Feilding Borough Council.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 286, 7 June 1895, Page 2

Feilding Borough Council.

v— The monthly meeting of the above was held last evening. Present— The Mayor (Mr W. A. Sandilands), Crs J. P. Cowie, T. R.. Chamberlain, E. Goodbehere, H. Worsfold, W. A. L. Bailey, G. H. Say well, G. W. Fowlos, J. Go*uld, A. E. Allan. The minutes of last ordinary and special meetings were read and confirmed. Correspondence was read and dealt with as]follows : — From W B. Retemeyer, asking the Council to give him access from his property through Mr Kyan's farm on the Kimbolton road. From T. Evans, asking for payment of £1, cost of erecting a new floodgate in place of ono carried away in late flood by the bridge being washed down ; also, that the watertablo in Queen streot be formed. From W. li. Petton, asking that the name of Harriet Petorsen be placed on rate roll for section 43, Makino road, in place of his. — Alteration made. From F. J. Hedge, asking the Council to have the fences across Churcher and Roots streets removed. — Instructions to be given for removal. From M. 11. Hig^in, drawing atteDtion to d-fectivc drainage in front of section No. 723, Kimbolton road ; also, asking that a culvert be put in in front of the pate. From A. W. Parker, Secretary Feildiug St'hool Committee, requesting the Council to put in a culvert at the edge of kerbing at entrance to school gate — Application granted. From S. A. Brennan, asking Council to put in larger culvert at the junction of Derby street and Kimbolton road. From W. D. Nicholas, asking the Council to contribute half cost of concrete footpath opposite stores erec ted by him in Fergusson street. From J. Stevens, M.HE., re appointment of Clerk to the Court and Inspector of Weights and Measures for Feilding. From Under- Secretary to the Department or Lands and Survey, stating that the Minister did not see his way to send a stafl' surveyor to survey the town of Feilding with the object of proposing an efficient scheme for drainage. With reference to this matter, the Mayor said they had evidently misconstrued the letter he had sent to the Minister of Lands. He had written down asking that a Government engineer should be instructed to inspect and report on the condition of the Makino stream, as the Council had ineffectually attempted to protect bridges across it. The Public "Works Committee's report was read, and recommended that South street bridge be painted ; that the culvert in front of the Feilding Hotel be removed, and watertable and kerbing be substituted ; that the bridge on the railway line road near H. Johnston's property be fenced on each side ; since last meeting a bridge for foot traffic has been made at Warwick street; the damage done to the protection work for diverting the Makino stream below Manchester street is being repaired in such a way as will, in the opinion of the committee, effectually withstand future floods. Gravelling is being done where necessary, and such of the streets as are urgently in need of repair are being attended to. From Treasury, voucher for £7 13s 7d, half the difference between the cost of licensing elections of 1891 and 1894. From Inspector of Nuisances, a report. From committee appointed to make arrangements for ranger and poundkeeper, stating that F. Barker had been appointed. From Finance Committee, recommending accounts amounting to dE97 6s Id be passed for payment. — Report adopted. Cr Allan wanted to know if the Finance Committee had a report from the Foreman of Works to show how the money was spent. The Mayor replied in the affirmative, and said that any Councillor who wished could see it. Cr Bailey thought that was a matter for the Financial Commitee to consider, and there was no necessity to bring it before the Council. Cr Worsfold, as a member, thought the Public Works Committee should authorise the expenditure, and then the Financial Committee could pass the accounts. He knew nothing of what work was done. Cr Goodbehere took it that the Finance Committee should pass accounts and that the Public Works Committee were appointed to carry out the works. If they failed to carry out their duty that was their fault. The Mayor said that the Foreman of Works was empowered to carry out works authorised by the Council, and under instruction from the Public Works Committee ; also, to engage or dismiss men. Cr Worsfold : The works had never been before the Public Works Committee and he knew nothing about them. Or Allan would like to know who were the Public Works Committee They did not know who the Chairman was and he had not previously seen the report before them. When he accepted the position on the Committee he did so to be of benefit and he did not intend to be a dummy. Cr Fowles stated he, as Chairman of the Public Works Committee, had shown Cr Allan a rough draught and asked if it could be put in a report, to which the latter agreed. Cr Allan denied there was any right for them to arrange a report without calling a meeting of the Committee together. Cr Worsfold had to stand a lot of blame for matters he knew nothing about. In the last report it was re ported about a 6-feefc break had oc curred in the protection works between Manchester and Warwick streets, and a resolution was passed by the Council to repair it. Instead of that five or six men were emploj'ed to do more work than was intended, and he knew nothing of what was going on. Each member of a Coin mittee should be consulted, and the work should not be left to one man. Things were not done in a proper way. Cr Bailey failed to see what this had to do with the Council. It was the fault of the Public Works Committeo—they had a Chairman. Cr Allan : They wero supposed to have a Chairman but none bad been

