BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1319, 21 June 1883, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Thr usual fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening last. Present—His Worship the Mayor (E. K. Brown) in the chair, Crs. I ownley, Lewis, Whinray, Brown, Hepburn, lucker and Chrisp. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. OUTGOING CORREBBONDENCE. The outgoing correspondence was then read, consisting of a letter to Mr M. Hope, of Napier, re order for totara; a communication to County Council re expenses of Governor’s reception ; one to Mr M’Donald re district matters; one to Town Clerk of Wellington re the rates: one to C, H. Webb, of the Standard re advertising ; and one to Inspector of Nuisances re nightsoil. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read from K. Kerr, re printing and advertising, and another from F. J. Piesse offering to lease the Borough reserve section at foot of Bright street. Cr. Whinray moved, and Cr. Brown seconded that Mr Piesse be informed that the Borough Council have no intention of leasing the said sections. INSPECTING ORMOND QUARRY. Cr. Hepburn informed the Council that owing to the adverse state of the weather, the proposed inspection had fallen through. Cr. Whinray asked when it was i likely to get any more metal down, ' and was informed by the Engineer ■ that some time must elapse before the contract could proceed. Cr. Lewis complained about the state the roads were left in. About 20 loads of metal had been left in heaps and required spreading, whilst the barrier was a nuisance and the lamp useless. Ho hoped that the metal would be spread, and that the Council would give orders to that effect. His Worship remarked that the work could be done while ordering it. Mr Drummond was instructed to see Mr Gxenbam about the matter, and see that the metal was spread. PAYMENTS Removing hedge on Borough reserves, £2 ; removing fence on ditto, £5 19s. Cr. Lewis said that Mr Brooks complained about the manner in which the posts had been put down. They were too far apart. His Worship thought the matter might be left to Messrs. Brooks and Beveridge. Common, Shelton and Co., for new fire engine hose, £45 10s lOd. Cr. Lewis had had his attention called to the fact that the new hose, which had been properly cleaned, greased and put away, had been taken out of the shed and used for emptying the well. He thought it a great shame that the new hose should be used for such a dirty purpose. It was lying there now all covered with mud and filth. Cr. Brown was surprised that the hose should be used for such a purnose. It would take a deal of labor to clean it. The engine was also choked up with sand. His Worship promised to go and see about it himself on the morrow. It was explained that Captain Winter had given permission to use the engine and hose. Adams, £3 6s ; D. Ready, £4 7s 6d ; D. Ready, £2 19s 6d, H. Hamlett, £7 7s; petty cash, £5; sinking fund, £7OO ; J. R. Morgan, £7 Is 9d ; and Ponsford, £lOO. £7,500 loan. The Town Clerk read a draft letter to the Government embodying an ap plication for the above loan, and among other matters stating the difficulty we experienced in obtaining metal for our roads, and adding that our hope rested in being able to

obtain metal of good quality, and in sufficient quantity to meet our wants from the Kaiti beach. Cr. Hepburn stated that he had made it his business to inspect the Kaiti beach so as to enable him to pass an opinion as to the quality of themetai. He found it very “ patchy,” only small patches of really good metal existing there. The best of the metal there appeared to come from the hill side from whence it had been washed by the action of the waves. Cr. Townley said the question was of great importance. The Patutahi metal was of far superior quality to that being obtained from Ormond, but the expense of obtaining the former metal was so great as to plage it beyond our means. We hud been two vears trying to mend out roads, and how far had we got ? It must be acknowledged that we had miserably failed. With respect to meeting the loan it would bo easy to provide for it out of the ordinary rates. After taking a poll of the ratepayers they could easily raise the sum by less than 3d in the £ out of the ordinary rates. The Chairman stated that the matter must be settled at once, as the application bad to be made by Friday next. Cr Lewis thought they could not go far wrong m obtaining the money. Other matters could be settled afterwards. The clerk was instructed to make the applicarion in due form, without any mention of the bridge. TURANGANUI BRIDGE. On the motion of Cr. Chrisp, it was decided that a deputation, consisting of the Chairman and Cr. Townley, wait upon the County Council and inform that body that the Borough Council would make joint or separate application for a grant, providing it was distinctly understood that the County Council meet one half the expense. If this was declined thb matter was to drop. Cr. l ownley said this motion simply meant that the whole affair would be dropped. Cr Chrisp said “ So much the better." There were many improvements needed for the harbour, such as docks, &c., nf far more importance than the bridge. He had seen a statement in the Standard to the effect that great improvements could be effected at a cost of from £4,000 to £5,000. He did not know where the Standard had got its information from, but in his opinion that was ahout one-tenth of the required sum. Cr. Townley was against the application being let fall through. ADVERTISING. A letter was read respecting the printing and advertising tenders. Cr. Townley asked how the advertising was being done at present, The clerk said that the advertising was being done at the ’’ Herald " office, and that the price paid was 3s per inch. Cr. Brown asked the price per inch of the late contract held by the Standard, and was informed that it was 8d per inch. Cr. Lewis moved that the printing and advertising go on as at present, but eventually withdrew his proposition. Cr. Hepburn moved and Cr. Brown seconded, that tenders be called for at once, and that the contract commence oti the 10th July and end on the 81st December, 1888.—Carried, The Chairman here asked the clerk if any penal clause existed in the contract ? On being answered in the negative, he suggested that security be required. Cr. Townley proposed two sureties of £’2s each, Cr Tucker thought two sureties of £lOO should be demanded. Cr. Chrisp agreed that two £lOO sureties would be low enough, and that two in £25 was not enough. In seconding the motion, Cr. Whinray moved that the contract be not transferable. Cr. Tucker could not see the necessity for this restriction. Cr. Whinray said it was not customary to transfer contracts. He thought this restriction necessary because it had been shown in that very Council that if certain parties took a contract and after awhile found it necessary for their convenience to transfer it in name, but not in reality, they did so, and sat at that board voting on matters affecting their own pockets. Cr. Chrisp thought that the question of transfer was not a matter for the Council to deal with. After a great deal of discussion on this point, which we refer to in another place, the motion that two £25 securities be given, and tenders not to be transferrable, was carried. LETTER to MB M’DONALD. The clerk, Mr J. Bourke, asked for instructions re drafting a letter to Mr M’Donald. Letter to be drafted and submitted to next meeting. EXTRAORDINARY BUSINESS. Cr. Tucker informed the Board that whilst in Auckland and during an interview, Sir George Grey had offered to supply this town with all necessary stock for a recreationground. Cr. Whinray regretted that the recreation ground was not better looked after. Cr. Townley thought that the ground was being greatly improved. It would be in splendid condition in five years’, at which time it would again revert to the Council. After some disci; sion, it was resolved to accept Sir George Grey’s

kind offer, the plants, 4c., to be disposed of in a manner hereafter to be determined.

HARBOR BOARD. The Council then resblved itself into an ordinary meeting of the Harbor Board, and were engaged until nearly midnight in discussing harbof improVemedts, plans and specifications.