Hastings Borough Council.

Hastings Standard, Issue 492, 3 December 1897, Page 3

Hastings Borough Council.

MONTHLY MEETING. The r-i'dmary u.oruhly meeting of the Borough Council was hold in the Council chambers last mghr. The Mayor, Mr C. Fitzßoy occupied the chair, and there were also present: Crs. Hughes, Wellwood, Dennett, Beecroft, Beilby, Linney, Murdoch, and Crosse. The statutory meeting adjourned from Nov. was held, with the result that Cr was re-appointed to represent the Council on the Hospital Board and the Charitable Aid Board. The ordinary meeting was then proceeded with. Cr Linney presented a petition from owners of land in Eastbourne and Hastings streets praying for the extension of the sewerage from Havelock Road, draining Hastings street past the Wesleyan Church and along Eastborne street as far as the Willow Park road. jf ROAD OVERSEER'S REPORT. The Road Overseer's report was read as follows : I have the honor to report that duiing the month I have commenced the concietJ kerb and channel work, but am not able to get on as fast as I should like, owing to the delay in getting the cement. This is due principally to the company's supply not being equal to the demand. The agent, however, informs me that they ha\e increased their plant, and are now in a position to make a very much larger output. I am able to report that so far the cement is very satisfactory, and I like it better than the imported article. JL - "2. The time lias now arrived to tar and sand the various foGtpatlis, and I would recommend that this work be put in hand as early as possible, the parts requiring to be done, quantity of tar and cost are as follows : Heretaunga street, various parts. 69 chains, 1 coat, 43'j gallons; Market street, 10 do., 1 coat, 150 gallons ; Railway street, 7 do., 1 coat. 105 gallons ; Karamn road, 2 do., 1 coat, 30 gallons ; Railway road. 1} do., new work, 2 coats, 60 gallons; Heretaunga road. 2 do., newwork. 2 coats, 100 gallons ; crossings, 2 coats each. 200 gallons. Cost of tar, £2O 10s ; limestone sand, £2 ; labor, our own men. 8. Also during the past month I have had the surfacemen down the Ivaramu road drains dragging out watercress and down the Southland drain removing tops of slips preparatory to the annual cleaning out, and they are now down the Tonioana drain dragging out watercress. With regard to clause No 2 Cr Linney asked bow much of this work •was absolutely necessary. The Mayor replied that all work specified was necessary, and Railwayroad was the only one for which the Council was allowed so much a year to keep in repair. Cr Hughes thought £2O 10s an enormous price for the tar. In reply to a question the Road Overseer said he calculated the price of tar at 4+d per gallon. In reply to the Mayor, the Towu Clerk said the price was id, the same price as the Napier Corporation were

paying. j Cr Beilby pointed out that this ; brought the price of the tar down to ■*. about £lB. The clause was adopted. SLAUGHTER-Horses REPORT. The Inspector reported the slaughterhouses to be in a satisfactory condition. Animals slaughtered during the month —Bl head of cattle, 278 sheep, and 12 pigs. FERE BRIGADE MATTERS. A letter was received from the secretary of the Fire Brigade enclosing a circular from the United Fire Brigades Association, in which it was suggested that the various local bodies be approached with a view to having the first and second officers of the fire brigade appointed Fire Inspectors, instead of an outsider. The Mayor could se« no objection to falling in with the suggestion, especially as the powers of an inspector were limited to ordering the pulling down of a house incase of a fire for the purpose of sa\ing other houses. Cr Linney proposed that the captain be appointed Fire Inspector and the lieutenant assistant inspector with power to act in the absence of his superior officer. Cr Beilby, in seconding the motion, said the captain was the proper man to have control at fires, and this would prevent the friction which was so often discernible between the brigade and an inspector appointed from out-

side. Besides it was natural to expect that the men would have more eonfidence in their officer. The captain could also submit a periodical report of the plant under his care. The motion was carried. It was decided to write to Mr Tong, Fire Inspector, acknowledging the value of his past services, and asking for his resignation as the Council intended adopting the suggestion of the United Fire Brigades' Association. The Secretary of the I* ire Brigade wrote calling attention to the necessity for repairs to the tank at the Albert Hotel, also to the desirability ol putting down another man-hole near the Carlton Club Hotel. The expense of this man-hole, it was urged, would be saved in the wear atd tear of hose, caused by bringing water from % long The letter also asked that the bell tower be repainted. Cr Linney supported the application.

