MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1176, 23 January 1880, Page 2

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last evening, when there were present —Councillors Humphrey (in the chair), Mainland, Smith, Roberts, Otterson, Headland, Townsend, and Garland. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward correspondence was read and approved. A letter was read from the RegistrarGeneral asking for certain information to enable him to revise the estimate population of the boroughjn his monthly vital statistics. The particular information asked for was the number of inhabited houses as on the Ist January, or in case the actual number of inhabited houses could not be given, then the total number of houses in the borough. The Town Clerk stated that he had supplied the information as far as possible. A letter was read from the Secretary to the Irish Famine Relief Committee in Dunedin asking the Council to aid in the movement, and forward subscriptions to the hou. treasurer, the Mayor of Dunedin.—lt was decided to reply that a Committee had been formed in Oamaru, and that the money obtained would be forwarded Home direct. A letter was read from Mrs. M ! Murtree offering to pay Is a week each for six head of cattle if permitted to run them on Reserve F. A letter was also read from Mr. A. H. Maude with referenQe to the reserve, stating that he had received inquiries to lease section 5, block 74, and asking whether the Council contemplated letting the reserve.—The matter was referred to the Reserves Committee for consideration. Permission was granted to Mr. Thomas Kennedy to transfer the lease of section 10, block 44, to Mr. E. Atkinson, jun. ; and to Mr. James Dunn to transfer the lease of section 8, block 37, to Mr. West. Messrs. T. and J. Jardine wrote drawing the attention of the Council to the fact that water from the Waikoura was destroying about 50 acres of their grass by continually covering it.—The matter was referred to the Engineer, with instructions to remedy the evil. A letter was read from the Mayor, apologising for his absence from the meeting. His Worship stated that he had seen the Hon. Mr. Oliver, Minister for Public Works, who ha 4 stated that he would shortly visit Qamaru, and promised to give due notice of the time. His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Humphrey, Headland, Garland, and Otterson were appointed a Committee to arrange for an interview with the Minister fpr Public Works, with a view to bping under his notice _ thq many matters here requiring attention. Messrs, Julius and Balmer wrote forwarding the draft agreement of the arbitration between the Council and Mr. Alexander Grant, upon the latter's claim for damages for loss of water, caused by the Waterworks. —The agreement was referred to the Waterworks Committee. The following report from the Inspector of Nuisances was read : Gentlemen,—l beg respectfully again to | draw yqur attention to the lagoon in the lower portion of Ouse-street. There are i constant complaints being made to me by people living near the lagoon, but I am powerless to act in respect to nuisances on any private ground until tliat existing on the street }ine is done away with, i With reference to the outlet from the I sewer from Tyne-street by the beach the Railway Department are nqw cleaning it out, and it will be in working order again by Saturday, At the, same time I may remark that this outlet will again be liable to be silted up at any time. It was resolved that the Engineer be requested to suggest the best plan of removing the nuisance complained of in Quse-street, and the probable cost of the same. The following report from the 'Waterworks Committee was read : Your Committee have the honor to report that they visited part of the water-race, in company with your Engineer, on the 19th inst. Your Committee observed a full stream of water flowing satisfactorily over the flupie at Aitohesqn's gully. A little water was running qn to Henderson's flume. The contractor for the latter aqueduct not having sufficient planking to finish, has for the present removed to 9 •50m., where he is erecting two gmall {Jmnes. There he is also short of planking, Mr, Day your Committee found erecting an aqueduct at Hall's gully (9'34m), which will bo ready by the time the race is cut through Mr. Ross' ground. Your Committeo observed that Mr. Ross has j ploughed up tho land where the race is to be cut, thus removing all the pegs, both level! and fencing pegs, consequently it will be necessary to have it re-surveyed and pegged off before either tho fence can be erected or tho race excavated. The timber is on the ground. iTour Committee met Mr. Qeprgp Strjic]ian re compensation for damage. At B'o6m. tjie race crosses an underground watercourse. A heavy fall of rain some time ago appears tp

•have found an outlet from the race here, and carried some debris on to the fiat, covering a few yards of grass land. In two places the surface has fallen in, leaving two large holes. Your Committee recommend that the soil be thrown out from these holes by the surfaceman and his gang, and after filling the holes with spoil from the race, that the soil be returned to its place and sown with grass. About a mile further on another under-runner has fallen in in the same way, which it will be advisable- also to fill in. A few large lumps of clay which have rolled on to Mr. Strachan's grass will also require to be removed. The above recommendation did not meet with the approbation of Mr. Strachan. Your Committee therefore failed in making any arrangement with him.

The report was adopted. With reference to the survey on Mr. Ross' land, it was resolved that the Engineer be requested to have the work done, and to beep a special record of all expenses incurred in so doing, and that Mr. Ross be informed that the voucher agreed upon can be obtained at any time. It was also resolved that the Engineer should call for tenders for cutting the race through Mr. Ross' land.

Mr. Thomas C. Maltby, acting for the Assistant Engineer, stating that he was having the outfall from the Tyne-street sewer cleared out as required by the Engineer. A letter was read from Messrs. Julius and Balmer, covering bills of cost for various matters, and expressing willingness to accept a voucher for the amount. The accounts were referred to the Finance Committee.

Councillor Roberts then, in accordance with notice of motion, moved, " That, pending the extension of gas mains to the north Town Belt, a kerosene lamp be erected and kept lighted on dark iiigTits at the junction of Thames and Ousestreets." Councillor Smith seconded the motion.

After a little discussion, it was decided, on the motion of Councillor Ofcterson, that the matter of street lamps was referred to the Gas Works Committee for report. Councillor Robers moved, " That the schedule to bye-law No. 10 be altered as follows :—Line 14, page 8, instead of ' Is per mile per passenger,' read 'ls per mile if only, one passenger, or 6d per mile per passenger if more than one passenger and in line 21, page 8, instead of 'every cwt. Is per mile ' read ' every half-cwt. or portion of half-cwt. 6d per mile,' " He explained that the effect of the motion, if agreed to, would be to reduce the cab fares to 6d per mile provided there were two or more passengers, but in the event of there being only one passenger, the fare would remain as at present. This was, he said, the only town he had been in where a charge of Is each was made in the event of there being more than one passenger. He also mentioned that some of the cabmen were apparently under a misapprehension as to the meaning of the clause relating to fares by time. It was distictly stated that the time fare for a cab drawn by one horse should be 4s per hour for the first hour, and 3s for each subsequent hour, the evident mean : ing of this being that the payment of 4s should be sufficient for the engagement of a one-horse cab for one hour, no matter how many passengers there were, but some of the cabmen read this as meauing that a charge of 4s per hour could be made for every passenger. An instance of this came under his notice only recently. Four strangers to Oamaru engaged a one-horse express for an hour, and the driver had demanded 16s as his payment. It would not be necessary to make any alteration in this respect in the schedule, but it would b§ well for the public to be made aware of the fact that 4s was the full amount the driver of a onehorse cab was entitled to charge for an hour's hire. Councillor Townsend seconded the motion, which was carried. It was resolved that the salary of Mr. West, Inspector of Timber, be reduced L 5 per week. The Council then rose.