SYDENHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1715, 19 August 1879, Page 3

SYDENHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Sydenham Borough Council was held yesterday evening, at 7 o'clook. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Ors. White, Langdown, Andrew, Jones, Hall, Joyce, Charters, Pavitt and Brown. The minutes of the last general and special meetings were read and confirmed. A letter was read from Messrs Williams and Deacon re transfer from Mr Aynsley, and enclosing a copy of the correspondence respecting it, and further stating that any delay was not owing to them. The letter pointed out that Mr Aynsley had stated the piece of land he was willing to transfer was only five links wide, and the certificate of title showed it to be six links. This had been pointed out by Messrs Williams and Deacon to the Council, and further instructions asked for. These instructions not having been given was the cause of the delay. It was moved by Or. Joyce, seconded by Cr. Hale—" That the letter from Messrs Williams and Deacon be received, and that a letter be written to them, stating that the Council are satisfied with their reply." Or. Charters moved, and Cr. White seconded, as an amendment—" That the letter of Messrs Williams and Deacon be received and acknowledged." On the amendment being put, it was lost on the casting vote of the Mayor. The original resolution was then put and carried. A letter was read from the clerk to the Riccarton Road Board, enclosing letter from Mr Hansman re culverts on Lincoln road, and trusting the Council would comply with the request contained therein. A letter was also read from Mr Hansman on the same subject. Or. Hall pointed out that by a previous resolution of the Council Mr.Hansman's request to be allowed to widen the bridges in front of his premises had been refused. If the request were now granted that resolution would have to be rescinded. Or. Joyce moved, and Or. Pavitt seconded—- " That the matter be referred to the works committee." The motion was carried. A letter was read from the returning officer, Mr Or. L. Lee, acknowledging the receipt of town clerk's letter, covering a resolution of the Council re polling place in Sydenham, and appointment ef deputy returning officer. The writer pointed out that the appointment rested with himself, and he had offered it to Mr Cuthbert in the event of it being required. The appointment of a polling place was also a portion of his prerogative, and he had recommended the Council offices for that purpc.se, subject Jo the permission of the Council.;

The Mayor said he had received the letter, and had sent a reply, as the matter was urgent, to tho effect that the Council Chamber waß at the service of the Beturning Officer for the purpose of a polling booth. Cr. Charters moved—'* That the action of the Mayor be approved." Or Joyce seconded the resolution, which was carried. Mr David Hood wrote, complaining of a nuisance at the side of his section on a piece of ground belonging to Mr Murray-Aynsley, and reserved for a street in continuation of Second street from Queen street. Cr. Jones moved—" That the matter be referred to the sanitary committee." Cr. Brown seconded the motion, which was agreed to. . . . Mr E. 0. J. Stovens wrote, saying that by the census returns it appeared that under any probable re-adjustment of representation the Borough would be entitled to a member, and in such case he was favorable to its obtaining one. On the motion of Cr. Pavitt, the letter was received and acknowledged. A letter was read from certain ratepayers, calling the attention of the Council to the necessity for providing some means of draining the water from the accommodation road known as Going's road, and suggesting plans for the same. On the motion of Cr. Charters, seconded by Cr. Brown, the matter was referred to the sanitary committee, with power to act. Mr Robert Beattie wrote to say that he had completed his contract of the Sandridge streets, and stating that if the Council required anything further done he would require to be paid extra for it. The consideration of the matter was deferred until the reading of the works committee's report. A lotter was read from tho Boad Beard at the Kaikoura, asking what was the width of tires allowed by the Council in the borough of Sydenham. The letter was ordered to be received and acknowledged. A letter was read from Mr J. Whitelaw, urging the great importance of an early issue of the loan for works of permanent improvement within the borough, with suggestions thereon ; also, with regard to the question of water supply. The consideration of the letter was loft until the works committee's report was read. A letter was read from the town clerk, stating the necessity of the removal of his family into the country, for the sake of_ their health, obliged him to resign his position as town clerk, and respectfully asking that the Council would take such steps as would permit of his getting away at an earlier date than the three months' notice specified in their deed of agreement. He also expressed his grateful acknowledgments for