AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 564, 9 December 1881, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A meeting of this Council was held on Wednesday evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Gutberlet, Adams, Brown, Chamberlain, Cullen, Bruce, and McGregor.

MINUTE . The minutes were duly read and confirmed.

outward CORrespondents. The outward correspondence was read and approved.

INWARD CORRESPONDENCE. The fol 1 owing letters were read :— From Mr J. D, Garwood (Mayor) as

follows :—

" Akaroa, December 1, 1881.

" Sir, —I beg to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 24th ult, enclosing a re. olution of sympathy from tbe Borough Council on my late bereavement. I most hearti'y thank the proposer and seconder for their courteously-worded and kindly— expressed condolence, and also tbe members of the Council fer their acquiescence therein, —Yours, etc..

" James D. Garwood, Mayor."

His Worship again took the opportunity of thanking Cr McGregor and the others for their kindness in moving the resolution. He and Mrs Garwood had much fe't the attention shown by the Council.

From Mr J. O'Brien, asking permission to erect a crossing over tho footpath in Balguerie street.

The request was granted, subject to the approval of the Works Committee. From Mr W. 11. Gundry, as follows :— "Ashburton, 24th Nov., 1881.

"Sir, —fie Mr John McDowell's rent. He has completed his fencing and has broken up a considerable portion of tbe land, and I feel sure be will prove a very i-'atisf-ictory tenant. It is bardlv likely he will require tho rebate of any r of the rent now, but in case he should I have retained £50 for the present, which I will send you on the due date should he no apply for it. I enclose accounts and cheque for £60 6s.—Yours, etc.. "W. H. Gundry." It was agreed the letter be acknowledged.

The following letter from same was

read :—

"Ashburton, Ist Dec, 1881

" Sir,—lii order that I may register tli3 lease from the Council to Mr J. McDowell, it will be necessary to produce the certificates of title to reserves 2196, 2197 and 2199. I hold tbe titlo to 21-98, having used it to register Campbell's lease. Please send the above titles at your earliest convenience.— ifours, etc, " W. H. Gundry."

His Worship said Mr Gundry should forward the titles already received by him to the Council. Cr Chamberlain moved and Cr Bruce seconded, that Mr Gundry be written to requesting him to forward the Crown grants when he had done with them. From Mr U. Burns as follows :—

" Gentlemen,—l write to ask you to be kind enough to reconsider your decision at your last meeting inflicting a fine of ,£3 per week upon me for not completing the Balguerie street contract within the additional time allowed. I am making nothing whatever out of the work nnd shall just he able to pay my expenses without counting my own time and trouble. I may say that I have had very great difficulties to contend with, especially in obtaining beach metal, stone for paving, and footpath gravel, having had to go from place to place to get it. especially the last mentioned, also I »-ouhl respectfully call to your attention that although you"were kind enough to grant me an extension of time, still the whole of that extra time cannot be considered an extension ou final contract only, as I have had

to cart extra filling on the footpaths to make them up to the height of the curbs put on by Mr Dixon, and also to do some other extra jobs. Trusting you will favorably consider this application.—Yours, etc., "C. Burns." Consideration deferred till after the Engineer's report had been read. works committee report. The following report ot the Works Committee was read :— " lour Committee met on Monday, 28th Nov. Cr Cullen in the chair. They report that in compliance with the resolution they visited the streets of the Borough and afterwards drew up a specification for clearing the weeds from the same, and inserted the necessary advertisement calling tenders. •'The Committee again met on Dec. Ist, when two tenders only were reooived vis., G. Ward, £11; H. Burke, £6 10s. Your Committee accordingly accepted H. Bourk's tender." On the motion ol Cr Gutberlet, seconded by Cr Chamberlain, the report was received and adopted. SUPPLY OF DOG COLLARS. The sub-committee appointed to procure dog collars, reported that they had written to Messrs Earnshaw and Dunbar respecting supplying dog collars. The committee recommended the acceptance of Mr Earnsliaw's tender. The action of the sub committee was approved. engineer's report. The following report from the engineer was read :— " Akaroa, December 7, 1881. " Balguerie street Contract. "Gentlemen —I am happy to inform you that the works on the above contract are now almost finished A few small matters require completion in the upper part of the street, and the lower part, near Daly's Jetty, is not yet fully metalled, eithpr as regards footways or road. A short length of guttering has also yet to be paved, but all the really heavy work may now be considered as got through, and I hope coitractor wilt be dono altogether by Saturday or Monday next. Under these circumstances I have passed a certificate for £110, which will be presented to you in due co'.rse. The contractor will probably want to have tha whote work passed and taken off his hands about Tuesday next, and he requested me to inquire if 3-011 can at this meeting empower your Works Committee to pay him the balance that may be due when the work is passed, so that he may be able to leave Akaroa before your next regular meeting. Them are three extras to add to tbe original contract. One for laying: a pipe culvert across the road at Muter street, and conducting it into the reclaiming wall. This was left out of the specification in mistake, nnd has already been brought to the notice of the Works Committee. This extra I value at £3. The other extra is the additional filling required to brinfe the footpaths up to the coping which your Council authorised Mr Dixon to put on the curb, say, 125 cubic yards £10. Extra sleepers put into fence a, retaining wall, 10s. Total, £13 10s.— Yours, etc.,

