BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 169, 21 January 1888, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Friday, 20tii Jaxdary. Present ; His Worship tho Mayor (Mr Riley), Ci's. Cooke, Houldsworth, BytboJl, Parker, M'Artney, Jellyinan and Ching. CORRESPONDENCE. From the proprietors of Times and ExPpess stating 1 their willingness to r-isei t ouftciFs advertisprnepts at reduced rates )tv ppiisideration that all advertisements Wore inserted in both papers.—Received. From Mr Oallis, Secretary to the N. Z. Commissioners of tho Victorian Exhibition, inviting the Mayor to form a local committee, " The international character of tho Exhibition is assured, every country asked taking part. Entries for 1887 wool clip must he forwarded immediately upon receipt of the forms, which will reach you early.”—The Mayor said that when ho received the telegram he instructed the Town Clerk to communicate the contents c<f tho telegram to the Chamber of Commerce, hut that the meeting of that body had lapsed. lie now moved that the Council bo a Committee, with power to add to their number. The Exhibition was likely to be ah important one, and ho knew of several pipbable local exhibitors.- Cr M‘i\ytney Seconded qnd supported tho motion.—Cr floe'dsworth ly’slccd if the Road Bpards f)t}d bpen (piprpupicatcd vyitfi. Tlie matter was eqqaby interestmg fo them.—The Miiyor replied that ho knew nothing further about the matter than what was contained in the telegram. But i f a Com - rnltteo was formed of the Couno'l with power to add, Chairmen of Road Boards and Chamber of Commerce could be included.—ln reply to Cr Ching, who .supported the motion, tho Mayor said that lm did not thiplc the formation of a Com Llitittce Avoid'd eiitu’l any cost upon the Borough.—The motion was carried. From J. Fitzgerald, A ssistapt Eng-'neer, Public AYofks rfepq.rtmentj re fjcfjigq' for ft bridge pvpr fhe flpiaka jftivpr, stating fbftt nope of thp designs ip fiis office were suitable, as they did not run over 80 feet in length of single span. “In view of tlio Ornaka having eventually to carry the bulk of tho Taylor flood water, and tho consequent necessity for driving no nbes ip the channel, or olqser between piers jban jfbppj; IQQ feef., such' plans would be ptisuifablp 'fop your purpose. I am,' bow - pver, making' enquiries for 'a special design which might be of servloe, and also for permission, to provide you with a specification, if it should he necessary.” The Mayor said he had made enquiries as to suitable plans for a bridge. There was money avai'nble for a bridge, but although it was not required at present, it might be OT any trine, and ho thought it well to ho pfepaVe'd for e6irt ; ngcucies. ’’Ho moved that the letter he received, end that the -Writer bo thanked for same. - Carried. From the manager of the gasworks, efating that boforo going op ’with tar pavement tlie kerbipg should be done, of the cost of which lie enclosed a detailed ostimate —viz, .£2 17s Gd per chain. Ho also enclosed an estimate of tar pavement from Coonial Bank corner to Maxwell Road,—Tho Mayor having explained tho matter, said, in answer to Cr HoulbsVpfth,,t]rat no pSfjisfiipce wqitld pp "yeqbired at the gasworks, but that tho inspector could make a good deal of concrete in his spare time.—Cr Houldsworth said thore was no room for discussion as to the relative merits of wood and concrete kirbing, and moved that concrete be used.—Cr Jellyinan secondd and supported the motion, wl.ioli was put and tarried. l ■ ■ 1 • '' Fibre. G. Cleghorn, M.D., cpliing atfentiph'tp the fact that by 'fi’Pnsr-in the ditch in Waiter-street with largo stones, as decided upon at last meeting, and that the action wonld deprive him of the o;;lv outlet lie had for water from his house and stable. He requested the C mncil to lay pipes.—Cr Jellyinan questioned whether large stones wor’d pot eventually fill i>p,. HTHpt'ne CJorncil might ho'compelled -4 to .re-o'pl'n tlie drain.—Cr Houldsworth Dr Cleghorn was needlessly hlarmod. r lhe drain' in Maxwell-road, ■winch had been filled in with slopes, and Where there whs three times the quantity M water to 'got 'rid bf, Had n’ot tilled fip. find ft dangerous ditch had been removed. The Council could not afford to put in tiles.—Or Ching was of opinion that if lane stones were simply tipped in, the drain would be choked" up. He moved that the Inspector report upon the matter.—CV Parker thought the Council should bo very cautious about filling up

