BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1412, 8 February 1873, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of the Borough Council was held last night in the Town Hall, bis Worship the Mayor in the chair. Present: Councillors Wic'ses, Moore, Reid, M'Gregor, Dupre, Glenn, and Coates. ■-•■•« A letter was read from the Ga3 Company, stating their willingness to contract for lighting the streets, and also to give a light opposite their works if -the Council supplied a lamp-post. It was resolved that the question: of; supplying the lamppost be referred to the Public -Works Committee, with power to act, and that the Company be .asked to state, a price for lighting the streets; ' ; ."...'.' Mr John M 'Lean applied for permission to lay down asphalte footpaths in front ofGilmer Bros, and Manson and Co.'s premises, and that the Council should put down new kerbing. , Permission was granted, and the material for the kerbing to be supplied by the Council on the cash being found by the parties, and their taking [the Council's bill for same for a year. Mr A. Brown sent a complaint as to the drainage from McCarthy and Co. 's brewery, which was referred to the Inspector of Nuisances. The following report, from the Public Works Committee, i was read:— " Youi Committee met on January 21st. After inspecting the wharf, gave Mr Johnston instructions to have the repairs made good by day labor required through damage done by the steamer Dispatch during the late fresh. Your Committee cannot recommend the Council to pay any extra allowance to Mr Wright, for contract to repair Boundary street. Your Committee recommend that the consideration of any alteration to culvert complained of by Mr Hardy, in Hospital street, be deferred for one month. Your Committee is of opinion that in the eyeni of the Council granting the site at Tainui for the Transit Shed, as requested, it will necessitate the immediate construction oi another approach to the wharf and a new set of steps. Also, that the inhabitant) will object to the shed being placed ir front of their business premises bi Mawhera Quay ; as such, the most suit able site the Council can grant for th( Transit Shed would be near Boundarj street — the same which was placed at th< disposal of the Government on the Bth o July, 1871." The report was adopted, and in tin } event of the shed being removed th< work to be carried out to the satisfactioi of the Town Surveyor. The Town Surveyor sent in the follow ing report :— " I have the honor to repor that I have seen Captains Allardyce arii Kitchinhgam on the subject of moorini the Dispatch. They wish to have th mooring placed so that the Dispatch couL lay before the new wharf in time of flood and alongside the wharf, at.low water; thi would entail a cost of L 65. Mooring could be placed to secure her in the posi tion she now occupies at ; a cost of L3O but with thi3 disadvantage that Captaii Allardyce says there is not sufficient roon for her at the old moorings if au averag number of steamers were in port." A long discussion ensued, in the cours of which three amendments were moveo b.ut_ ultimately it was resolved that fou mooring pilesoe~a:riven gat' tße lower em of the town, provided the Dispatch Com pany find the cash, and take the Council' bill at eighteen months. The Town Surveyor made the followin; report regarding. the annual valuations town properties: — "I have the honor t report that I have completed the valuatiq: of rateable property within the Boroug of Greymouth. The amount of valuatioi this year is L 28,958, against L 28,174 las year, which shows an increase of L 784 ii favor of 1873. Thirty-six house properties valued at LlOOl, were swept away by th flood of February 9, 1872, immedjatel; after I made last year's valuation, and a none of these places were valued thi year, the actual amount of increase in th value of house property in other parts c the town is L 1785. This increase is dv to the erection of 64 new houses, chiefl; cottage property, and [additions to busi ness places in Mawhera Quay and Macka; street, and the cross streets bet wee' them. I attempted at first to make valuation of unimproved section property and valued 13 sections in Tainui streel but, on proceeding with it, I found it in; possible to .charge the sections against th proper owners, and there is not sufficien information in the offices in Greymoutl to enable me to do so ; and even thoug] the sections could be charged against thi proper owners, the amount of rates woulc not exceed LI O, which would be quit' inadequate for the time required for sucl a worlf." The report was adopted, and it wa! ordered that a return of all unimprovec sections be made in a month. It was resolved to strike a shilling rati on all town properties for the curren year. After transacting much uniinportan business, the Council adjourned.