BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1295, 14 May 1878, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

SYDENHAM. The Sydenham Borough Council met last night at their Chambers. Present —The Mayor (Mr Geo. Booth), Ors. Whitelaw, Langdown, Brown, Oharteria, Jones, Hall, Yennal, and Buxton. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, the following business was transacted. BELWTN BTBEET AND SOUTH BELT. A letter was read from Mr H. Y. Anson, complaining of the state of the drain on the oast side of Selwyn street, and requesting that it be cleared out; also calling attention to the stagnant condition of the drain along the south footpath of the South Town Belt. It was resolved that the alterations necessary should be put in hand at an early date. During the discussion upon the subject the question of jurisdiction was raised, and it was decided that the south side of the South town belt belonged to the city. POSTAL DELIVEEY. A letter from the postmaster, Mr Sydney Diet, was read, also one from the Chief Postmaster at Wellington. Both letters stated that the wish of the Borough Council to have a delivery of letters in the whole of the borough could not at present be complied with. Much dissatisfaction was expressed by the councillors at the present position of postal arrangements, which were declared to be worse now than they used to be. It was resolved to urge upon the Government the necessity of making without delay some provision for delivery. BOBOUGH STATISTICS. A letter from the Government requested statistics of the borough to be furnished. The Mayor stated that the clerk would attend to the request at once. DBAINAGE KATE. A letter from the Drainage Board informed the Council that the rate ©f the district would be s|d in the £. The clerk was directed to acknowledge the receipt of the letter. THE PAN SYSTEM. A circular from the Board of Health re the pan system was read. It has already been published. As a kindred matter had been referred to the sanitary committee, Or. Buxton here handed in the report of the committee, which the clerk read. It suggested a form of by-law giving the Council control over cesspits, Ac., and that a contract should be made with Mr Brightling. It was received. At the request of Cr. Whitelaw, the letter of Mr Pearce, which had been read at the last meeting of the Council, was again read. The adoption of the sanitary committee’s report was discussed and finally carried. The Mayor pointed out that no by-law could be made until the borough seal had been adopted, as the by-law would require to be sealed. In answer to a question, the clerk said that the seal would be received in September. Several councillors suggested the adoption of a temporary seal, so as to allow no time to he lost. # . The Mayor said it was quite right that there should be a contract to protect the ratepayers from excessive charges by the scavenger. Cr. Charteris moved by-law as suggested be framed. The motion was duly seconded and earned. The letter from the Board of Health was then referred to the sanitary committee, to report upon at the next meeting of the Council. On the motion of Cr. Whitelaw, it was resolved that persons desiring to have pans he invited to send in applications to the Council, and that the Council arrange with the contractor as to the terms he would charge for emptying the pans. Mr Brightling here was introduced to the Council, and stated that he at present had arranged with the inspector of nuisances for emptying pans for some individuals within the borough. He said he did not collect the money. His charge for ratepayers in the borough would be the same as that for the ratepayers of the city. The Mayor said that the Council would endeavor to ascertain how many applications there would be within the borough, and then would communicate with Mr Brightling. At present there could be no compulsory adoption of the pan system within the borough. Mr Brightling said he would let the Council know what his charge would be under the circumstances. PEOTEBT AGAINST ASSESSMENT. A letter from Mr Isaac G. Bridges was read. It requested a reduction in his assessment. The letter was received, and the clerk was directed to inform Mr Bridges that his request could not be complied with. SPBEYDON HOAD BOABD. Letters from the Spreydon Road Board, referring to collection of rates, and dedication of streets formerly in the Spreydon district, but now in the Borough, were read and received, and the clerk was directed to acknowledge the same with thanks. In reference to the last matter, it was resolved that Cr. Charteris with the town clerk should examine whether there were other streets which had been dedicated. BOROUGH