NAPIER MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3532, 2 November 1882, Page 2

NAPIER MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Wednesdat, November 1.

The Council met at 8 p.m. Present— His Worship the Mayor (chairman), Councillors Wall, Price, Margoliouth, Graham, and Cotton. THE CORPORATION STAFF. The Mayor said letters had been received from the several borough officials in reply to the notifications sent them with respect to tbe Council's late resolution in the matter of salaries and amalgamation of offices, &c. He had been requested to ask the meeting to allow the reading of same to be postponed until next meeting.

Or Wall objected to the proposal unless some cogent reason was shown for complying with it. The tenor of the letters was unknown to the Council, and in the event ot any of the officers refusing to continue their duties under the new arrangements it would leave too little time for filling the vacancies should an adjournment be agreed to. Cγ. Price was in favor of a postponement, on the ground that very important alterations would require to be made before the end of the year affecting the recent resolutions of the Council dealing with the matter of salaries and offices.

Cr. Graham did not see why Cγ. Price should jump to any such conclusion. He (Cγ. Graham) would now vote to have the letters read, as he saw nothing to indicate so far that there was any necessity for amending the resolutions recently passed. The Mayor said that, as the Council was not unanimous in the matter, he had no alternative but to ask the Town Clerk to read the letters.

The letters were then read as follows: —

From the Town Clerk, accepting the decision of the Council with respect to his salary and duties, adding, however, that he could not refrain from placing on record his opinion that the combination of duties [Town Clerk, Treasurer, and Eeceiver of Kates] will in practice be T~ most difficult to carry out efficiently, and not, therefore, conducive either to public convenience or benefit, and pointing out the hardship inflicted upon him by thia action of the Council, and further remarking that a reduction of salary, made concurrently with the of ward for unremitting attention to hie duties and for a zealous, faithful, and (he believed) efficient service ot nearly eight years. From the Municipal Engineer and Road Overseer, the former accepting the position of consulting engineer to the borough at a salary of £100 per annum, and the latter agreeing to the amalgamation of offices imposed upon him.

From the Inspector of Nuisances, also accepting the decision of the Council, and expressing his keen regret at having to submit to a reduction in his salary of £44 per year, after seven years of faithful service.

From the Receiver of Rates, consenting to retain office until January next as requested, but pointing out at the same time that the alteration will entail the writing out by him of four half-year's demands for rates in a fraction of over three half year's servitude, also calling the attention of the Council to the fact that during the past half year he bad to obtain extra clerical aid in making out a number of intricate accounts for rates in arrears which he had been successful in collecting by that means. The several letters were received without comment. CORRESPONDENCE. From the trustees Free Methodist Churcb, applying for permission to remove either whole or in sections the church building from Shakespeare road to Carlyle street, near the infant school. The trustees would make good any damages that might be occasioned to the streets through the removal.—Consideration deferred until the engineer's report on the matter shall have been received.

From George Eobson, on behalf of the petitioners in the matter of taking over Enfield road, stating that Mr F. Logan, solicitor, had been instructed to prepare a conveyance of the road and to have same dedicated to the Council in a proper and legal manner.—Received. Finance committee.

The following interim report was received from the Finance Committee :— Your committee having met pursuant to notice and carefully considered and examined the half-yearly statements of the receipts and expenditure in the various accounts, together with the estimate of sums likely to be required to the 31afc March next, beg to report as follows : — That a report be drawn up and submitted to the Council showing in detail the present and also the possible financial position on the 31st March next.

That in the meanwhile his Worship the Mayor and the Town Clerk be requested to interview the manager of the Union Bank and arrange terms for the extension of the borough overdraft to its legal limits (if necessary), and submit a report of the result for the approval and sonsideration of the Council. The report was adopted on the motion of Cr. Wall. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Public Works Committee recommended the Council as follows : —

1. That the tenders of Messrs G-lendinning and Griffin for carting water-pipes at 4s 6d per ton be accepted. 2. That Mr Stewart, C.8., of Auckland, consulting engineer for the waterworks, be requested to visit Napier to inspect and report on the machinery now landed, on the terms previously offered by him.

3. That no person be allowed to remove shingle from the beach, or from any place other than that allowed by the municipal engineer, without having first obtained a permit from that officer. That a notification be placed in some conspicuous place, warning persons that they will be liable to prosecution for removing shingle without such, permit, and that the fee for such permit be fixed at one shilliug. The report was adopted without discussion.

engineers' report,

A report was read from the Municipal Engineer, (1) recommending that the consulting engineer should be requested to visit Napier and inspect that portion of the waterworks plant received ex Langstone ; (2) that there was no apparent reason why the stand-pipe form of hydrant recommended by the Fire Inspector should be adopted ; (3) that the salt water well in Clive Square complained of had been examined, and a trifling quantity of eilt only was found in it, but it was advisable tnat the whole of the wells should be examined and cleaned, as they contained black slimy mud of a very offensive description that oozed from the adjoining shingle; (4) that' the wooden tubes provided in these wells for the reception of the tail-pipe from the fire-engine be shortened sufficiently to prevent the tail-pipe coming into contact with any mud that might accumulate at the bottom, and that the trap covers to the wells be kept carefully locked ; (5) that the various works in hand were making satisfactory progress. NUISANCE INSPECTOR'S REPORT. The Inspector of Nuisances reported that he had given instructions to the night-soil contractor to remove nuisances from several premises within the borough, but on account of the opposition shown by the owners or occupiers of the properties his (the inspector's) personal attendance, and the production of his warrant, had been necessary before the nuisances could be removed. He had adopted this course to avoid the delay consequent upon taking proceedings at the Resident Magistrate's Court. He suggested that the construction of all trapped grates to sewers be inspected by some officer of the Council, and a certificate given that the work had been finished in a satisfactory manner. In reply to a question it was stated that it was the engineer's duty to see that

sewer traps were properly constructed. Cr. Wall asked leave to move, without notice, a motion directing the immediate fixing of the charcoal filter traps to the sewers. Cr. Price stated tbat he had made inquiries and found tbat the work was being done. The matter was then allowed to drop. FINANCE. The usual fortnightly vouchers amounting to £1,211 12«s 4d, made up to October 31st, were passed and ordered to be paid. The balances were stated as follows :— General account, Dr. £2,333 13s sd; special account, Cr. £692 Os 10d. The Council then adjourned.