BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3152, 4 August 1881, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3.

The Council met at $ p.m. Present. His Worship the Mayor (in tbe chair), Councillors McKay, Wall, de Lisle, Ellis, McDougall, Cotton, and Swan. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Municipal Solicitor:—" I cannot find either in tbe Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, or in any of the Acts amending the same, any provision authorising the Council to make bye-laws providing for the control or supervision of the working ofqnaries in the borough." —Cr. McDougall said the fact that they had power to prohibit blasting in quarries within the borough Bhowed that they had control of quarries. —His Worship said the quarries were private property, and it was difficult to make bye-laws in reference to them. The matter had been sab- < roitted to their solicitor, and hi? opinion ought to satisfy councillors.—Cr. de | Lisle asked if it was the case blasting ' could . not be carried on within the. borough without permission being granted. He had heard blasting going on, and had been in personal danger from it. —His Worship said that the borough engineer coula give permission to any person to blast in his own* quarry.—Cr. McKay said that no doubt the solicitor was right, but if anything was being done within the limits of the borongh which dangerous to the personal safety of the inhabitants the Council could interfere. If a house was in a dangerous condition they could interfere, and he considered it was their duty to take cognizance of any premises which were dangerous to the inhabitants. They could not always depend upon the opinion of a solicitor; it frequently got people into trouble. He considered that they were in a position to interfere with anything that endangered tbe public safety.—Cr. Ellis thought that; if they had not the power to interfere in such a matter, they should get a bill passed to enable them to do so, as had been done in Cbristchurcb.—Cr. Swan asked, if they had no confidence in their solicitor, what was the use of him. (Cr. Ellis: Sack him.) If councillors thought they knew more law than their solicitor they had better dispense with hia services, and get one of themselves appointed. From the Colonial Under-Secretary, stating that a voucher for £61 8s 8d had been passed for payment, being the amount advanced by the Corporation of Napier on account of charitable aid during the quarter ending 30th June last. From Mr Joseph Leonard, resigning his seat in the Council. From Cr. Monteith, reporting that the committee appointed to apportion the Council's subsidy to the fire brigades bad decided to allot £130 to the Spit Brigade, and £220 to the Napier Brigade.—Ors. Swan and M'Dougall objected to the decision of the committee.—At the suggestion of Cr. Cotton the consideration of the report was postponed till the next meeting of Council, in order to enable Cr. Monteith to explain the matter. From the Fire Inspector, forwarding a letter from the Superintendent of the Napier Fire Brigade, protesting against the decision of the committee in reference to the borough subsidy. Consideration postponed until next meeting of Council. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The following report from the Public Works Committee was read:— Your committee having met pursuant to notice beg to recommend the Counoil to give effect fcOjthe following:— 1. That a select committee, consisting of Crs M'Kay, Monteith, Wall, and M'Dougall, be appointed to decide upon the upset prices and the conditions of lease for the letting of all reserves within the borough ; Cr M'Kay to he chairman, and the committee to report to the Council on the 17th of August. 2. That tie engineer's report herewith forwarded be adopted, and the suggestions contained therein authorised. .Your committee would also recommend as follows with reference to the several clauses of the report as numbered : —(1.) That the cleansing of the storm water sewer be done by Corporation labor, and that Mr P. Eddy be taken on for this purpose. (2.) That Mr Vaiitier's offer to hand over the street on sections 365, 367, 368, and 370 on the reclaimed land, and to contribute £20 towards the making thereof, be accepted. (3.) That the Bishop of Waiapu's request to utilise the material left on the quarry in tbe Batteryroad be granted, provided the road therefrom is left in the same condition it now is. (7.) That as no authentic map of the town was in existence at the time this borough was proclaimed, the General Government be applied to for assistance and to contribute towards the cost of making a new survey of the town. 3. That in the opinion of the committee the whole of the tenders for cleaning the storm water sewer are far too high, and therefore recommend that none be accepted. 4. That the following tenders for the •undermentioned works be accepted :—No 6 drainage contract, Messrs Tait and Mills, £2892 9s 3d ; Paradise-road, Mr W. Barrett, £17 18s 6d; Beach-road repairs Emersonstreet to Sale-street, Mr W. A. Amner, 30s per chain. 5. That the report of the Inspector of Nuisances bo adopted, and that with reference thereto the municipal engineer be instructed to utilise the drainage scheme as soon as possible. 6. That Ihe municipal angineer be instructed to order the removal of any houses or other obstructions that may encroach on the line of any street, 7. That the vouchers for expenditure during July be passed and ordered "to be paid, Geo. Hy. Swan, Chairman. In connection with the second clause the following report from the Municipal Engineer was read :— 1. Storm Water Sewer.