the gentlemanly and impartial manner with which he had been always treated by the Board. The coni>ideration of the letter was deferred to a later period of the evening. The works committee made the following recommendations :—That Mr J. S. Williams be informed that, tho Council cannot approve of tho width of Mr John Anderson's streets unless they are made 6Gft. wide, and that so soon as this is complied with, the necessary levels and other particulars as to formation required to be given by the Council, in terms of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, and Municipal Corporations Act Amendment, 1878, will be{supplied. That the street on the west side oE Selwyn street at Casbolt's store over Jackson's Creek, and connecting with Bright's road, be formed and shingled forthwith. That as Mr Robert Beattie neither completed his Sandridge contract within the specified time, nor asked for an extension of time, the fine be inflicted as per specification. And to report that the estimate for public works is as follows: — Drainage £37,000 Asphalte 6,000 Public buildings 2,000 Widening roads ... ... 5,000 £50,000 On the motion of Cr. Pavitt, seconded by Or. Andrew, the report was received and considered clause by clause seriatim. Clauses 1 and 2 were adopted. With regard to clause 3, referring to Beattie's Sandridge contract, Cr. White moved and Cr. Brown seconded —" That the recommendation of the works committee be adopted." Cr. Joyce moved, and Cr. Langdown seconded—" That unless cause be shown the fine be enforced, and that his reasons be sent to the chairman of works committee seven days before next meeting." The amendment was put and negatived. Cr. Hall moved an amendment, which was not seconded —"That the Sandridge contractor be fined £20." The Mayor was about to put the motion, when Cr. Joyce interposed and said he considered it harsh to inflict such a fine as was contemplated without giving the contractor an opportunity of giving his reasons. Cr. White said it was not customary to ask a contractor to show cause. He had been fined himself, and that privilege had never been conceded to him. The resolution was then put and carried. Clause 4 was adopted. Cr. White moved, and Cr. Andrew seconded, and it was agreed to —" That the report as a whole be adopted." Cr. Hall moved —"That Mr Whitelaw'sjletter be received, and that the thanks of this Council be tendered to him for the same. The subject of the loan referred to in the letter be referred to the loan and the flnanoe and works committee, and that of the water supply to the fire prevention committee." Cr. Charters seconded the motion, which was carried. Mr Whitelaw, who was present, said he should be happy to co-operate as far as lay in his power, by advice and suggestion,_ with the committees the matters dealt with in his letter had been referred to. The matter of Mr Beattie's letter was again brought forward, and was ordered to be received and acknowledged. The sanitary commiteee reported that the attention of the local Board of Health be drawn to the condition of Mr John Mohr't premises on Going's road, and further, thas the inspector of nuisances was making a house-to-house inspection. On the motion of Or. White, seconded by Cr. Joyce, the report was received and adopted. The lighting committee reported as follows : Tour committee would beg to draw the attention of the Council to what they consider the very exorbitant rate charged by the Gas Company for the erection of lamp posts—£2 10s per post—as two men can fix two poßts per day, and would advise the Council to ask that the cost of lighting may be reduced to the same as that paid by the Chriatchurch City Council, as the committee are of opinion that the expense of lighting our lamps is not more than it is in Christehurch. Failing such reduction, your committee would advise the Council to take into their consideration the advisability of lighting with kerosene oil. ' The committee recommend that the thirteen unerected lamp posts be at once erected, on the following streets : —Colombo road, two; Gasworks, three ; Going's, one ; Park, one ; Selwyn street, three; Madras street, one; Harper street, one ; Durham street, one; _as more particularly defined on the accompanying map, by the labor gang, and lighted with kerosene until the gas mains are laid in the above streets and roads. Or. Pavitt moved, and Or. Andrew seconded, the adoption of the report, which was agreed to. The finarce committee reported the receipts for the past fortnight to be £289 3s 4d, and the expenditure £202 12s 3 dr. balance at Bank, £26 19a 7d. The report was adopted. The street naming committee reported that during the last fortnight they had decided on the names of the streets in the borough, which they had marked on the plan, and submitted for the approval of the Council. Cr. White questioned the power of the committee legally to name or alter the names of the streets in the borough until the bylaw had legally come in force. The chairman of the Btreet naming committee obtained permission to withdraw the report. After some further routine business, the Council adjourned.

