BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS.

NEWTON. The ordinary meeting of the Nowtor Borough Council was held last night. Then were present:—The Mayor (Mr. Warnook), and Messrs. Rigge, Hasting*, Morrison Anibnry, Prime, BUUngton, Laing, and Buckley. Abattoir Fees.—The leoretary of the Auokland Tallow Company wrote asking that the fee for their slaughterhouse license for last year be remitted, as the abattoir had not been built, nor in operation in time for them to avail themselres of it. Decided that a rebate of last year's fees be gran ted to the Tallow Co. Forming Footpath.—Frank Gollar wrote asking that the Council form the footpath opposite two houses which he had erected on Richmond Hill. Deoided to receive the letter, and attend to the matter in due course. Richmond Road Footpath—The Town Clerk of the City Council wrote in reply to the Newton Borough Council's letter of the 22nd February re formation of footpath, Richmond Road, opposite Costley Institute, stating that the City Council had reoommeaded that the work on the Newton side of the road be effected by the Newton Borough Council, the neoessary work on the other side to be done by the city. The letter was reoeived, and it was deoided that tenders be called for the formation of the footpath on the Surrey Hills side of Richmond Road from the Costley Institute to the angle opposite to Liuooln-street. Also deoided to write to the trustees of the Costley Institute, giving them notice of this resolution, and asking them to contribute the usual amount per allotment. Patbnt Earth Closbt.—Messrs. Fowler and Wilkinson, architects and building surveyors, Exchange Chambers, Queen-atreet, submitted a model of Edwards' patent selfacting earth closet for the consideration of the Council. Mr. Fowler desoribed the model, and showed it in operation. He said that it had been used very successfully in England for the last thirty years. If dry earth was not obtainable, the ashes from the fireplace of the house oould be used. The receptacle could have a lid made for it, and it might then be taken away in the day time without any smell. The Mayor said ho hoped the ratepayers would see their way to adopting the invention, and a vote of thanks was passed to Messrs. Fowler and Wilkinson for the information they had given the Counoil. Mr. Fowler asked the Council to consider whether they should not insert a clause in the new building bylaws making the ose of the invention compulsory. Ndisanoes.—. Charles Bates wrote re the insanitary state of the drainage of Pollenstreet, and the nuisanoe caused by refuse being deposited weekly in front of his premises. These hotbods of fever had already caused the death of his next-door neighbour by typhoid fever, and he was of opinion that they were not to be equalled by any plaoe in Auokland. The letter was received, and the matter was referred to the Inspector of N uiaanaes with power to aot. Military " Alarm." — Colonel Lyon wrote ae follows under date 12th March :— " The Major-General commanding the Colonial Forces, New Zealand, having direoted that the whole of the volunteers in the Auckland garrison turn out at the sound of the 'alarm ' an hour before daylight on Quod Friday morning, the Bth proximo, I have the honour to request that yon would be good enough to inform me whether you will give the authority for sounding the ' alarm,' which is to be as follows :—All tire bells will ring, without the prior signal peals showing speoial wards ; the mode of ringing to be arranged beforehand and announced. Probably they might ring continuously for say a quarter or half a minute, then stop as long and begin again, repeating the ringing two or three times. On the • alarm' being made known, every bugler is to go outside his house and sound the 'alarm'and 'assembly, , the 'A' Battery to fire two rounds of blank cartridge from Albert Park. Their Worships the Mayors of Auckland, Newmarket, Parnell, and Devonport have also been communicated with." Deoided to receive the letter, and sanction the alarm being given. The Newton Borough Counoil has not got a bell to ring. Disputation to Mr. Boardman. —It was decided to empower Messrs. Billingtoa and Lee to interview Mr. Boardman as to his share of the contributions towards formation of tootpaths in the Surrey Hills estate, over £50 of which in now due to the Council. Ketormno Offiohk.—lt was deoided to dispense with the services of Mr. Small as returning officer, and to appoint the Town Clerk of the borough in his stead. This was all the business. DEVONPORT. The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Devonport Borough Counoil was held yesterday evening at Devonport Hall, There were present : Tne Mayor (Mr. Niccol), Messrs. Cameron, Burgess, Bartley, Brown, Duder, Pitts, Alison. The Eastkr Encaahmknt.— Colonel Lyon wrote with reference to the projected Easter encampment, stating that the volunteers of the Auokland Garrison would turn out at the sound of the alarm on Good Friday, and requesting that the Council grant authority for the ringing of the firebells before daylight on that morning. The (Mayor stated that there were no firebells in the district, and it was resolved, "That arrangements be made for the ringing of bells within the borough on the morning in question." Advertising,—Some discussion took place on the question of the borough advertising, and it was resolved, "That tenders be called for the advertising of the Council for a period of twelve months. Ahtillbry Road.