BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3216, 20 October 1881, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19. The Council met at 8 p.m. Present: His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Cotton, Graham, Monteith, Swan, Wall, McKay, and McDougall. COBEESPONDENCB. From the Colonial Secretary, informinor the Council that a voucher for £57 12s 3d, the amount advanced by the Corporation for charitable aid, had been passed. From Mr James Stewart, acknowledging receipt of £50, half commission for his report on the water extension scheme. From Mr W. Colenso, in reference to a proposed new road to connect Napier Terrace and Milton road. The matter was referred to the Public Works Committee. From the clerk of the County Council, drawing the attention of the Borough Council to the dangerous condition of the approach to the Spit bridge on the town side. The Town Clerk stated that the attention of the Engineer had already , been drawn to the matter. From the American Consul at Auckland, stating that the address of condolence with Mr Garfield passed by the Napier Council would be forwarded to j Washington. From Mr C. Dolbel, intimating his intention of erecting a dividing fence between town section 377 and some Corporation sections. In connection with , this matter the Town Clerk stated that, j in tbe opinion of the Municipal Solicitor, | the Corporation stood in exactly the same , position as a private individual in the j matter of fencing duties. It was resolved that it be left with the Engineer to make arrangements with Mr Dolbel, and have the work done as cheaply as possible. From the secretary of the Recreation Ground Company, tendering for the lease i of the Town Hall reserve at the rentals j fixed at the last meeting of Council. — > Cr McDougall moved that the tender be \ accepted, and that the Solicitor be in- ] structed to draw out a lease.—Cr Swan ] said he held some strong views on the i duty of the Council to assist this com- ] pany to the utmost in their power. He ( was of opinion that if the company leased , the reserve on the terms of this j tender they would start heavily handi- , capped. In the boroughs of Christchurch, ] Auckland, and Dunedin, the recreation ! grounds were maintained by the Cor- i porations. He felt sure that if a poll of the ratepayers had been taken a majority ' would have been found willing to let the company have the reserve at a nominal ! rental.—Cr. Wall agreed with Cr. Swan in this matter. He felt sure that during the last five years of the lease, with a rental of £150, the company would be a failure. He would like to see the ground a public one, and open free to all.—Cr. McKay thought the ratepayers could scarcely complain of people preparing a ground without asking them to pay for it.—Cr. McDougall said the reserves used as recreation grounds in other boroughs were made by Provincial Councils. This was purely a business speculation. The amount the company offered was just half of the upset price placed upon the flections. IfCr. Wall's remarks meant anything they meant that the directors of tbe company had been foolish in offering a price they could not afford to pay. The proper line for councillors to take up was to charge a proper price for their reserves. It would have been wiser if all had agreed to accept this tender without remark.—Cr. Monteith said that the rent of the reserve for the last five years was as low ad that of the second year. The value of property would have so increased by that time that the rent would be lower in proportion.—-The Mayor would like to see the recreation ground free to all, but they were paying £460 per annum of the ratepayer's money for interest upon an overdraft, and they could not afford to be generous. There was every probability of the company being carried through successfully.—Tbe motion wai then carried. PUBLIC WOKKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT The following report from the Public Work's Committee was read :— Your committee having met pursuant to notice beg to recommend the Council as follows : — 1. That the Chief Eire Inspector be appointed the Eire Inspector to carry out the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, and especially clause 323 thereof ; also the bye-laws bearing on fire prevention— viz., bye-law No. 1, part 5 of schedule thereto ; bye-law No. 3, clauses 3, 6, and 15; and bye-laws Nos. 11, 17, and 19. 2. That the Chief Fire Inspector's report on brick kilns within the borough, be ( adopted. 3. That a reply be forwarded to the Napier Gas Company, notifying that the Corporation do not at present contemplate erecting lamps in the localities specified in their secretary's letter. 4. That the tender of Mr W. A. Amner for works on Spencer-road be accepted. 5. That fire plugs be placed in the positions indicated in the Eire Inspector's letter. 6. That clauses 1 to 4 of the engineer's report of the 17th instant be adopted. 7. That with reference to clause 5 of the engineer's report it be adopted, and the ' engineer. instructed to communicate with MrKaine on the subject of procuring the necessary plant and piping for the new i

I waterworks, and to report thereon to the next meeting of the Council. Geobge Hen by Swax, Chairman. In connection with clause 6 of the report the following report of tbe engineer was read :— 1. Spencer-road. —Tenders for the work in connection with this road will be laid before you. 2. Beach-road.—The completion of the contract for the repairing of this road has been suspended until the portion of No. 1 ' drainage contract required to be done in Beach-road is executed. Only about onethird of the road has received its cutting of rubble, and that portion is unfinished, as it requires the large stones to be broken up and the blinding of quarry sand completed. 3. Water Supply.—l beg to call the attention of the committee to the waste of water in connection with the high pressure supply. Between Wednesday and Thursday last the water fell in the reservoir three feet, indicating a waste of not less than 60,000 gallons. On Wednesday last, at the Spit, the ball-tap supplying one large consumer was found to be broken off and the water running to waste, and with the presure there it would run with great velocity. The stand pipe at the Spit is also a source of great waste, as are also the tap fixed to the stand pipes throughout the town. It is impossible to get at the amount of waste in connection with private houses supplied from the high pressure, but ifc must be great. The stand pipes are objectionable for another reason, viz., that in consequence of the facilities for obtaining water from them, owners of property adjacent refuse to lay tbe water on to their houses and consequently a considerable revenue is lost. I beg to suggest therefore : (1) That all taps to stand pipes be removed, or if in any case retained for drinking purposes that the taps be of such a description as to prevent the water being drawn for household purposes. (2) That owners of property supplied from the high pressure and not having a tank should have notice to provide a tank and ball tap at once. There are, I may say, about sixty houses at present without the requisite tanks. (3) That the high pressure should be only turned on for, say, one hour and a half in the morning and one hoour in the evening. 4. Drainage Contracts Nos. 6 and 7. — These contracts are being carried on in a satisfactory manner. 5. Water Works Extension Scheme. —I shall he glad to receive instructions as to ordering the necessary piping and plant, and to prepare the necessary plans and specifications for obtaining tenders for the other works in connection with the same. Robt. Lamb, Municipal Engineer. The Mayor and several Councillors objected to" the suggestion that the supply of water should be cut off from tbe Spit during the night, and pointed out the loes that might arise from a lack of water in case of fire. The clause was then made to read as follows, and adopted:—■ " That clauses one to tour of the engineer's report of the 17fch instant be adopted, and that the water be laid on to the Spit between the hours of 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., and that the water be cut off from the stand-pipe during those hours." The clause as so amended was then adopted. On clause seven being put the Mayor pointed out the necessity, in view of a rising market, of concluding arrangements for the purchase of the plant at once. The clause was then altered to read as follows :—" That with reference to clause five of the engineer's report immediate action be taken on the telegram from Mr Raine, and his offer be accepted as the basis of the negotiation for procuring the plant; and that the engineer be instructed to prepare tbe plans and specifications." The clause was then adopted, and the Council adjourned.