BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 125, 7 May 1884, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the above Council was held last night. Present— His Worship (Captain T. W. Porter) in the chair, and Councillors Townley, Lewis, Joyce, Kenny, Brown, Hepburn, Smith, and Tucker. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. OUTGOING CORRESPONDENCE. Letter to the auditors, Messrs. Dunlop and Cresswell, informing them that the Council returned their report for reconsideration, believing that they (the auditors) were not in possession of the full facts of the case when reporting on the securities ; to the Chief Commissioner Marine Department re the Turanganui bridge plans, and asking that same be returned with all despatch; to the Registrar General’s Department re statistical statement; to Turton, re drains contract. INCOMING CORRESPONDENCE. From the Superintendent of the Fire Brigade, as follows The members of the Fire Brigade, being desirous of having a reading and meeting room, have decided to erect one themselves inside the present shed, provided the timber and nails are supplied by your Council. I have, therefore, the honor to request authority to procure the enclosed list of timber and nails for the purpose.—l have, &c., G. J. Winter. On the motion of Cr. Lewis, seconded by Cr. Joyce, it was resolved to grant the request. engineer’s report. The Engineer reported as follows :—There is not much to report to this meeting. The contractor has commenced cleaning out the Read’s Town drain. The Grey Street drain has been cleaned out by the road overseer. Drain throw/h Dorough Heserve. — It is

complained that the water stands in this drain. It has been cleaned out, but I find that in order to keep it clear of water it will be necessary to deepen it at, and near the point where it crosses the Waikanae boundary as this portion of the drain is very full of timber, I estimate the cost of the necessary deepening at £6, and now ask for authority to do this work.” Cr. Townley moved “ That the necessary authorisation be granted.” Cr. Tucker wished to know whether it would cost much more to carry the stuff forward when deepening the drain, instead of throwing it out on the side where it only got washed in again by the rain, or trodden in by the cattle The Engineer said it was only the upper part of the drain which required cleaning. The necessary authority for doing the work was granted. INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES’ REPORT. The Inspector of Nuisances’Report was then read as follows :—“ The night soil contractor has finished his first round on your extended radius, and I assure you he has carried out his duties in a most satisfactory manner. Several householders have asked me for exemption (re removal). I may state I have taken the work I submitted to your Council as my guide. Anyone who chooses to conform to it I give them exemption, but on no other condition. Fire. —l have to report that on Sunday a fire occurred at a house in Gladstone Road owned by Mr. Tattey. The out-building was destroyed.” The report was adopted. PAYMENTS. The following accounts were passed for payment:—Wilkinson, £lO Bs.; petty cash, £lO ; McDevitt, £lB 7s. ; A. G. Croll, £l 45.; H. E. Johnstone, £2 7s. 6d. TENDERS. The following tenders for metalling, forming and fencing Read’s Quay, were then opened :—Cochran and Co., £ll7 55.; sureties, Craig and Finneran. McLean, £ll4 ; sureties, Moore and S. M. Wilson. McDevitt, £69 ; sureties, Dickson and Humphries. On the motion of Cr. Tucker, seco ided by Cr. Lewis, ths tender of McDevitt, being the lowest, was accepted. CHILDERS ROAD. Cr. Kenny moved “ That tenders be called for forming and metalling the Aberdeen Road,” according to the estimates; tenders to be in by this day fortnight. There had been money set apart for this work year after year, and yet the work was never undertaken. This year there had been £360 allocated for that purpose, and he did not see why it should not be done first as well as last. The Chairman said the question was, where was the metal to come from ? Cr. Kenny replied that it had boon got for the other roads, and why should it not be obtained for Childers Road. The Aberdeen Road had boon done with shingle and the same must do for this one. No doubt it was only a temporary expedient. At the same time, it was bel ter than nothing. In answer to Cr. Tucker, the Engineer stated that shingle could be obtained for 3s. per yard. He could not say what metal would cost. Cr. Tucker said he had been informed that s'ood metal could be obtained from Ormond it 4s. per yard. Cr. Joyce remarked that it would be about l.0s ; per yard. Cr. Townley moved as an amendment, 1 That tenders b • called both for shingling md metalling.” They had constantly to be stopping the Aberdeen Road contract, and he bought it would be most advisable to get netal if possible.

Cr. Smith would be sorry to see money wasted in the same manner in which it had been done on the Aberdeen Road. Jsvery time a dray or any heavy vehicle passed along, the wheels sank clown elg’i' or jure inches in the soft road, and it was plain that the road was utterly useless for heavy tiaffic, and would never stand. Cr. Tucker having seconded the motion, would propose that but one foolpath be formed and shingled on the north side. Cr. Kenny having agreed the motion was carried. THE CONFERENCE. The Clerk (Mr. Burke), informed the Board that in conformity with the resolution passed to that effect he had interviewed the County Clerk with a view of settling a convenient day for the meeting of the County Council re the proposed railway scheme, and Mr. Warren had stated Thursday, the Bth of May, at 5.30 p.m. Cr. Hepburn—Could we not get an earlier stait than that ? The Clerk explained that the question would come on in the County Council at that time, and all the Council (Borough) would be expected to attend. He wished to know whether he should is-no notices. The Chairman thought that any further notice would bo unnecessary. striking the rate for 1884-5. It was resolved that the rate should remain at its present maximum of five per cent., oils in the pound on £27,000. EXTRAORDINARY BUSINESS. Cr. Joyce wished to call attention to the necessity which existed for clearing that part of the Aberdeen Road, which laid between Derby and Cobden-streets. The bush and briar was so thick that it was almost impassable. He would move that the Engineer be instructed to have the same cleared. It would not cost much—about £4 or £5. Cr. Hepburn would second the motion, as it was impossible for any one to pass along the road in question without being caught in a briar bush and brought up all standing. The work wanted doing very badly, and the only track through it was a winding footpath between the bushes. Cr. Townley felt compelled to call attention to the financial position of the Council. These small jobs, costing but £4 or £5 each, ran into a large total. If they were not very careful indeed of their expenditure they would shortly find themeelves in a monetary fix. He felt it his duty to call the Council’s attention to this fact, and the urgent necessity which existed for practising strict economy. He did not say the work mentioned was not very necessary, but there was a number of others in the same state, and the Board had no money to spend on them. Cr. Joyce urged that it was the only street in the town which was in such a state, and the ratepayers at that part of the road deserved some consideration. There had been nothing whatever done for them. Cr. Townley would like to correct Cr. Joyce’s statement as to there having been nothing whatever spent upon that road. There had been very large sums—£2oo or £3oo—spent in drainage on the very same road. If more economy was not practised they would certainly get into difficulties. Cr. Joyce wished to say that he had not said there had been no money spent upon the road. What he said was that there had been nothing spent upon that part of the street. Cr. Townley moved as an amendment, and Cr. Tucker seconded, “ That the Engineer be instructed to prepare an estimate of the cost of clearing the road, and lay the same before the next meeting.”—Carried. The Council then rose.

On the assembling of the Board, and previous to the business of the evening, his Worship, addressing the members, stated that he wished to apologise for his late absence, and for having left town without giving any notice to the Council. He had been called away suddenly, but knowing that Mr. Burke was so thoroughly well up in all details of their business that the interests of the Council were not likely to suffer, he felt perfectly at ease. It was not because he (the Mayor) was absent that the affairs or interests of the Borough were neglected, for it was generally the reverse, as he was frequently enabled to do much more when away, and never lost any opportunity whatever of doing all he could to push their interests. Several members remarked upon their own frequent absence without being able to offer any such excuse.