work required in Balguerie street were opened : —J. Vangioni £276 Os 4d, Do. new culvert if required £14 ; Curragh, O'Sullivan, and Mitchell £292, culvert £5; T. S Johnson and W. Maltby £400 8s; C. Burns £271; Dixon and Kerridge £323 18s. (This tender was calculated on a basis of 25 chains, but would amount to the above at 26 chains which was the basis of the others.) Ihe Councillors having verified the computations in the various tenders and inspected the. estimates, Cr McGregor moved that the tender of Mr Vangioni be accepted. Cr Black moved as an amendment that the tender of Mr C. Bums be accepted. The Mayor had grave doubts whether the 1 atter tender was in form. It certainly was not signed by the tenderer. Were it not for an accompaning letter, he should have ruled it to be informal. On a division, there voted—for the acceptance oE Burns' tender—Crs Black, Chamberlain, Noonan, Brown, and Bruce ; for Vangioni's—Crs McGregor, Cullen, Gutberlet, and the Mayor. Cr Black's amendment was therefore carried.

Cr McGregor moved that the work be under the supervision of Mr Wilkins, and that he be requested to look strictly after it. —carried.

The Council then adjourned