BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1560, 18 February 1879, Page 4

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

SYDENHAM. Monday, February 17. The ordinary meeting of this body was held at seven o’clock. Pres nt —His Worship the Mayor and Cra, White, Langdown, Andrews, Jones, Hall Brown, Pavitl and Foster. THE GASWORKS ROAD. The Town Clerk stated that he hid been requested by Cr. Charters to apologise for his absence that evening through illnesn Cr Chart rs had a sum of £6O in hand, money that he had collected in re the Gasworks road. _He expected to have the whole amount in hand in a Week. . , mi Cr. Hall said this was very irregular. Ihe money ought to have been all ready that evening, THE MAP OP THE BOROUGH. A letter was read from Messrs Dobson and Sons, stating that they had no objection to allow the matter of the completion of the map of Sydenham to stand over till the question of naming the streets was decided, but asking in the meantime that their d posit might be re turned, and also applying for an instalment of the sum of £l5O on the amount of their contract. The Town Clerk stated that the gradients had been supplied to Messis Dobson. All that was now required were the names nf the streets. Cr. White said it seemed to him that Messrs Dobson were not complying with their specification. The Council was not bound to famish them with gradients Moved by Cr. Foster —“ That the letter he referred to the street-naming committee.” Seconded by Cr. Hall and agreed to. THE GAS COMPANY,

A letter was read from the Gas Company, asking if the Council desired to purchase the 3ft. strip of the company’s section on the Gasworks road, now encroached upon by the public footpath, and asking what the Council was willing to pay for it. T he Town Clerk said it was an imaginary 3ft. strip of laud. It was immediately to the south of tbe railway on the western side of the Gasworks road. He could not .ay whether the street encroached on the company’s land It was stated that the strip in question had been given by the residents to increase the width of the road. The let ter was the outcome of a letter written by him (the speaker) m reply to one by Mr Bishop, asking for certain in'ormation. The letter wa i a private one. Cr Jones did not think it was a private letter. It had got into the letter book. Any such letter a-* that written by the town clerk ought to hove been read out at open Council meeting. After some discussion the matter was. on the casting vote of the Vayor referred to the works committee to bring mi a report THE SOUTH TOWN BELT. A letter was read from Mr it. J S Harman, the chairman of the Local Board of Health, on the subject of the south town belt. It was similar to tbe letter re d at the last meeting of the City Council, whiih has al eady been published The Mayor said the question was should a direct answer be sent at once, or should they wait until the two committees had held their meeting. Cr. Pavitt, chairman of the sanitary committee, said he had received a letter from the town clerk, a king for a time to be fixed for the proposed conference. Tbe Mayor stated that since the last meeting the Council had cent several men to clean the worst places, but they were now as bad as ever. He did not think a purely temporary measure would be of any avail. Cr Foster moved—“ That Cr. White, the chairman of the works committee, be present to confer with the < hristchurch committee, in addition to the sanitary committee.” Cr. Brown seconded the motion. He thought their committee should have some instruction from that Council, and he would suggest that they should receive such instructions. Cr White reminded the Council that the Christchurch City Council had not fulfilled their promise, and before they held this conference he was of opinion that the promised information oucht to b>- given. With regard to the ques-ti-n of boundaries, it was not anticipated that there w uld bo any difficulty on that ecore. Cr. Pavitt agreed with Cr. White that the City Council should give th-m some definite information before the committees met.

