TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2670, 11 October 1881, Page 2

TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the Tiraaru Borough Council was held last evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Gibson, Cullman, Shepherd, Gabites, Sherratt, Bush, and Filraer. Cr Ross was absent through indisposition. CORRESPONDENCE. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, copies of correspondence forwarded since last meeting were read. Among them were letters to the Post-master-General and Minister of Public Works, asking them respectively whether they desired the water supply to be furnished to the post and telegraph offices and the new railway station ; and a letter to the Chairman of the Gas Company making a proposal re lighting street lamps, alluding to resolution passed at last meeting. Among the correspondence received was the following : From the Surveyor-General re marking out of street lines. A staff officer would be supplied to do the work, but the Council must supply the material and labor for putting down the permanent marking blocks. It was resolved to reply that the Council would supply blocks and labor. From “James Grant, &c„ &c.” (a signature which the Town Clerk said was not that of the writer), professing to be a tender for the, work, stating that the culvert in Thcodocia street was not being constructed according to the specification, and expressing the opinion that in justice to the other tenderers the work ought to be done over again. The Foreman of Works reported that the statements in the letter were unfounded.

From J. Priest, Pareorn, asking the Council to fill up a portion of the old race, or compensate him for doing it himself. Deferred to Waterworks Committee to report. From the Postmaster General, asking the Council to make arrangements for a supply of gas to the town clock. A “ Gazette ” containing an Order inCouncil vesting the Timaru Market Reserve in the Borough Council was laid on the table.

From Mr Amos Double, asking to be allowed time to pa}' his rates, he having been ill. Allowed two months. In reply to a question the Town Clerk stated that about £IOOO of the £1250 due under the rate had been collected. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £285 4s lOd were passed for payment on general account, and to £1509 7s 8d on Waterworks account. STREET LIGHTING. A letter was read from the Chairman of the Gas Company in reply to the letter of the Council asking on what terms the Company would light the lamps as before, but deducting 12 moonlight nights per month, stating that the Company did not see their way to amend their previous offer. A letter was read from C. W. Cowburn offering to supply street lamps similar to those in use at 21s each. The Town Clerk stated that those obtained from England cost between 35s and 365. The letter was referred to the Works Committee to report. The letter of the Gas Company came up for consideration and was again read by the Mayor. After a considerable pause, His Worship asked if any Councillor intended to move in the matter.

Cr. Bush—l thought of moving; but I see no chance of its being carried so I shall not move. Cr Gibson seems to be writing amotion. Cr Gibson —Oh, no ; I am writing a love letter.

The Mayor—Their letter seems final. It appears we must accept the Company’s offer or go back to kerosene. Cr Gibson—Not necessarily your Worship. We might start gas works of our own, or get some torches or an uelectric light. Cr Bush—There is a letter from the Government about lighting the clock. Have we to do that for nothing? I would not mind if it were in a more prominent position. If we light the streets with kerosine we shall have to light the clock in the same way. A further pause here ensued, presently broken by the Maiyor repeating that they must make up their mind about it. If they had been charged more than any other municipality supplied with gas by a comjjany, he would not wonder at the stand taken by the Council, but all the information they had on the subject showed that the reverse was the case. The alternate offers of the Gas Company were read, viz.—to light the lamps, &c., for £8 per lamp per annum if lit from sunset to midnight, and for £8 I'Os if lit till 2 a.m.

Cr Bush thought the extra two hours light given by the second offer was the cheapest part of the bargains. Cr. Filner agreed with Cr. Bush, and moved and Or. Cullman seconded, that the £8 10s offer be accepted, Cr. Gibson moved, and Cr. Shepherd seconded, as an amendment—“ That the £8 per lamp offer he accepted.”

,Cr. Gibson said bo moved as he did for the simple reason that the lighting really was expensive, and he did not see why they should run to any further extiavagancc. The extra two hours seemed to bo supplied cheaper than the rest, but they must recollect that the lighting, cleaning, and other expenses,were not increased by the longer burning ; and besides that, the gas was run at a lower pressure after midnight. The amendment was put, Councilors Gibson, Shepherd, Jackson, and the Mayor only voting for it, and the Other five against.

