SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1927, 28 April 1880, Page 4

SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Salwyn County Council was held at the offices, Hereford street, on Tuesday, at half-past ten o’clock. Present—Messrs K. J. Lee (chairman), Mathias, J. D. Buys, McMillan, Pcryman, J. L- Wilson, Dr. Tnmbull. Before proceeding to the ordinary business, special meetings were held to consider suggested amendments in the slaughterhouse regulations, and to consider a Bill to Amend the Malvern Water Kace Transfer Act of 1878, having for its object to confer upon the Council special powers of rating and borrowing. Mr Wilson moved—" That the Chairman, Messrs Fnys and Peryman, be a committee to take evidence and fill in the schedule of the boundaries of the district considered to bo benefitted by the Malvern "Water Kace; that they meet as soon as possible, and that the chairman be authorised to take such steps as may be nrccstary to advertise the proposed Malvern "Water Eace Transfer Act Amendment Act after communication with the Government.” Seconded by Mr Mathias and carried. The ordinary meeting was then held. The Chairman rend the following statement: With reference to the Malvern water-race, the Government claim against the Council has been settled according to instructions, and the funds which we had in hand have been handed over in satisfaction of all demands. The agreement with the landowners on the Springfield diversion is only waiting for plans from the engineer, which, from press of work, ho has not been able as yet to furnish. Onr legal adviser proposes that as soon as in a position to do so he shall make out separate conveyance of the land in each case, which which will set forth terms, &e., and I recommend that this course bo adopted. The engineer is busily occupied at the repairs of the offtake works. His report on these and the progress of works in hand aro before you. The Springs Boad Board applies for grants for the Cemetery and Domain Boards out of funds allocated to the district. The Eiccarion Bead Board writes advising that purchase of depots for stacking road metal may ha made, as the present system of stacking on the road sides is found to be dangerous. They also apply for purchase of additional gravel reserve. _ The Spreycoa Boad Board writes as to clearing a portion of the Heathcote Kiver, which is in a fool and unwholesome state. I have not had time to look into this matter, but think it will probably be the best course, if in our jurisdiction to give authority to the Board to carry out the work, and to find them the necessary funds out of the sums allocated to the district. The Ashburton County Council have written to ask us to co-operate with them in addressing the Government as to the portion of the land fund kept back. But as these moneys accrued before the Act was fully iu force in the county I propose to answer that we are not interested as a Council in this matter, as the fund be'ongs entirely to the Boad Boards. Witn reference to the application for a lease of the pound reserve 263 in Lincoln district, I propose that the Boad Board be authorised to let and deal with this on behalf of the Council. The Sydenham Borough Council apply for refund of fees, &a., for Bull’s slaughter-house, which were received by this Council for the year 1879 under misapprehension, the premises being lately discovered not to be within onr jurisdiction, I have replied that as these fees have gone simply iu payment of the expense of inspection, &c ., which had been performed by our officer, I could not see that they had a claim upon us for the refund. Tenders for the Hororata bridge will be laid before you, and it will be necessary to appoint an inspector to overlook the driving of the piles, &c. The Glentunnel bridge has been completed since our last meeting, and I will ask yon to pass the accounts connected with this work, which will be laid bsforo you, with the vouchers for payments made by me to the contractor and caretaker. The South Malvern Boad Board have paid their promised share of contribution to the work, and the Coleridge Boad Board has been applied to, and will pay as soon as the Hororata bridge is in hand Appropriation of the proportion of land fund received from the Government has been made in the terms of your resolution in March last. The return is laid on the table. The reserve for the Bealey ferry has been gazetted, and will be placed in our hands I will call your attention to the plan of the new building which the present lessee is prepared to put up at once, and will ask authority from you to enter into agreement with him without delay on the terms already laid before yon. The annual statement of accounts, duly examined and certified by the auditor, is laid upon the table. The first business taken was the consideration of tenders for the Hororata bridge, and for the construction of the first portion of the Bakaia waterworks. The successful tenderers were— For the Hororata bridge, Mr Jesse Pre-.tidge, .£lsl 8s ; for the Bakaia waterworks, Messrs John Foster and Co., £825 Os Bd, locally made pipes to be used. The report of the committee on local industries was read as follows: —“We recommend the following to the notice of the commissioners : that it is very desirable to manufacture cement here, ns it is and will be largely consumed ; also there being plenty of material to manufacture from, should not the Government offer a bonus to encourage its production. Secondly, we would draw attention to the recent discovery of chalk in the neighborhood of Oxford, as of importance, especially because of its being largely used in the manufacture of cement, and being near the railway. We would draw attention to the fine water power to be obtained in Canterbury from several of its rivers, which would afford facilities for any manufactories, at the cheapest possible rates. We have not considered it necessary to make any further recommendations, as most other subjects have been dealt with by other bodies who have taken the question of local industries into consideration.”

The report was received. An interim report from the engineer was read and approved, and the Council authorised Mr Eitso to purchase certain instruments required by him. In reference to a communication from the Springs district, Mr Peryman moved—“ That the sum of £45 be given to the trustees of the Springston recreation ground, and £45 to the trustees of the Lincoln Eiver reserve, out of funds allocated to the Springs Boad Board district.” Seconded by Mr Enys and carried. On the motion of Mr Wilson, it was resolved that a sum of £250 he granted for purchase of gravel reserve, one acre, at Middleton, and £IOO for gravel depot opposite Kiccarton Bash, out of the funds allocated to the Biccartou Boad Board. A letter was read from the Spreydon Boad Board in reference to clearing a portion of the Biver HalsweU, respecting which complaints had been made, to the effect that the state of things existing was prejudicial to health. It was resolved to adopt the recommendation made in the chairman’s statement. An application was received from the Lincoln Boad Board, who desired to deal with the pound reserve in that district on behalf of the Council. Tho application was granted. The chairman received authority to make arrangements with the leasee of the Bealey ferry reserve respecting the erection of an accommodation house. Leave of absence was granted to Mr J. Hall for the space of three months. Some routine business was transacted, after which the Council adjourned.