BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, 10 May 1912, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

„ — ♦ A meeting of the Borough Council was held last evening-. Present — The Mayor (E. Perkins, Esq.)'<in the cKair, Messrs. Sheedy, Sweetman, Tennent, Greenslade, Byrne, Doogan, Russell. . CORRESONDENGE. >From the Health Inspector, Auckland, in relaton to plague, and stating" thajt there are infected, fa-sat Auckland. ■ ; From the Public Works Department re exempting portiion of Cliapel street. Received. - From the Westport Harbour Board asking for co-operation in regard to a telephone service between Charleston and Barrytown. Resolved to co-oper-ato. From the Minister of Internal Affairs in reference to the Local Government Bill, and setting ouit'the proposed arrangements rW holding the conference at considerable lengith, the chief featur© being the grouping of the district 'bo'dic*-*'. ; • > •.Some diViCiisiiion ensued as t& ''the advisability of considering the Bill before appointing delegates for the conference, when it was resolved to hold a special meeting of che Ctnmcil on Monday evening to consider the Bill .a lit I Jo. The Mayor and Cr. Russell were appointed to .represent the Council at the Conference. From J. Neiilson in respect ito the refuse contract. Received. From T. A. Runrdle in regard ito a footpath in Alexander street. Received to be subsequently considered. From D. N. Anderson and others re Murray street. Received. From the Palmerstori Chamber of Commerce re compulsory military training endorsing- the action of the Minister of Defence. Received. The Mayor spoke in satisfactory terms of the 'territorial camp at Omotu, which was a .great success. The men were pleased and their conduct exemplary. He believed that next year there would be about 500. He moved that the Council endorse the opinion of the Palmersvon Chamber of Co'nv merco. ; Crs. Rusell and Byrne ridiculed 'the idea of complimenting the Minister for merely doing somethng that was hs duty and he ougtait to do. Crs. Greenslade, Sheedy, and Tennent supported the motion, which .was carried. ' ; From Port Chalmers Borough Couriciil asking for a copy of the Gas Hanager's I'eport on the Dreadnought Gas. Agreed 'to comply with die re quest. . From Cr. Perkins resigning Ms seat as councillor. Received. : WORKS REPORT. The following report was read :— Your committee have the honour to report that ithey made, a visit of inspection throughout 'the- town on th^ Bth. .in st.. and have the following recommendations to make : — 1. That the f oocpath on the east side of Alexander street be gravelled with *small g'xavel. 2. That a street lamp be v placed on the "south side of- Murray street op : ' posfcte the riorth-easit corner of Murray and Alexander streets. Besides Pro J viding light for Murray and Alexander streets tiMs lamp will light up the: track through Easson's HiliL 3. Th at the existing footpath up 'the sidling at ithe upper end of Murray street be improved by putting, in a series of slteps as at present it is .top teep and slippery. V 4. That the footpath on the sou'ith side of Murray 'street from Blackmore I^ane eastwards to the foot of ithe hill be asphalted. > 5. That the, footpath, on ithe western side of Alexander sitreat from Thompson 'Street .to .Gleeson's lane be laid down in ashes, similar to the footpath in Gleeson's Lane. 6. That -the footpath on the east 'side of Shakespeare street' from Marsden Road to 'Mariborough .sltreet be kerbed and gravelled. 7. That the engineer confer with the contractor for filling in portion of the cemtery in regarding to filling an the

hollow. -at* the north, eastern corner of the cemetery and report <to the Counc'iil the terms tihat can.be arranged for carrying* out the work. Your committee found that the' Cemetery contract is progressing favourably also that for ithe formation of Shakespeare street . isouth. Nat much progress ho we ver, has been /made with the Nelson street contract. The report as a whole was adopted. Cr. Doogan .expressed dissatisfacdo'n with laying down partially asphalted footpaths. ENGINER'S REPORT. Contracts. — The various contract's for construction wonk are progressing 'in a satisfactory manner. The contractor far scavenging steets in the- inner area has been written ; to and has promised •to, if necessary, put. on" two drays at times ,in order to carry out the contract. A ;great impir.oveim.ent has been made in the earring out of the contract during .the pasts. few days. General Work.