LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1740, 17 September 1879, Page 3

LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

This Council held their usual meeting on Monday night. There were present—the Mayor, Cra. Macdonald, McClatchio, Macpherson, Reed, Weyburn, Wood, Hawkins, and the newly-elected councillors, Messrs Grubb and Smith. The minutes of the former meeting wore read and confirmed. Receipts since last meeting £516 8a 6d, which included £415 Os 3d received from the Government for the half-yearly subsidy to April, 1878. The outwards and inwards correspondence was read. In reference to the Colonial Treasurer’s letter re subsidy, the Mayor said ho had telegraphed, asking when the sum due to the borough from the Government would be paid. He immediately received an answer stating that the amount of £415 had been placed to their credit. Some discrepancy appeared to have been made as to the deduction of an amount for charitable aid, but he would undertake to eee that it was put right. The voucher had doubtless been made up in a hurry, which would account for the error being committed. In reference to a letter from Mr J. H. I /owe, resident engineer, Railway Department, asking the Council to supply the pipes and labor to lay a three-inch water supply from the branch at the Southeast corner of the export shed, Lyttelton station yard, to a water column about to bo erected near the turntable, it was decided to accede to the request, provided that tho Railway Department would bear the expense, A letter from the General Manager of Railways, P. Back, was read and received. Tho letter set forth that the arrangements for supplying the shipping with fresh water would be as heretofore. Council to contribute £7O per annum towards expenses, and the agreement to bo determined at one month’s notice on either side. W. H. Lance’s letter re drainage from houses on Coleridge street on houses on tho bank on west side of Dublin street, asking Council to make some better provision, was left with the works committee. Brick and O’Grady’s letter on leasing reserves at Methven, and asking for particulars, was read and received, as was also Mr O. P- Barker’s offering his services as auctioneer. Mr W. G. Bnttan, agent for Christ’s College, advised the Council that the governing body of the

