NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 167, 12 July 1873, Page 2

NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

Thursday, July 3. • A special meeting of the Board of Works was held at t,he office of Messrs Fell and Atkinson", to meet Dr Williams iv reference to that gentleman's proposed nppointmerrt as Medical Officer to the Board for the purpose of drawing up a v report upon the sanitary condition of the *city. Dr Williams was present, and declined to accept the appointment of Medical Officer, but stated his willingness to furnish the desired report.. Upon this it was resolved, that Dr Williams be - requested to prepare such a report at his ""earliest- convenience. Fkiday, July 11. The usual meeting- of tho Board of Works was held at the offic&gf jthej ßoard. All the^iheinbers we?e"present. A letter from Dr Williams was read, acknowledging the receipt of a request from the Board to furnish a report upon the sanitary condition of the city, and promising to do so as soon as possible. A l«tter was read from Messrs Harley Broihers, asking the Board to tuke legal proceedings against Mr Grant, a carter, for taking grave! and sand from the river . bed at the east end of Halifax-stre,et, notwithstanding many cautions ho had received not to do bo. Mr Jennings eaid he witnessed the offence, and that. Grant persisted in removing the gravel; toj*t the spot from which he had taken it. Was actually in the street. The Surveyor said Grant was a complete nuisance in this respect, for that he persisted in taking sand, though he had many times cautioned him against doing so. The Chairman said that Messrs Harley -Brothers bad undertaken to flear the cost of proceeding against Grant. , Mr Fell, moved, that the matter be referred to the solicitor of the Board, and that proceedings should be taken at once if he advised that they would be successful. Carried. The Report of the Finance Committee was read. The Chairman said the preparation of the sccounts upon which the report was founded did great credit to Mr Younger, and that that thpy shewed great improvements upon thoßo of former years. Tho overdraft nt the Bank, on tho 10ih July, was £665 Gs, and the arrears of rates for the past year £636 18a 9J. Thia overdraft had been entirely caused by the couiirflL-f. for the bricks, for which the sum oi £949 had been puid. There had been v large reduction iv many items of expenditure during the past year, as extra carting, advertising, &c. Altogether, the balance -showed that the Board was in a very flourishing condition. Mr Webb objected, that the report said nothing of .arrears of rates pribr to 1872, which he thought ought to have been ehown; he had many times a&ked that a Hat of such names should be laid before the Board, but it had never been done.

- The Chairman explained that the financial report included all that was required by the Act, vizj; a statement of receipts and expenditure for the last year. Mr Fell agreed that the public should be informed of these arrears; and proposed that they should be referred to in the annual general report. ■Mr Dodson said iheFinance Committee were satisfied that tho collector had done his best to collect the rates, and that he wits sure no. commercial firm in the place of -equal transactions, could show so small an amount of old debts. The Chairman said that of the previous years, arrears of upwards of 400/. had been collected, and of the past year more than two-thirds, whilst halt tho year only had expired. Mr Fell's proposition was then agreed to. The draft yearly general report was readi Mf Hooper proposed that tho Finance Committee (Messrs Dodson, Burn, Fell, and the Chairman) be appointed a subcommittee to draw up, and lay before the' Board at its next meeting", a report as to ihe Corporations Act,, Carried. The Surveyor reported that Messrs. Morrison and Sclanders had agree;] to the terms proposed by the Board as to their contribution towards making up Hopestreet, and that tho culverts were finished and the work proceeding. < The new >ond, upon the west side o|s the Church Hill was ordered to be gravely led. "*%h} Mr Webb called the attention of tile Board to the culverts near the Poaloffice, which he said had been cut and injured by the new gas-pipes, and warned the Board, that if maintained at their present deplo, they would seriously interfere with tlje.. culverts when the new sewer cameto.be. made; He declined however to rr.ako'any specific motion. . < Mr Burn proposed that the approach to the Commercial Wharf be gravelled. Mr Hooper asked that a small culvert be made at the approach to his gate in Nile-streak which the depth of the watertable Rendered necessary. Agreod to. Cheques were signed to the amount of £57 4s 9d, mid the Board adjourned.