" W. D* WILKINS.

"The account stands thus:—Contract, £271 ; extras, £13 10s; total, £284 10s. Progress payments—Sept. 28, £38 ; Nov, 2, £70; Dec. 7, £110; total, £218. Ualarce still due, £66 10s, from which the fine inflicted on contractor at last meeting, weeks at £3, £ , has to be deducted.-W.D.W."

Cr McGregor said that all things considered, Mr Burns had been well treated. Their engineer had, he thought, made Mr Bums a handsome allowance for extras. There were a number of details which the committee should consider, but were not a fit subject for consideration at the Council table. He thought the following resolution might meet the case. He begged to move—"That this Council having before them the report of Mr Wilkins, the engineer for the Balguerie street contract, and also of Mr C. Burns, the contractor for same contract, refer the letters to the Works Committee, with power under the advice of the engineer to finally pass the work, and pass such extras as they may think fair and reasonable, and at tbe same time keep in riew the resolution of the Council of 23rd ultimo, and that they report to a special j meeting of the Council." j His Worship said that Mr Burns' letter I should be acknowledged. j Cr Chamberlain then moved—"That IMr Burns' letter be acknowledged, and [ that he be informed that the final conI Bideration will be deferred till the com- ' pletion of the contract. i This was agreed to and Cr McGregor's resolution was then put and earned. finance. I The following accounts were read from Ashburton :— " Ashburton, June 23,1881. •' In account with W. H. Gundry.—To commission for letting to Mr John McDowell 1750 acres of Reserve, at 3s, £262 10s per annum, at 5 per cent., £13 2s 6d; advertising, Mail 30s, Guardian 275, Lyttelton Times, 23s 6d, £4 0a 6d ; cash paid E. G. Crisp, 10s 6d ; total, £17 13s 6d." ■« Ashburton, November 24,1881. "In account with W. H. Gundry.—By cash John McDowell, rent of Reservei to Dec. 16, 1881, £131 ss. June 23, to charges for letting, as per account, £17 13s 6d ; July 6, commission for collecting half-year's rent, £131 ss, at 2£ per cent., £3 5s 6d ; amount held over on account of fencing, £50 ; cheque herewith, £63 6s : total, £131 55." Tue following report of the Borough Treasurer was read :— " Receipts since last meeting—General rate, 1881.15s; rent Reserves, Ashburton (McDowell), £60 6s ; sale of copy of bye-laws, Is; total, £61 2s. Credit balance at date, £283 17s 3d. Accounts to be presented—John Dixon, overseer, two days, £1; do, ten days, £5 ; H. C. Jacobson, printing and stationery, 13a; Akaroa Majl, advertising, £4 9s 3d ; H. Burke, day labor, 12s 3d ; C. Burns, third progressive payment, £110 ; total, £121 14s 6d." The accounts were passed for payment. THE CLERK'S BOND. It was agreed on the motion of Cr Adams, seconded by Cr Bruce, that Cr Meech and Mr Billens be informed that their responsibility with regard to the Town Clerk had ceased, and that the bond prepared by Mr Nalder b« destroyed, the :.iill race. Cr McGregor called attention to the

fact that the mill race at Bayley's corner was wearing away the banks, and that the log there would soon be carried away. The Mayor thought that a letter should be written to Mr Nalder regarding the action taken by his tenants. The further consideration of the matter was deferred for a fortnight, when Ors McGregor and Chamberlain promised to *•' bring up a resolution on the matter. THE ANNUAL MEETING. The Mayor called attention to the fact that the annual meeting took place that day fortnight at noon. NOTICE OF MOTION. Cr Meech'a notice of motion lapsed through his not being present. The Council then adjourned.