— The footpaths' ordered at last meeting to be asphalted have beeai commonce'd and will be pushed on as rapidly as , possible . during fine weather. General maintenance is going on as usual. Pumping Station. — On Wednesday the Ist inst. at 8.30 p.m. the 4crank shaft of the upstream pump again broke, -the cause of 'the break being accounted for by the web being strained by the .two previous' breaks. An order was sent ito the Dispatch Foundry Co. on March 25th for the new shaft sanctioned at the last meeting in March. This shaft is now, nearly completed. On .Friday (the 4th .inst. a,t 8.45 p.m; the shaft of the down-stream engine gave out. The shaft' has been repaired previously and the crank web which had been built on became loose, the studs' put in when repaired working loose rtiibe threads bcoiming stripped. I immediately proceeded to try and get ( temporary repair s v effected. A new •.temporary stud was put in and the engine started again at 1 a.m. .on Saturday. This however only held for an hour. I therefore ordered the crank shaft of the down-stream pump, to' be fitted, to -the .upstream one this being done at 3 p.m. Since this time the one set of pumps hays ; 'been continually at work and the supply will 'bo maintained in the reservoir provided no further accident occurs. The engine shaft I .had sent to the Dispatch Foundry Co. to be 'repaired if possible. It was found -that only temporary repairs could be effected which might tide us over two , or three months at a cost of from £16 to £20, A new shaft could be obtained from ithe Dispatch Foundry Co. fox £40 delivered in about five days, so with the .sanction of His Worship the Mayor I ordered the new shaft to toe, proceeded with as- speedily as possible.. At 'the beginning of next week I hope :to have both engines in full working order. The continual trouble arising from the existing plant and the danger of the building -giving way, and further the lUkelihood of a considerable inefcase in the pollution of die supply through the <growingtownships a little further up tho rkor and, the Extension of the dairying and agricultural industries, only serves to point outtj|the 'necessity of looking into tkeT.gupstfon of a more -suitable source of supply; one .that can be had without* the necessity of maintaining expensive machinery, and one that is not liable to contamination now or at any further .time. Ii am looking into two or three likely sources and will report <m tEese when I have obtained fuir.her ; data. : ■ Chapel street west and lilmer Lane. — I. have "onade ful lenquiries into this matter and find that the piece of road between Herbert street and Elmer Lane 1 Station is railway reserve. Also the road from Elmer Lane Station eastwards for a distance of 4£ chance. The cO^t of putting this latter piece of road into order was borne partly by the bor r ough and. partly by the Railway Department:, the 'latter paying the bor ough the : sum "of £10. ■ The repofit wasi read and received. Tlie Mayor explained that he had considered it best } tp order, a new shaft for the gas engine 'as the old one had broken several times, and might break again any day. " The actii/K of the Mayor was: endorsed./" '■ " : -- •' ■" ' -■ ■■■■■;' Cr. Tennent pointed out that the Council should lose no time in dealing with a 'gravitation scheme. Cr. Shjeedy moved that they make a fooitpa^.h between Elmer's Lane and Herbert:;: street if, as the Engineer said, it cpuld be done for £10, „Cr. Byrne .opposed spending money tor .'the Government. •:Cr. Sweetman supported it. They •ought to do something- for the ratepayers.; there. '. '","■"'[ . .. .Gr. Tennent also supported. Cvs. Russell and Doogan also spoke io the I : motion. The Mayor suggested consuming with tJie Government Engineer no see if some mutually satisfactory arrangement could not be come toCr. Greenslade concurred with the Mayor. . . . ' After some further discussion the amendment was put and negatived, and Or. Shecdy's motion was also negatived on the casting vote of the Mayor. THe amendment .was revived and agreed -to with the addition that if they failed with the Government' Enyincer, they refer the mabter to the General Manager of Railways. On the morion of Or. Sheedy it was resolved that the Engineer bo instructed ;to form a footpath from Preston Road and the .bridge onwards as soon as possible. V The Engineer's report on rubbish and night soil were read and received. - ; ■■■;. : Cr. Sheedy moved as an addition that, it be referred to the Works Committee with power to act, which' was agreed to. Cr. Doogan moved that something should be done about' the discharge f rom Buccleugh street to Sawyjer's Creek, so -as to let all connect with the main sewer, for the. reUef of the people in that part of the . town. But first it would, be necessary to remove a resolution now o nth© books. •Civ Sheedy seconded, the motion. The Engineer explained the difficuilt3) of carrying- such a motion. -