BALCLUTHA.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1012, 24 May 1878, Page 6

BALCLUTHA.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Balclutha Borough Council was held; in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening at 8,30. Present : 'His-Worship the May of (ia the chair), Councillors Macdonald, Canting, H ogg, and Doull . , Minutes of the previous special, and ordinary meetings were read and confirmed. CORBESPONDKHCE, The Clerk read a letter , from the Town Clerk, Dunedin, in reply to an application from the Balclutha Council for information as >to the -coßt of kerbing, channelling, and as-, phalting, with a view to the improvement of footpaths in Clyde street. . The following

prices were given . — Kerbing, 12 inch, 2s 8d to 3s per yard ; channelling, 4 and 6 inch, cubes, 8s and 8s 6d per yard ; boulders, 2s 6d j to 3a; asphalting, 9s 6d per square yard. BE TOLLS. 1 Mr Henderson, solicitor, w,rote stating that as requested by the Council he had furnished the collector' with schedule of exemptions and | that these included all drays employed by the Corporation for ihe purpose of making- or repairing roads', bridges, streets, &t. LAMPS. The., Mayor stated that) he had got Mr , Alexander Bain to furnish him with a plan 1 and estimate of prices. The' plan produced he thought,' would be suitable and the'estimate ( was £6. I• Cr Hogg moved — " That the plan produced be adopted^ and that specifications be prepared and tenders for the erection' of eight lamps called for, and .that the Works Committee be empowered to accept a tender and have the lamps {erected; Seconded by Cr Doull and i C&rried. Cr Hogg called attention to the' state of Clyde street, near the Wesleyan church. There was a large supply of water lying on the street and footpath, and people going to church had to walk a plank to get in. It was not creditable to them that men and horses had to wade knee deep in going- through' the town, he would move— " Thai the Works Committee instruct the dayman to have the water run off." Cr Canning corroborated the remarks made by Cr Hogg. The condition of the Main South Rdadat^thispltTce was a sheer disgrace to the'Muriicipality. People were' beginning to say 'that if we haye 1 fires in 'the place, if was not for want of water" beiriglaid ori. Soinetbiug,SbouWl?e"done v to nave the 1 superabundant "water carried awayV and he had much pleasure in seconding Cr Hoggs motion Agreed to. FOOTPATH, EAST WAKD; ' Cr Canning enquired whether anything had | been doWto'give^ffecfto^his motion passed at a late meetings of the Council, with 'regard to the 1 formation of footpath in 'East 'Ward -at the^approach 1 to the'-bridge. - The Mayor stated" that' tenders 'h"ad r 'Tjeen called for,' but' as v no specification's or 'plaiis were prepared, he caused the advertisement to be withdrawn, and had' instructed the dayman to the do work himself* THE DRAWBRIDGE. His Worship said his attention was called to the State of ihe drawbridge. It was now in such a bad condition that it was impossible to raise it, and when the river was high, the steamer would not be able to get through. It had been planked and replariked at different times, until it was now so heavy that the appliances for raising ' it were not sufficiently powerful. Cr Canning suggested that the dayman be instructed to *emore all the Added planking, and if the original planking were deficient to have them replaced. Cr M'Donald said this was a matter which might require some engineering knowledge. The drawbridge; would be wanted often, and it would be better to get some respectable authority in such matter to give a professional opinion as tb what waß required. The dayman was, no doubt, a -very gjod'man' at his «fe»&< &# *Ms WM P° mattap for him at authority in the town' for' thatrsort of work: Cr Doull aaid thatialY that was -wanted was 6o' have ihe extra declSag' taken T 6fiV and the bridge' properly decked. As 'far as his engineering'knowledge went, the bridge' was in the same condition as when constructed, except the extra decking; which had'been'agreat mistake throughout. He believed that 'some of the weights for raising it were off and lost in the river. Cr Hogg said that Mr M'Parlarie, the toll collector, was a proper and practical man 1 to look after such work." It was agreed lihat MrM*Farl'ane should be instructed to repair "the drawbridge, and that ,he get the- assistance of the dayman' at the work. WA'TEB? SUPPLY. Cr Canning said he had a subject to bring forward which some might think premature) but which he would like, to see fully discussed by the Council. He alluded to a supply of .water for the town. He suggested that the Town Surveyor be requested to furnish the Council with an estimate of , the cost of survey of works necessary to bring in a suitable sup*, ply from the Pomahaka, Kaihiku, or any other source available. He^thought the preliminary cost-would not exceed £30. He did not see^why — supposing- the neceseary needful can be raised— we should "-not enjoy some of these 1 privileges,-, and leave posterity to pay their share of thVsmart. -' After some discussion' as: to the~snitability of "the Kaihiku river as a" source for' the contemplated water supply". * j Cr Hogg said that* it was quite possible they I might find tn9 artesian system preferable to 1 any other, and more feasible. , Cr M'Donald stated thai sonae time ago, in conjunction with Milton, they had advertised in the Christchurch papers for tenders for sinking a test well, but no- reply had been received. Cr DouH' said* that in his opinion artesian wells were the most expensive system of Supply anyone could possibly go into, /j hey would take such an amount of time a«d money as would suffice to give' first-class waterworks to Balclutha. Both ideas- ho weyer, bethought were beyond the comprehension of the present Council.' Cr Hogg stated that the Christchurch had a beautiful clear crystal river, the Avon, lowing dose to the city, and yet they found

t for cheeper to havo artesian wells from which every household was supplied with perfectly pure water. ( Bis Worship laid that wliiK tfcey wanted in the meantime was to iniike an experiment. Thry might not go in for having an artesian supply at present, but sometime they probably would have io go in for it Irfthe lneautime they could see whether artesian wells could be got. He understood it was where rocks met in a valley that the water was struck. Cr M'Donald' said that when^jlately in Chrjstchurch he had visited Mr Stace, lately a residenTinUalclutha. -Mr Stace had five or six of these' wells on his property aud he was" sure he would supply any information tbe^Connbil t might require If a city like Cnriatcfaurcu, ' vitb si population of I6 7 000 7 could be supplied by means of these wells hetlid not see why they should not suffice for Balclutha. What they had to do in the meantime was to see whether the water wns there or not. - ( It W6s agreed that the Council write to Mr Mr Stace for 'information on the subject. Cr Hogg"'gave notice of morion for next meeting that the rate for the ensuing year be struck at one stfillii/g ' in the pound, payable on the 3lst July next, the rate to be struck early in JuneA His Worship said that the bye-iaws which were being printed in pamphlet form required an index. The Clerk was iustrncted to prepare one and get it printed along with tbebooks. This concluded the business.