ENDOWMENT AND BAILWAT BRIDGE. Letters from Government, re an endowment of five acres for the Borough, and the formation of a foot-hridge over the railway in or near Madras street, stated that the matters had been referred to the Crown Lands and Public Worls Departments. Cr. Whitelaw said that the blocking of Madras street by the railway was a very serious inconvenience to many persons in the Borough. It was resolved that the Mayor should watt upon Mr Marshall and upon the local Public Worts otlicials to impress upon them the desirability of immediate action being taken in the matters referred to, VITAL STATISTICS. It was resolved to communicate with the R o stiar-Qeneral, otlling hia attention to the pemsity for the puhliahiag of the vital statistics of the borough. PINANCB. Accounts to the amount of £oi 17s 2d were passed for payment, and it was stated that the balance at credit of the Council. att ; r paying the accounts passed, was £2IOB 9s lid. The dog rates collected had amounted to £l3B 10s. PUBLIC WOBKB COMMITTEE, The following report of the public works

Tour committee met on the 6th instant, all the members of the committee being present. After a lengthy discussion on the subject of providing a loan for public works, it was resolved to recommend the Cou. c l to borrow the sum of £20,000, in proponions as follow, viz.; For side channelling .£ 12,800 For asphalting 3,960 For widening roads ... ••• 1,500 For erection of lamps 1,000 £19,260 It was further resolved that the Mayor, with Or. Brown, be a committee to wait upon the manager of the Bank to make arrangements for raising the loan. . , Your committee met again on the lutn instant, and received the sub-committee’s report, to the effect that, after having an interview with the manager and inspector of the Bank, _ both of whom agreed as to the impracticability of raising a loan at present to meet the requirements of the Act, they resolved to recommend the Council to initiate the scheme in compliance with section 111 of the Act. The manager said he would most gladly assist the Council in allowing the overdraft to the full extent permitted by the Act, Signed on behalf of committee, G. Booth, Mayor. The Mayor stated that the overdraft would be at 7 per cent, and would amount to about £IOOO ; the total amount available would be about £ISOO. Cr. Whitelaw moved that the further consideration of so important a subject be postponed till next meeting. He thought so small a sum as £ISOO would lead to a scramble for the first expenditure, £ISOO not being sufficient to do all the work proposed. Cr. Jones agreed with the last speaker. Cp. Brown thought that £2500 would be available for this year, and the same amount next year, and it was to his mind doubtful whether more than this amount could be spent on public works, even if the loan of £20,000 was floated. The motion, with the addition of referring the report to the public works committee, was then agreed to. Cr. Jones informed the Council that there was a deputation in attendance in reference to the formation of the streets in Hestell’s paddock. . ~ The deputation, consisting of Messrs Skinner, Egan, and Westwood, was here introduced, and stated that they had canvassed the whole of the residents on the block in Rested’s paddock, and found them willing to pay the expense of making the roads. ,The roads would none of them be less than half a chain wide. The Mayor said the deputation would have to get the land dedicated. The Council thought tho proposed width too small. It should not be less than 40ft. The deputation replied that the sections were so small that, if anything more was taken from them, there would be nothing left for the inhabitants. The Mayor suggested that the best course for the deputation to adopt was to apply to the works committee as soon as the roads were dedicated. The works committee would report to the Council, who would take action then. At the same time his Worship impressed upon the deputation the extreme desirability of having the width of the streets at least 40ft, Cr. Oharteris moved, and Cr. Langdown seconded—“ That a rate of one shilling in the £ be struck for the period from the Ist January, 1878, to tho Ist January, 1879, the same to lie payable in one sum on the 30th of Cr. Whitelaw expressed fear that the Spreydon Road Board would levy another rate upon a portion of the district, as their financial year did not, he thought, correspond with that of tho borough. The Mayor pointed out that only one rate for the year could be levied on any part of the district. He believed that the Spreydon Road Board had collected all their rates before the 31st March. The motion was agreed to, and the Council rose. _