TOWN BOARD MEETING.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 205, 4 November 1896, Page 2

TOWN BOARD MEETING.

The usual monthly meeting of the Town Board was held in Mr Malfroy's office 011 Thursday afternoon last. Present : —Messrs Malfroy (chair), Dansey,Brent and Dr Giuders. Drainage ami Sanitation. Tlie Chairman said that ho had received a telegram from the Under Colonial Secretary stating that Mr Robert Xlrty would probably be in Rotorua during the week to report upon the best means of improving the sanitation of the town and asking that the Board afford him (.•very information and assistance. It was unnecessary to state that this would be cheerfully granted. A letter was read from the manager of the Grand Hotel stating that the cesspit water was now being removed from the Palace Hotel to the Board's depot and stating that the condition of tlie road only allowed him to send out three loads pfrr day. Under these circumstances he asked if the Board would grant him permission to deposit the liquid matter only at a nearer distance, say where Mr Brent of Bathgate House was allowed to drain his dwelling. Ho did not see that the Palace Hotel liquid matter was more obnoxious than Bathgate House matter and the solid fnatter would be taken to the depot. The Board's compliance with his request would save both time and unnecessary expense. A subsequent letter from Mr Bottlton referred to the previous communication and stated that if the request were refused other establishments should be forced to conform to the. saine regulation. Re Grand Hotel drainage the writer stated—- " As the firms which I represent (Messrs Nathan & Co.- and Hancock & Co.) have a very large interest in the district and naturally are prepared to do all in their power to assist in the efficient sanitation of the town I wo ft Id now hold out to you the following proposition for the better drainage of tlie Grand Hotell will supply to your Board landed free at Railway Station 1,500 feet (Jin drain pipes on the condition that yon provide the labor to lay the same from the hotel along Peiiton and Eruera streets and leading to tlie drain already out 011 the roadway for carrying off the slop water from Bathgate House to the lake. This would obviate the use of a cesspit and effectually settle the drainage question as far as this house is concerned." Reference was also made to the nuisances encouraged by th"s

dense masses of ti tree growing on cer tain sections near Pakuatuaand Hinemoa streets. These places were overlooked from the balcony of the bote] Mr Breilt considered that t \,„ made were most reasonable. The Chairman said that u n( i„ r ftl „ sent c r ;uirista.ices the Boar d T>vr " would only be a waste ot mo n ey fie( . il f ! that an engineer was daii v " would go into the whole Inat^r of dt^> age. They might howe ver consent to the cesspit water being e Hed . ; channel in Eruera str eR t in tho , ' that tl Th ) e B ° ard f° Ulfl Weli understand that the drainage fr oln Bathgate House would not be allow, V 1 to go into thp permanently An drainage syZ S , ucl ; a l th fy were promised" would provide for the slop. watm . p. lS sin ff through ddodhnsms chan nP i s first or takon £ into the lake some distance. The permission might be given with reservation that it could be stopped at any time, of course on the understanding that everyone else alike sto PPed as ail must be treated Mr Brent stated that at the place where the waste water from his house ran into the lake there was a bed of sulphur. Any quantity of slop-water might, in his opinion, be emptied there find cause no harm. The drain received ali the roof and surface water and so Was constantly flushed. ' It was resolved that Mr Boulton be informed that he would be allowed for the time being to empty the liquid sewage from tho Grand and' Palace Hotels at the foot of Eruera Street subject to the instructions of the Board of Health 'and that in regard to the second proposition it could not be entertained as tho Board did not feel justified in spending money on drainage work which might conflict with the scheme of the sanitary engineer now on his way to Rotorua: Mr Brent stated that he was Sorry the' Board could not see its way to accept the offer of the pipes. They should give hotel keepers every facility for dealing with the sewage of the houses, as Mr Boulton seemed anxious to do. It appeared to him there was an impression abroad that tho Boaad wish to harass the Hotels in dealing with their sewage. On the contrary tho Board was anxious to assist residents in this respect in every way in their power. While on this point he would ask the chairman if lie had heard of a scheme propounded by Mr O'Keefe which seemed to bo a very simple way out of the difficulty in regard to slop water. Mr Malfroy stated that he had heard of it. He thought Air O'Keefe ought to set up as a sanitary engineer—or a contractor. Ho seemed to have an entire grasp of the situation. (Laughter). Air Dansey, in reference to Air Brent's allusion to the idea abroad that the Board wished to harass the Hotels, said it was only natural that notice should he' taken of the water which was allowed to flow into the principal streets of the town In the case of Bathgate House it was never seen. Besides instructions had been given at tlio time of building the hotels in regard to the necessity of making provision for the construction and periodical emptying of cesspits. At a later stage where Board of Health business was under discussion tho matter of cutting down the ti-tree referred to by Air Boulton was brought up. Dr Gindors thought tho necessity for this was most urgent. He attributed a deal of the sickness which occurred last year to' the nuisances which were encouraged by the shelter which these belts of scrub afforded. One of these in the neighbourhood of Samson's store in the old town was he felt sure the cause of certain cases which occurred there. The land war Maori land but it was amenable to the . regulations of the Board of Health. All- Dansey suggested that the owners of the sections in question be ascertained • and that they be informed that if the ti- [ tree is not cleared within a week it will be done by the Board at their expense. > Seconded by Dr. Gindors and carried. Tho Chairman stated that as soon as i the night service was in proper working . order it would be neoessarv for the Board [ to take steps for the ere'ctioii of latrines . at the pa. Correspondence. From the department of Lands and Survey stating that sections 75 and 79' will be scheduled for auction in January next and could not be reserved for "ravel ' |)it purposes but that the Board in the ' interval should remove what gravel they required. Air Dansey thought there ' would bo no difficulty in getting them struck off the schedule. It was decided that application be made that one of the ; sections in questiori might be struck . off. r From Constable Alurray drawing j attention to certain trees which comf pletely deprived the police quarters of , the sun and asking that the same be cut i down or trimmed. It was decided to s leave the matter in the' hands of the' 3 Chairman and. Mr Reaney. Prom ine Rev. Father Kemp asking f that a portion of tho ccinotary might be t Set apart so that it could be consecrated b and used according to the ritual of the' j Roman Catholic Church. Resolved | that Father Kemp be informed that thi' s Board is now considering the division of B the ground into, denominational areas and _ that he would be further communicated r with when the grave plots are laid off. t From the Royal Humane Society of , An rtrnlasia intimating that the honorary e silver medal of the Society had been re- . warded to Henry Giles—Resolved that ] the communication bo forwarded to Alt c Giles. s Petition A Potion from Messrs Wake, Burton. Sainson, Kirk, and others was read i pointing out that the great quantities o! i dust prevailing in the principal thorough--1 fares in windy weather was not only an--5 noying but caused 1 great damage to the b goods of storekeepers and request":? - that when necessary a man be employ® s with hydrant and hose to lay the dust in a principal streets with water obtained 1 from the mains. Air Dansey thought that as the Government received the water rates instructions might bo give" to water the streets when required. He proposed that the request be seceded to and that Mr Malfroy be requested to alio »v a man to do the work. Mr Brent in seconding the proposition pointed out that the periodical use of thf water plugs would ensure their being ® readiness in the event of an outbreak of fire. At present he did not think that they could be availed of if an emergency arose. He considered that application should be made to the Government>' any additional hose or other apparatfthat might be required. The motion carried.