BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 189, 14 September 1909, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

MONTHLY MEETING. The usual monthly meeting of the New Plymouth Dorough Council was held last evening. Present: His Wov'ship the Mayor (Mr. G. Tisch), Mess's Dockrill, Uellringer, Wilson, Hooktv lirowne, West, Watkins, Gilbert and Bishop. WORKS COMMITTEE.

The Works Committee recommended: That the Council agree to tak.' ov<r [ anil maintain for street purposes and ih accordance with the provisions of section 197 of the Public "Works Act, 1908, the portion of railway land containing 15. - 2 p., more or lees, situated in the Borough of New Plymouth; that Messrs D. Berry and Co. be informed that the question of tenders for cement will receive consideration when the annual supplies are being tendered for next year; that Mr. Spencer be informed that the Council having put. the Hill road in to a fair state of repair cannot see tlw'r way to make any further expenditure on the road at present; that the letter from Middleton and Co. enquiring pricii of weighbridge Tie referred to the borough engineer with power to act; that the residents in McLean street, Fitzroy, applying for water supply, r oe informed that provided they contribute the whole of the cost (approximately i'.3o), the borough engineer will be instructed to

lay a one-inch main sufficiently far along the street to enable their properties to bo connected, the cost of connection from the new main to each property to be an extra charge. That i:i connection with the building proposed to be erected by Mr. Carthew on his property in Devon street, lie be informed that the building by-laws must be complied with; that the borough engineer be authorised to supply scwt. of basic slag for the dressing of paddock recently grassed at the reservoir re-

serve; that there be laid on the Council table a statement showing the amount voted for ke/oing and channelling, the estimated cost of the work authorised

j' under this head and the actual amount . spent to date; that the inspector be re- . quested to report upon matters meii- , tioned in the newspaper referring to the accidents to Dr. Wylie and Mr. S. Percy Snjith; that the 'borough engineer be instructed to prepare plans, specifications and <!«timat«s for the following works: (a) Concrete bridge over the Huatoki at Gill street extension; (b) concrete culvert at Powderham strcst (full width of road); (c) concrete bridge full wi3th of Powderham street; that the borough engineer he authorised *o employ extra office assistance and take any steps necessary to facilitate the preparation of the plans, etc.; that Mr. Maunder's letter re Vivian street be referred to {lie borough engineer to port upoft; that the borough engineer be instructed to note the extraordinary traffic in certain streets in the borough with a view of recovering tile cost of making good the damage done. The report wa6 adopted. In accordance w-ith instructions from the Works Committee the engineer reported that the amount voted for ker'omg and channelling for the year was £350. The estimated cost of the worfc authorised was £522 and Hie actual amount spent to date £240. Mr. E. J. Carthew wrote in reference to the specifications of his proposed building in Devon street, stating that they were in accordance with the bylaws.—Mr. Carthew attended in suppoit of his application.—lt was decided to refer the matter to the executive, with authority to obtain, if necessary, the opinion of the borough solicitor.

I RESERVES COMMITTEE. The Reserves Committee recommended that the engineer take the neeessaiy steps to have the new Anglican ground at the cemetery pegged out, the total cost not to exceed £25; that the sexton have a man to assist him for two •weeks j that the engineer be instructed to put the cemetery paddock ia crop immediately.—Adopted. DRAINAGE COMMITTEE. The Drainage Committee recommeuded: That the borough engineer be authorised to accede to Miss Baker's application for connection of the building on section 988, Liardet street, upon her giving a written undertaking to 'uear the whole of the cost; that the borough engineer be authorised to lay a sewer in Vivian street between Robe street and Dawson street, at an estimated cost of £OS.

Cr. Wilson moved that the last clause be struck out, on the grounds that the Council had not the neeessarv monev in hand. If money were to be spent' jii drainage it should, he said, be s|vnt where it was most needed, namely, in the thickly populated portions of the town, such ae Molesworth street, where the sewer was only half completed, though the work was started over two years ago. ]lc drew attvntion to the fact of people In localities where the facilities were provided having hen served with notievs to connect and .;ot having taken notice of tliom, notwithstanding the promise given to the new Council by the Mayor some months back that he would see that the peoplu were made to connect and that a etirt would be made with the "'big-bugs.'' There was too much "button-holing" ing on too much pressure being brought to bear on councillors by in turested pcrsous outside—and the work done was not always where it was most necessary.

Cr. Dockrill was opposed to the work being done out of overdraft, while Or. Bellringur. -who seconded the motion, also opposed it on similar grounds. The latter mentioned that other parts of the town, •notably the eastern part, had not received that consideration in the matter of proper drainage facilities to whieh they were entitled.

The Mayor replying to Cr. Wilson, said lie liad consulted the borough solicitor over compelling those persons who hadjieen served with notices to make the connections, but found that fre?h notices had to foe served. This had been done and the necessary steps weie being taken by those concerned to connect,

On the casting vote of the Mayor, the motion was negatived, ELECTRIC LIGHT,

The Electric Light Committee's recommendations as follows were adopted;— That applications be called for tho position of meter reader, etc., at tlic Bub-station at a salary of £2 per week, and that in the meantime Mr. West continue to act until the appointment is made; applications to close within fourteen days. GENERAL. Mr. W. Coombe, Fitzroy, wrote asking for permission to connect with the water service.—Agreed to, subject to the usual conditions. The Mayor stated ho had made arrangements for a supply of good metal from the gaol quarry. This would be psed for repairing the central portio n of Devon street.—Cr. Dockrill urged tip rolling pf metal wherever it was laid down. Rolling preserved the roads. As they had the plant they should make the best use of it,

Cr, Bcllringer protested against the action of the Mayor in arranging a short lease with Messrs Nolan and Co. i;i rapnet to ' the property the Council arc resuming in connection with the Hill street extension without fnst consulting tile executive or the Council. —The Mayor rvplied that he did not think the matter sufficiently iinporta-it to have consulted the Council over. Still lie had no wish to do anything without the sanction of the Council I and in future would remember to consult them over matters of a similar nature.