MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3110, 16 June 1881, Page 2

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15.

The ordinary meeting of the Municipal Council was held last night at 8 o'clock. Present:—His Worship tbe Mayor, Crs. McKay, Monteitb, Cotton, Wall, McDougall, and Ellis. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The following correspondence was read :— From Mr F. Malcom, requesting compensation for damage done to his house by Corporation laborers when working in

his quarry. The compensation asked for? was 19*.—Referred to the engineer. From the To-vn Clerk of Lyttelton, asking for information concerning the arrangements made by the Corporation of Napier for lighting the town. From Mr Henry Elison, acting as agent for Mr Amner, stating his willingness to lay before the municipal engineer his reasons for refusing to remove Mr Amner's houses in the Chaucer-road. From Mr W. Denholm, enclosing cheque for £4, being half the cost of filling in the right-of-way betweeu sections 485 and 487, Port Ahuriri.—lt was ordered that the filling in be undertaken, the cost not to exceed £8. THE CHATTCEB-EOA- QUARRY. The report of the select committee that was appointed to enquire into the Chaucer-road quarry waa brought up and read as follows: — Your committee having met; pursuant to order proceeded to the quarry in the Chaucer-road, and having most carefully and minutely examined the same returned to the committee room for the purpose of taking evidence. Your committee having carefully considered the evidence of Messrs J. R. Davies, D. Glendinning, and others, who were examined by the committee, beg to report | as follows :— 1. That that portion of the quarry now in the occupation of Mr D. Glendinning is unsafe, and will remain so until the dividing wall of earth and stone which separates his portion from Mr J. R. Davies's shall have been removed. This also applies to lie south side of the quarry. 2. That the portion of the quarry in the occupation of Mr J. R. Davies was left in a perfectly safe condition. 3. That the danger has been caused by Mr Glendinning's manner of working his portion of the quarry, but that the continuance of the danger is owing to the inability of the two parties—Messrs J. R. Davies and D. Glendinning—to come to any arrangement in the matter. 4. The committee, however, trust that as this is a matter seriously affecting the lives of others some arrangement will speedily be arrived at between the parties. 5. Your committee are further of opinion that Cr. M'Dougall acted in perfectly good faith and in the interests of the public in bringing the matter forward. 6. Your committee would also recommend that Mr Glendinning should be requested to see to the state of his portion of the quarry on the south side. John W. M'Dot/gall, Pro Geoege Henry Swan, , Chairman. The following letter from Mr J. R. Davies, attached to the above report, was also read: — Napier, 13th June, 1881. To the Chairman of Public Works, Municipal Council, Napier. Sir, —On my arrival from Gisborne my attention was drawn to the enclosed published letter signed Glendinning and Griffin. Never having written to any Councillor or other person re same, I most emphatically deny Glendinning and Griffin's statement, and beg in justice to myself to ask the members of your Council, individually and collectively, whether any such letter purporting to be from or signed by me was received or read. —I am, &c, J. R. Davies. His Worship said the Council had now a full report before it, trom which it was evident that the danger to men working in the quarry was due to the manner in which Mr Glendinning had worked into the dividing wall between his and Mr Davies 1 quarry. Or. McDougall said there was no doubt that Mr Glendinning caused the danger in the first instance; the danger still existed, and would continue to exist unless Mr Davies and Mr Glendinning could come to some amicable arrangement. He felt certain that unless something were done loss of life would occur. He would suggest that Mr Davies be asked as a personal favor to the Corporation to permit the division wall between the two quarries to be taken down. Cr. Ellis said the Council had no power in the matter. On the motion of Cr McDougall, seconded by Or Ellis, the report was adopted. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE'S -EPOKT. The following report from the Public Works Committee was read :— Your committee having met pursuant to notice beg to recommend the* Council to give effect to the following:— 1. That the Municipal Solicitor be instructed to proceed forthwith against the sureties of Mr W.H. Shaw, late receiver of rates, for the recovery of the amount of his defalcations. 2. That tenders be invited for certain works in Paradise road, which have already been authorised by the Council, and the work proceeded with forthwith. 3. That fresh tenders be called for the works in Waghorne-street and Sale-street. 4. That a select committee, consisting of two Councillors, the two Superintendents of Fire Brigades, and the Chief Fire Inspector, be appointed to consider the amounts to be allotted to Fire Brigades. The the engineer's report of the 13th instant, herewith forwarded, be adopted, and that with reference to the offer of Mr Amner alluded to therein the same ha refused by the Council, and he be informed that unless the two houses be removed within fourteen days from the date of the notice the Council will do the work at his risk. 6. That the engineer be instructed to prepare a specification and an estimate of the cost of forming crossings over footways; that he be authorised to permit such crossings ; and that no ci'ossing be permitted until the amount of estimate shall have been deposited with the Town Clerk ; all such crossing to be made by Corporation labor. 7. That clause No. 4of bye-law No. 4 be amended by adding the words " except before 6 a.m. or after 5 p.m." after, the words " Borough of Napier" at the end qi the clause. H. MONTEITH. Chairman. Clauses 1, 2, and 3, were adopted without discussion. On No. 4 being read His Worship the Mayor thought that the two brigades should apportion the grants without troubling the Council. After some discussion the clause was passed, Crs. Monteith and Ellis being appointed the committee. Clause 5, after a long discussion, was struck out. Clauses 6 and 7 were passed. NOTICE OF MOTION. Cr. McDougall gave notice to move, " That the engineer be instructed to proceed with the scheme of fixing survey points in parts of the town, as formerly recommended, as soon as possible with a view of getting a bill drafted by the municipal solicitor for presentation to the House of Representatives. The Council then adjourned.