BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2483, 5 August 1890, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council was held last night. Present--His Worship the Mayor (presiding) and Crs Williamson, Friedlander, Bird, Flower, Cuthbertson, Scaly, and Scott. FINANCE. The Mayor said the debit balance at the Bank stood at £1057 17s Id; and the amounts received since last meeting were as follow :—Rates, 1890, £93 4s ; rents of reserves, £4 9s ; licenses—dogs, £7 5s ; hawker's, £1 ; water supply (refund Canterbury Mills), £41 15s 6d ; Library account, 3s ; earth sold, 6s —total, £148 2s 6d. There were £458 of 1890 rates still outstanding. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read from the Hampstead Town Board on the subject of re-forming the North-East Town Belt; from the Town Clerk, Blenheim, on the subject of insurance ; from Mr R. Alcorn, regarding the lighting of street lamps. NORTH EAST TOWN BELT. The Clerk was instructed to inform the Hampstead Town Board that the work of re-forming the N.E. Town Belt would be proceeded with at once. MUNICIPAL INSURANCE. The letter from the Blenheim Municipal Corporation on the subject of Co-operative Municipal Insurance was referred to the Lighting Committee, and the Clerk was ordered to inform the Blenheim Town Council that the subject was under consideration. LIGHTING. Mr Robert Alcorn wrote asking that the nights for lighting the streets should be so altered that the street lamps would be lit at least one day earlier after full moon than at present. It was decided that as the long days were so near at hand the disadvantage complained of by Mr Alcorn would speedily cure itself. engineers' k.efort. The Engineers' reported as follows :— Planting : The Works Committee make the following recommendations :— (1) Cr Sealy's motion, " That the consideration of planting East street be held m abeyance, pending the receipt of the Government's intentions as to planting the remaining blocks of the Railway reserves. (2) General planting : That the ten acre block near the old cemetery, the trees on which were burnt last season, be replanted with a belt one and a half chain wide, leaving a small paddock for grazing m the centre, to be fenced with a light barbed wire fence. (3) That the planting m the belts of the river bed paddocks where the trees have missed or have been burnt, be made good. (4) That tenders be called for the supply of trees for these purposes, and for planting the same, and also for the supply (only) of trees that may be required m the Domain. (5) That the willow plantations on the river banks be made good where necessary. That some large willows be obtained and put m at the weak places. Broken Metal : We have obtained tenders for breaking boulders as instructed, and the Works Committee have accepted Mr P. McCormick's tender at 2b 6d per yard. Shingle for Streets : We have received a letter from the present contractors on this subject. It is recommended that some 300 to 400 yards more of shingle be procured for repairing streets and footpaths. The Labor Gang have Iseen engaged m repairing and'shingling streets, footpaths, and crossings and other general maintenance work, repairing approaches to traffic 'bridge, attending to water supply, etc. The report wa's adopted Th#*onfcvactor for carting shinglo wrote complaining that the price thoy were obtaining per yayd did not .pay him anything

ike a day's age He said the work could nob be done to pay at less than Is. 2d per yard; he had carted 360 yards, and now asked to be relieved from the remainder of his contract—4oo yards. It was decided to tell the contractor to complete his present contract, and it would then be for the contractor to accept or otherwise a fresh contract at Is 2d. for another 400 yards. AGRICULTURAL LITERATURE Cr Hugo Friedlander moved "that it be a recomendation to the Library Committee to expend the sum of £20 on agricultural literature for the use and benefit of the farmers of the district." He claimed no credit for having originated the idea contained m the motion. He had seen the recommendation made by the Small Farms Competition Committee m connection with the Canterbury A. and P. Association and thinking it was a good one, he moved as he had done. It would be far better to have a good supply of books of reference on the important subject of agriculture than to keep on stocking the library with worthless novels. Mr Cuthbertson seconded, and the motion was carried unanimously. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £52 were passed for payment, and the Council adjourned.