BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1236, 20 February 1878, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

LYTTELTON.

The Council met at the usual hour. Present —His Worship the Alayor, Crs. Macdonald, AleClatchie, Weyburne, Wood, Chalmers, Macpheraon, Cunningham, Parsons, and Hawkins. The clerk stated that £6B 12s had been received since last meeting. Correspondence was read from the Colonial Secretary as follows ;

I beg to inform you, in reply to a letter of February sth, that the Government are willing to hand over the management of hospital and charitable aid in Lyttelton to the Borough Council, and that when this is done no further deduction on that account will be made from sub idiea payable to the borough fund. lam directed to ask that if the Council agree to this arrangement the Treasury may Ire informed as well as the Colonial Secretary.

The resident engineer wrote re pipes in the tunnel and on the reclaimed land, stating that the railway would hand said pipes to Council on the understanding that the Council agreed to return an equal weight of Sin. pipes and paid the cost of removal. The gross weight of pipes was 14 tons lewt., and the amount involved in labour £l6 16s. The superintendent engineer replied to the Council’s letter requesting the railway authorities to issue instructions to have the fence encroaching on the Norwich Quay footpath removed back to the boundary of the railway station property. He suggested to the Council that, if no immediate necessity existed for the use of this footpath, it would be a great convenience to the department to postpone removing the fence in question until there was less pressure of works on the resident engineer’s hands than at present. He further asked if the Council would be satisfied witli Government undertaking to remove the fence when the footpath was required to be formed. The superintendent engineer also wrote acknowledging receipt of a letter of 6th February calling his attention to the very disagreeable and rough state of the approach to the railway station, Lytteltou. In reply he stated that the completion of these approaches was now in progress, and would shortly bo finished. Mr H. P, Blanchard wrote re making plans of Ashburton and Selwyn reserve granted to Lyttelton Borough Council. A letter from Messrs Thornton and Ball stated that the time for the completion of reservoir works had expired, but that the contractors would he another week completing the job. The work had been satisfactorily performed, and they recommended the Council to grant the contractor one week’s extension of his contract time. Messrs P. Cunningham and Co. wrote to say that they had ordered pipes, Ac., for the Council as requested from Messrs Hill and Hartridge of London. Mr Jones, overseer of prison works, asked permission to open up the footpath in front of the Colonists’ Hall to lay down pipe for drainage from the Borough Infant school works. Dr. Rouse wrote as follows :

In the report of lost meeting of the Borough Council I t ee that reference was made by yourself to the unsatisfactory position of Lyttelton with regard to charitable aid as having no officer resident to whom persons in distress can apply. Will you kindly at the next meeting of the Borough Council take an opportunity of making public what is not generally known, viz., that since Mr March has been administrator of the department he has arranged with me that I should enquire into, and if necessary give temporally relief, in all cases of emergency occuring in Lyttelton, without incurring in such cases the delay attending a report to the office and its reply.”

Mr W. Graham wrote refusing to give more than £lO towards the extension of the culvert in Ripen street. Letters were also read from Messrs Thornton and Bull re reservoir works; from Mr Thos. Wheeler, applying to he appointed a licensed porter; and from Mr N. Kent, respecting reservoir works. The letter from the Colonial Secretary’s office regarding the charitable institutions, &c., was first considered, and after discussion it was resolved to make a further communication to the Government, asking them whether, if the Council decided to take over the management of the hospital and orphanage, the Government would convey the properties to the Borough, and whether that would relieve the Council from all deductions from their subsidy. Regarding the removal of the railway fence on Norwich Quay, it was agreed that an answer should be sent to Mr Conyers agreeing to the terms stated in his letter. With reference to the communication from Mr Outhbert re pipes, it was resolved that iie be written to informing him that the pipes were the Council’s, and that consent was given to the Borough Council to have the pipes in question removed, the Council paying for the

labour, which they were still willing to do. The extension of time to the contractors, asked for by Messrs Thornton and Bull, was granted, and also Mr Jones’ request to open the footpath opposite the Colonists’ Hall. The Mayor said he had not been aware till receiving the communication from Dr Rouse that that gentleman had power to dispense charitable aid. Or. Macpherson said he should like to know where the money for charitable aid came from. Other Councillors expressed an opinion that the Mayor was tire proper person to dispense the aid. After long discussion it was resolved to apply to Mr March for a statement as to what sums had been expended in charitable aid during the past year through his department. It was resolved to write to Mr Kent for return of pipes in stock. Thomas Wheeler’s application was granted. The Mayor said he had seen Mr Willeox regarding water rate assessment, but he could take no further steps till after the Assessment Court had sat. r l he roll was nearly finished, and could be completed immediately after the sitting of the Court. The following report of the works committee was read and adopted after discussion. Your committee have to report that they have inspeeted the gully in Ripen street, complained of by Mr Mutton. Mr Mutton offers to contribute c£lo if tbe Council will continue the sewer to tbe boundary of his property, the cost of which will be about iM-0. Yonr committee recommend that thit offer should be accepted, and that tbe work be carried out by day labor. Your committee have received an offer from Mr W. Graham of 10 if the Council will continue the sewer to the boundary of bis property, but his proportion would be J 317 10s, according to Mr Mutton’s contribution.

Or. Cunningham, chairman of the water supply committee, obtained authority from the Council to procure certain materials required for the water supply works. The Mayor said that in view of the heavy overdraft which the Council would probably require, ho thought some special arrangement should be made with the Bank, as the present x’ate of interest was 9 per cent. He understood from the papers that the Sydenham Borough had made an arrangement to bo only charged 7 per cent. After discussion Cr. Cunningham moved—“ That the Bank ho written to, asking if they would reduce the rate of interest on overdraft to 7 per cent.” Accounts, amounting to £l.ll 4s Bd, were passed for payment. Cr. McClatchie called attention to the nuisance from the storm water at Talbot and McClatchie’s store on Norwich Quay. The matter was 'referred to the works committee.