—ln accordance with the instructions of the committee I beg to submit the accompanying statement of the cost of Corporation labor in connection with cleaning the Btorm water sewer and silt traps, from which it appears that the cost per month for this work has averaged about £2 6s. The information is to a certain extent imperfect, inasmuch a3 the sewer itself and the large trap on the beach have never been thoroughly cleaned out; but I am of opinion that the whole of tho work can be satisfactorily executed by Corporation labor for an average cost per month of not more than £4. Should the Council desire to have the work clone by their laborers I beg to suggest that the applicant Eddy be taken on to the Corporation staff on the terms of his letter. 2. J. H. Vautier Esqr.'s Road. —I estimate that the cost of forming this road in the swamp sections would be about £80, 8. Quarry, Battery-road.—l have examined the material belonging to the Corporation lying in this quarry. In my opinion about one-third of it might be available for fining in, but only to road

'< bottoms, The remainder appears to be i valueless for Corporation purposes. 4. Quarry, Shakespear-voad —This quarry has been worked too near the boundary fence on the side nearest the town, and , consequently a portion of the fence had \ been let down. The fence is now re- ' instated, and the adjoining paddoelr , safe. 5. Tenders for Works.—_?ehc!ers f*or No. 6 drainage contract, formation of Paradiseroad, and formation and repairs to Beachroad will this evening be laid before you. 6. Pound.—-In reference to the removal of the pound I beg to suggest that for the present it be. repaired and retained in its present position until it becomes necessary to movie, it by reason or" the present site being otherwise disposed of, and that then the section No. 44 adjoining the Royal Hotel, in Hyderabad-road, belonging to Messrs Neal and Close, be applied for for the purpose of erecting a.new pound. 7. Town Survey.—After careful consideration of this matter, and consulting with Mr Baker, two alternate schemes appear to present themselves for your consideration. First, a survey showing tile outlines of all the streets arid.roads! in the bdrdiigli; with the corners and angels thereof defined by permanent posts or pegs (to be used hereafter as starting points), and with the relative positions of these pegs connected with tho fixed points or stations, as recently laid down by Mr Baker. This survey to show (a) the position, accurately, of every building of whatever kind at present existing in the borough; (/;) all traverse lines (w}th bearings and linkages) to be connected with the fixed points oi' stations as recently laid down by Mr Baker, and to be similarly connected with all existing trig-stations ; (c) to sjiow all public buildings, churches, chapels, manufactories, gas works, and waterworks, bounderies of wards as now defined, together with the lines and dimensions of all gas mains, Water mains, valves, and hydrants; (d) to show the levels at the intersections of all streets and roads in the borough— such levels to be referred to datum of high water at an ordinary tide as the same i 3 marked afc Port Ahuriri. (The bench marks, etc., to be more particularly defined by the specification). Second, a survey, defining all as above specified; and, in addition showing accurately every section and subdivision, showing the numbers, linkages, and areas,, and the bearings thereof. And in either case the contracting surveyor is to search in the Begistry of Deeds qffiee for necessary information as to division, &c, and where necessary to make enquiries from owners, &o. If the seoond the more complete and more expensive scheme be adopted I beg to suggest that application be made to the Government for a grant in aid of the work. Should the Corporation not succeed in obtaining a grant it will be for them to deoido whether they will go to the expense • of the larger scheme, as for all municipal purposes the smaller scheme would be sufficient. To enable the Council to decide in this oase, I beg to recommend that they advertise for tenders for both schemes, as by so doing they will be able to see the relative cost of each. 8. No 5 Drainage Contract.—l beg to report that this contract is satisfactorily completed, and that i», - ' *nay be taken over by the Corporation. 9. Station-street.—The wooden culvert at the end of this street is in an unsafo condition, bufc as it forms a bench mark for the swamp reclamation works, I beg to suggest that another bench mark be put down and the culvert removed. Eobt. Lamb, Municipal Engineer. In connection with the fifth clause of the report of the Public Works Committee the following report from the Inspector of Nuisances was read:— I have the honor to report that up to 'the present time very few persons residing on the hills have adopted the earth closet system ; also that the cesspits I mentioned in my last report are still in existence. I therefore solicit instructions from the Council respecting the above. I beg to suggest that as soon as possible the pipes leading into the main sewers be opened for use, as afc present there are no means of carrying off waste water from houses abutting on to streets where the main sewer is constructed. In former reports I have mentioned town sections Nos 227, 228, 229, and 230 being a nuisance to the neighborhood from their being covered with stagnant water, and as they still continue in that state I beg to ask what steps I am to take for the removal of the nnisance. . EICHAED Wllil/lAMS, Inspector of Nuisances.