—Mr. J. R. Gasooigne again wrote calling attention to the faot that Artillery Road had not yet been dedioated to the borough. It was necessary that immediate steps should be taken in the matter, in order that the road be placed in a fit condition for traffic. Referred to Finance Committee. Chuhoh-strekt.—A letter was reoeived from Mr. E. Bluck, who requested that the road ia front of his property in Chnrohstreet be asphalted. The request was not acceded to. Library Sqbsidt.— W. J. Habens, Score;ary to the Education Department, wrote, announcing that the subsidies to public ibraries had been allotted, the Devonport ibrary to receive the sum of £10; and it was resolved, " That Messrs. Bartley and Burgess expend the money in the purchase of books." Victoria Road.-—A number of residente in Viotoria Road wrote requesting that a pathway be formed. It was resolved, "That the work be done, provided that the road has been duly dedicated." The Dkyonpobt Well.—With reference to the purchase of the allotment at Takapuna as a site for a reservoir, the Mayor atated that the Council had decided to purchase lot 1 of the sections, but the sale had commenced at the other end of the estate, and it was eventually agreed to purohase lot 2, which reached the sum of £163, an amount £13 in exoeea of the sum deoided upon by the Council. The Mayor read analyses made by Mr. Pond of three samples taken from the well, and which showed that the water was utterly unfit for domestic purposes, chloride of sodium (common salt) and chloride of potausium being present in the following quantities :—No. 1 sample, 107 "21 ; No. 2, 39-48; No. 3, 2184, I*l2. The engineer's report on the matter was as follows :— In confo:mltjr with the Infractions of the Counoil, the wall bM been sank to the authorised depth of 24 feet, and a trial of its water volume at that depth has been made bj continuous pumping for a period of 4H hours. The retulte Are shown by npponded statement of register taken hourly. The pumping was effected by a β-lnoh centrifugal pump, equal to 80,000 gallons per hour, driven by iteam power, and the output wa* registered by three new standard meters, v.z., 4, 3. »nd 2 The reoord and teat I consider reliable and conoluiive, eorrobortting ray previous calculations and report. The total output of water during the 46) hours Of actual pumping was 199,700 gallons. The pump took out all that wm there 10 he taken. It will be observed that during the first aix hour* of pumping the wall gave an average iut. ut of 6690 gallons per hour ; that during the next 12 hours it gave an average of 4643 gallons per hour, and thut during the last Hvo periods of six hours each, the average output was 3698 gallons per hour, thus recording a marked falling off in the strength of the spring. The bottom of the well is 1 foot 11 j inches above low water mark, o.s.t. ; it will he observed that tbo quantity of «nter in the well Is affeoted by the state of the tide. I make no remirka as to the quality of the water at any period of the operation, as i understand the Council have submitted a sample to Mr. Pond for analysis and report. leaving out the consideration of the qnnlity of the water, 1 consider the amount utterly Inadequate for the present requirement of the borough, and the source altogether objectionable and unreliable.—Jamis Knoz, Borough Engineer. The Mayor thought that there would now be no doubt as to the unsuitability of the present scheme, and he considered the time had arrived for immediate aotion ir* the direotion of procuring a water supply from Lake T&kapana, especially in view of the faot that the Council had purchased a site for pumping station at the Lake. He therefore moved, " That the engineer submit a scheme 4<t r obtaining a supply of water from Lake

! Takapana, giving the proposed size of pipe, cost of reservoir, and other particulars, the scheme not, to exceed £10,000, ft meeting of the Waterworks Committee to be called to oonsider the scheme.' Mr. Brown was op* posed to the Counoil dealing with an important proposal of this character without careful consideration. He thought that a special meeting should be held to consider the Mayor's motion. Eventually, however, the proposition was oarried. The accounts for the sinking of the well were sabmitted, the total cost amounting to £72. The Mayor said that he had received a rcquition from the burgesses asking that a publio meeting be called to oonsider the question of a water supply for the borough ; but in view of the faot that the Council had deoided to take aotion in the matter, he considered that the holding of the proposed meeting might be deferred. Rubbish in Stanlkt-stbkbt. — Mr. C. Binney wrote directing attention to the faot that rubbish was being deposited at Stanleystreet. The foreman of works reported that he had visited the street, and had not discovered the noisanoe referred to. Footfath. —Mr. Caffrey, who was present, asked that a footpath be plaoed in front of his property near Calliope Dock. Referred to Streets Committee. Returning officbb.—Mr. S. Y. Collins was appointed Returning Officer for the borough.