BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 2074, 23 April 1883, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

♦ The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held on Thursday evening; present—His Worship the Mayor (W. Barnett, Esq.), Councillors Anderson, Mulvihill, Horne, Burger, O’Hagan, and Carey. The minutes of the previous ordinary meeting (held on the Bth March) and special meeting (held on the 29bh March) were read and confirmed. The. outward correspondence was read and approved of. The inward correspondence was read, received and considered.

Application was made by H. Gibson that repairs may be made to the footway in front of his bouse in Main street, which he stated was in a most dangerous condition. On the motion of Cr. O’Hagan, seconded by Cr. Anderson, the letter was referred to the Public Works Committee, with power to act. On behalf of the Wesleyan Church Trustees, the Rev. J. Hosking asked the Council to clear and form that portion of the side of the road by which the entrance to the new Wesleyan Parsonage is approached, and also to cut a drain from thence into Seddon street.

On the motion of Cr. O’Hagan, seconded by Cr. Carey, the letter was referred to the Public Works Committee, to report upon at next meeting. Mr John Monahan, the Inspector of Nuisances, wrote recommending the expenditure of £5 10s or £6 on the Recreation Ground, in repairing the fences and removing stones from the drains, also, that a turn-stile be erected in the gateway, as the only method of protecting the place against trespass. On the motion of Cr. O’Hagan, seconded by Cr. Anderson, the letter was referred to the Public Works Committee to report upon. A letter from Mr Jas. Wylde, dated 17th March, was read, applying to see the rate receipt-book blocks for the half-year ending September 30, 1883, it being most essential that he should be allowed every facility for seeing documents bearing on his case.

The Town Clerk stated that he used every endeavour to find the rate-book block referred to, but without avail. Cr. O’Hagan did subsequeuly find it in the office.

On behalf of the Hospital Committee Mr W. Nicholson (the Secretary) wrote applying for the use of the Town Hall

every alternate Tuesday, for holding meetings of the Committee in. On the motion of Or. Burger, seconded by Cr. Horne, the request was granted. The following communication on the subject of water-supply to the town was received from Mr J. Barrett:— To the Mayor and Borough Councillors, Kumara. Gentlemen—Allow me to offer for your favorable consideration a plan for supplying this town with water, which I consider will at least very much diminish the chances of an extensive conflagration in future. I propose to build (of wood) a large open tank, say 36 feet by 24 feet by 4 feet deep, and place the same either at the side of the Post Office or at the junction of Tui and First streets, upper side, about sixteen feet from the ground, and connect the same by an ordinary fluming with either of the races that gives the greatest face.

This tank, being always full, would command the whole of the most valuable block in town, and give sufficient force to gut out the lower part of any building from the tank round to your chambers, using a flexible hose and nozzle. It would not, of course, command the roof of such buildings as the Post Office, Adelphi, Buck’s Head, or Crown Hotels without an engine ; but fires rarely start in the roof of any building.

The tank would hold in round numbers 20,000 gallons. In the event of a fire, before this amount could be exhausted, water could be turned on from the race and thus give a large supply. The cost of water, I think, would be very trifling as any hour of the day or night would suit for filling up when exhausted. It would require cleaning out occasionally, in doing which the water could be utilised for flushing down the various open drains which exist in this town. I roughly estimate the cost of this work including all necessary connexions, at about £4BO.

If it is desirable to provide water strictly for household consumption, it will be necessary to put up at least one large filter (cost about £6O) connected with the tank.

A small sum charged for this water either in the shape of a small rate or payment for quantity delivered, by means of the hose at stated times, would, I think, be sufficient to meet the cost of all necessary repairs that may possibly be needed from time to time. To reach the lower end of Seddon street it would only require a small tank there, connected by a small inexpensive fluming. I am, gentlemen, Tours respectfully, J. Barrett. Kuraara, April 18, 1883.

Memo.—The junction of Tui street perhaps would be more central, and would not require an iron syphon under the road as would be required at the Post Office.

Cr. O’Hagan said this matter required careful consideration; it was a very important matter, and should not be hurriedly dealt with. He moved that the letter be referred to a committee consisting of Crs. Horne, Anderson, Mulvihill, Burger, and the mover, to report upon generally. The motion was seconded by Cr. Anderson and carried. The Secretary Kumara Volunteer Fire Brigade wrote as follows : To the Mayor and Councillors or the Borough of Kumara. Sir and Gentlemen—Will your honorable Council be so kind as to inform the members of the Fire Brigade who are the Fire Inspectors for the Borough. Also, if there is any probability of getting a water supply. The Brigade was formed on account of promises made by this honorable Council that water would be laid on, and it was on this account several members joined. The Brigade, under existing circumstances, is a farce, not through any fault on the part of the, officers and men, but simply for want of water. It must have been rather humiliating to the officers and men - of ■ the Brigade when reading the report of the late fire, when the editor plainly says the Brigade in connection with a slight shower (which happened to be falling at the time) did good work by extinguising the embers. JSTow, I consider this is adding insult to injury. If men do their best to save life and property with their existing appliancef, I do say no one has a right to criticise on their actions, not even the sacred columns of the Kumara Times. I remain, yours respectfully, T. H. Carey, Sec. K.Y.F. B. Kumara, April 19, 1883. On the motion of Or. O’Hagan, the Town Clerk was instructed to give the information te the Fire Brigade as to Fire Inspectors, With regard to the remarks of the editor of the Kumara Times re the late fire, he (Cr. O’Hagan) did not see that the Council could be responsible for anything editors might say. The Town Cleak then read tho Public Works Committee’s Report, as fol lows : Public Works Report. Present—Cr. Burger (chair), Crs. Horne and Rudkin. The Committee beg to report as follows : That they had visited (contract) section Ko. 3, Seddon street west, and found that the contractors, Garvin and Co., had completed the work to the satisfaction of the Committee, and recommend that their account be passed for payment. The Committee also beg to repoi’t that owing

to an oversight in the specification that no provision had been made for turn-out on the new road ; and as the road would be perfectly useless without such an addition, the Committee have made arrangements with Garvin and Co. to construct two turn-outs, at a cost of each, the same to be one chain in length and eight feet in the centre. ■ The Committee also beg to draw the attention of the Council to the dilapidated state of the kitchen chimney of the down Hall, and recommend that a new chimney be constructed in its place. April 14, 1883. On the motion of Or. Burger, seconded by Or. O’Hagan, the report was received and the clauses consideied

seriatim. It was moved by Cr. O Hagan, seconded by Cr. Anderson—“ That the action of the Public Works Committee re turn-outs in the new road be approved of.” —Carried. The second clause was referred to the Public Works Committee, with power to act. [The remainder of our report will be given to-morrow.]