CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 193, 14 August 1880, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting was held last night. Present: Tbe Mayor, Crs Levien, Crewdson, Cross, Harley, and Little. J Upon the application of Mr Snodgrass, who is erecting a store at the junction of Has-tings-street and Washington Road, the Surveyor waa instructed to make up and form the road there. Letters were received reporting two cases of scarlet fever, which the Mayor said he had, on enquiry, found to be of the mildeßt possible type. A letter was read from Mr J. Lock, the contractor for the supply of horses and carts where the prisoners are at work, complaiuiug that he was subjected to considerable loss by being employed only half time. The letter was referred to the Surveyor. The following recommendations of the Works Committee were adopted : — l. That Mr R. M'Kay's offer of £12 10s towards laying a drain to carry off the water from Victoria Road be accepted, and that it be left to the Surveyor to determine whether a barrel drain or pipe should be laid. 2. Regarding Mr Armstrong's application for a crossing over tbe tramway, that on Mr Armstrong supplying the timber Mr Crewdson be requested to make the crossing. 3. That the water table in Washington Valley be continued from Rentoul-street down to tbe corner, making the south side of the valley carry off its water. 4. That the rubbish be cleared from the Eel Pond reserve, and a few trees planted thereon. Cr Harley wished to know whether it would not be advisable to offer a bonus for the best design for a bridge in Collingwood street. The Mayor said tbat the difficulty was not to find the design so much as the money. The Council were powerless to raise it, as the public had been appealed to once, and had rejected the proposal. Cr Little called attention to tbe disappearance of gravel from the Waimea Road, and thought that it must be escaping into the sewer. Cr Crewdson said that a man had gone through the sewer lately, and had seen no traces of ifc. Cr Cross would like to know how it was the Council were carting gravel for raising the tramway. Cr Crewdson said that it had been found necessary to raise the crown of the Waimea road, and he' had agreed to find the labor for lifting the tramway if tbe Council supplied tbe gravel. It did not benefit him to the extent of a shilling. The Mayor read the minute of the Public Works Committee meeting on the subject. Cr Harley said if Cr Cross had attended the meeting he would have known all about it.;!\ ■/?*,*■;; • '■ V' '*; .•■'*--' Cr Little called attention to some repairs that were required on thej Waimea Road. The Mayor said there were plenty of jobs wanted doing, but as they lmd now only iIQQ

to their oredifc they 1 would have td do without a good deal that he Bhould like to see done. On the by-law forbiding driving round the corners of the streets at a faster pace than five tfiiles ad hour being proposed a division took place with the following result :— Ayes* The Mayor, Crs Levien and Crewdeon. Noes : Crs Harley, Little, and Cross. The Mayor gave his casting vote with the Ayes.

»■■! »ii— — ■■_m.iji;iiVi. Jr •'.i^ii l -■iv-vni/.i'-.iTT^'^^^^ A correspondent of the Southland Times says:— ln the difficulties in the way of trade caused by the scarcity of current coin of the realm which prevails amongst us just now, we have struck out a new path for ourselves, for we are a go-ahead people and we are not to be kept down by the want of "filthy lucre." We do business now In rabbit skins instead of cash, and prices on our local Change may be quoted somewhat as follows: — " Oats are dull at nine to ten skins per bushel. Fresh butter finds a ready market at nine or ten skins per lb Stocks of tobacco are very low; a few Bmall parcels have been placed lately at three skins per lb, while whisky ia eagerly inquired for at a similar price per nip, with a tendency to rise 5 an offer to take all on tbe market at tbis price has been declined.*" If we can only induce the Legislature to proclaim rabbit skins a legal tender, we shall make our fortunes rapidly. The Rangitikei Advocate has the following:—For the multiplicity of his resources in a time of trouble a colonial schoolboy cannot be excelled. Illustrative of tbis fadfc, we give the following conversation, as it occurred in one of our Bchools the other day. Master — " Why did you not come to school yesterday?" Boy—" S'pose I must do what father tells me." Master — "You must obey my orders, sir." Boy— "Then I must play truant from home the next time they want to keep me?" Master — "No, you must bring a note in explanation next dny. -*' Boy — (gleefully)—" Then I must write it myself, 'cos father and mother can't write a word. The Berlin papers describe a sleigh lately presented by the Prince of Hohenzollern to his bride, a princess of the house of Turn and Salia, as a marvel of costly beauty. The I body is shaped like a cockle-shell, and is of polished ebony, inlaid with Bilyer, and the cushions are of the richest velvet, adorned with silver bells.