Cr. Eilmer’s was then put, and only the mover, seconder, and Cr. Shcrratt voting for it, and the rest against, it too was declared lost.

The Mayor said it would not do to leave the matter there. They must make some arrangement or the town would be in darkness the next night. After some contemplation of the difficulty in which the voh’ng on those motions had planed the Council, it was agreed to withdraw them both, ami this was accordingly done in proper form. Cr. Gibson moved again that the £8 and Cr. Fihner that the £8 10s offer be accepted. Cr Gibson said he' must again protest against the wilful waste proposed in accepting the more expensive offer. Cr. Fihner said he preferred the £8 10s offer because he con. idered it offered the better bargain. The two extra hours were the cheapest. Cr. Shepherd said it seemed ridiculous that while it was said the town could not afford to pay £8 per lamp, they should go in for an £8 10s arrangement simply because it was cheap.

Cr. Filraer’s amendment (that the £8 10s offer be accepted) was put and Crs. Filraer, Cullmann, and Shorratt voted for it. On the votes against it being called for, one cr two Councillors did not vote at all, and it was claimed that some mistake had again been made, and the amendment was put again, when the same three Councillors and Crs. Bush, Gabites, and the Mayor voted for it, and it was declared carried. The Mayor said lie would not have voted for it, but there had been so much trouble about the matter, and he wanted to see it settled in some way.

The question, Who is to pay for illuminating the clock ? was then discussed for some time, and finally postponed for further consideration. SURPLUS RESERVE. Letters were read from Mr Jas. King and Mr McLellan, offering to purchase the surplus land of the water-race reserve where it runs through their properties ; the former offering £5 10s per acre, but requiring the Council to do the fencing, and the latter offering £2. Cr Gibson said he had gone into figures and found that if these offers were accepted the Council would clear about £2O for the 40acres. They had better keep their land than throw it away. He moved that the offers for purchase be declined, and that the Engineer be instructed to put up the original survey lines and place the fencing upon them. Mr Kings’s offer would have been fair enough except for the condition regarding the fencing. MISCELLANEOUS. The foreman of Works was authorised to purchase a road scoop. The tender of James Henderson to supply 40 iron gratings for the water pipes of the upper race, was accepted at Gs each. The tender of Mr Knight for painting marks indicating the positions of fire plugs was accepted at Is od each. The engineer reported that the contractor for contract No. 25 of the Waterworks, was not making proper progress with his work, and he had therefore given him notice that his contract would be cancelled. The action of the Engineer was approved. Plans and specifications were ordered to be prepared for a culvert in Hose street. EXTENSION OF THE BOROUGH. Cr Gibson asked leave to withdraw the motion of which he had given notice for this meeting, that steps be taken to extend the Borough. He had two reasons for giving the notice he did—one was that it was seen to be desirable to extend the. Waterworks so that the loan could be profitably expended, but the same time it was agreed that extension of the Borough must go with extension of the water supply; the second was that , the giving of such a notice a fortnight before it came up for discussion would give time for any serious opposition, if there was to be any, to manifest itself, and the question could be dropped or carried on according to the feeling shown about it. It had come to their knowledge that a sufficient amount of opposition would be made to successfully neutralize the movement contemplated by his motion, and it was fortunate that no expense bad been incurred. The Borough should now let the matter alone and Jet the outsiders themselves take the necessary and bear the preliminary expenses if they should ever wish to join the Borough, It had been very generally said that the Council had acted precipitately, but as a matter of fact they had not acted at all. AH they had done was to give notice of a motion to consider the matter, and that could not be considered as taking action.

The Mayor said he was glad that Cr Gibson wished to withdraw the notice. It was quite a mistake of the outsiders to suppose that the Borough would benefit generally by an extension ; quite the contrary would be the case,the only benefit would bo in the one direction of the water works. In time the outsiders would be asking for it; even now some of the very men who were opposing the extension of the Borough were asking to be supplied with water, but he told them they should not have a drop. The Council ought not to lay a single pipe outside the Borough, unless it were along North street, until the outsiders either erected themselves into a separate municipality or joined this Borough. Cr. Bush said he quite agreed with His Worship. The meeting then terminated.