BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1588, 6 September 1873, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council /was held in the; Town Hall last nights All the members were present, with the exception of ■Councillor Coates. ..:-.. . . .

: Copies of telegrams; which had passed between the Council and Mr W. EL Harrison, with reference to the proposed Greymouth Harbor Board, were read and considered j and : it. was resolved not to take any further action in the meantime.

The Town Clerk reported nominations which had been made of candidates in the forthcoming election for the various Wards.': , ;■■■;: .. : :. .... ■■ r: ' . ;:: .

: An. application from Mr,C Holder for the lease of a timber wharf was referred to the Public Works Committee to re-

port; ".' '" ' '• ; The Finance Committee reported as follows : — " Your Committee have the honor to report having considered the letter received by the Council from D. Gird wood and Co., objecting/ to pay wharfage rates upon timber exported, and recommend that the regulations be .enforced, and in the event of D. Girdwopdi and Co. not paying their, account. ?that proceedings be taken for the recovery of the amount."

' The Mayor stated that before the shipment in question three shipments had gone -upon which, charges had not been made, but the shippers had in each case been told that they would be charged under the regulations. The Cc-iincil had the, power to charge, on : all exports, but they had resolved not to do so on. coal.' . .

Mr Kerr said that Mr Gird wood's complaint was framed in most courteous terras; and he could not see any necessity for the last clause of the report, which appeared to be very harsh under the circumstances, seeing that he was the first shipper who had been charged for the export of timber. They should' consider whether it was advisable to put an export duty on. timber. What was the. difference between exporting timber and coal? It was against the interests of the Borough to put a tax on local industries, and he asked the Council seriously to consider the question before adopting the report.

The Mayor said they had gone to a very large expenditure in maintaining the wharf, and, if possible, they ought to make it self-supporting. Hitherto the export of timber had been so small that the regulation had not been put in force* but now that the trade was developing the Committee thought it right to charge the duties, not only on timber, but also on hides,, tallow, &c. Mr M'Gregor thought that some notice should be given to shippers that these charges would be put in force after a certain datej because the cargoes referred to had already been sold, and it might make ; a very ' material difference to: the. parties who had entered into these contracts.

Mr Reid .pointed put that for -the last few weeks the Hokitika Borough Council had collected these. duties on, timber.- The difficulty was whether the Greymouth

