NELSON BOARD OF WORK?.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 174, 26 July 1870, Page 2

NELSON BOARD OF WORK?.

The following is the Annual Report of the Board of Works as read by the Secretary at the meeting of Ratepayers held yesterday : — Thirteenth Annual Report of the Nelson Board of Works, for the Year 1869-70. In accordance with previous custom, the Board of Works present to the ratepayers a brief statement of the works effected during the last twelve months, which complete the thirteenth year of the existence of the Board as a public body. Sundry repairs have been effected on the Haven and Waimea-roads and Waimea-street, extending from Mary -Ann- street to the toll-gate. The road has been gravelled in various parts with Boulder Bank gravel, new drains executed and old ones repaired, the breastwork renewed, and the ditches and water-tables claened out from time to time, at a cost of 6s sd. In Vanguard-street, a considerable amount of work has been executed during the past year. The street has been made up from the Haven- road to Hardy-street; the road has also been gravelled from the Post Boy Hotel to the extreme end of the street adjoining the property of Mr. Hale; the ditch' 8 have been cleaned out at various times, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned at a cost of £295 18s 9d. This amount is exclusive of prison labour. In St. Vincent-street, the upper portion has been formed and gravelled, and the lower portion repaired, the ditches cleaned out from time to time, and also a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost ol £74 3s 6d.

In Franklyn-street, extending from Vanguardstreet to Ngatiawa-street, a portion of the road has been made up and formed, and also footpath, and about twenty-six chains of the road gravelled, at a cost of £74 6s 3d. In Hampden-street, extending from Vernonstreet to Ngatiawa-street, the road has been reduced and made up in several places, also portions formed and gravelled, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £94 9s. In Collingwood-street, the road has been gravelled and repaired, the ditches, water-tables, and drains cleaned out at various times, at a cost of £2SI 6a 9d. In Broiiti-street, the road has been gravelled and repaired, the ditches and water-tables cleaned out from time to time, and the drains repaired, at a cost of £10. In Tupia-street, a quantity of gorse has been cut and burned, at a cost of £2 7s. In Alton-street, the road has been gravelled and repaired, and the water-tables cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £6 11s 6d. In Tory-street, the road has been crowned up and water tables cleaned out, at a cost of £7 17s 6d. In Nile street (east and west), the road has been gravelled and repaired in various places, the ditches, water-tables and drains cleaned out, from time to time, at a cost of £55 19s lid. In Milton-street, the water-tables have been formed, the road crowned up, and portions of the road and footpiths gravelled, at a cost of £21 7s 6d. In Cambria-street, the road has been gravelled in various part?, the water-tables, drains, and ditches cleaned out at various times, at a cost of £14 2s 6d. In Grove-street, the road has been repaired and the water-tables cleaned out, at a cost of £13 Os 6d. In Tasman-street, the road has been gravelled and repaired in various places, and footpaths formed, at a cost of £24 153. In Hardy-street (east and west), the road has been gravelled and repaired in several places, and new curbing executed from Trafalgar street to Collingwood- street, the water-tables and drains cleaned out at various times, at a cost of £125 3s 3d. In Bridge-street (east and west), the road and footpaths have been gravellel and repaired in various parts, and the water-tables cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £39 9s 3d. In Milton -grove, the road has been formed, the foot-bridge repaired, and a quantity of gorse cut ami burned, at a cost of £25 3s lOd. In Brook-street, the wattling has been repaired and also the road in several placas, the watertables and ditches cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £25 2s. In Brougham-street, the ditches have been cleaned out, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £4 14s. In Trafalgar- street (south), the road and footpaths formed last year by prison labor, have been gravelled, stone drains executed, and a quantity of gorse cut and birned, at a cost of £88 Is. 2d. In Ngatitawa-street, the sum of £3 9s. 6d. has been expended in repairing road and culverts, and burning a quantity of gorse. In 11 arley- street, the road has been repaired, and the water-tables cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £2 2s. The ditches in Gloucester-street have been cleaned out at various times, and the road repaired at a ' vt of £2 5s 6d. In Halifax-street, on the mud flat, a ditch has been cut to confine the sewerage running from the Trafalgar and Bridge-streets sewers from spreading itself on the flat, and also to get a lower level for the run of the sewerage. The object has been attained by this ditch being cut. The cost was £6 Is. A contract is at present going on for forming a portion of this street in the Wood. In Van-Diemtn-street, the water-tables and ditches have been cleaned out, and the road repaired in several places, at a cost of £2 12s 6d. In Mary-Ann-street, the read has been gravelled, and the water-tables cleaned out, at a cost of £5 8s fid. In Trafalgar-square, the road has been g,;a. veiled and repaired in several places, the drains and wattr-tables attended to, at a cost of £37 17s 9d. In Shelbourne-street, the -water-tables have been cleaned out from time to time, and portions of the road and footpaths gravelled, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £7 is 9(3. In Washington Valley, portions of the road have been gravelled, the water-tables and ditches cleaned out from time to time, new drains executed, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £38 10s 6d. In Totara-street, the ditches have been cleared out, a, footpath formed and gravelled, at a cost of £8 19s. In Manuka-street, the water-tables and drains have been cleaned from time to time, the ford repaired, and a portion of the street gravelled, at a cost of £5 0s 6d. In Harper -street, the road lias been formed from Manuka-street to Nile-street East, at a cost of £13 10s. In Emano-street, Examiner-street, North Eskstreet, Wellington-street, and Vernon-street, a quantity of gorse has been cut and burned, at a cost of £10 16s lOd. There lias been expended the sum of £54 10s 3d. for cleaning the various streets in the centre of the town from time to time. In Selwyn-place, the sum of £5 10s 3d. has been expended for gravelling and cleaning out of ditch. The sum of £71 15 3d has been expended in purchasing a quantity of glazed earthenware-pipes for drainage purposes. A new dobbin-cart was purchased by the Board for the sum of £16. Upon the recommendation cf the late Board, a water-cart has been purchased at a cost of £24 12s 3d, for the purpose of watering the principal streets of the town during the summer months, which has been found to act admirably. The amount expended by the Board for the watering of the streets has been £38 7s 6d. The sum of £8 has been expended ia keeping the town clock in order.

