ELTHAM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume L, Issue 9001, 25 January 1906, Page 8

ELTHAM.

BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

At the monthly meeting ou Wednesday there weTe present— The Mayor (Mr G. W. Tayler), Crs Parrotfc, Sfcannere, Hill, Carman, Briant, Wilkinson, and Crump. Leave of absence was granted Cr Blackhall. Correspondence outward was approved, and inwaTd received as follows : — From F. J. Cumberworth (secretary Eltham Tradesmen's Association) recommending the Council to declare. Thursday to be the day of the statutory weekly half holiday for the ensuing year.— Request acoeeded to. From Cr W. C. Page, tendering his rt> signation as a member of the Council, and also the position of fire inspector, owing to removal from the district. — His Worship moved, That resignations be accepted with regie*. Seconded by Cr Hill and carried. FTom Dr McGill, of the Health Department, suggesting that Mr Gardiner should be appointed sanitary inspector to the borough. — After a consultation with Messrs Climie and Cardiner, the Council were of .opinion that as the sanitary inspector's appointment, by the Health Department over-rode those of the Borough Council, that it would be unnecessary to take any further action; but that Messrs Climiei and Gardiner should work together in harmony, Mr Climie agreeing to notifyMr Gardiner when any sanitary work is in p-rogress. Ffroin W. B. Long, making application to hire the Town Hall for physical culture classes. — Decided that nothing can be done at present owing to the untenantable state of the building. From Mr Syme (borough solicitor) covering letter from Mr Welsh, stating that Mr Willy refuses to accept the Council's offer for settlement of his claim.—Referred to Finance Committee.

WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

The Works Cominit-ee made the followTceommendations : —

"That Mr Wilkinson be given seven. days notice to remedy nuisance complained of by Mr J. Sullivan. "That consideration of culvert opposite Hitchcock's property on Mountain Toad be held over until toad is finished.

"That reply be sent to the Minister for Railways, stating that Council has suffi-cient-stone for present requirements.

"That a committee be set up to deal with Town Hall. , "That engineer report to next .meeting on all- further works ready for commencement." — Report adopted. ' His Worship the Mayor and Crs Wilkinson, Carman; and Parrott were appointed a committee, to (report on Town Hall, and the borougli foreman was instructed to look over the building. LIGHTING COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

The Lighting Committee reported as follows :—: — "That in the opinion of this comimittes a comprehensive/ lighting scheme for the borough should be adopted at once, and that coal gas be recommended as the illuminant; that in view of th© heavy municipal undertakings the Council 'has on hand at present the Council should endeavor

to make suitable arrangements for the establishment of gasworks to be undertaken by private enterprise, subject to pTopfir safeguards in the direction of reserving a right to the Borough to take over the undertaking on suitable terms; that this committee arrived at the above conclusions with mare satisfaction as they coincide with" the opinion embodied in the resolution of the public meeting of ratepayers held on 4th April, 1904. Cr Crump moved the adoption of the report, and dwelt at considerable length on thef investigations made by the Lighting Committee. His Worship the Mayor seconded the motion, and hoped that the Council would support it. . Cr . Wilkinson considered there was nothing further in the report than what was brought forward by a committee set up by a previous Council, and stated that the only reason that p*vented a scheme bein* brought forward two years ago wast that satisfactory arrangements could not be made for the taking over the works by the Council from those who were willing to mstal gas works in the boroueh. Lr Parrotfc spoke against the resolution. S°SJ if pi ?i On that th 6 town «*ouM be lighted by the municipality Cr Hill said that report had his hearty JSA"!; considered it was quite time E^i^ b T2 !!il ¥ lted ' H we waited for gebonmgh to take the matter up we Se* 1 *» a long time without a good 1^ 50 01 "^.- and considered that the committee of the late Council in rejecting the terms previously offered, rejected an offer which they would not be prepared to risk their ow£ S7S 7 "V w e fav ? red ' however, municipal control in preference to letting the lighting to private enterprise. ° Cr Stanners considered that there was no possibility of getting the ratepayers to sanction a. loan for lighting purples, iplSf^i^ * - a sat^tor/offer were obtained from private enterprise that it would be wise to accept it In replying, Cr Crump stated that the stiong reason which the committee had in recommending private enterprise was that the ratepayers were already sufficiently heavily rated, and that other Councils had been unsuccessful in the management of gas works in their initial stages, although they had subsequently been earned on successfully. On the motion being put, the report was a^ b Sii Cr 1^ rrott alone dissenting. Cr Hill moved, Tliat the proposed Lighting Committee take the necessary steps to attempt to obtain offers from private companies willing to take up the enter onse, —Seconded by Cr Stanners and carried.

FINANCE COMMITTEE

Finance Committee recommended That cheque for £398 Is 4d he pa-d- to Rawera Coimty Council, being full amount of claim a,s ; agreed upon, in exchange for SSiigA 11114 **"*»*«?«» ENQIXEEirS EEPOKT.

The Rorougn Engineer (Mr IL W I CWe) reported as follows :— "Water and Drainage —Since the last report tite Foreman has attended to several small leaks on the pipe line, and he has aJso cleaned but, the silt from the filter tunnel. Everything in connection with i the water, service is now in good order | bur permits have been- granted for ord^ nary .services. The septic tanks are in good working order, but owing to persons waking over the distributing trays and , bending them out of shape it will be neces- , sary to obtain a few more sheets of iron j 1 would suggest that notice-boards be i erected warning the public against trespasfsing on the tank silts. I "Contracts.— Fair progress has been f.'ade with both contracts; stone-crushing I commenced yesterday, and the work of spreading the metal lias been commenced at the Mangawhero bridge, the work of spreading being done, by borough em ptoyeea as specified. If this fine weather | continues the road will be completed to , the Conway road before your next meeting. Mr Julian has more than half the stone out ready for crushing, and I think no wjII be able to keep the crusher working continuously.

'•General. — T would sagg^it that tenders be called for the -asphalting, as it will tak* some considerable time to prepare th© voad and material before the actual spreading of the asphalt can be proceeded with. _ I would also suggest that I be authorised to employ men by the day to trim up some of the footpaths for receiving th© screening which the Council agreed to take from the contractor who is supplying the broken stone." Report adopted. In reply to a question from Cr Wilkinson, Mr Climie stated that he was satisfied that the street works would be completed before the end of summer. Tli© question of metalling the- Mountain road from the Mangawhlero stream to the Mangawhero road was discussed, and the engineer instructed to h|a-\ie tlite woi'k done.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Th© Borough Foreman reported that lie had been engaged during th© last mo^th principally on the septic tanks and |ttpe line.

The Sanitary Inspector reported six oases of scarlet fever and. one case of typhoid fever during th© month. All thtese cases have been removed to the Hawera, Hospital. Accounts amounting to £735 6s Id- were passed for payment. It was resolved that as soon, as the agreement is received from the bank's solicitors at Wellington that special meeting of Council be called for purpose of making special order in terms of special Act.

Resoh-led to ask tbe Fiie Brigade to nominate a fire inspector vice Captain Page resigned. It was resolved to certify that a. majority of the shopkeepers of Eltham borough have signed requisition praying that section 21 of th|e Shops and Offices Act be enforced. . Courthouse. — His Worship moved. That a letter be written to the- Minister for Justice urging erection of Courthouse with as little delay as possible.— Seconded by Cr Briant. —Carried. The Council ro*e at 10 p.m.