BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3181, 8 September 1881, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8»

The Council met at 8 p.m. Present: His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors CottOD, Ellis, McDougall, de Lisle, McKay, Wall, Swan, and Monteith. .„>s• COBBESPONDENCE, Front the Borough Returning Officer, stating that there had been no nomination fors.the extraordinary vacancy created by the resignation of Mr Leonard, From tbe Undersecretary, requesting a return of the, indebtedness of the borough, and also of the value of the endowments in connection with the horough. The Council was informed that the Town Clerk had already forwarded the return required. From the same, informing the Counoil that their request for assistance in making a survey of the borough had been referred to the Surveyor-General's department. ? [

From Mr Stewart, of Auckland, stating that he had gone cSre fully into the scheme for the extensioiipbf the water supply in Napier, ,and forwarded hia report. The professional charges for consultation varied from one to two and a half percent on the cost of the work. His charge would be at the lowest rate, viz, one per cent. Cγ. Monteith is connection with this matter, wished to remind the Council that he had objected to this work being done without a fixed charge being stated. This one per cent would amount to about £100. Hie recommendation had been overruled at the time, but now the Council would see Hβ error. The Mayor eaid that at the time he did not anticipate that the cost of this report would reach £100, but he was in, the dark as to the nature of it, and would not say anything until they had the report before them. PUBLIC WOBKS COMMITTEE'S BEPOBT. The following report from the Public Works Committee was read:—

Your committee having met pursuant to notice beg to recommend the Council to give effect to the following:— 1. That tho amount of subsidy payed by the Corporation to Spit Fire Brigade be increased by £20, the said sum being deducted from the amount hitherto paid to the Napier Brigade. 2. That the engineers report be adopted j that Mr Garry's tender for supplying sink traps be accepted ; and that tenders be invited forthwith for the works on No. 7 drainage contract, according to the plan and specifications of the Municipal Engineer. 3. That the reports of the overseer of roads and the inspector of nuisances be adopted.

4. That with reference to the petition respecting the annoyance caused by the brick ■kilii in North-street, the committee rcom- ? nfetfd-that Mr A. Ramsden be informed that unless the practice of burning firewood in the kiln be discontinued means will be taken to enfore stringent regulations regarding brick and other kilns.

That the vouchers for expenditure during August be passed and ordered to be paid. Geo. Ht. S-wait, Chairman.

Cγ. Wall, as mover of the first clause in committee, moved that it be adopted. It was very desirable that some arrangement should be come to satisfactory to both brigades. They were to some extent in the dark as to the relative merits of the brigades. He would like to see the property of the brigades handed over to the Corporation. Cr. McDougall said that it was not desirable that the possibility of the brigades disbanding should exist; that such a danger was not remote wae shown by Cr. Cotton, who had to urge in support of the motion in committee, that, unless certain things were done, the Spit brigade would disband, and hand their engine and other.Material over to Mr Kinross. The money to maintain all the plant was voted by the Council and insurance and it would be an injustice to the ratepayers if steps were not taken to secure the plant to the Corporation, and to do away with the possibility of any such threat as had been mentioned being carried out. Cr. Swan proposed, as an amendment to the clause, that £15 be substituted for the £20 proposed to be given to the Spit brigade. Taking into consideration the extra property in the town, and the relative utility of the brigades, he was of opinion that the town brigade had not received its due share of the subsidy. He had always advocated the property of the brigades being handed over to the Council. He believed they could be worked for less money, and there would be no bickerings and jealousies. Cr. McKay seconded the amendment. Cr. Cotton supported the adoption of the clause. He thought the Spit brigade had been under disadvantages. It would be reasonable to ask the insurance company s and the public to subscribe a little more, so that there would be no necessity to reduce the subsidy to either. ■■• He objected to anything that would abolish the Spit brigade ; the value of property at the Spit was enormous, and much might be destroyed before. an engine from town could reach the Spit.

