MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1421, 4 July 1883, Page 3

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

® THK,l«llßmeolin» of llio Council was holri; hist evening, Present—His Worship the and Councillors Gapper, Chamberlain, Heron, Perry, Price, Feist, and Chinchon. Tim minutes wore road mid confirmed ami c irrespondenco read. The clork reported the election of Messrs W. Sellar nnd J, lores as borou«h auditors. BUEAUIt 01' IiUIUHNG ItKGUIATIOXS, Tho following letter wag read from the Colonial Architect : Wfllitignm, Juno 22,1833.

Silt,—lu roply to your letter dated 4th instj I regret that tho by-laws regulating' buildings have not been complied with in the matter of the new courthouse now in course of erection, When tho plans and specifications woro ].roparod it was not known in this office that such regulations existed, nor was it until after the contract was let. The isolated position of tho building, tho fact that doors and windows exist in both aide and back walla, that the eaves ar,o of wood and project 6omo two round—tho Council will, I feol confident, agree with me thai iron, .is required by tho regulations, will not in the present instance accomplish the object intended, and wiil entail noedless exponse to tho ratepayers. Alterations in contracts ciuso complice bus, and in tins case considerable extra cost, It is therefore hoped the Council will take tho matter into consideration and waive the point at issue, .

I have, &c, P. F. M. Burrows, Architect, [lilil'LY.] - :; Mastcrtoii, June 28,1883. ; ' Silt—ln reply to your lotto' of the 22nd instant, I have llio honor lo statu that the building regulations wero duly made and a copy dopositad with tho Colonial Secretary, as by law directed. I might pointoiu tlmt no steps wero taken to ascertain what regulations wore in cxisteuce, although it is presumable t!wt : buildings would not be commenced within any boimgh mril their regulations wero oxamined. \Vith referenco to the position of the building and its windoWß, doors, and Oiivos, it is within;danger distanpe of the County Offices,'and''at any time a building may bo creeled as near lo it on tho other aide, and tho parlies so building would be compelled to uso iron solely on account of the-courthouse being in Buch close proximity. It tvoiild also bo much easier to'protecl the windows, doors m& eaves' if the rest 'wero.of. iron, and the danger to'ilie adjoining'buildingswould be minimised, Tho reference. to the

"noodles 3 exper.so to the ratepayers" ontailod by nn alteration, is,'l presume, made in orror, Ido not romemhor any public nntificiliuu of the acceptance of the tender, but the huihlor applied fur and obtained covins of the reuula ions for your office before any limber was ou the ((round, '..'■'.'. '"<' I hnvc, &c, R, Brown;! ■ Town Clerk. Wellington, Juno 21st, 1883.:' Silt.-I ro»rot that I have boBU am'ableto answer your letters before this, • Eo tho Borough Building Regulations, from what I can loam, whon the plans of the 0. urtluuo were adopted, (he Architect's Ddpiii'tmont did not know that 1 hero were any special regulations in force in the Burougli, The first knowledge they had was an intimation from ihe contractor that exee'p'.ion had been taken by the Borough to the woodjn walls. From' what 1 can ascertain, tho additional expense would he over M Tho" Depart;" mont feel, that as the building does not from its position omperil any other building near it, that this extra expenditure is not warranted. I suppose you will hear from thorn in a day or two to that effect. lie the Lottor Ciirrior. This question is under consideration, and I believe you will get what you ask for. Re Clause 58 Rating Act, 1882. As far as I can mako out, the Government havo no wish so escapo th'oir responsibililies in the payinout of rates,' and I. beliovo it is their intention to place a sum (in the estimates for that purpose. I shall bo gln,| to assist in mnendiiij/ the Rating Act when the quostfoti cornea bcfi'i'o Parliament, lam Ac, ' Ghoiuibßketham. The clerk reporled that he had sincol seen Mr Bcethain, who had stated a letter carrier was certain to bo appoint. Ro tho Architect's loiter, tjra Mayor said he had Mr Olejilioni's potaTssion to say that the attention of tho Colonial' Architect had been called to several items in the specifications which wero contrary to the Biirou»h Building Rugulations. Ho (tho Mayor) said tho by-laws had been approved of by the Government, and wero therefore jusl us binding on tho Government as on a private individual. He was not satisfied with the tono of tile loiter. ■ \

. Or Feist thought tho regulations should bo enforced with tho Government as vrhh any private person who was erecting a building, . Cr Gapper endorsed His "Worship's remarks ro the contractor's statement, and moved that the Colonial Architect bo. informed that tho regulations cannot,be relaxed in tho case of the Courthouse. '' Or Feist seconded.—Curried unanimously, WORKS COMMITTEE. The Works Committee reported the receipt of tho report of the Overseer as to works in progress, and that thoy had resolved that tho Council ho recommended to metal Quocn street from tho Post Ollice to Crickot Street,

The report was adopted. Or Chinchen called attention to the stale of Worksop road, whore a large collection of water had takon place in one spot on the street, caused through Cr Gapper tilling r,p hollow places on his property. He wished lo know what the Council intended lo do in tho matter, 'i'horo was about 13 inches of water in tho road.

Lite Mayor staled that if Or Gapper had stopped up a natural watercourse, he could be compelled to reoper. it. : Cr Chinchen said tho hollow was hardly a natural watorcourse. Or Gjpper said as soon as tho Council made tho road, and it was found the water was backed up through him, he would have a culvert put in, hut. he did not see that the Borough could force tho water off the road on to his private propeity, The place in question was not a natural watercourse, but a low place iii the soil. !

Cr Feist asked how tho water wus forced upon Cr Gappor's land by ho Borough, seeing tlm tho Council had made no part of Worksop road, The Mayor said tho water was merely storm water, and was not caused, as Cr Gapper stamod to think, by the drainiri" from the new Charter street. Cr Heron moved that a committee, to consist of Crs Fetsi, Chamberlain, and l'orry, be appointed lo inspect and report upon the place complained of. Cr Chinchen seconded,—Carriod. Tho Council then adjourned.