MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 258, 8 September 1874, Page 3

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

;l The regular meeting of this body was held In the Council Chamber on Friday evening last. The Mayor(Mr to. ; A. Jolly), Crs Wriglt, Shanly, Taylor, Grant, and jWhetter. —--,= - The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.; ■ CORRESPONDENCE. / The outward correspondence was read and approved of. It consisted of a letter to A. Willis, Esq., Under-Secretary, one to the Thames Borough and one to J. M. Massey,, Esq., Town -Clerk, Bunedin, soliciting information as .to the issuing of debentures in connection with the water scheme'. [ '.\v: '•'.•■ ' INWARD. 1 . This cbnsisted of .a telegram from Mr George Matthews, stating that no bent seed, which is required for sowing oh the sandy block, is to be had in Bunedin ; a letter from Mr E. A. Drury, enclosing a memorial re Block EX. ; and an application from Mr R. Brown, for permission to cut a branch race to his house. MR BROWN'S APPLICATION. , After some discussion upon this matter, during which sympathy was expressed for Mr Brown, who complained that before reaching his house, the race was made the receptacle of many impurities, it was decided to refuse the request. It would be opening the way for the cutting of innumerable branch races, and the result would be that the supply in the main race would become so small as to be useless. BLOCK IX. MEMORIAL. The Town Clerk read the memorial, as printed by Us last week. This memorial was one-to the Superintendent, and was sent to the Council that they might forward it, with or without an accompanying expression of their approbation. Cr Wright would like to know how the memorial originated 1 It did not, as far as he knew, emanate from any public meeting, as such things generally did, and was not worthy of notice on that account. Then it was very poorly signed; of the sivty-five signatures, only a few were ratepayers, and it was not a respectably signed memorial. He would propose that the Council do not recognise it in any way. Cr Shanly seconded this proposition. He thought the memorial had been got up in a behind-the-door fashion. Cr Grant said apparently the prayer of the memorial was not objected to ; only the manner of getting it up. But he thought the manner was worthy of praise rather than blame. Councillors had not been asked to sign it, so that it was allowed to come before them without prejudice so far as they were concerned. The number of the signatures were sufficient proof that there had been no secresy in the matter. Instead of being done behind the door, the Council were made cognisant of it, before it was forwarded to the authority to whom it was addressed. He would move as an amendment that instructions be given to the Town Clerk to forward the memorial to.the.Superintendent. Cr Whetter seconded the amendment. Cr Taylor agreed with the expression of opinion by Cr Wright, and would vote for the motion. By sending it, it would appear that it met with the approval of the Council. The Mayor urged consideration before deciding to treat the memorial in the manner proposed by Cr Wright. The memorial was numerously signed, and the Council had been courteously treated in the matter. They should send it on, with or without any expression of opinion. The motion was carried: Crs Wright, Shanly, and Taylor voting for it, and Crs Grant and Whetter against it. Crs Whetter and Shanly had a few words, Cr Whetter expressing an opinion to the effect that the action agreed to was idiotic, and that the Council should be ashamed of it. Cr Shanly strongly objected. INNIS-STREET CONTRACT. The Town Clerk read the following report from himself as Inspector of Works : Gentlemen, —As the contractor for contract No. 13 has presented an account to the Council for amount claimed to be due for the said contract, I have the honor to report as follows : The plans of the permanent levels have not been adhered to, the consequence being that a large quantity of gravel which would properly have been available for laying on Melmore-ter-race has not been cut out and deposited on the street. I was the more desirous of having this cutting made to its full depth, as I was aware that the primary reason for undertaking this contract was, the obtaining of gravel for Mel-more-terrace. With the exception of the depth of the cutting above referred to, I find no fault with the work, as in every other respect it is creditably performed. I cannot conclude this report without alluding to the fact that the contractor refused to recognise the Inspector of Works, and throughout the work he treated any orders given by him with contempt and abuse, and he distinctly refused to place such gravel as he excavated in the places pointed out by that officer. He has placed more gravel at the foot of Innis-street than was required, and has consequently made an unsightly hump in the street at that place, obviously with the view of softening and easing the first part of the gradient so as to prevent it appearing as glaring a violation of the permanent levels as it really is. The contractor doubtless was, after acceptance of the contract, allowed some latitude by the members of your Committee, which gave some colour to the attitude assumed by him to your Inspector, and largely contributed to the conduct of the contractor. I feel it my duty to refer to this matter, as it must show your Committee that (unless in very extreme cases) the Committee would find it much better k> give the..lnspector alone authority to

make concessions or alterations; and that your Committee would not deal with the contractor direct, but only through its officer, when his instructions would reeeive ,that attention without which the office can be of no possible use. The Committee will under the above circumstances please to deal finally with the contract as to them may seem fit, without requiring a certificate from the Inspector.—l bave,~&6'.', . . « CbarLks CotcLoiron, ~ Inspector 1 of Works." To the Public Work? Committee. Mr Scott had at last meeting sent in an ac-. count for £B3 odd for this work, cxmsiderfction of which had been adjourned pending a report by the Inspector. . AfJ;er a long discussion on the matter, Cr Grant moved, ''That' £7O be allowed as a progress payment, until the Inspector of Works report as to the exact amount of. the deviations from the specifications." Cr Taylor seconded this and it was carried. MR DAGO'S ACCOUNT. In reference to Mr R. E. Dagg's account for work in formation of new race, Cr Taylor, as one of the Public Works Committee, said the work was by no.means well done, but he failed to see how they were to get dut of paying the account. If a man were engaged to do a certain work, if lie did it ill, he should be dismissed, but not being dismissed,, and having worked a certain number of days, there was nothing for it but to pay him. Cr Wright said the whole thing was a mistake. When he first saw the work on the flat, he wondered what in the name of goodness it was all about. But the work was there, and he moved that the account be paid. This was agreed to.

