BALCLUTHA TOWN COUNCIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 152, 8 June 1877, Page 6

BALCLUTHA TOWN COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of ihe Town Council -was held in tho Council Chambers on Tuesday evening. There wore present : "his Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Dunne, Hogg, Doull, Gramond, Tosh, and Hope. MINUTES. Tlie minutes of previous meeting were read and top firmed. CORItKEPOXDENCE. A telegram was read from the Government, intimating that the plans of the Balclntha Bridge would be handed over Iby the Chief Surveyor to anyone authorised by the Council to receive them. Councillor Hogg mentioned that he •expected to be in Dunedin this week. He was therefore asked to procure the plan. The following letter was read from Mr .Baxter, one of Barr's Trustees : — Dnnedin, iiay 30, 1877. Town Clerk, Baiclutha. Sir, —I am in receipt of yours of tho 25th inst. "relative to the alteration and widening of Gordon :and Dcuglas streets. I quite agree with Mr W. Ban- in this. I have seen him to-day, and lie informed me that he had instructed Mr Grigor to survey thoso streets immediately. Would yon be so kind as.to inform Mr Grigor that wo will •expect him to do this as soon as possible, so that •he may be ablo to lay the pirns before tlie Council at an early date. With my kind thanks to your Town Councillors for their favourable consideration of the matter, — I am, <!fcc., James Baxter. The Glerk was instructed to see Mr Grigor, and have the survey completed at once. ACCOUNTS. Pay-sheet and labour for repairs to bridge, L 24 12s 9d ; James Young, repairs to toll-house, LG los 5d ; John Brown, sundries, L 5 9s ; B. Marr, amount of contract for culvert, L 25 lis Id ; A. Bam, timber for bridge, &c. , LG lis Gd. The above were passed for payment, •some of them conditionally upon their Tbeing properly certified to. The Clerk was instructed in future to .-see that all accounts were properly examined and certified before being laid before the Council. Should any be handed in just before the meeting, and without giving time for examination, they to be held over till next meeting without presentation to the Council. CHARLOTTE STREET. Councillor Cramond moved the motion of which he had given notice at last meeting, to have Charlotte-street raised and gravelled. In doing so, he said his object simply was to prevent the township being flooded. If the river were allowed to overflow that street, there was no telling the amount of damage that would be occasioned to the township. The hut flood was level with the bt. eet, and had it risen other six inches, the whole of the embankment would have been washed away, and a strong current of water would have rushed through the town, very likely undermining many of the buildings. Damage had in this way been done by previous floods, but now Charlotte-street formed a sort of reservoir, which, if it broke, would cause a much greater force of water to pass through the town. As to the gravelling of the street, there was not much traffic as yet, and therefore not much need for -gravel, but the material to raise the street would have to be taken from the river, and they might as well cart gravel as sand, which would speedily be blown away. Houses were everywhere springing up in the street, and the traffic would shortly be considerable. He hoped, therefore, the Council would see its way to pass the motion. Councillor Dunne, in seconding the motion, said he could fully corroborate Councillor Cramond's statements. Had the last flood risen other six inches, it would have overflowed the street and done immense damage to the township. Ke remarked at the time as to the necessity of raising the street so as to prevent a flood. The lower end of the street should never have been lowered, as by that operation the back premises of several of the inhabitants had been flooded, and the •Council had to go to the expense of cutting a ditch to the river, to let off the water. Certainly gravel was not much wanted, but it would be required by-and-bye, and the extra expense would be a mere trifle. He supported the motion as a protection to the township, as he saw there was no probability of the protective works at one time contemplated being carried out. In reply to Councillor Tosh, Councillor •Cramond said the lower part of the street would probably require to be raised a foot •on an average, but he wished to leave that -matter to the Works Committee to decide. Councillor Hogg said the motion had his (entire sympathy, but he considered the "present was not the time to go on with the work. There were roads to form and .gravel to the railway station, and other works that required to be undertaken at once, and these should be attended to first. In a few weeks the ratepayers "would have to elect three new Councillors, «nd he thought the present Council should leave them some money to spend and rsome work to do. Councillor Hope agreed that the work was necessary, but he thought there were more important works which should be •done first. There was a much greater traffic on several other streets which had neither been formed nor metalled. In East Ward there were several works necessary. He would not oppose the motion, but would like to see it postponed. Councillor Tosh said that seeing the street had so recently been formed and sown down with grass, it would look strange to commence raising it now. There might not be another flood for many years, and the river would not a^ain "be high for nine months. He therefore was in favour of delay. Councillor Doull considered Councillor Cramond should have come prepared to inform the Council regarding tlie expense of the proposed work. Councillor Gramond, in reply, said the question of expense would entirely depend upon the extent to which the street was to be raised, and this would be left to the "Works Committee to determine. He w;-s glad to find that all the councillors were impressed with the necessity for the work being done. It would be a dangerous thing to allow the matter to lie over till near the time when a flood might be expected, for in that case the material might at once be washed away. If not done at •once it could not be done for twelve months, and he presumed councillors who wished delay desired to shelve the work x that period. In that case the delay

might cost the inhabitants many hundreds of pounds. The Council had plenty of money to form all tlie streets necessary, and also to raise Charlotte-street. The Mayor said he was sorry to find some councillors wished the work delayed, as he believed it should be gone on with at once. After some further discussion, it was resolved that the motion should stand over till next meeting, and that the Works Committee report by that time as to the height the street should be raised, and as to cost, ccc. SUNDRY REPAIRS. Councillor Dunne called attention to the fact that the footpath beyond Mr Legge's blacksmith's shop had not yet been formed : also to the bad state of the road near to the railway terminus ; also to tho holes in Lanark-street which required idling up. Councillor Hope called attention to a fence projecting upon James-street. It was directed that the attention of the dayman bo called to these matters. The Mayor called attention to metal being wanted for the main road near to the southern boundary of the township. Resolved that tenders be called for the metal and breaking — the dayman to spread it. The Mayor also called attention to the i necessity for the eastern approach to the bridge being metalled. The Works Committee to attend to it. KATE BOOK. The Clerk laid the rate book on the table and the same was duly signed. Councillor Dunne moved that the rate be one smiling in the pound. 1 _ Councillor Cramond seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. NOTICES OF MOTIONS. The following notices of motion were given : — By Councillor Tosh— That Barr-street be formed and gravelled from James-street to the river. By Councillor Hope— That a culvert be ' placed across Stamford-street of sufficient width to allow a dray to cross ; that the gully be filled up, and that a culvert be placed in Hasborougli road where ditch is being crossed by drays. By Councillor Hogg— That Gordon and Douglas-streets be formed and gravelled. By Councillor Dunne — That 3 ohn-street be gravelled. THE CITIZENS' ROLL. In reply to Councillor Hogg, the Mayor said the matter of compilation of the Citizen's Roll was being attended to. The meeting then adjourned.