The Mayor would remind the Council that new blood had been introduced into both bodies since the first meeting of the committees. He had told Mr Harman that the Sydenham Borough Council was waiting for a communication from the City Council i-till, he thought they ought to adopt the resolution, and meet them, an.t see what information they were now prepared to give Cr. Brown really thought it was time something was done. There was a general outcry on the subject. The motion was then put and carried. THE EATING ACT. A circular was read from the Colonial Secretary’s office, informing the Council that in making an application for an extension of time under Section G 8 of the Fating Act, 1876, the nature of the misadventure or accident, and the causes leading to it, must be clearly shown, otherwise the Government would be unable to advise the Governor to grant the extension. The letter was received. LETTER FROM RESIDENT ENGINEER. A letter was read from the Resident Engineer, stating that he would set back the railway fence to the proposed line as soon as he co Id spare workmen to do it within a reasonably short time. The letter was received. ACCESS TO PREMISES. A letter was read from Mr J. T. Brown, stating that the south side of the Christchurch Town belt in front of his business premises was unformed, so that it was with great difficulty that access could be gained by vehicles. As a large ratepayer, he asked the Council to take some steps to make the approach to his entrance more convenient. The letter was referred to the comtittee that is to confer with the ity Council. THE GLASGOW RELIEF FUND. A letter was read from Mr Andrew Duncan, the secretary of the committee, lat iy appointed at a public meeting, asking the Sydenham Borough • 'ouncil to co-operate with the committee in its work of collecting subscriptions for the relief of the sufferers by the recent Glasgow Bank failures. Cr. White moved—“ That the letter be received, and that an advertisement be inserted in the newspapers stating that subscriptions could be left at that office.” Cr. Brown seconded the motion, which was agreed to. SANDRIDGE. Mr E. Jackman wrote relative to hia contract for the formation of stree s at S mdridge, asking for his certificate, and for the Council to call in the arbitrators. Cr. White said Mr Jackman had not carried out his contract anything at all in accordance with the specifications. He had finished nothing, and the contract time was up by six or seven weeks. He had given a great deal of trouble to the surveyor. The speaker prot ceded to make a number of other complaints against Mr Jackman. He would move— ‘‘ That the letter be referred to the works committee, with power to act.” Seconded by Cr. Langdown, and agreed to. INFECTIOUS DISEASES. The Mayor stated certain persons had come to him in relation to infectious diseases. He had referred them to the proper body, viz., the ocal Board of Health. REPORT OF WORKS COMMITTEE. 17th. February, 1879. Fencing.—Year committee beg to report that hey have accepted the tender of Charles Thomson 0 erect fence on section No. 84, Colombo road, for he sum of £44 lls. Metal. —Another tender of W. Hole for broken metal for the Lincoln road and Gasworks road at 1 Os and 10s per yard respectively. Also the tender of James Whittington for broken metal for Colombo rood, at 10s per cubic yard The letter from the engineer to the Drainage Board has not yet been replied to in consequence of the committee not being empowered to answer letters until considered by the Council. The following is the reply whick the committee ■would recommend being sent to the engineer, viz.:— That there is only one sump in the Borough of Sydenham, namely, on Colombo road, and this one is regularly cleaned out; the other sumps connecting with the south and east belts sewers are within the Christchurch jurisdiction, to which body we •would respectfully refer him. The same remarks apply to the petition of Messrs Atkins, Clarke, and others re the Lincoln road footpath. In answer to the letter from the Commissioner of Railways, the committee would recommend that he bo written to, and asked at what time the Council msy expect the work completeo. Ee Mr Dobson’s letter, your committee recommend a progress payment to the amount of £l5O. The Mayor thought the works committee ought to recommend that the Council should keep the sumps clean. They were morally bound to do so, and had done so when Cr. Whitelaw was chairman of works committee. It was a pity to still further aggravate the feeling between them and the City Council Cr. Brown thought this v as a part of the whole question to be considered by the conferenco The Mayor said he as a ratepayer had a right to complain of the action of the Sydenham Borough Council. Cr. White contend id that they should neither interfere with the sumps on the south side of

tne i-outh town belt, H e did not agree with the i pinion expressed in the Drainage board, and it was to be regretted that Sydenham had no representative on that body. The clause in question in reference to the sumps was then approved. The other Jau-'es were also approved, and the report as a whole was then adopted. GAS LAMP. Cr. Wall drew attention to the non-lighting of the lamp placed on tae northern side of the Colombo street railway crossing._ Referred to the lighting committee. LIGHTING COMMITTEE. This committee reported that the tender of Mr Atkinson h id been ac epted for twenty-five lamp posts at il l 7s per lamp. The report was adopted. FINANCE. Cr. Hall repo ted that the receipts since the last meeting had been .£174 9s; credit at the bank on the 15th inst. .£2305 Is id; accounts to be paid, .£3Bl 17s Id ; balance at the bank after these were paid, .£1913 6s 3d : rates in arrear, .£O7 17s Id. Judgments for halt' that amount had been given. A cheque for £250 had been drawn without being passed by the finance committee. Cr. White said the accounts ought to go before the works committee. It was a mere fare to say that they did. , , ~ The Mayor thought the accounts should go before the works committee before going before the finance committee. . Cr. Brown said that when he was chairman ot the works committee he had signed no cheques. Cr. White did not think the finance committee should pay accounts till passed by the works committee. . _ .. „ After some discussion, Cr. White said the finance committee did not do thur work. Ihe accounts passed for payment by tbe Council and the finance committee a fortnight ago had not been before the works committee at all. Cr. Andrews said he. as one of the works committee, had not seen the items that had that nighl come before the Council. Cr. Jones thought the works committee were wholly to blanre. They had only met that evening just before the full meeting to draw up the report. „ ... The Mayor thought the finance committee should see that every thing was done by the works committee. The pay sheet was passed, and three other items were referred to the works committee to inspect and sign if proved correct. The Mayor would reminder Hall that the cheque for £250 had been passed a- the last meeting the Council in re the gas works road Cr, Hall said he merely wished to draw the attention of the Council to the fact that the cheque in question had not come before them the finance committee. The report as amended was then adopted. BY-LAWS COMMITTEE. Cr. Brown reported that the whole of the bylaws Lad reached tbe Town Clerk that day from Messrs Garrick and Cowlishaw, and the committee would meet during the week to consider them. . Cr. Foster moved—" That the by-law committee have authority to take what action they may think proper with regard to getting affair copy <>f the by-laws made for the solicitors. Seconded by Cr. Hall. . Cr. A-hite would oppose the motion. The work ou ht to be done in the office. He thought it was quite time they had a reorga ization of their staff. Cr. Brown said it was not everyone who could do wo k of this kind., and they found when the work was done in the office before it was not dot e properly. . After some further discussion, the motion was After transacting some other business, the Council adjourned.