BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 208, 13 August 1884, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held last evening. Present—His Woiship the Mayor, and Crs. Townley, Lewis, Tutchen, Kenny, Joyce, Smith, Moore, Hepburn, and Brown. The Clerk read the minutes of the last meeting and also the Conference re Harbor works.

The outgoing correspondence was read and adopted.

The incoming correspondence was read. It comprised a telegram from the UnderSecretary re sanitary measures ; and a letter from W. H. Clayton re the state of the north aide of Roebuck road.

The Mayor said he had received a telegram from the Under-Secretary, asking where the best place would be for the establishment oi a depot for vaccine lymph. The telegram had been handed to Dr. Pollen. Inspector’s Report. The Nuisance Inspector’s report was read as follows :—“ I have the honor to report foi the information of the Council that the sanitary state of the Borough is better now than it ever was. I think your Council may consider this is mainly owing to the fortnightly removals. I may state that there has been many to oppose it, but as you are aware there was the same opposition when your Council that introduced the monthly system. I have impounded thirty-four horses, and four head of cattle during the past month.—T. Fabam.” Engineer’s Report. The Engineer’s report, as follows was read:— Childers Hoad Contract.— Considerable progress has been made in forming and metalling. The whole length (44 chains) is now formed, and about 27 chains have been metalled. A progress payment of £65 (the third) is recom. mended. Culvert in Palmerston Road.—A box culvert, made of old timber from the Borough Reserve, has been put in across Palmerston Road to the Taruheru river, on the west side of Peel Street. Ihis will divert most of the water from that part of the Palmerston Road near the Fire Engine Shed. Day labor to the amount of 14s. (as per pay sheet) wat employed in putting in this culvert.—R. J. Reynolds, Engineer. Payments. Payments as follows were authorised : — G. L. Greenwood (Clerk of Licensing Bench), £5 ss. ; Fire Brigade, £l6 13s. 9d., for boots. The Superintendent certified that the price was according to contract, and the boots gave every satisfaction. Fire Brigade, (clothing) £6 2s ; pistol, £1 10s, fcr destroying dogs ; kerosene, candles,&c., £ll9s. Id; Tallyman, ten days, £4 ; progress payment, Roebuck Road, £65 ; D. M. Orr, coals (old account) for Fire Brigade, £1 Bs. Tenders Were then opened as follows For Palmerston Road—- £ 8. d. B. Douglas & Co. .. 170 6 0 D. Malone (informal).. 162 10 6 C. McDevitt .. .. 195 17 6 Cr. Lewis moved, seeing Malone’s tender was informal, “ That R. Douglas Co.’s tender be accepted.” Seconded by Cr. Tutchen. Cr. Smith—Suppose a difference of £lOO had occurred, would it have been advisable to adhere to the strict letter of the conditions and suffer the Council to become the loser of £lOO. He thought a solution of the difficulty had been given by Cr. Townley, who pointed out that the mission was probably an oversight on the part of Mr. Malone. He moved “That Malone’s tender be accepted subject to his paying up the amount of deposit.” The amendment was not seconded, and the motion was carried. Tenders for works in Roebuck Road were then taken. It happened that his Worship opened Malone’s tender for this work first, and discovered that it also must be declared informal on the same grounds as the forme; one. There was only one other tender for this work.

Cr. Lewis—As there is only one other tender, the amount of Malone’s should not be disclosed. If the amount of the other was considered too high they could call for fresh tenders.

Cr. Smith said as there was only one tender left it should not be disclosed. The Chairman ruled Cr. Smith out of order.

The tender of Chas. McDeavitt was then read. The amount was £271 195., and he required three months to do the work and a guarantee of the use of the rails. Cr. Tutchen moved and Cr. Moore seconded “ That the tender be not accepted, being much above the estimate.” Carried.

Cr. Townley asked what was on the estimates for this work, and the Clerk replied £l7O.

Cr. Kenny moved “ That fresh tenders be called for, to be considered at a special meeting to be held next Tuesday,”

Cr. Tutchen seconded. Carried, The Chairman asked that a notice of motion standing in his name regarding the separation of the Engineer’s duties as between the Council and the Harbor Board be allowed to stand over for a fortnight. Agreed to.

Cr. Townley refeiring to Mr. Clayton’s letter, thought it advisable to call for tenders for the whole of Roebuck road.

Cr. Tutchen thought it better to amalgamate the two works in Roebuck road.

Cr. Townley—The formation and metalling would have to be done in one job. Cr. Jovce thought it would be better to let the work stand over until Malone had finished with the rails.

Cr. Townley pointed that the formation would take some time, and could be gone on with while the rails were in use by Malone. Cr. Townley proposed, “ That the necessary works in Roebuck Road North be included in the tender for the works on the south side, and the time be extended to 31st October.”

Seconded by Cr. Smith and carried. Cr. Joyce moved as an amendment, “ That tenders be postponed till the completion of Malone’s contract.” There was no seconder.

The Engineer was instructed to consult with the Public Works Committee as to what footpaths should be provided in carrying out the proposed contracts. Cr. Hepburn drew attention to the state of the cross-roads near the brewery, they being all in such a state that drays could not be taken along them. He would like to see something done in that direction. At present there was no way of getting on to the good road. He proposed, “ That something be done to Stanley Road,” His Worship concurred. He had been up that way lately and found the road in a very bad state. He would prefer seeing that done to any further works in Roebuck Road. Cr. Tutchen moved, “ That surface men be put on to improve the cross-streets referred to.” There was nothing on the estimates for those streets, but something ought to be done. The shingle in Childers Road also required raking up and the ruts filled in. Cr. Townley said they might throw £5O or £6O away and not make the place any better. Unless permanent works were to be undertaken it was only a waste of money. He would vote against it unless the Council thought fit to leave out the Roebuck Road, and do some permanent work in Stanley Road instead.

Cr. Smith—Cr. Townley always has a keen eye for Childers Road, but will not listen to any expenditure for works in the quarter spoken of. Barring Gladstone Road there was no street in the town where there was so much traffic as Aberdeen Road. The bad roads up that way added considerably to the cost of bricks. The money would be much better spent on the road mentioned by Cr. Hepburn than on other works proposed. If it could be managed at all the work should be undertaken at once.

Cr. Joyce thought the Engineer should be asked to report before going into the work. He proposed “ That the Engineer be instructed to bring up a report on the Stanley Road to be Considered at the next ordinary meeting.” Cr. Moore seconded. Carried. The Council then adjourned.