Otautau Town Board.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 11, 12 July 1905, Page 2

Otautau Town Board.

Tbe ordinary monthly meeting of thia Boaid was held on Monday evening, when there wore presmt MepsrV M&thieson (chairman), Kolly, Swhan and Officer. IMPURE WATER. The Clerk reported that samples of water bad b en taken by the Inspector from several residences m Otautau and forwarded to Dr . Ogston, Health Officer, m accordance with a request by that officer* -Dr Ogston had since written stating that m several cases the water was all right but m others it was impure, and be recommended that m one instance the well should be filled up so that it could not be used again and that another should b-3 disused or examined and cleaned out, Dr Ogston had expressed his intenti n of inspecting the ;e and other wells durir g bis visit to Otautau m the summer. The , clerk said ha had notified those parsons from whose premises the impure water had been taken. In some bf the cases the people h.:d not open wel s but bad an artesian supp'y, pipes having been put down to a depth of about 14 fee -. To all appearances this water was all right, as it 1 okod clear and sparkling. Dr Ogston, however, said that very often the most - unsuspicious-looking water was the worst. In answer to the chairman, the cle k stated that six samples m all were taken. Mr Swhan expressed his surprise that the water from any of the artesian well* should have been pronounced impure. Mr Officer aaid be had known Instances cf two wells being near each other, one of which gave good water and the other bad, Tbe Glerk stated that householders wlo had pipes sunk said they could da nothing as it was impassible to clean out the wall. Mr Officer: They could drive -the pipes deeper and get water from another level. Mr Swhan : They could get it from the level of the Jacob's river. Mr Officer: They migbt get first-class water at that level. The Clerk : It is probably the water from the Otautau river that they are getting. Mr Swhan moved that those residents upon whose water supp'y unfavourable reports had been received, shoud be given notic • to drive their pipes six or seven fett deeper, and that another sample of Uie water be then taken. The Chairman thought that if anythirg were done m the matter, tho impure wel. a should be closed* Mr Kelly : But they must get water r^tt their sections somewhere. Mr Swhan : They would probably get gocd water by going deeper. Mr Kelly: I think that would be the belt way to remedy it. It would not cost much to put down another seven or eight feet of piping, and the water migbt bo better. Mr Officer thought that m the case of open welle they should be cleaned out. Mr Swhan : If all the wells wete down 20ft they wou'd be right enough, as they would then be on the level of the Jacob's river. After further discussion, Mr Swhan's motion was seconded by Mr^Kelly and carried. ABE*. OF OTAUTAU. Tbe Clerk read communications he had re ceived from the Lands and Survey Depart ment (m connection with the official notices published ih connection with the raising of the loan) giving the proper description of tl * 1 town boundaries, which .enclosed an area t J 860 acres, OUTFALL WANTED. * Mr Jas. Smal 1 , of Otautiu, wrote statirg that Mr John Swap had bad the orevk ' through bis section cleaned out on to Dev< n Street, and asking, on behalf of himself arid Mr Ross that tbe Board sbou'd open a ditch across the road opposite section 16, Blk 8, known as Baker's Creek They wanted to get t the ditch continued through their sections, as the creek was at present m its natural state and almost closed m, and when a little fresh it flooded. The Clerk : It is a continuation of that street that leads between Small's and my place, across the cemetery road, and goes ; v right between Ross* and Saltan's, through that swamp. They want the Board to make the connection from Small's boundary to their boundary. The chairman : That would require a ; on" vert. 1 The Clerk : They are going subsequent** ' to apply for a culvert ; but m the meantime 1 they want the Board to make tbe outfall : across the street to g-ve them an outfall there. ['■ Mj&.Officer : I think it is only right to gi- • ■ them an outfall. In fact, I think they era ' demand it. . . v I The cba'rman: They have the outfnlj already. * Mr Swhan : Could not thoy get what tbfy want some other way, without crossing tie road? Mr Officer : They want tho old creek mare : the ou'fall? The Clerk: That is so. It ia closed up and there is no other outlet. Mr Officer : A private person is bound to give an outfall to anyone higher up, by law. : Ultimately it was decided, on the motion of th^ chairman and Mr Kelly, that the Board should form a committee to inspect the proposed outfall, on Friday the 28th inst., at 3 p m., and report to (he next, meeting. THE LOAN; The Clerk as returning officer, wrote the Board, formally stating tbe result of the pell upon the question of obtaining a loan, as already published, and- added that, as the number of votes m favour of the proposal exceeded three-fifth 3 of the total votes recorded, the proposal might be declared oarried. — Received. . RENTING THE BOARD ROOM. Messrs Armstead and H.unter, solicitor-, Invercargill, applied for the use of the Board room, every Friday, from 11 a.m. to 2.30 pm. —Granted on payment of a rental of 12s per month.. S*JBAT CATTLE. The Cleric repotted that _trs Coyle bad waited upon him and complained that con. siderable damage had been done to her pto» perty by stray castle. They had smash-d down her fences, broken into ber yard ard des royed tbe whole ot her. season's potato* g as well as other vegetables. She had complained to the owners, but no notice bad been taken of the complaint, and she asked that the Board should instruct tho inspector to take the matter m hand. Mr Diramock stated that the pound was m such a bad state of repair that cattle could not be koDt m it. | " '■ The chairman said the matter of repairina the pound was left to Kirn and Mr Scatter and he (Mr Scatter) bad undertaken to atabiubatnfgtt.^ *« ***** ™ MrSwhan : Nothing has been done to the Mr Officer: It wants attending to; ther* are cattle straying all over the place Mr Kelly : Yes, night after night they are wandering all oyer the place- . The clerk thought the Inspector shou'd have power to oq r,pel tho people to obey the law m regard to thei* cattle strayino; other wise no notice was 1 aken of a warning T. c chairman oould not remember the limit to which the oost of the repairs was to j Mr Kelly said it was £2. Eventually the chairman and tor Officer were appointed a committee to have the pound repaired up to tbe amount named. TH_V STREET LAMPS. The chairman and other members of tl « Board complained that certain lamps hsj not been lighted on seteral nights, and tt • file* wwiMtructcd to K « &WtoJy