college gave the required permission to lay the water pipes, subject to consent of tenor p An application from Mr W. Radcliffe to place a signboard at right angles from his premises in London street, over the footpath, was refused. Mr Spear’s application to bo appointed lamplighter, was left with the foreman of works to dispose of. Sergeant-Major O’Grady reported on the location of the slaughter yard used by Mr Cook in Gollan’s Bay. The Mayor said that when Mr Cook applied for his license last, his slaughter house was not on section 55 at all, as the Council supposed, but it appeared he had since shifted on to Mrs Edgar’s section. It was decided that as the expiration of the license would be in a few months now, it would not be worth while going further into the matter. But the inspector of slaughter houses should be thanked for his letter, and informed that the Council had no power to compel the removal, but that as Mr Cook had removed his premifca from the original site for which the Council had granted a license, it is probable that a renewal of his present license will not be granted. “ The foreman of works reports that the excavation for the new reservoir is in a forward state, and will have it all out this week. Everything is ready to lay the pipes on the Little Brenchley road.” The report was read and received. Engineer Kent, at the pumping station, reported the upper reservoir being filled, and abundance of water on hand. His report was read and received, borough : —-Re cement—Two tenders were received, and that of Messrs Royse, Stead and Co., for 17s, delivered on the ground was accepted. The Mayor said that no delay would occur in supplying the higher levels of the town with water, whenever the work now in hand was completed. The Enabling Bill, between the Harbour Board and the Corporation, the Mayor said had been correctly drafted, and the seal was affixed to the same, and the plan. Accounts amounting to £l5O X2s 6d. The Mayor then read the following report of the proposed scheme for completing the drainage system of the Report of the foreman of works, re sewers — “To his Worship the Mayor —According to your instructions, I have taken the measurement of all the gulleys in the town, and have worked out an approximate estimate of the cost of constructing sewers n the same. You will see by this report that I have placed each gully separate, with the number of chains and the size of culvert necessary, with an approximate cost for each. No. 1, Salt’s Gully I would recommend that the culvert be not reduced in size for the first eleven chains.” viz., 2ft. Gin., which is the distance shown on the plan of Mr Bull’s as only two feet, which I consider is too small in time of heavy floods. The eleven chains will end about the junction of Ticehuret road, where a large quantity of water comes down both from that side and also through Dale’s garden. From there the culvert could bo reduced to two feet for the whole distance up the gully. The next ten chains will take it to junction of Solwyn Terraco with Salt’s Gully. From there to the top it will require other eight chains, which I consider will be as high as .it is likely that any houses will ever be built. I would also recommend that the sower be taken in a straight line from the end of the present sewer as far as practicable instead of following the gully. It is very necessary that fifteen chains of the work be carried out as early as possible, as the gully is getting thickly populated. This gully will require the largest expenditure of any. No. 2. — Yoelas road would require 4 chains 3ft. culvert ; 7 do., 2ft. Gin.; 10 do., 2ft., to complete the sewer from the sea to the top of the road. No 3, Oxford street. —This is a place that will require attention as soon as possible between Exeter street and the end of the sewer in Snos well’s garden and that piece on Graham’s property, to the boundary of Macpherson’s property. The measurements are taken and estimates given as far as Brenchley farm, or as far as where the piece of culvert crosses the road by Mr Graham’s gate. No. 4, St. David’s street. From culvert near Oathro’s garden to the upper side of the road leading on College property would require 7 chains 30 links. No. 5, Canterbury street, by Albion Hotel, 5 chains 33 links of 3£t culvert, from Winchester street to Exeter street, and 13 chains of 2ft. Gin. from there to the College road on Scott’s property. No. 6—Exeter street, from upper boundary of Mouldey’s property to the north boundary of Exeter street, a distance of 2 chains 72 links of 2ft. culvert. No. 7 The piece across Norwich Quay. In addition to culverts, if the work should bo carried out, it will cost about £2OO for pipes to carry off the storm water for the different roads. (Signed) John Sowden.” The whole work is estimated to cost £6384. It had been proposed by the Council that, to carry out this very desirable work a loan might be raised on the waterworks. The Mayor said that upon a rough calculation made he found that the Council would have between £BOO and £9OO during the ensuing year which it could devote to the construction of sewers, from its ordinary income. Some debate ensued as to the propriety of making such culverts as were most needed, and pay for them from the ordinary income rather than go in for a loan and undertake the whole scheme. It was found that the culverts imperatively needed in various parts the town would considorablymore than absorb £BOO or £9OO, the sum estimated to be available. The consideration of the work ended in it being left with the works committee, they to consider which were the most important features of the scheme to be at once necessary and report. The standing committees were then appointed as follows : —Works : The Mayor, Crs. Weyburn and Grubb; sanitary—The Mayor, Crs. Macdonald and Hawkins ; lighting—Crs. Grubb, Smith, and Weyburn ; estates—The Mayor, Crs. Reed and M'Clatohie ; finance—Ore. Smith, Hawkins and Maepherson ; water supply—The Mayor, Crs. Reed and Hawkins: bathing— Crs. Maepherson, Hawkins and Smith; Charitable Aid—The Mayor, Cr. Wood; fire brigade—Crs. Hawkins, Reed, and Maepherson. Or. Hawkins moved, seconded by Or, Macdonald—“ That the Pbbss newspaper bo appointed the official paper for the ensuing twelvemonths;” carried. Or. Wood drew attention to the bad condition of the footpath on the oast side of Dublin street, between London and Winchester streets. Or. Reed called attention to an abominable nuisance on the thoroughfare near to Hamilton’s paddock. Nightsoil pans were being emptied there. The Mayor said a penalty of £5 could be imposed were the guilty parties discovered, and it would be as well that an advertisement be inserted in the papers cautioning the offenders and offering a reward for their apprehension. Or. Wood said that a nasty place on the Sumner road, opposite Mr Norris’ place, wanted seeing to. Or. Hawkins said that the workmen on Officer’s Point had complained a good deal of the offensiveness of a box drain running out there from across the Sumner road. They had been to some labor to abate the nuisance, but one place there was still very bad. Cr. Wood suggested that the works committee do something to protect the road at that part in front of Capt. Malcolmson’s bouse. Before adjourning the Council, the Mayor said he had an application to make, and one which, in a sense, he felt sorrow to do, namely, to ask for leave of absence to go to Wellington to attend the Parliament. Now that the time had come for him to absent himself from their company for a time, ho asked permission to do so with a sense of regret. He had sat in that chair during a period of twenty-two months, and ha believed that during that time he had been absent but on one occasion. He might therefore say he was entitled to a holiday, and as it was his misfortune, if he might so express it, as to go to Wellington, ho would have to ask them to lot him take that holiday now. He thought it would not bo for long. Prom all ho could learn, the session would not probably last longer than six weeks, and should it even be prolonged, ho should feel it a duty to return to Lyttelton once during the term, so as to bo present at one of the Council meetings. He expected to leave next Monday. In asking for permission to absent himself for perhaps three or four meeting nights, ha might say that he would leave having every confidence that the Council would peton as smoothly with his successor in the chair, and ho hoped they would support the gentleman who would fill the chair in his absence in the same cordial manner they had supported him. He had every confidence in the officers of the Council doing their duty, and as to the details of the work, ho had instructed the clerk fully with reference thereto. He had not yet asked any gentleman to fill his position while away, but he had thought of asking Cr. Hawkins, as being one of the oldest members in the Council, and a gentleman whom they knew was thoroughly conversant with the duties of the position. He would repeat that in temporarily severing his connection with the Council, which had at all times been a source of pleasure to him, he felt almost grieved. It was a connection that had existed, he might say, for seven years nearly, without any interruption, and he

could only say that he sincerely hoped that upon his return he might learn that they had gone along as pleasantly as ever in bis absence. The leave of absence was granted, and the Council adjourned.