elected. He (the speaker) kn.ew nothing about what was going on until he found it out himself. The only authority was to repair the groins and now five or six men were employed extending the work. The Mayor : The work was authorised by resolution and it was the fault of members of the Public Works Committee if they did not hold meetings. Cr Fowles : The business was conducted in the way it always was. As soon as the work was passed by the Council, he (as Chairman) bad it carried out. Not one of the Public Works Committee had gone near him to oiler assistance. He had shown Cr Allan the report. Cr Allan : I never saw that report. He also denied that Cr Fowles was Chairman of the Committee. Cr Fowles replied that Cr Allan had seen the items it was intended to put in. It was not in bis province to call meetings, and none of the Committee had asked him to do so. Cr Goodbehere thought the Public Works Committee should settle these matters outside the Council. The Major : A book was kept with works authorised by the Council. Cr Fowies usually consulted him before doing any work. The discussion then dropped. Resolved, That the report of the Pound Committee be adopted. Proposed by Cr Allan, seconded by Cr Gould, That the Inspector of Nuisances be instructed to t»ke the necessary steps provided by the Act for the immediate abatement of the nuisance accruing in Bowen and Stafford streets and Kimbolton road. — Carried. Proposed by Cr G oodbehere, seconby Cr Say well, That the report of the Public Works Committee be adopted. — Carried. Proposed by Cr Cowie, seconded by Cr Allan, That the Foreman of Works be asked to furnish a report to the Chairman of the Public Works Committee, of the various works carried out previous to the accounts being put before the Finance Committee. — Carried. Proposed by Cr Goodbehere, seconded by Cr J3ailey, That the question of forming a watertable in Queen street fronting Mr T. Evans property and also the request of Mrs lliggin be referred to the Public Works Committeo with power to act, but that this Council cannot comply with Air Evans' request re paying him for the new floodgate — Carried. Proposed by Cr Cowie, seconded by Cr Gould, That the question of clearing watertable from the Makino store to Wilson's corner and the oulvert and ditch complained of by Mrs Brennan be referred to the Public Works Committee to report to the next meeting of the Council. — Carried. Resolved, That the Public Works Comuittee report on Mr Eetemeyer's road at the next meeting. Proposed by the Mayor, seconded by Cr Worsfold, That the question of putting down, in the future, tarred footpaths be referred to the Public Works Committee for their consideration and report, and that in the meantime the application .of Mr W. D. Nicholas be held over. — Carried. In discussing this resolution, the Mayor said he had written to Marton enquiring the cost of tarring the footpaths. He received a reply to the effect that the necessary plant would cost <£6, and the cost per square yard for making footpath was 9d. This, he thought, was cheaper than putting metal on. Proposed by Cr Goodbehere, seconded by Cr Worsfold, That a special committee from this Council, consisting of the Mayor, Crs. Bailey, Fowles, Allan, and the mover, be appointed to inspect the Kiwitea stream where it is reported to be breaking into the Makino stream, and that the Manchester Road Board be requested to appoint a committee to meet the committee from this Council on the ground. A report to be laid before the Council at its next meeting. — Carried. Cr Goodbehere thought the Manchester Road Board should be asked to assist as the trouble commenced in their district. He thought a thorough examination of the locality should be made where the Kiwitea overflowed its banks. Cr Allan had made an inspection of the localities where the Kiwitea stream was said to overflow its banks and then flood the Makino. He found there was a break in the Kiwitea in Mr Elkington's property, near Cheltenham, and the flood water came through Messrs Fry and Bell's properties, and into the Makino. By removing the drift wood some good might be done. Cr Chamberlain had also inspected the locality and agreed that a special committee shou'd inspect it. The Council then adjourned.

After the ordinary meeting a special meeting was held, to strike a special rate of Id in the £ over the rateable property within the Borough for the purpose of paying interest on the loan for Municipal Buildings.