lighter left no cause for complaint m this respect m the future. MR FORD'S DRAINAGE. In accordance wHh notice given at the previous meeting. Mr Kelly moved that tbe resolution of the Bth August, 1904, allowing Mr R. Fori 33 drain pipes free, and fixing a o'mrge at the schedule rate for tie remaiuder rojuired, be resci dc('. Mr Officer seconded, and the motion was o irried. The clerk asked what action was to be tvken m regard to Mr Ford's lelter read afc.the last meeting, m which he asked to be put on tbe same footing as residents on t'i? main road, m regard to drainage. The -Board decided to take no further action m respect tbere^, the chairman remarking that Mr Ford should have taken advintage of the Board's offer when it was open. THE RKTURNISG OFFICER. The Clerk stated that it would be necessary to pass a resolution appointing a Returning Officer to conduct the election of the Biard, be'c'inse,' under tbe new Act, old appointments apparently lapsed. Hitherto, the appointment had to be made annu illy, but n>w it seemed a resolution of appointment ' w>u(d hold good until it was rescinded. The Board resolved to re-appoint the clerk as Returning Officer. THE CHANGING AT THORNBURY. The chairman drew attention to the great inconvenience experienced by < as=engers on the railway m having to change trains at Thornbury, especially m wet weather. Arr in-ements were made to avoid the changing when excursion trains were running, and he d=d riot soe why it could not be done every diy. The cletk mentioned that the luggage van had to' be shunted every day. The 'chairman saw no reason why the 6 irri«Lses could not be shuntel on to .the other line with tbn luggage van. "The clerk : It was done on Show Day. Mr Swhan spoke of the inconvenience ol changing to people who had a lot of luggage. Tbe Chairman said tbe inconvenience was not felt m summer time so much as m the winter. Mr Officer said more than half the people who went to Thornbury trave led up the line. Mr Swhan : They wou'd only require to have the Otau'au carriages labelled at Invircargiil;- I move that the member for tbe district be a^kd Io make representations | to the Department with tbe view of having ' the carriages to and from the Nightcaps braucb shunted at Ihornbury, without discharging passengers. Mr Kelly s.-conded and the motion was j cirried. This concluded the business. '