CITY BOARD.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1720, 3 September 1862, Page 3

CITY BOARD.

SEPTEMBER Ist, 1862. Present; Messrs. Beveridge, Cadman, Darby, Finlay, and Macready. Mr. Cadman was voted into the chair. The business commenced by reading the following letter, just received from the Deputy Superintendent:— Superintendent’s Office, Auckland, September Ist, 1802.

Sin, —L have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter, of date 30th August, ultimo, communicating a resolution of the City Board of Works, by which attention is called to a former resolution, and “ the Superintendent is requested to place the leading streets of the city in such a state as to make them passable.” I regret exceedingly that the Superintendent is absolutely precluded by the legislation of the last session of the Provincial Council from rendering to the Board of Works the assistance required in the very difficult position in which the Board is now placed. The money voted for “ road repairs” has been long since exhausted, and there is not at the disposal of the Provincial Government any fund from which the cost of the repairs necessary “to make the leading streets of the city passable” can he defrayed. In anticipation of the difficulties which the action of the recent session was preparing for the province, the Superintendent invited the Council to make additional provision to the extent of £I,OOO for “ road repairs,” and to vole “ £2,000 for general contingencies ;” £3OO only were granted for “ road repairs,” and £SOO for “ general contingencies.” The vote for road repairs is, as I have said, exhausted, and the requirements of the Coromandel gold field have already almost, if not wholly, absorbed the fund for “ general contingencies.” There remains the “ alternative” which, in his Message No. 133 of date April 7th alt., the Superintendent pointed out to the Pro- ! vincial Council, viz., that “ he (the Superintendent) ; should violate the law, and incur the penalties ol the i Audit Act, or suffer great damage to ho done to the j public interests.” t

Tho determination of the Council, I am myself aware, was to restrict the expenditure absolutely to the sums voted.

I make these explanations that the Board of Works may understand the circumstances which preclude me from compliance with a request which is in itself reasonable, and which I should otherwise have met with a ready assent. —I have, &c.,

Daniel Pollen, For the Superintendent. The Secretary City Board of Works, Auckland.

Mr, Cadman thought that perhaps the Provincial Government might be induced to lend money to the Board, and would throw out as a suggestion the advisability of asking a loan of £2OO, which might be expended under the control of the Provincial Government.

Mr. Finlay thought that money so lent to the hoard should he expended by the Hoard itself; they had their own engineer, who was quite as well able to see after the interests of the public as the Government engineer could possibly be. Mr. Macready did not see the advantage of borrowing money, and becoming responsible for its repayment, unless the party borrowing had the control of the expenditure of it, Mr. Finlay said it was quite clear something must be done; the streets could not be allowed to remain in the same fearful state.

Mr. Dauby asked how long it would he before the assessment roll could be made out.

Mr. Cadman replied probably in six weeks,

Mr. Darby remarked that by that time tho streets would become impassable; Hobson-strcet was almost so now.

Mr. Macready thought £2OO was too small a sum, it would, “like snows in summer, melt away,” before they could well turn round.

Mr. Finlay thought £SOO a more convenient sum to receive than £2t)u.

Mr. Darby agreed with this opinion, and thought tho Provincial Government would lend them ns much on security of repayment from the first rate levied. Mr. Finlay thought that the Deputy Superintendent had gone as great a length in obliging the Board as could fairly be looked for. H« had already agreed to lend £SOO, and had advanced £l5O. Mr. Cadman alluded to the unfair difficulties by which the Board had been hampered in having had the streets handed over to them in tho worst possible condition, in the middle of winter, and without a sixpence to expend upon them for the first three months. They tints had the odium cast upon them of spending the first half of the rate before it was even collected. They had, he thought, a fair claim on the Provincial treasury. The letter was then, on the motion of Mr. Cadman, seconded by Mr. Darby, ordered to be la d on tbe table.

Mr, Beveridge moved, and Mr. Finlay seconded a motion, to the effect that a loan of £SOO be asked from the Provincial Government, to bo secured on the rates levied under the Town Boards Act, 1862. The motion was carried unanimously. The question was then raised by the Chairman as to the advisability of appointing more assistant surveyors in order to expedite the assessment; and, on the motion of Mr. Beveridge, seconded by Mr. Darby, Messrs. Dunn and French were appointed to that office, NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr. Cadman gave notice that, at tho next meeting of the Board, he would move the following resolutions : 1. That the engineer be instructed in furnishing the list of the various works to the Board to give his particular attention to the state of the roads in and about Freeman’s Bay. 2. That the engineer be requested at his earliest convenience to furnish the Board with an estimate of the cost of paving the whole width of the roadway of Queen-street, from the wharf to Somerville’s corner; also his opinion as to the desirability of the Board undertaking such a work as a question of durability and economy.

3. That the Engineer lie requested to prepare plans for forming curbs and gutters for tho main streets of the city, and submit the same to the Board. 4. That it is desirable tho Board should be enabled as soon as possible to form some opinion as to the amount of pecuniary assistance which it may expect from the Provincial revenue during the ensuing year, in order that the necessary works determined ou and in contemplation may not be interrupted. That with this view a letter be sent to His Honor the Deputy' Superintendent, requesting that he will, if possible, inform the Board what amount of money the Provincial Government will propose to the Provincial Council to grant to the Auckland City Board of Works for the ensuing financial year.