BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2475, 14 March 1882, Page 4

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

ST. ALBANS. An ordinary meeting of the above Council waa held last evening at half- paat 7 o'clock. Present—Hia Worahip the Mayor (in the chair), and all the council lor a. The Mayor reported that the finance committee and the representative from the Avon Road Board had met the Auditor-General, who had submitted an award aa an adjustment of affaira between the Borough and the Road Board. The settlement waa moat amioably arrived at, and gave satisfaction to all partiea. The award waa substantially aa follows : —The net assets amounted to £3207 19a 2d, whioh sum waa to be divided between the Road Board and the borough in the proportion of the value of rateable property in each, whioh waa ascertained to be very nearly equal. Tbe eum owed by the Road Board to the borough waa therefore £1604. The borough had agreed to take the office of the Road Board with tho block on which it atood at the Road Board'a valuation of £BOO, and all furniture and other property at the valuation of £6O. The above premiaoa and property were therefore awarded to the Borough Council, the Road Board to pay the Council £744, the balacoe between the debt due to the borough, and the value of the property specified. The Auditor-General further awarded that tho eatate of 75 aores on the River Styx, and 31 acrea on the boundary road should be sold by auotion within three months from the date of award, and tbe proceeds of the aale, after deduobing expenses, to be equally divided between the Road Board and the borough. The award to be in full settlement of • all claims by the borough Bgainat the Avon Rsad Board.—The Mayor reported that he bad met members of the Ricoarton and Avon Road Boards, and they had aorreotly defined tho boundariea of the borough, and forwarded particulars to the Government. It had been decided that the borough ahould have control of the boundary roads.— Tho report of the works committee waa read. It recommended that any alterations required to be done to the roada ahould be carried out by day labor in preference to the contract system. The report also referred to several worka in tho diatrict, and recommended the establishment of a pound. It was decided not to accept the latter proposal at present, and the other portion of the report waa approtod.—A letter waa read from the Avon Road Board iu reference to the inquiry of the borough if tbe Board would be prepared to boar half the cost of shingling McFadden's road. Tbe letter stated that aa the Board had lately been at the cost of shingling tho road they could not understand how thero could be any necessity for any further worka. Referred to the worka committee with power to act.—A letter waa received from the Drainage Board, stating that a drain had boen out to relieve Mr Spooner's property some months ago. It waa decided to send Mr 3pooner a oopy of the letter. Cr. Blakiston brought under the notice of the Council the queation of the Edgeware road, and moved that the offer of Mr Gresaon to give a certain quantity of land on condition that tbe Council widened and fenced the road be accepted.—After some diacuKsion it waa resolved, on the motion of Or. Matar.n, that the matter be referred to the works committee, to ascertain the most favorable terms on whioh Messrs Greason and Bouley would give land for tho widening of tho road. —Cr. Mataon called attention to the faot that reoently an adjoining local body hud contracted for 4000 yards of boulders, all of wbioh would have to be carted over the xoada of the borough, very muoh to their detriment. Waa there not some law in exiatonoe regulating the width of tires P At prcaont the roada were very muoh cut up by metal carta.—The Mayor thought ■ ha o

was an Aot on the subject in the Statute" Book, but it had been found to be practically inoperative. There was no doubt that the roads would be very much out up in the summer unless water could be obtained. It would cost a considerable sum to obtain water at the seoond level.—The finance oommittee reported that the amount received since last meeting for dog licenses was £23 Wi, and that the credit balanoe at tho Bank was £220 4,} lOd.—Aooounts were possod for payment to the amount of £lO3 3s 7d.—The Council then adjourned. SYDENHAM The usual fortnightly meeting of this_ body was held last night, at seven o'clock, in the Borough Council Chamber. Present —His Worship the Mayor and all the councillors. — The Mayor congratulated Or. White on recovery from his late indisposition.—The clerk of the Spreydon Boad Boa d wrote, enquiring tho cost of tho lamp on tho Boundary road, to which the Borough Council had asked tho Board to contribute. The clerk was instructed to givothe required information. —A letter was read from tho Colonial Secretary's office, Wellington, iu reply to a oommunioa. tion of the Council of March Ist, stating that the Government would introduoe a Hospital and Charitable Aid Board Bill during the coming session, but that its provisions could not yet bo stated. The letter was ordered to lie on the table. The works committee's report stated that Mr Bristling had completed his contract for lowering the Ferry road in a satisfactory manner; that the Tramway Company, in constructing the siding on the Ferry road, had not done so in the manner desoribod by the oommittee to the engineer; that it is requisite to enter into a contraot for the supply of horse teams for the ensuing year; that it is desirable to construct a water tank and sink an artesian well in the Council's yard j that the committee, having reoeived an application for compensation from Mr T. Bradley for damage* done to his oab in the Ferry road, through the alleged negligence of the Connoil re lowering the Ferry road, have considered same, and replied that the Council is not liable in the matter j that the sale plan of Mr Stead's property in B.S. 235 having been amended aooording to the Oounoil's requirements, it is recommended that the Counoil construct the streets at that gentleman's expense, the labour gang to do the work as soon as possible ; that certain diseases in the district of a contagious nature being attributed by the Health Officer to defective drainage, it is necessary that the street channels in the worst parts of the borough be improved, and that the sum of £7OO sot apart for that purpose be expended at once in constructing side channels in the localities indicated in the reports of the foreman of works, and that a further sum of £—be placed on the estimates for the same purposa in the ensuing year; that in future the works oommittee hold their ordinary fortnightly meeting at 7 o'olock on the Thursday evening next before the Oounoil's meeting; that a report from the Town Olerk re egress from public buildings in the borough iu case of fire had been considered, and the committee deemed it advisable the Council should instruct the Town Clerk to see that due provision is made, such as licensing such buildiogf, seeing that a person be appointed to havo tho doors kept open during the time of meoting, and that buckets filled with water be kept therein, and that the City Council be conferred with to get the Act altered so as to apply the same safeguards to places of worship. After some discussion the report was received and adopted. —The finance committee reported that the receipts for the past fortnight amounted to £282 9a 2d ; expenditure, £176 9s 8d ; credit balance at Bank, £974 10s Id.—The reception of seventeen applications for the junior clerkship was reported, out of which six were set apart for the Council to seloot from. That the Drainage Board had been advised the Council would collect the drainage rate for She current year at 6 per cent., provided the rate was otruok in time for the notices to be served together with the Oounoil's rate notices, and that the Board should bear any extra exponse ; that Mr Boyle was still in possession of the Council's reserve which he was supposed to have vacated, and that a resident of the district had been requested to take oharge of it for the Council. Finally, that the absence of the Minister of Lands from Wellington prevented the Crown grant of said reserve being forwarded. The report was reoeived and adopted.—Or. Langdown moved—"Thattie clerk take the neoessary steps to make Austin street a publio street." Beferred to the works committee.—Or. Andrew moved, and it was agreed—" That the Mayor, with Ore. Hall and Brown, be appointed a deputation to wait on the Drainage Board re the construction of a drain along Brougham and St. Leonard's streets, to oonnect with the old Waltham drain, and to urge that it be constructed witheut delay for the purpose of draining rural ssction 79, and preventing the flooding of Colombo road." The eleotion of junior clerk was then proceeded with, and resulted in J. Woodroffe being chosen as suoh at a salary of £4O a year.—Or. Forrester gave notice of motion for next meeting—" That the resolution passed stating that all ratepayers wishing concrete channelling done in front of thoir premises pay half the oost, be now rescinded." The Counoil then adjourned.