Cr tbe fire brigade ehould get ©v£*y assistance. Cr Wellwood enquired tbe cost entailed by this work. The Mayor said the man-trap would cost £lO 10s, but he could not say with regard to the other expense. It was ultimately decided that an estimate of the cost be submitted to the statutory meeting to be held on December 16th. THE ST ATI'TORY MEETING. Cr Murdoch asked if the statutory ► meeting could not be postponed as Mill. H. Hunt's dramatic recital fell on that date. The Mayor explained that the date cf the statutory meeting could not be altered. It was laid down that tie

meeting should be held at noon, but | as the councillors never turned up at ■ that hour the Town Clerk adjourned j the meeting until 7.30 p.m. Ihe I meeting would only last about hn 1 f an hour and the recital would not sulU':'. j C'r Murdoch suggested holding the | meeting at 7 p.m. instead of 7.30, | but Cr Wellwood objected, and the matter dropped. THEATRE INSPECTION". Cr Linney said that there should be a proper inspection of the local theatre. At present there was no real means of escape in case of tire. The proprietor had certainly put mi extra door there, but it was very narrow, and was only a trap. He thought there should be doors Bft. or 10ft. wide, working on hinges at the bottom, instead of on the side like ordinary doors, which could be pushed down from inside the theatre, forming a sloping gangway. There should be notices posted in the building as to the manner of using these doors in case of fire, and Fire Brigade officials should be in attendance at them during every performance. He proposed that a committee, consisting of the Fire Committee, the Mayor, and Cr Dennett be appointed to examine the means of ingress and egress at the Princess Theatre, and report on same to the statutory meeting. Cr Murdoch seconded the motion, which was carried. CORRESPONDENCE. From J. Siddle and H. Connop applying for permission to connect with sewer. —G ran ted. From Mr G. Hunter, M.H.R., Waipawa (telegram): ' Municipal Franchise Bill practically killed; not come up again this session.' THE MOROUE. On the motion of Cr Linney, who had something to suggest, the tenders for the erection of a morgue were considered in committee. STORAGE OF EXPLOSIVES. Cr Linney would like the Road Overseer to prepare a statement of the amount of dynamite, gun powder, and kerosene stored by each merchant in town, with a view to getting a proper magazine built for the storage of same at a safe distance from the town. The Mayor said the Road Overseer had that information always on hand. Cr Linney said in case of lire the explosives stored by merchants would be disastrous. It would be well to prepare plans with a view to erecting a proper magazine at a safe distance from the town. The Mayor explained that the law only permitted merchants to store a certain quantity of explosives, and the onus of providing a building for extra storeage rested with the merchants themselves. The Town Clerk said the merchants paid a license to be allowed to store a limited quantity. The discussion ended. CONCRETE CHANNELLING. Cr Hughes thought that instead of doing the concrete channelling in fits and starts year after year, now that the men had started and got into the work the Council should continue the channelling as long as possible. Cr Murdoch agreed with Cr Hughes, but thought that their financial position should be considered. The Mayor explained that the sumoriginally borrowed for an efficient drainage scheme was all drawn except £2OOO, and as extensions of sewers were often asked for a sum must be kept on hand, for those reasonable requests. They had a dift'iciflty in obtaining cement, as the Auck- | land company which was supplying it had a contract with the Napier Harbor Board, and they were unable to meet the demand, but in three weeks they guaranteed to supply 2500 bags per week, as their works were being enlarged. He thought the present system of doing whatever channelling was necessary year by year worked very well. It was intended to proceed in due course with the channelling of the Havelock road from the Union Bank as far as, say, the Riverslea road.—Mrs Beharrell applied for a sewerage extension as far as Kelly's, which would cost about £132, and the sewerage connection involved in Cr Linney's petition would cost £142. Cr Wellwood agreed with the Mayor. He was under the impression that the loan in the first instance was borrowed for sewerage and not for channelling, although he was aware the Council was acting within its right in using the money for channelling. From a sanitory point of view, the sewerage extentions were of more importance than channelling, and though he would like to see the channelling proceed, the funds should be husbanded for sewerage purposes. Cr Dennett agreed with Cr Wellwood the principal streets were finished, and they ought to be satisfied. Cr Beecroft asked why there was such a comparatively slight difference in the cost of extending the sewer as far as Kelly's and the extension mentioned in Cr Linney petition. The Mayor explained that-much deeper excavations were necessary in Nelson street than in Eastborne and Hastings streets, and it was the excavation that ran up the cost. Cr Dennett said the ground in Nelson street was treacherous, aud it would cost a good deal of money to cairy a sewer up there. Cr Hughes withdrew his motion. BURIAL OF A STRAY HORSE.

