BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6986, 13 February 1891, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

I * A meeting of the borough council waa held at the town hall last evening. Present — The Mayor (Mr A. Matheson) in the chair, Crs W. C. Smith, Aoheson, O'Kane, Hildebrand, Clough, Kilgour, Lahman, Kettle, and P. Smith. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved, i ; The outward correspondence was read and approved. A petition from the inhabitants of Alexander, Tainui and Puketahi streets was read which asked the council to take steps to construct two tanks for water in case of fire by taking advantage of the natural streams of water. — Cr Lahman asked who presented the petition. The clerk said that it came through the letter box. — Cr Lahman then said that the proceeding was irregular and the petition could not be received. — Or Kilgour, as the representative of the ward said he would have great pleasure in presenting the petition formally. The names attached to it were a sufficient guarantee. He also considered that as the locality was in great want of a supply of urater for fire extinguishing purposes the council should take some immediate action in instead of allowing the petition to lie on the table until next meeting. The discussion concluded by Cr Lahman opposing that any action be taken before next meeting. E. Dickson, ranger, applied for a free dog. Granted. Letter received from Captain M'Caul and J. G. Walton, secretary of the Fire Brigade. Mr Walton who was present with the Captain, asked what was meant by the last letter from the council. As it was worded it read that ibe brigade could not spend even a shilling, no matter how urgent or necessary, without getting the sanction of the finance committee* That

seemed a very foolish way of doing. Tha Captain also said if the Captain of the brigade (ranted to get a bucket or have little repairs effected they were supposed to hunt up the members of the finance committee.— Cr Lahman pointed out that the brigade was taking too narrow a view of the letter altogether. It was not intended to r estriot any small or neoessary expenditure. All that was intended was that no extraordinary expenditure should be incurred unless by the sanction of the finance commltee. In respect to the necessary expenditure, all that they insisted upon was that no ordinary expenditure incurred by the Captain or other responsible officer should be defrayed until after beiog submitted to the finance committee. Several other members supported the necessity of giving the brigade power to incur ordinary and necessary expenditure. Even the mayor of the council was not allowed to spend more than L 5 without referring the matter to the council. — The Captain said he considered firemen who workd at a fire by pumping should be paid as much as townsmen to enable them to pay for any damage they might sustain, such as burning a pair of boots or trousers. — Cr Lahman said that if the members of the brigade were to be paid for work at a fire then they ceased to be a volunteer body. — It was then agreed that any application of that kind should ba made in writing. — Cr W. C. Smith moved that a letter be written to the Postmaster asking him to connect the captain's residence by telephone with the police station. — Carried. Letter from Mr Elmer, Turumaha street, to the council in respect to the drainage of his property.— Received and referred to the public works committee to report at next meeting. The Mayor explained to the council that he had since last meeting applied to Mr Ronayne to allow them to get some of the water for drinking purposes that waß under control of the Railway Department, and to have pumps erected in Boundary and lainui streets. The pump in Boundary street had cost them over Ll9 in three years for repairs. — Resolved that the public works committee be instructed to act in the matter. The finance committee's report was read and received, and a number of accounts passed for payment. Cr Hlldebrand read the report of the public works committee as follows : — •'Your committee beg to report having considered the question of constructing a main drain from Puketahi street to Tidal Creek in Tainui street ; and recommend the construction of the same as soon as the council is in a financial position to undertake the work." Cr Kettle said that he wou-d sooner see the work shelved at once. Why not fix some definite time when the work would be gone on with. — Cr Acheson said that as the council was already LI9OO in debt to the Bank, it seemed as il Cr Ketlle thought the works committee had nothing to do but order an expenditure of several hundred pounds. — Cr Lahman took a similar view. The report was adopted. The following report regarding the landing of powder was read and adopted : — " Your committee recommend that the Midland Railway Company be informed that in view section 31 of bye-law 10 of the Borough of Greymouth, that the council cannot grant the permission asked for in respect of removal of powder." J. A. Eissenhardt reported on the town hall plans and recommended the acceptance of the plan of T. B. Jacobsen, architect, Wellington. —Cr Lahman moved that the award of L 25 be given to T. B. Jacobsen a% so in as he furnishes working plans and specifications. — Cr Kilgour said that as Mr Jacobsen had not complied with the conditions he should not receive the award. — Cr Lahman said that not a single one of the competitors fnrnished detailed specifications. — The Clerk said that some of the competitors had sent in details. — Motion carried. Cr Kettle asked for a re tarn relating to council contracts, which the Clerk was instructed to furnish. Cr Acheson moved that a bonus be offered for a plan regarding the drainage of the town. He explained that as they were spending a great deal of money in putting in concrete drains it behoved them to see that these were of a permanent character so that they would become of use in any system of drainage adopted in the future, as they would inevitably have to adopt a system. As a matter of fact they had no drainage at all, no means of exit for the refuse, either to the sea, river or lagoon. They should have a plan of drainage drawn up bo that citizens might know how the drainage of the town was to be carried out, bo that any money private individuals might expend would not be thrown away. — (Cr Lahman suggested that any drainage scheme should be conbined with a water scheme). Some desultory discussion ensued of a general character on drainage and water supply.— Cr Acheson then moved that LIOO be offered to some duly qualified person for drawing up the plan required. — Cr Lahman would have much pleasure in supporting the proposal if the mover would Include water supply In his motion. The mover Baid that he would have no objection to include water supply.— Cr Kilgour opposed the motion, as there had beer too much money frittered away in bonuses of a similar kind already. — Cr Kilgour asked if the Mayor would instruct the clerk to furnish all the plans and information the council had^paid for on the same subject. The Mayor said that the Information would be furnished. A division was taken, the motion being rejected by sto 4. Some discussion ensued as to whether it was compulsory on the Mayor to vote, the Mayor declining te vote. This concluded the business.