drains. They had been threatened with an action for so d"ing some timo ago. — Tho Mayor said that as thore was no drainage scheme in the Borough, Dr Cleghorn h.id in right to r.u wat, r into the water tauLo or ditches. The ditch was put in to drain some springs, higher up, not with the idea of providing a drainage system. If the Council acceded to the request of the letter and laid down pipes there would be no end of similar applications.—Cr Ching mentioned that the Council some time ago threatened to bring an action against some ratepayers who had been running water into a drain, but Cr Jeilyman replied that the case referred to was not analngotiH to the present one.—Cr Bythell thought that as Dr Cleghorn had gone to great, expense in putting in a rain and connecting wit the drain, the drain ought to be kept op' i. — The motion was carried.

From the Registrar-General requesting to be supplied with statistics of the Borough.— Che Clerk intimated that he had answered the letter, stating that there were 517 inhabited houses in the Borough. From the Minister of Lands asking what endowments the Borough had, to which the reply was sent that there were none.

From Mr J. Sinclair, calling the notice of the Council to the circumstance that some time ago the bank raised on the Customs reserve %o prevent tho Opawa when in high fio„d overflowing and rushing down Stuart-street arid the adjoining sections and flooding the lower lying portions of the town, was removed by tho borough to continue Custom House-street in Park Terrace, and had made up again. The consequence was that a great many residences in which is now a populous part of the town, lmd been heavily flooded and rendered temporarily uninhabitable during flood. If the bank had not been taken away such would not have been the case, and now that justice demanded its replacement to do so effieiently and with the proper results, now was the proper timo, so as to give tho hank time to consolidate a .d the grass to spring up against summer and spring freshes.—The Mayor suggested that a committee he appointed to inquire into this matter. Ho was not sure but that it was one for the Road Board to deal with. Cr Houldsworth moved that the letter be referred to tho Lower AVairuu River Board. -■ Cr Parkcs seconded, hut ho thonght it would simply be referred back to the Council, as the Council had taken away the bank.—Cr Ching was of opinion that if tho bank were on the street that Mr Sinclair exchanged, he was responsible for it.—The Mayor remarked that tho matter was rather an important one for tho portion of the town referred to, and if tho Road Board did not take up the question some other body would have to do so.—The motion was carried.

From Rogers and Barleyman, solicitors, demanding payment of £! 10s costs in a ease where a charging order had been made against certain funds in the hands of the Council owing to defendant in a late action. The clerk paid the money into Court, without costs, and the solicitors now demanded payment of the same. Cr Bythell moved that the Council pay the amount. The Clerk certainly paid all that he was asked for, but it could scarcely he expected that he should be well up in tho law. He (Cr Bythell) would have done just the same thing. Cr Jeilyman seconded the motion ; still, he questioned whether the charge was a legal one, and he thought the matter should be referred to the Borough solicitor The Mayor read the charging order.— .After some discussion, in the course of which some councillors were of opinion

that flic charge vyqs an illegal one, ultimately an ftmpnclment waspufund carried that the claim bo referred to the borough solicitor for opinion, REPORTS, The Inspector of Works, as instructed, reported upon the advisability or otherwise of removing the bunk in Fell-street. He considered tint tlie bank was no protection against floods, and that it could be removed with safety, if required; in his opinion the hank does not obstruct the traffic, and cannot be put down as a nuisance, there being ample room for carts to pass. He could not see what benefit the Council would derive by the removal of the bank at the present time. If it' were the Council’s intention to put the stuff to some utility bv filling up and forming some other part of the Borough, the quantity of thud' fhftt could be pa pried away would pot aipount fo mqolp fq lq.-i opinion tho principal part would be required for filling and levelling the different parts that it was originally taken from. A portion of the upper cud would be available for carting away. His opinion was that it was not advisable t < remove the bank at the present time, there being no benefit to be derived t.l|p’a : |Koui. tjju"inal- 'ng enquiries lie had heard no complaints that any nuisance exists that would make it compulsory on the part of the Council ' to remove the bank.’—Cr Ching, vyfiq qskefi for fhje yepjorf, saic} qs' {fie'ljnappctQE reeorqrqendecj that tqe bqnk should be left, he was satisfied,