Council had selected the best-case to take proceedings upon, as Mr Girdwbod's.cargo had been shipped out of the river, whereas Mr Kennedy's had passed over the wharf, j He moved the adoption of the report, y Mr Glenn moved an amendment — "That- all -parties who .have,,previously,,. shipped timber be charged wharfage dues."= I.' * • 'I . ■■'■: I \ :• ) : ; ; ';. This was not seconded. Mr Kerb moved as: an, amendment— r; '•Than on and after^th^e Ist; October, all goods be charged acc6rding ; t6 the regula-tions,-and that; the Town iElnrveypr^ . be, authorised to "make approaches' to the| wharf to facilitate the shipment of goods." Mr M'GBEG6R'seconded :i the motion. '■ ■ • i The amendmentiwas negatived^: ■ Mr Glenn then moved his. amendment as previously, stated. .- i v . „ ■-V Mr Mooke seconded it, andHt' was put and lost» . ■""'■'• : r Mr Kerr moved 1 a further 'amendm T ent to strike; out pf ..the report all .the \^ords :v after " enforced. " - '' . : ' '■ \f This was hot seconded,'' and 1 the 1 motion for the adoption; of; the report was ; carried> ' The following, report. , from ; the Public Works Committee' was read and adopted : — " Your Committee' have; the , honorritp recommend that a lamp and lamp-post be fixed at the following places;— At the Post Office, Mawhera Quay ; at the Bank of New South Wales, Mawhera Quay; ;;at Herbert street Bridge ; Tainui street, at Mackay street ,; Albert iStreet,- at Mackay fstreet ; near Town Hall, Gressoh street ; Richmond Quay > Arney street,, near the Chapei;"' ;• ' ■'""' ''"'■ i! ---"- JI! " : ■■"•'■•■•'"■'»■'■' ■ ; The Town Surveyor reported as follows: — " Ihaye thei hdnorito. report -that:;!! have been laying out the working levels of Mackay * street arid preparing plan's to submit to you to-night, but as the work 1 progressed I found. itvne.cessary,.in ( conjunction with Mackay street, to prepare levels and plans 'of 'Werita street, Tainui street to Tidal Creek, and Albert street to Tidal Creek ; I, have not, therefore, been able tp'lay 'the 'plans' before you to-night^ but" will have" them reaHy this day week. As 'all; the : above works are similar in design,' and comprise the hkulage of clay and gravel, I would advise them ;to T ,be let. in one contract ; and if the Council would obtain permissibn'from the General Go vernriient to take clay and gravel ' f rorri ; the back of the' Government Reserve, above,. flood levels and 1 offer this niaterial to intending ; contractors^ • the Council would save above 20 per cent , on the total cost of work. " I- ;;"[ ''■' ■ ; The report was received and .adpp ted, and it was resolved that application be made to Mr Geis.ow f or permission to take stuff from the Government Reserve. -The Town Surveyor was authorised to expend Ll2 i 5s r iri "making 'approaches !from Chapel street east and west to Tainui .street.' ; - ■■[■■■■■'.'■■•■> ■:.'=.■,■ ' „>:A-: J .: :-'l -:. : Mr Reid presented a petition regarding the condition of Chapel street'; and 'Mr Moore presented aiiother asking for' the formation of William streeti 'Both'documents to lie on the, I , table 7 till next meeting^' S : :V' : ■■..,■■' ";^;"; :r; ./ 'h.x\ '.■;:.■.■ vv ..,,; :.,: |Mr EJERR asked- 'if, while the Town Surveyor was preparing; : the !plaris •■ for Mackay and adjoining streets, he could conveniently connect with them a plan for the construction- of Taraphui street, from the Tidal Creek to Hcspital;,street. The work was certainly very much needed, and it might all be carried out under the one contract; - '; :> •. ; k:i ".I -.■'<■:!'.■ The : Town - purveyor- > expressed ! - 'his willingness to get the _pla.ns prepared- -in connection with the others'. ■ I Mr Kerr presented a petition from over thirty section-holders' south' of! Sawyer's Creek. Bridge^asking. that the.land fund returnable to the Couricilout of' purchases made in that neigbbbrh66d : shbuld be expended in making roads so as to,, give tliem access to, .their properties.' 5 They askedthat Cooper street should be made once. Mr, Kerr supported 'the. prayer .of the petition at considerable length, and moved — " That plans and specification be ; ptepared for Cooper street, and that, on receipt of the money from the County Council, tenders be called ior the work." - ! The Mayors seconded the; motion pro fprnia. '.'""' \ A very long and irregular discussion ensued." .'■■]'■ !■"'"/;.;; *:!.'■'; -3 .A';i;i':':) : v , IMr Moore -moved -an amendment — ■'" That L2OO. be f expended im roads in that locality when the full amount due is re-; •ceived from the County Council. " i j The amendment was put and lost. , • . The Mayok moved; a further amendr. ment — " That the matter be sent;to;the, Public Works Committee, to - report that day fortnight." ... ..- !Mr Glenn seconded 'the, amendment, which was put and carried. \ "JV _ | The following) notices 'of motion were given for the next meeting r,.-^. | -MrMasters to/:^ quence 1 of the dangerous 'coriditioiLpf ihe. present building,, owing , to, naturail^d'ecay, 1 ,it is expedieri'ttbat'alTangeD^e]^iis.be.made to remove ith'e ''office of the Corporation to the'' large i room .on- the 1 ground flobrof the Masonic Hall, if : satisfactory 5 terms can be arranged. ".'>''- : ' : '■•■-■ " : „'-; " ; : ' ; . ri i' <n ", l | Mr ; Kerr to move— : « ' That the ' Town- . Surveyor ,be instructed ,tp engage the' ser-^ yices of a laborer, at tlie "sum of per Ivveek^ for ; the 1 'purpose of cleaning chau'nels, removing rubbish from streets, filling- • upi i holes? on -the streets and otheri works."^* i | Mr Kerr to move— " That the Council,' a|t:its next meeting, consider'the advisa- :- bility of voting the sum of LSO towards 'the support of a Public Literary {Society in Greymouth." '■'-' rj:; :! ' j ■ : ,' : : ;