BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 11, 15 January 1901, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Borough Council met en Monday evening. Present: His Worship the Miyor(.Mr. E. Dochill), Ovs. Lcaland, Clew, Belli'iiU!ov, Brooking, CollLs, Avery, Cattley, Stohrand Ward. W. Webber wrote relative to damage to his property by an open drain and intimating that unless the nuisance was stopped he should claim damages. The Borough Foreman reported relative to Mr. \Vcibber's complant, that it was an old grievance and that the pipes suggested by Mr. Webber would cost £6O or £7O. Or. Bellringer considered the report was not what was wanted. They had no desire to foster a quarrel with Mr. Webber, Correspondence and Mr. Samuel's advice to the Harbour Board relative to the Currie street extension was raid. Or. Brooking moved the adoption of that portion of the Works Committee's report relating to the matter He recapitulated what had already transpired. [Details ltrrfd already been published on inore than one occasion.] The present po.-ition of affairs was that the Harbour Board contended tint the pxtension from Gill street was already a borough street, while the borough object to takeover that portion of the street until it was formal and mvtalled properly. The * treat was important now owing to the ra'lway w^-rks. His Worship read a paragraph from Mr, Strauchon's letter stating that at the time the land was handed over to (lie Harb ur Board it was without streets at all. Or. Ward said the Harbour Board d!d rot core a snap of the fingers for the public convienoe in getting g-iods from the railway ehed, but could the Council take that stand? Ho thought not. The borough must have the road for the accommodation of the public. Or. Bellringer said Ourrie-sfcreat and Egmont-street wero on the same footing, and thoy were advised as to Eg-mont-street that the Council could not taka it over unless it was prcperly formed and constructed. (Ha read the clause in the Act. to that effect.) Hb adyocsted tbat th© Government ar,d tho Harbour Hoard should fight the matte- cu*-. He thought the advica given by the solicitor to tho Board, was mofct extraordinary, The Harbour Board mast know that when they made the street, they made a blunder and yet they threw the onus of rectifying that blunder on the Council. The "road was not laid "down on the Boro phn. He did not sea what the Boro ;ould do, except at a larga expenditure, ii a laymin he contended that the Jic'tor's ndvic" was bad. The Council would do the tight thing by making a and, and refusing to. take over the >ad (intil it was properly formed. Or, Avery suggested postponing tho matter.

His Worship said the Boards solicitor and the chief surveyor differed, and therefore it seemed as if independent advice should be obtained. The iuoslion arose as to whit pp,wer the Council had to pp.o.nd money on private Ifereots. They had no such power and <lpujd incur a personal liability if they [gd so, ■The motion was carried. ■The Taianaki County Council notiH thot they considered £$ as too high H amount for their share of making approach to Baring Terrac?, but Btt willing to pay a share of cost of and metal. Department of Agriculture JHfcd by eiroular, dated December that h was taking up the work HBry inspection as from the 18th that regulations would ba HjHOloik reported that the regulabeen gazetted. reported on the workroim The room was 16fo. by 14ft. high, giving a cubic space of rlovs" people with a stove a'lili ion, and there were tabjes and a cupboard. A jj|Hflft 11 people, if no artificial were provided, must conus if the room were loftier Hn( l that would nccessisp*ce. Undr present the conditions of work to the health of the their working space as above. D.p'i'tment notified that considered .£4OOO as a |^^^^^H a " ieason for the si to ofOffice, and that unless prep i red to treat the a more liberal spirit providing a new Post the town would have considered that the showed that the Goto take that e given. The Po-t- - in the town that not giyo £IOOO public bodies be the first, the to say they ought property the broached, the a HH^^H^^flH was a such a th« He So part the a land the and ask never

consent to bo other than an open spaci*. If the Council required any lnnd belonging to the Government it would certainly not bo obtained except at its full value. Or. Ward contended that the latter I part of-the letter was not true. Ho thought the public ought to know that it was not the Council that was keeping the Government from providing a new post office as the Harbour Board sits was also under consideration. He urged that the Council should protest against the latter part of the letter. On the motion of Cr. Bellringer, seconded by Or. Brooking, it was resolved that the lotter lie on the table. i, The Sanitary Inspector reported the! ' condition ef the town good but a few, • drains were not in a satisfactory state, j I The elaughter-housc was clean and in good order. Tho number of cattle killed last month was 31 largo and 15ft small. Several matters requiring attention were mentioned by Councillors and noted.

