LAWRENCE TOWN COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 286, 24 July 1873, Page 9

LAWRENCE TOWN COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held in the Council Chambers on Monday evening. Present : The Mayor and Crs. Hayes, Meyer, Walker, and Hay. The minutes were read and confirmed. Before dealing with thecorrespondence, the Mayor said with reference to the part of the Beaumont road near Kilmarnockstreet, which badly required attending to, he had prevailed upon the Government to make it passable during the winter months. As regards the lighting of the lamps, the Council were aware their own man had given up his contract. He (the Mayor) received" another tender to light the lamps at LI a week, which he had accepted. A letter from the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands, with reference to an application of Messrs. Downie and Detert to lease sections 4, 5, and 6, of block XLIV., as a quarry, was received. The letter asked the Council for advice in the matter. The Town Clerk was instructed to reply to the letter, stating that the Council had applied to the Provincial Government to have the quarry reserved for the benefit of the Corporation, and to ask the Commissioner to refuse to grant the application of Messrs Downie and Detert, on the ground that it would be prejudicial to the interests of the citizens of Lawrence. A letter from Mr. Arbuckle, referring to the dangerous state of a certain bridge in Lismore-street, . was referred to the Public Works Committee, with power to act. A letter from Mr D. Whittet, Inspector of Public Works, asking the Council for an increase of salary for the time he has been employed by the Council, was received. Or. Hayes said the Council should in a

matter of this kind be guided by the Public Works Committee. He would be glad to hear their opinion on the subject. If Mr Whittet was deserving of an extra allowance, he (Cr. Hayes) should agree that it be given Jiim', Cr. Hay, as a member of the Public Works Committee, felt confident the Inspector deserved extra remuneration. His services had been valuable to the Council ; and had he not been appointed the Council, he was certain, would have lost money. He believed that Mr Whittet spent his time and acted faithfully in the discharge of his duties. If it had been found that the gravel used for the streets had been bad, the fault was not the Inspectors. He would move that an extra sum of LlO be voted to Mr Whiitet. Cr. Walker could only partly indorse the remarks made by Cr. Hay. There was no doubt the Inspector had devoted a deal of time to the oversight of the works ; still he had allowed too much stuff of an inferior description to be used. He thought a stand should be made agaidst contractors not acting up to their contracts. He would move as an amendment that the sum of L 5 extra be given. The Mayor thought the Inspector w.is too good natured, and had allowed the pitching, &c, in some parts of the Beaumont road to be passed which should not have been. Had it not been for the urgency of the work, he would have liked the Road Engineer to have had the passing of it. lie quite agreed with what had been said about the time and attention which had been devoted to the works, but the Council must keep in view the very low state of the finances. Cr. Meyer seconded the amendment, which was carried. The following accounts were referred to the respective Committees named :—: — James Russell, L 2 Bs, Public Works and Financp ; H. Miller, Ll3, Public Works and Finance ; Thos. Buckley, LB, Finance ; " Tuapeka Times," L 3 18s 9d., Finance. Finance report — Downie and Detert L2B5 — was received and adopted. The following returning officers were appointed for the forthcoming election of Councillors :— J. C. Arbuckle to act for East Ward, at Athenaeum ; L. C. Holmes for West Ward, at Mr Williams' ; and the Mayor for the Middle Ward, at the Council Chambers. Tho election to take place on the Ist proximo. The Town Clerk submitted the requisition to the Provincial Council for the Blue Spur road. The Town Clerk was instructed to send it to Mr Grieve, at the Spur, for signature. The Council then adjourned.