The Committee appointed to consider the question, reported that in their opinion a Municipal Association was calculated to be beneficial to the interests of corporation and recommended this Council fo .join (game.—The Mayor moved tho adoption of the report, which was seconded by Cr Parker qqcl carried', Me Muir, tho manager of the gasworks, reported that ho had finished the erection of pump, and had tested it to the best of bis ability, but found that bis engine was not powerful enough to work it.—The Mayor explained the history of this matter, and the trouble ho had experienced in getting a suitable pump.—Ors Jellyman aufi late Mayor and Inspector for going to the expense of fitting up a pump which they knew from tho first would not work.—After some considerable discussion, flip matter of arranging for q pump was left'in the hands of'the Mayor and tho Inspector. The question of erasion of Taylor river 1 atiks, held over from a former meeting, win again taken up. The Mayor explained that the River Board had declined at its last met t'ng to consider the matter on the ground that it wao a qyipg body. —As-ffiepp was'fi’fieW Fioanl the Mayor moved that the matter bo referred to it. —Cr Houldsworth seconded the motion, and stated that the gap was dangerous to life.— Cr Ching supported the motion, on condition that a request be added that the matter he attended to.—The motion as amended was carried.

Cr Parker moved tfuvc specifications ho prepared Tor” 'metalling ‘"St Andrew’s street. He stated that if the road were not metalled it would bo impassable during winter.—Cr Cooke seconded and Crs Ching, M'Artney. Houldsworth and Jelly ran n supported the motion, which was' carried.

Cr Cooke moved, That tlio Inspector of AVorks prepare specifications and call for tenders for the following' works for a period of'-twelve ihohths (1) Keeping Maxwell'Road and footpaths in good repair from Alabama Road to Market l’lauc ; (2) Keeping QroVe R,o;id ’gpd footpaths ui • <i-qnd - jppsvir fipfn ’Cnunwa bridge to Mai kef ’Place l : (3) Keeping AYynen street and footpath*; in good repair ir.om Redwood street to Market Plaoo. (1) Keeping High stvoet and footpaths in good repair from Pickering’s wharf to High street bridge. Ihe mover said be believed it would be of great advantage, and a saving to tho borough. lie referred to the bad state of the roads last winter and stated that ratepayers would not submit to it. Thu system of day U\boy Vya&

out of date. He maintained that too much attention had been paid to roads at tho expense of footpaths. Ho showed the difference between day labor and contract prices in >m returns • •btain d from the Awarfre Road district. The price quoted waß simply for maintenance of roads both by contract and day work, and in three years tho contract system resulted in a saving "f £513 to tli B ird. Cr Jell}.nan seconded the motion, although conflicted with motion passed at former meeting, re supp’y of gravel. If let by tender he had no doubt the cost would he less and the work would be bette r done. If the contractors were compelled to fill in holes we would have good roads. The motion was one of the most important motions that had been brought forward. The Mayor said he failed to see how the notion would work. AYho, he asked, wonld tender for gravel if the main streets were taken out, and the Council would have no control over the work. The previous resolution should either be ouucilhdor the motion lost. The Council could do nothing better than try the effect of the motion already passed. There was no analogy between the Road Board, with perhaps thirty miles of country to attend to, and the Borough ! Council. I Cr Houldsworth would also oppose the j | motion, believing that it would not work well. He also contended that before the contract for metal was let tho roads should be put in good order. Cr Parker would support the motion. If the conditions of contract were not carried out the Council hud its remedy. - Cr Ching would oppose tho resolution in its present form. He faded to see, in the deplorable state of the roads, how a contractor could keep them in a proper state. —Cr M'Artney would also oppose the motiou, as he (lid not think the Inspector and contractors could over agree as to wh it constituted proper order. Cr Cooke replied, defending the comparison he drew between the Road Board and the Council, and also that there would be no difficulty between the inspector and contractors. Tho Awatere Road Board had effected a saving of £513 in three years. A large number of ratepayers in his ward bad appaoved of the scheme.— The Council divided—Ayes ; Crs Cooke, Parker and Jeilyman. Noes : The Mayor, Crs Houldsworth, Bythell, Ching and M'Artney. Cr Ching, referring to specifications for work in St. Andrew-strcet, said he noticed they provided for taking two feet off the footpath. He moved that it be an insti action to the Inspector of AVorks to alter tho specifications so as to retain the footpath at 9ft wide. The motion was seconded by Cr Jeilyman and carried. Cr Parker drew attention to tho dangerous condition of St Androw-strcet bridge, and moved that tho Inspector attend to tho same at once.—Carried. The Council then adjourned.