BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 647, 12 March 1870, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

» The usual weekly meeting of theßorough Council was held in the Town Hall last evening. Present— J. ' Kilgour, . Esq., Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Wickes, Kennedy, Strike, Nichol, Purcell, and Moore. . The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. ■ An account of Brimble and Co. for. filling in. a portion of Mackay street was referred to the Finance Coramitteo, with power to pay it. A letter was read from Mr Andrews, Collector of Customs, enclosing requisitions for painting the two tide-waiters boxes on tne wharf, as the work was absolutely necessary. Letter received, and Mr Andrews to be informed that the financial position of the Council will not allow it to entertain the. matter ab present. J. M. Fitzgerald, South Beach, made application for the lease of the donkey engine for six months for the purpose of pumping water in his claim. He offered three months' rent in advance. The offer was declined, as the Councillors did not think they would be justified in ajlowing the engine out of the town for the period mentioned. Permission was granted to Charles Baldry to erect a verandah in front of his shop, Richmond Quay. , A number of appeals against the valuations for the year were deferred 1 until the valuator's report was considered, Messrs Perotti and Co. wrote offering to purchase- the rails lying in the bush, to the east of Tainui street, at 3s per hundred running feet. Deferred for a week, to allow.the Town Surveyor to report 'as to the quantity of- timber on hand, The following report was read from the Town Surveyor with regard io the state of the upper wharf : — ..-■■- "l have the honor to report that I have taken the depths of the riyjer.-bank from the wharf to the Joiver end of Richmond Quay, and find ro alteration by the last floods greater than a few inches.'; In comparing the depths with thqse taken last, I find they agree so closely that I could not show them on the plan, the 50ft piles 'ha.ye a hold of 23ft, and the

ordinary breast piles a hold of 12ft in the river bed. "On examination of the wharf, I find it is just getting into the dangerous N state I predicted in my report of the 15th October last. This does not arise from any effect of the late floods, but from natural decay. There are no less than three consecutive piles broken, .and the next two cracked in the front tier, while all the remaining piles are more or less decayed, so that the slightest shock from a vessel ' would cause a section of the wharf, 40ft in length, to drop into the river. 'That portion •which bears the* coals is also very, insecure, from the complete failure of the wailings which bear the joists. "The piles in the back of the wharf , f or a distance of about 60ft, from about 30ft from the lower end require repairing. "To strengthen the wharf, and make it somewhat secure for the present, would require the sum of Ll5O, and it is imperatively necessary that this amount should be laid out, if the wharf is to be retained for any practical value for shipping. By laying out this sum on permanent work in the weakest parts, it might possibly keep the wharf in working order for the next twelve montho. . And if the Council should feel disposed next season to expend the balance of my . estimate, namely, J220, they would have a very good structure in a few yeais. _If the wharf breaks down at any point before being repaired it will cost more by Vine-third than if taken»in time. Tha ; Tainui street steps also require repairing, they could be made secure for six pounds, "I have, &c, "R. J. JOHNSTON^ "Town Surveyor." This was considered, in conjunction with a letter from Captain Allardyce, the , Harbor Master, stating that the wharf was in a dangerous state, and the new wharf could not be used, for want of mooring posts or piles. Mr Nichol moved that the report be received and adopted, and strongly urged the necessity of carrying out the work immediately, as the wharf was the most necessary portion of the protective works. Mr Moore seconded the motion, but thought the matter should ''be delayed until the Bank Manager could be consulted, as they had pledged themselves not to undertake any new works. Mr Nichol pointed out that this was not a new work, Mr Keknedy had no doubt that in an emergency 'of this kind no objection would be made by the bank. He would support the motion, with the limitation I mentioned. ■■in Mr Nichoi agreed to making the Ba.nfe Manager a consenting party to the work, more through courtesy than right. Mr Wickes moved an amendment, "That the matter be referred to the Public Works Committee," in order to allow them to consider in what way the work should be carried out. Mr Pttrceli, seconded the amendment, which was opposed strongly by Mr Ken? nedy, and characterised by Mr Nichol aa absurd. The amendment was negatived, and the motion as amended carried. ' A motion was also adopted for the driving of three piles for mooring posts at the new whaif. . - Another report from the Town Surveyor stated that he had made, an agreement with Messrs Kilgour and Perotti as to the removal of the rails and sleepers of the tramway lines. He asked permission to take fifty loads of clay from Boundary street to finish Fullarfcon^s contract. This was opposed by Mr Wickes, as better soil could be had elsewhere, and without injuring any street line. After a conversation, the clause was withdrawn. A, clause containing suggestions as to the construction of verandahs was adopted. A deferred application from a Mr Dudley, to build on the line of Chapel street, was considered, along with a letter ob->. jecting to the same by Mr Cook. Per* mission to Dudley was refused. ' Mr Nichol moved the adoption of a series of regulations' to alter- those now in force for the collection of wharfage dues, Mr Kennedy seconded the motion, which was carried. The Council adjourned at 10 p.m.