HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXX, Issue 2889, 6 December 1894, Page 2

HAWERA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

«, The monthly meeting of the Borough Council was held on Wednesday evening. Present — The Mayor, Councillors Davidson, Hood, WhiMington, Haughey, Cap* lea, and Stdwell. CORRESPONDENOB. N. Johnston, applying to transfer lease to W. H. Hutson. — Agreed to. R. B- Hood applied to sub-let portion of his section. — Agreed to. W. T. Wilkinson, Eltham, asking to be allowed to give a price in connection with night soil work, and stating that he had had considerable experience. Telegram from Mr Hutchison, re the Post Office. — The Mayor said the engineer would be here next week to start the work. So he was informed by Mr Seddon, the Premier, whom he had seen on Tuesday night. Councillor Davidson asked if tbe work would be finished before the general election. The Mayor did not know. Danevirke Borough Council, thanking council for readinefls in co-operating with respect to Manawatu Railway, but stating that' action was necessarily postponed until next meeting of Parliament. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The committee reported acceptance of tender for levelling Glover road. Councillor Hood moved adoption of i report, but enquired whether the level of the footpaths was to be reduced. If not they wonld be dangerous. Councillor Stowell seconded. Councillor Whittington said no provision had been made for doing anything to the footpaths. Agreed to. Councillor Haughey proposed to move that the footpaths be attended to, but tbe Mayor said be had no doubt tbe committee would attend to the matter without specific instruction. NIGHTSOIL COMMITTEE'S REPORT. This was read as follows :—: — " In compliance with your resolution passed at meeting of Council on 7th November, 1894, your committee report that the nightsoil contractor is willing to undertake the emptying of pans on same conditions as reported at last meeting, at the charge of Is per pan where only one service per month is required, and over that number of services at 7d per pan, or same as old rate, which as your committee previously pointed out would only affect tbe great majority of burgesses served to the extent of 3d per month extra. Your committee would therefore strongly recommend that their report as already laid before you be adopted forthwith." Councillor Davidson moved tbe adoption of the report. Councillor Hood seconded, but held that the council should be independent of the contractor with reepeot to a depot. Councillor Haugbey considered that the proposed arrangement would do very well, for if any change occurred there would be three months' notice, and that would be ample to enable the council to get a depot. Bat he hoped the counoil w&g going in for water and drainage. The Mayor suggested that Councillor Davidson Bbou!d move the adoption also of the report brought up at last meeting. Councillor Davidson said he did not agree with the depot or tbe term of twelve months. He thought that the council should have a right to terminate tbe agreement on notice. Councillor Stowell held that if tbe pro* vision of a depot was to be taken over by the Council, it reopened tbe whole question, and it would be necessary to modify the report. Councillor Caplen pointed out that under the Munioipal Corporations Act no contract over £20 could be let without tenders being called. Moreover, be considered that the reoent arrangement had worked bo well that it would be a pity to disturb it. The price, Is per pan, too, tfas exorbitant, especially xf the by-laws with reepeot to filtb and dirty water were strictly carried out. Certainly if the bylaws were strictly carried out it would soon force people into the drainage syitem. He held also that the Council should have a reserve for tbe deposit of nightsoil and garbage. The present rubbish heap was most obnoxious. Therefore be moved as an amendment " That it is not desirable for tbe Counoil to enter into a contract for the removal of night&oii, and that it is desirable that tbe Council should provide a depot for night soil and garbage." Councillor Davidson believed that the objection of Cr. Caplen was fatal to the report, and he wished to withdraw bis motion. Councillor Haugbey also thought that tbe objection was fatal. The Mayor quoted the 7th section of fche Municipal Corporation! Aot, 1891, to show that this was not a contraot. The Mayor said it was intended to burn much of the rubbish at the depdt, and to proseoute people who put thir rubbish too near the road. Tbe motion was negatived. Councillor Caplen then moved that the council provide a dep6t for night soil and rubbish. Councillor Stowell seconded. Councillor Davidson thought that the night soil and rubbish must be kept separate. Agreed to: KERBING. It was mentioned that the kerbing was found to be out of line in Princes-street from Mr O'Connell's to Mr Fake's, and the question was, Cr. Whittington said, whether the kerbing should be shifted on to tbe proper line or whether simply tbe new kerbing should be bo set in and the old left until in ordinary coarse it had to be replaced, the connecting, of course, being made in a sightly manner. The works committee recommended the latter course; Councillor Davidson suggested that if tbe kerbing remained off the proper line and any accident happened tho council would be responsible. Councillor Caplen dissented from this view, and said he thought that if the borough solicitor's advioe were taken it would be found that tbe council were not restricted to any particular line in respect of footpaths. Tbe telegraph poles were an obstruction, and if the council did not take action possibly it might be liable. The suggestion of Cr. Wbittington was agreed to. LIOHTING. The Mayor Baid he was to have received final definite information on Monday about tbe electric light, but it had not come to hand, and therefore he must defer bringing up the question of lighting. Councillor Caplen understood that only Mr Tarnbail had been consulted, and mentioned that Mr Tilley, of Hawera, had a good deal of information on tbe subject, and was in fact an electrical engineer. The Mayor said they had some information from Mr Tilley, and also a good deal of assistance from Mr J. F. Martin. OLD MEN'S HOME. The Mayor reported that he bad brought tbe complaint against the Old Men's Home at New Plymouth before the Charitable Aid Board that day, but action had already been taken. It was thought that there would be better super* vision, for no doubt there had been nnruliness. He understood, however, tbat Israel Jordan, whose case had been mentioned previously, had proved himself qaite able to hold his own, for he had given another man a tremendous black eye with his crutch. However, an overseer and matron were to be appointed to keep the unruly old members in order. SPECIAL RATE. The Mayor moved the motion confirming tbe striking of a special rate, ACCOUNTS. The ordinary monthly accounts were paesed for payment. TRACTION ENGINE. On an account for J6155 53 being pro* sented from Mcggeridge and Co., Councillor Stowell said he understood that the oonnty engineer was considerably interested in the firm and the contraot, and the work was only tallied by a workman of the borongh. If bo it was a matter whioh should be enquired into. Tbe Mayor said he knew nothing of tbe rumor, but he knew tbat the chairman of the works committee was well able to look after the interests of the borough, and tbat no man better than Mr Parkin could be found in tbe colony to keep a strict tally. Councillor Davidson said if the engineer was interested he was probably liable to a

penalty. At any rate a borough connoiHo wonld be. It waa freely rnmored tbat the engineer was the owner of the traction engine. Councillor Stowell understood that th 9 engine had broken a county bridge, whioh it cost £6 to repair. However, that was a matter for tbe county. Councillor Whittington said the measurement of the trnek was known, and it was an easy matter to oount tbe trucks. Councillor flood complained that the drivers of the traction engine were not sufficiently careful in shutting off steam when meeting horses, and said he feared there would be accident if something were not done. ■ The Mayor had no doubt that if the matter were represented to the contractors the complaint wonld be attended to. He noticed that in Canterbury the horseß I took little or no notice of the engine, bnt here they were not yet used to it. There were complaints tbat the engine out up tho streets, but the engineer assured him that carting of metal would cat them up worse. He said that Borne streets were being cut np, and suggested that tbe engine be taken round by tbe Normanby road, and be bad drawn attention to the fact that the contractors had promised some metal in exchange for the damage they wera doing, and this would be supplied. Cr. Haughey was perfectly certain that if the same atnoant of metal had been carted, more damage would have been done to the streets. Cr« Stowell did not agree with this, and thought the engine should be kept ont of the middle of the town at any rate. Tbe council adjourned. \i-