The Mayor thought that, if the brigades were in the hands of the Corporation, the expenses would be greatly increased. He thought the recommendation in the clause a fair one. Both

brigades did their duty admirably, and he did not wish to underrate either. Or Monteitfa thought with the Mayor that the cost of maintaining the brigades would be increased if the Council took them in hand. After further discussion the clause was carried, Councillors Swan, McKay McDougall,jind de Lisle voting for the amendment. The following report from the Engineer was read in connection with clause two: — 1. No. 6 Drainage Contract.—The works in connection "with this contract are being expeditiously carried out by the contractors. 2. Trapped Grates. —Herewith I beg to lay before you three tenders received for supply of trapped grates of approved pattern for house purposes. 3. No; 7 Drainage Contract.—*l have the honor to lay before you the plans, specifications, and estimates for these works, which embrace all the works necessary to complete the drainage echerne as laid down by Mr Napier Bell and your late engineer, Mr Peppercorne. In preparing the plans for this contract and for No 6 I have carefully considered the best means for the disposal ©f the storm water, and have succeeded, by careful adjustment of the surface levels, in arranging for the discharge of the whole of it into the lagoon at different points. Water Supply Extension Scheme. —The report of the consulting engineer, Mr Stewart, of Auckland, has come to my hand, but my time has been so completely occupied in the preparation of the plans for No 7 drainage contract, a'ffd in taking the extensive system of levels in connection therewith, that I have not been able to give the report that consideration that so elaborate a document demands ; and there are also certain experiments which Mr Stewart BUggests, in connection with the yield of the present artesian wells which I should like to make before presenting the report. I have therefore respectfully to ask you to postpone the consideration of this question xintil next meeting, in order that I may have time to consider and present an exhaustive report thereon, Robert Lame, . Municipal Engineer. The tenders referred to in clause two of the Engineer's report were as follows : —Luke, Son, and Williams, 5s 6d each ; John Garry, Napier, 9s: N. T. Bird , Dunedin, 25a. A long discussion followed upon these tenders. The majority in the Public Works Committee appear to have been satisfied that the tender of Messrs Luke, Son, and Williams, had been made on erroneous information, and would not be carried out, so had accepted the tender of Mr Garry, Or. Monteith thought that the Engineer ought to have been more explicit in the information- given in regard to the traps. He wquld move as an amendment that MessravLuke find Sons be afforded a further opportunity of confirming their tendir or w)|hdj wiping it. Cf. M'DougSjf could not see that the blame in the 'mi «r should be shifted on to t|e Engineer SThere'was a sample of the I trap at thj Engineer's office for inipeetion. The|i|nder of Messrs Luke and Sons had been made on the information of their loiial agent, who had seen the! sample. It 'was idle folly to blame the Engineer. The Mayor could not see that the Engineer was to blame in the least. After further discussion the amendment was carried on the voices. BOAD OVEBSEER's REPORT. The report was read, and in connection with it. Cr. Monteith drew attention to the condition of the Beach road, which was not referred to in the report , , perhaps because it was in such an unsatisfactory condition. He considered it negligance on the part of the road-overseer to have allowed works to go on under the circumstances, and in the manner in which they were carried out. Cr. de Lisle endorsed what Or. Monteith had said about the condition of Beach road. On clause four being read, Cr. Swan said the petition in reference to the brick kiln had been strengthened by the fact that an insurance company had refused a risk in the neighborhood. The Mayor doubted if the Council had any right to interfere with private property. On clause five being read Cr. Monteith drew attention to a contract to the amount of £40 beiag let without tender. The Station street was undoubtedly in a bad state, but the matter was surely not so urgent that a week's notice for tenders could not have been given. If the road was so very bad due notice of its condition should have been given by the road overseer in time to call for tenders. If the road overseer had not time to attend to these matters a sub-overseer bad better be appointed. '■'■■■ The Mayor said attention was called to the condition of the street a month ago, and that would have been the proper time to have referred to the matter. Cr. Swan said the work was very urgent, and could not have been done cheaper if tenders bad been called for. THE HOSPITAL. Cγ. Swan drew attention to the absence of Dr. de Lisle from the meetings of the Hospital Committee, and expressed an opinion that it was very desirable that their representatives should be able to attend the meetings regularly. Cr.de Disle said that, if Cr. Swan would examine the minute book of the Hoepital Committee, he would find that be (Cr. de Lisle) was one of the most regular attenders at the meetings. The Mayor said that it bad occurred several times that he and the secretary were the only members of the Committee present for a half-hour or more after the hour of meeting, and they had to convass the town to get a quorum That was one of his reasons for resigning the chairmanship ; he could not afford the loss of time. '.

Tbe Council then adjourned