The Turncock reported all the plant I in good order. The Borough Foreman's report was read. The Waterworks Engineer reported that everything in connection with the pumps etc., was working well, There was still such a largo consumption of water that he was compelled to pump at night, being unable to put on an average through the day of more than 2 inches into the reservoir. The hours per week for pumping were 100|, 90J, 103|, 93| heurg. He had been relieved etch week as follows :—36, 23, 29, and 17 hours respectively. The question of waste of water was discussed, and several Hptauces of waste giver, qM -. jtficer's reports were received. Tho following report from the Works Committee was read:—That the Town Clerk consult the Borough .Solicitor as to the position and powers of the Council in regard to the stoppage of the flow of streams within the borough by trees, etc., growing from the banks thereof; that the Town Clerk consult the Borough Solicitor generally on matters affected by the Municipal Corporation Act, 1900 ; that the application of Messrs. Biss and Wright receive attention, and that any notices for the removal of trees, fences, etc., encroaching en Hobson-strect that may be necessary be cent; that the tender of Messrs. D. Berry and Co. for pipes, etc., bo accepted, 3-inch pipes £l4 8s 9d per ton, 8-inch fireplugs £1 fach, 3-inch valves £3 8s 6d each, 3inch valve covers £1 each, tees bands, etc., £\ Bspercwt; thatCr Bollringer arrange with Mr. Webber re drain; that Mr. Webber's letter of the 27th ult. be referred to the Borough Poreman for his report thereon; that the letter from the New Plymouth Harbour Board be acknowledged, and that tho | Harbour Bmrd be informed that asj there appears to be a misapprehension concerning the existence of Gurriestreet as a public street northward of Gill-street, and as this Council does not require the private street known as Currie-street extension, that no further j action bs taken; that in view of the large increase of domestic and other ordinary water supplies, compelling the Council very shortly to deal with the question of water motor supplies, Mr. Heldt's request cannot be granted; that no further asphalting be done in the present financial year, and that sufficient tar be obtained for tarring the footpaths at present tarred, only ; that the application of the workmen For an increase of wages be dealt with during the coming month; that the Education Board be informed that, having fully considered the request made by the deputation that waited on the Committee last month, the Committee regrets that the financial position of the Council will not admit of water being supplied to the Government schools free of cost; that the Town Clerk obtain quotations for indenting forty tons of water pipes and fittings. The report was adopted, Tbe following report from the Finance Committee was read:—-That the Town Cleik sue for all unpaid borough rates; that the Town Clerk engage the necessary assistance while engaged in making the annual valuations,

j The Town Clerk stated that the expenditure to date was .£2025, as against estimates for .£2015. Or. Bellrinper e»id the financial position was not vary encouraging, as already they had exceeded the astir mates, and there was still throe months |to face. There was no stone, no gravel, no anything. At least .£6OO was required for metal. If Anyone go' into a light buggy and droye through th* streets of the town they would soon ascertain their condition. He was surprised that no store of gravel was maintained ready for use. He did not know who was to blame, although he assumed the Works Committee, of which he was a member, must take the responsibility. If, however, private people could get gravel, the Council should be able to do so. He contended that on wet day?, ins'eid of the men being sent home, 'hey should be employed in making asphalt, or cleaning gutters. The position which the Council had to face for the ensuing three months was serious.

Cr. Brooking said the Foreman had stated he had offered 5k a yard for grave), and could not get it. Or. Ball ringer considered that the fault lay with the contractors. If they waited to get it from the beach they would never get it, but he considered they should hunt up the throe or four streams in the borough. The report wab adopted. The follawing report) from the Health Committee was read :—That the boundaries of the compulsory area for night soil contract be enlarged, to embrace the following districts: that part ofj the borough contained betweon the following streets, from Elliot-street in the east to Mt. Edgecumbe fand Robostreets in the west, Courtenay-stroet, thence by Robe-street to Vivian-street to Dawsou-street, thence by Dawson ctroefc to Powderhim-street, Powder-hiim-streot to Mt. IMgecombe-street in the south, in the north by the ocean; that the Committee be empowered to call for tenders for a three years' period for nightsoil removal, as from Ist April, 1001; that the Works Committee be requested to make enquiries as to the laying of a drain for sewage, etc., from Elliot-street to the centre of the town with septio tank appliances;

that tho attention of the Works Committee bo drawn to gutter* in Pendarves, Elliot, Courtenay, Cameron, find Cover streets. ! Cr. Cattley, in moving the adoption of the report, drew attention to tf 4 increase in the population and the necostity for extending the am for removal of night soil. He alio referred to the bad stato *f the stream rnnning from the hospital grounds and into which several properties drained their ,-ewnge. <Sm Or. Belliinger objected to a partial <-xtension of the night toil contract on the ground that if it was desirable to enlarge the area at all the whole tewn should be included. Or. Cattley: We want to] de it piece by pieco. wtmSm Cr. Belhinger: I don't believe in 'Jiat way in this matter. As to septic '.:,'ikn, he would not bo n party to going into that work unless a properly <l<ialified engineer, such eg the agent of Mr. Cameron of Exeter, / who was at Wellington, and whose service! could be obtained, reported on it, His Worship said he was not in favour of an extension of the night soil contract. On the motion of Or, Ballrwfer, further consideration of the report, with the exception of clause 4, was, on a division, postponed till the next meeting of the Council. The motion was carried by 6 to 4, Messrs. Leaked, i Avery, Cattley, and Ward voting with , the noes. Clause 4 was then adopted. I Accounts were passed amounting'to •£l3O ssGd. T"*" i Or. Collie drew attention to several i matters including—holes in asphalt, assistant at the waterworks, metalling of Devon-street just prior to the holi- ) days, conduct of the engineer at the > wa-erworks towards visitors, screening i of gravel at the pit instead of carting i back the large stones. i Cr. Brooking, in reply, said eom--3 plaints as to the Engineer's conduct i towards visitors had reached the Works t Committee. It seemed that he had r exceeded his position, and the Coms mittee were going into the matter, w t well as into that of grubbing the fane. 1 The publio had a right to go into the j grounds. As to the assistant employed , by the Engineer, although he we» % b Maori the Engineer hid perfect coafit dence in him. With regard to screen- . ing the gravel, as it waseret when due 3 out, it could not be screened, but had L to be spread so as to dry before being ■ raked over. He would point oat that , the expenditure for the year had been r exceptional, owing to the outlay of ; £IOOO in removing the Town Hall. i Cr. Collis observed that there wwa - many matters that could be dona with--9 out expense, as it was more a question r of economically utilising the men's a time. s Cr. Collis was appointed the Council* i representative en the Egmont National - Park Board. f The Dog Tax was fixed at 6s, the t Town Clerk being appointed collector, s and the tax being payable at the Town r Hall. # a The Council rose.