Cr Linney called attention to the Council of the fact that they recently buried a stray horse which had to be shot owing to its being in a dying condition. The Road Overseer had got the name of the owner of the horse in the meanwhile, and he moved that the cost of tbe horse's burial be recovered frcm him. The motion was seconded and carried, DRAINAOE WORK. Cr Beecroft inquired as to the clearing out of the Southland drain in the Northon road from the old bop garden » to Apperley's as the cattle were filling I it in.

Cr Murdoch thought the drain should be fenced. The Mayor explained that it was nearly all fenced except where it crossed private properly. The Mayor suid the ve were two very important works which should be undertaken. The first w,u the clearing out of the Southland drain and as the weather was now dry, and as there was over 3ft of deposit in the drain the work should proceed as soon as possible. The estimated cost would be about £6O. The second was the grading of Ruahapia creek. This work meant the cutting off of a quantity of water from Railway drain which would be thus relieved. He saw Mr Nelson about it and he said if the Council would take the water down to a point known as the poplars he would take it the rest of the way to the river. This work would involve chains, including two large culverts, at a cost of about £65. lie hoped the Council would authorise both works. On the motion of Cr Crosse, seconded by Cr Murdoch, it was decided to proceed with both works. PUBLIC ABATTOIRS. The Mayor said the Public Abattoirs question seemed to be hanging fire. The matter was virtually m the hands of the Napier Borough Council, and only one meeting was held pending receiving information on the subject from Tasmania. Mr Park had now arrived with this information and the business would be proceeded with. The Government had drafted a Bill dealing with abattoirs which seemed to him excellently .suited to this colony, but he could not say when the Bill would go before the House. THE HOLIDAYS. It was decided to grant the Council employees holidays extending from Dec., 24th to Jan. ytb. cr. linney's petition-. Cr Linuey's petition was then considered. Cr Beecroft, in seconding the granting of the petition, asked if Mrs Beharrell's application for sewerage extension would be granted. The Mayor said there was ho petition before the Council. Cr Beecroft thought there was a petition, the cousideraton of which had been postponed. The Town Clerk said the only petition received was from Mrs Beharrell herself. The Mayor thought k better to have such applications in the form of a petition . Cr Cross thought that this petition and all similar petitions should be referred to the Drainage Committee. The Mayor put the question and it was decided, on the voices, to grant Cr Linney's petition. ACCOUNTS. General accounts araouuting to £163 14s, of which £76 2s 3d was for river protection, were passed for payment, as was also the loan account, £72 Os lOd. The Council then went into committee.