A new map of the town has been purchased by the Board for the sura of £8 Bs. The lighting of the lamps has been taken by contract for the sum of .£96 16s per annum. The Board has had a quantity of work done during the past year by prison labor; such as the filling up ol a portion of Nile-street East; the making up and widening a portion of Examinerstreet; aivi the excavating of a quantity of earth and the filling of the carts (near the Board of Works Office) for the making-up of Vanguardstreet. The Board also again this year desires to express their thanks to the Government for their readiness in granting prison labor. The Board have, therefore, unhesitatingly voted the expenses of a Christmas dinner to the prisoners, together with a small allowance oi tea and sugar. The sum of £20 has been paid to the Fire Brigade during the past year. The sum of £250 has been placed as a fixed deposit in the Bank or New Zealand to the credit ot ; the Board, for the purpose of meeting debentures when due for Bridge-street sewer. The following is a statement of the amount of revenue derived from each block (from the city rates), and the amount expended in each block during the past year out of the rates : —

The Board having pointed out to the Council last year, by a petition, the injustice of the Toll-gate at the town bound iry, regrets to find that the resolution passed last j r ear by the Provincial Council, to abolish the clause in the Country Lloyds A.ct, relating to tolls, has not been carried out at the late sitting of the Council. The Board hopes at the next session of the Council, they will cause the Toll-gate to be remove! away altogether. At the annual meeting of ratepayers, held last year, the Board 6tated in their report (which report was adopted by the ratepayers) that the time has arrived when more enlarged powers shou'd be granted to the Board, so as to enable it to borrow money for drainage purposes extending to a period of twenty years, based up;>n the report adopted by the ratepayers. The Board prepared a bill, and submitted the same to his Honor the Superintendent for the purpose of laying the same before the Provincial Council urging the immediate need for increased drainage. The bill was submitted to the Provincial Council by A. S. Collins Esq , one of the City members, and the Board are happy to inform the ratepayers that, with very trifling alterations, it was passed by the Council, and now only awaits the assent of hi? Excellency the Governor to become law. The Board also expect that the ratepayers contiguous to the streets where the sewerage is proposed to be made, will take advantage of what has been gained for them by the Board in getting th act passed, so t 1 at the nuisances so long complained of, will, it is to be hoped, be removed by the contemplated sewerage. A letter was also sent in by the Board to D. M. Luckie, Esq., one of the City members, asking him to cause a Biil t > be framed by the Government (during the recess) to be laid before the Provincial Council , at the next session for the purpose of doing away with gorse, and gorse hedges, within the boundary of the City of Nelson. The Board trusts that this will be carried out at the next session of the Provincial Council. The amount levied for rates for the last year was £1889 18s , at §d. in the pound for the year, on a gross assessment of £604,768, sh >wing an. increase in the estimated value of the rateable property for the past year of £1794 ; but a decrease in the actual revenue of the Board through a |-d. rate instead of Id. the previous year of £622 9s. lOd. The following is a comparative statement of the Assessment of the City of Nelson, for the year IS6B-18G9, and 1869-1870, showing the reductions and additions made in each block, by the building of new properties, and depreciation of old property : —

A special rate of three-farthings in the pound levied upon certain properties contiguous to the main sewer in Bridge-street, will continue for three years longer. Four members of the T3oard have to be elected in the place of R. Burn, J. Percy, J. P. Black, and W. Hadddow, who retire by rotation, but who are eligible for re-election. The accounts for the past year, with all the vouchers relating thereto, will be submitted to two auditors, to be appointed by this meeting of ratepayers. Thomas Younger, Surveyor to the Board. Board of Works Office, July 25, 1870.

We observe, by an advertisement in the Melbourne papers that the enterprising shipping firm, Messrs. M'Meckan Blackwood, and Co., are about to inaugurate a new traffic — steam communication with the Fiji Islands. They announce that they will dispatch one of their New Zealand boats to Fiji early in August, should sufficient inducement offer.

Those who hope to see war disappear by the frightful perfection of its weapons will be gratified at hearing of a new and deadly idea on the subject. A learned professor, lecturing the other day before a military audience, threw out a suggestion for "belligerent Christians which was derived from the experiments of Professor Tyndall upon t( dust and haze." The lecturer proposed to soak cotton and wool with the effluvia of fever and cholera hospitals, and, having enclosed the poisonous tufts in shrapnel-shells, to employ them for cannonading an enemy in the field. His benevolent conception was, that the germs of disease would be widely spread about by each exploding missile, and thus it might be confidently hoped that the ranks would very soon be decimated. It is rather a ghastly thought to imagine an artillery division opening with twenty rounds of Asiatic cholera, or giving the foe a salvo of small-pox ; and we should doubt the feasibility of the professor's plan ; but perhaps it is not less wicked to blow human creatures to pieces, or to stab and slash them, than to shoot maladies at them, and slay them with subtle poisons. Street shootings, termed "little difficulties," are on the increase in San Francisco.

For remainder of News see Fourth page.

1868-69. 1869-70. £ £ Block A . 269,791 273,827 „ B . 59,854 59,362 „ C . 103,071 103,817 „ I> . 47,673 46.535 „ E . 15,411 15,416 „ F . 31,675 31,973 „ G . 75,499 73,50S £t>02,794 £61)4,763 602,794 Addition . . £1,794

Amount of Revenue. Amount expended, £ s. d. £ 9. d. Block A . 855 14 2J 350 0 0 „ B . 185 10 1§ 103 610 „ C . 324 8 6-2 242 0 0 „ D . lis 8 5£ 300 0 0 „ E . 48 5 4* 171 0 0 „ F . 99 18 32 9-i 1 7 „ G . 230 13 0 38 13 6 £1,889 18 0 £1,299 1 11