BALCLUTHA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 184, 18 January 1878, Page 6

BALCLUTHA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Borough Council was held in the Borough Chambers on Tuesday evening. There wore present his Worship the Mayor and Messrs Cramond, Macdonaid, Canning, Doull, Dunne, and Hogg. MINUTES. The minutes of tho previous meeting were read and confirmed. CHARLOTTE STRETIT COKTBAOT. A letter was read from Mr Chirnside, contractor, withdrawing an offer he had made to give up the contract in Charlotte street upon being paid Lil 2a 6d for that portion of the Avork done. He now intimated that he adhered to the original contract. Tho Mayor explained that this matter had been referred to the Works Committee with power to act. In consequence of the holidays and other causes no meeting of the Committee had been held. He had, however, that afternoon met one of the members and the Engineer. The whole dispute had arisen, he said, out of a misunderstanding as to the amount of woi-k done on the contract. Mr Grigor now calculated that the value of the work was L 39, so that the offer of the contractor was not an unreasonable one under the circumstances. After a lengthened discussion, Mr Macdonaid moved — " That the whole matter be referred back to the Works Committee with the fsame power as before. Mr Cramond seconded the motion, which was carried. ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were passed for payment :— Mr Wilson, Id 2s ; Days' men repairing bridge, Ll2 2s 2d ; Postoffice box, Ll ; Cluii-ia. Leader, advertising, L 3 12s 6d ; Borough day men, Ll2 18s 2d ; A. Chirnside, progress payment on Charlotte and Douglas streets contract, L3O. FINANCE. Mr Macdonaid, on behalf of the Finance Committee, reported that about threefourths, or upwards of L 230 of rates for last year Avere still unpaid, and he found that a number of the Councillors were defaulters. Were the whole of the rates collected there Avould be sufficient funds to pay off the present overdraft, meet all contracts let, and have a small balance over. He mentioned that no subsidy would be paid upon rates unpaid on 31st March, and the Committee therefore recommended that all rates unpaid on the Slsi instant should be handed over to the Borough Solicitor for collection. The recommendation was adopted, and the Clerk instructed accordingly. o leek's salary. Mr Canning moved—" That the Clerk's salary be raised to L 75 per annum as from Ist of January. " Mr Hogg seconded the motion, saying Balclutlia paid a smaller salary than any municipality in the County, and as the duties had iioav been largely increased by the adoption of the new Act, he thought L 75 Avas little enough. After similar remarks from other Councillors, the motion .was carried. : KBNFRE'VV STRB.ET. Mr Dunne called attention to a work that had been agreed to some time ago, but which had not been attended to, viz., the formation of a footpath in Renfrew street from Clyde street to John street.

He moved that plans and specifications be called for the work. Seconded by Mr Canning, and carried. BATS.R AND CLYDE STIVEETS. The Mayor called attention to Barr street, which had long ago been agreed to be formed, but regarding which nothing had yet been clone. He believed the great proportion of the traffic to the railway station from the country districts would be by Barr street, upon which nothing had been done to prepare it for the traffic. He could not help saying also that in his opinion the Council were guilty of very great negligence in not attending to the main road. In consequence of the large traffic there would bo to the railway station from To Houka, Warepa, gjouth Molyneux, and other- places, the road would certainly become utterly impassable during the wet weather in winter. Indeed not only the main road, but the whole of that part of the township was quite neglected, it never, having. . had anything done to it by the Council. Mr Doull said the Engineer had estimated that it would take L6OO to metal the main road. Mr Cramond said that that estimate included works that were not absolutely necessary in making provision for the j traffic. Much less money would suffice. Mr Doull said the whole of the traffic from the Waiwera would now go to the railway at Clinton, and there would be but very little traffic upon the main road leading to the railway station here. The Mayor said he knew for a fact that certain parties in the Waiwera district would send their grain to Balclutha, and 1 he believed a very large traffic would exist upon that portion of ground referred to. The matter then dropped. DOUGLAS STREET. On the suggestion of Mr Cramond, the Clerk wa3 instructed to urge the contractors for Douglas street to have the work completed without delay. VALUATION ROLL. The Valuation Roll was laid on the table, and the Clerk was instructed to give tho necesaary.public notice. Mr Macdonakl and other Coimcillorr, highly complimented the Valuator (Mr G-ow) upon the careful manner in which he had carrieri out his duties, and the very neat style in which the roll had been prepared and handed in. The meeting then adjourned.