and that he was not in favour of paying any money until this was renewed. Mr Hay and other members of the Council were of the same opinion. Mr Gsbbie moved—" That the treasurer be authorised to make a second progress payment to the contractor on the architect's certificate being reoeivea." The motion was put, and unanimously agreed to. GRADING OP SUMMIT BOAD. Mr Gebbie moved—" That Mr Baker, the chief surveyor, be requested to regrade all parts of the Summit road where it passes through unsurveyed land." The motion was seconded by Mr Barker, and carried. BANKING ACCOUNT. The balance that day at the credit of Akaroa County fund, general account, was £2135 Os 63, and at the credit of the special account £l2lß 14s. DOG TAX. Mr Gebbie was in favour of this tax being collected by an officer appointed by the Council. The Chairman said something should be done. At present there were only 573 dogs registered in the county; at this time last year 800 had been registered. Mr Gebbie wished to know in what police district Tai Tapu and Gebbie's Valley were, as at present the police refused to have anything to do with either place. Mr Barker complained that in his district there were neither collars nor collector. Mr Gebbie moved " That the Council write to Superintendent Broham to instruct the police to prosecute all ownsrs of unregistered dogs in the county." The motion was seconded by Mr Hay, and carried. Mr Hay moved and Mr Fleming seconded—- " That Mr Broham be written to, asking him the name of the police officer under whose charge the districts of Tai Tapu and Gebbie's Valley are." The motion was agreed to. It was verbally reported that Mr Wright, the collector for Okain's Bay, had refused tot having anything more to do with the collection of the tax, owing to the tone of the Council's correspondence with him on the matter. On the motion of Mr Hay the clerk was instructed to see Mr Wright, and get his resignation before the next meeting of the Council. NOTICE OP MOTION. Mr Barker gave notice of the following motion for next meeting of the Council : " That all monies in the hands of the Council available for road purposes be allocated to the various Boad Boards at the next meeting of the Council." Mr Gebbie brought under the notice of the Council that the license for the Ellesmere Arms Hotel, Mr Judge's, had been paid in error to the Selwyn Council, and suggested that inquiries be made on the subject. The chairman, in reply to a question, stated that no reply had been received in regard to the Pigeon Bay pound. AKAROA RAILWAY. The Chairman brought under the notice of the Council the way in which he understood the line of railway from Little River to the harbor was being laid off, and suggested that they should appoint a committee of their number to procure all necessary data on the subject, and lay the same before the Government. Mr Hay concurred in the chairman's suggestion, and was afraid that as the lines were being laid off at present they would be of little use to the Peninsula. Mr Dalglish also recognised the importance of the question, and as time was an object the matter should be seen to during the coming session of Parliament. Mr Gebbie moved—" That the following be appointed a committee, viz.:—Messrs Williams, Hay, Dalglish, Cooper, and Barker, to collect all information as to the two routes of railway now being surveyed, with a view of laying the same before the Government, and report to the Council; Mr Williams to be chairman, and three to form a quorum." The motion was carried unanimously. ADJOUBNMENT. After passing Mr Fenton's account, £ls 15s, the Council, on the motion of Mr Gebbie, seconded by Mr Hay, then adjourned till that day five weeks at the same time and place. ____________