BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1035, 16 May 1883, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Council was held last evening. Present: His Worship ■ iUaaaa - The business was to receive the annual statement of T accounts, and to consider a letter from the Engineer recommending the Council to take over the Bedford and Egmont street contracts, and complete the work themselves, FINANCIAL. The Town Clerk submitted a report, and read the balance-sheet and statement of assets and liabilities, which had been duly audited. The Clerk also read a statement of the reserves and the rents, showing that the sum of £lO3 10a 9d was in arrear. Or Adams asked what lime was supposed to elapse before the Council could step in if the rents were not paid ? The Mayor : Six months, I believe. Wo cannot enter upon that to-night, but the matter of the arrears will have to be seen to. Cr Dixon moved, “ That the balancesheet for the year ending March 31, 1883, as read, be adopted,” Seconded by Cr Williams, and carried. BEDFORD STREET CONTRACT. The Engineer submitted the draft of a letter lie proposed to send to the contractor for Bedford street. The letter instructed the contractor to put on five drays and ten men, or as an alternative the Council wmuld give 14 days’ notice, take over the contracts for Bedford and Egmont street south, and finish them at contractor’s expense. The Mayor said that the letter had been forwarded to him for his consent but he declined to sanction it as be thought the Council should give their approval or otherwise. The letter had been made special business for this meeting, and it was for the Council to decide whether they wmuld take the contracts over or leave them as they are now. The Engineer referred to both contracts, Egmont street south, and Bedford street. Cr Adams : They are separate contracts. Cr Williams Sjjid that Bedford street was nearly finished. The Mayor thought there was more work to do than the contractor was aware of.

Cr Williams considered that the Engineer had not done his duty. He had not watched the contract properly, and now he wanted to throw the blame on the contractor. He had allowed him to fill in with sand when he should have used da} 7 . Cr Adams asked the reason why the letter had not been acted upon. The Mayor said the letter was before the Council to do as they pleased with, Cr Adams would recommend that it be acted upon. The Mayor said that so far as Bedfordstreet was considered, he agreed with the letter, but he did not follow it with regard to Egmonl-street. The gravel was coming up Bedford-street, and they would have to take it over. Any one could see that the centre of the street was not filled properly. The channelling was three inches above the street, and the water could not get in. The sides of the street would have to be filled up with clay. Cr Aitchison said they had no idea of the expense (of finishing the contract. They might have to fall back on the sureties. The Mayor was informed by the Engineer that there was sufficient money in hand to finish both contracts. They simply had to give the contractor 14 days notice, and if ho failed to fulfil instructions they could do the work. Cr Aitchison thought the better course would be to take over Bedford street and allow the contractor to work away at the other contract. Bedford street seemed to have gone wrong altogether.

Or Dixon said that the contractor told him he could finish Bedford street in 12 days. If they gave him 14 days lie would have ample time to get clear of Bedford street contract. He would not support a resolution to take over both contracts, only the Bedford street one. Or Adams ; Is not the matter entirely in the hands of the Engineer? Mayor : He won’t act. On several occasions he has come before the Council for instructions, and bo thought it better to get the authority of the Council. Cr Adams thought they had erred altogether in the manner of carrying out the contract, and now after three months they were going to take harsh measures. The contractor had lost £900.: Mayor : He has not lost £IOO on it yet. Cr Dixon said he had had every show for completing the work. Cr Paul asked if the contract had not been carried out according to specification. The Mayor said that was a question for (he Engineer to answer. He (Mayor) was not aware that the specifications had been departed from. Cr Adams moved, Cr Williams seconded and it was carried unanimously—“ That the contractor be allowed 14 days to complete Bedford street contract, failing to do so, the Engineer to take over and complete the same at contractor’s cost.” This was all the business.