WATER COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The report of the committee of the whole Council, appointed to consider the subject of water supply, was brought up. It was &b follows :

Your Committee, after mature deliberation, recommend that Firewood Creek be the-source of supply, in preference te the only other source suggested, viz., Lowbum. The following advantages appear to exist in favour of Firewood Creek :—(1) The height of that source ensuring ample pressure; (2) the purity of the water; (3) the short distance quired for piping; (4) the proximity of the source to the town, facilitating supervision ; (5) the ample sufficiency of the supply. The height of the proposed reservoir will be 410 feet above the Cromwell Bridge, ensuring a magnificent pressure for the whole of the township. The water is found by analysis to be the purest of all those submitted to that test by the Council. The quantity is, by the evidence given, amply sufficient for the uses of the town. The distance to be traversed in pipes to the Bridge is only seventeen chains, and the total distance to Achil-stret is about fifty-five chains, showing that the populous parts of the town can be supplied at a cost for piping of about £IOOO. i The r disadvantages of the other scheme appear to lie i&-(l)'The comparative impurity of the water ; (2) the great distance of the source, even taking it from one of the races at its nearest point to Cromwell, necesaitating from 180 to 200 chains of piping, at a cost for that alone of about £3500; while the race from which the water would be taken would cost a very considerable yearly sum for supervision, and passing, as it does, through gravelly aud shingly ground, would be liable at any time to such injury as would entail large expenses to repair. The supply from that source would be available to the populous part of the town only after the outlying population had received its supplies, a large quantity of which would be devoted to irrigation, seriously reducing the pressure were it would bo most needed.

The Committee (with one dissentient only) are therefore prepared to recommend the Firewood Creek supply ; also, that a qualified engineer be engaged to make plans and book of reference ; and that debentures be issued on such terms as' may be advised by competent persons.

Cr Taylor objected to the report, as being too one-sided, and an unfair summing-up of the deliberations of the Committee, He had prepared a summary of facts and figures in connection with a supply from the Lowburn side, which he would lay before the Council. By these, he showed that a supply could be obtained from Olsen's race, at an elevation equal to that of Barker's race, and brought into the town, at a total cost of £2lßi The water was as pure from this source ; (he arguments about the breaking-away htld as good with regard to the race on one sde of the river as the other; and a consideration that should weigh in favour of the scheme from the western side was that a Urge quantity of ground might be irrigated, Ind rendered productive. Then the surrj.us water, of which there would be a quantity, could be let at a highly remunerative As regarded the supply from Firewood Creek he thought sufficient attention had not been paid to the difficulty of bringing water across the river in exposed iron pipes,' which would be certain to burst by the action of the frost. Cr Whetter, with a few remarks, moved that the report be adopted, and that the Firewood Creek scheme be agreed to. Cr Grant thought they would do well to pause. It was not a matter to be settled in five minutes.

Cr Shanly would like to know what they had the four hours' discussion for the other night in Committee, when all but Cr Grant were present? Cr Taylor said there was no use to be in a hurry ; they had done without water for a number of years, and it was worth while to do without a little longer in order to be sure of fixing on the best scheme. The water could not be in before the summer now. 'He would move that an engineer be engaged to report as to the best scheme.

The Mayor was surprised at any delay being advocated. He failed to see that an engineer would enlighten them greatly: He also had prepared facts and figures, and pro ceeded to compare the cost and merits of th

two; schemes. By his figures, he showed the cost of the Firewood Creek scheme to bo £I9OO, and that of. a supply .from .the Lowborn side to be £4280.1 The difference In the amount'of interest"on the sums required for the two schemes was some £228, and this in ten years would amoutvt? to a sum greater than the first cost of a Firewood Creek supply He replied also fully to Cr Taylor's arguments against .Firewood Creekj and enlarged iipon the, disad vantages, of a supply..from a race that ran some fourteen miles on the open ground. He doubted the correctness of Cr Taylor's figures. : : Or Taylor, replied, and was prepared to vouch for the- correctness of his figures. When he took the trouble to go into calculations, and lay the result before the. Council for their information, he objected to the Mayor or anyone else' pooh-poohing his work.... >:.....,-.,

Then a long and rambling discussion en~ sued, the whole affair being.apparently in a fair way to be argued from the beginning, and the labours of the Committee entirely overlooked. Cr Shanly eventually put in a mild reminder to the effect that time flew, and that the present discussion was extremely disorderly.- No seconder was found to Cr Taylor's amendment, that an engineer be procured ; and Cr Whetter's motion was put and carried. WATER TO KAWARAtT. WARD.- • t i On the motion of Cr Shanly, it ,was agreed that for the convenience of the residents in Kawarau Ward, water should be allowed" to flow in the old race. TENDERS FOR STREET CLEANING, ETC. i i Before these were opened, Cr Grant asked the Mayor if he were in favour of it as a principle that contracts should be given to the lowest tenderer. ... _„ .. ~ The Mayor would not allow of such a question. It was an insinuation upon.the Council, that should not be made. The tenders were opened, but were not considered. ADJOURNMENT. The time now being twelve o'clock, an adjournment until Tuesday evening (to-night): was agreed to. - A vote of thanks to the Mayor concluded the proceedings.