Gore Borough Council.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 165, 21 July 1896, Page 2

Gore Borough Council.

y ORDINARY MEETING. ,y Monday, July '20, 1890. The Council met "at the usual hour. Pre-sent-His Worship the Mayor, " Councillors J Martin, Kennedy,- Gibbs, Copland, Brewer, * 3impson, Latham, and Carmody. . • CORRESPONDENCE. ' f R. Buchanan wrote drawing tho attention ' of the Council to the state of Salford street, l from the depot gate to the ond of the gravel- ' ling opposite his honse. The writer offered I to do the necessary gravelling for £4. I ] P. Souness drew the Council's attention to . I the state of Wigan street -in front of his i house. The work had been promised somo i time ago, but nothing had boen done. i An application was received from Messrs ] A. Latham and W. Connor for a continua- j tion of the footpath on Toronto street, East i Gore, past the properties of Mr 3. Latham and the applicants. J. R. Stevens asked that something be done to carry off the water that was backed up near his property. On the motion of Councillor Copland, the Works Committee wero instructed to inspect the four localities mentioned ; to act in the cases of Messrs Stevens and Souness, and report on the other two applications. Jas. Holland asked for a progress payment of £140 on his bridge contract.— Referred to the Finance Committee with power to act. M. R. Bree forwarded certificates of titles to certain properties, presumably" for- the purpose of a transfer of names on the burgess roll. — Received ; t j be informed that the application is not in order. A. E. Aldridge, on behalf of the Gore Brass Band, applied for the occasional use of the Town Hall (at the cost of lighting) for the purpose of practising for the forthcoming band contest to be held at Gore. — On the motion of Councillors Martin and Gibbs, the request was granted for occasions on which the hall is not otherwise engaged. REr-ORTS. The Fire Prevention Committee reported, recommending that the accounts of J. Holland for £6 «3 Cd (Hid E. Lovell for 10s 9d be passed for payment, and that R. W. Jones be offered £4 15s in settlement of accounts. — The report was adopted on the motion of Councillor Martin, Councillors Copland and Kennedy dissenting. — Councillor Copland, explaining his grounds for opposing the report, said he objected to the engineer's (Mr R. W. Jones') charges beiug cut down. — Councillor Kennedy objected on the opposite score. He had seen the stuff shifted at the well-testing, aud it appeared to him that they had paid about £3 for every stone that was shifted. — (Laughter.) The Inspector of Nuisances, reported that owing. to bad weather gorse clearing had not gone on very rapidly. He discovered that the' Borough nightsoil was being deposited in the Mataura river a little below the Gore railway bridge. The nightsoil contractor was carrying ont iis duties in an unsatisfactory manner, and ho (the Inspector) suggested that a -good man be appointed at a stated salary. The Borough was in a dirty state, and the present system tended to the ill-health, of the community. A reply as to the method of disposing of nightsoil at Invercargill, received .from the Town Clerk there, was attached. This work had been done by the Borough employfis for the past six months, and the system was more satisfactory to the citizens than the old contract system, and with no additional exponse entailed. — Commenting upon the report, the' Mayor said that iv Invercargill no direct charge was mada for removiug nightsoil— it came out of rates, and cost about £300 per year, three men being engaged. Here the work could be done by one man, at a cost of . about £150, which a rate of about 3d in the £ would "meet. It would eventually come to that in Gore, although he was not prepared to say that they could adopt, such a scheme just yet.— Councillor Simpson suggested that the services of the present contractor be dispensed with, and that fresh applications for the post be invited. —Councillor Martin thought that as this was the first written complaint against- the contractor, a stiff letter from the Town Clerk would have the desired effect. Ho moved that a letter ba sent to the contractor indicating the nature of the complaint, and warning him that he rendered . himself liable under the Police Offences Act for depositing nightsoil in the river. — Seconded by Councillor Carmody, and carried. — The report was then adopted. . MISCELLANEOUS. Councillor Simpion said that the gorse on the river banks at East Gore and other places was a serious nuisance, and should be attended to. On tho motion of Councillor .Martin, tho .Reserves Committee \yerc instructed to report on the best means of cleaning the cemetery reserve. Councillor Brewer thought it was time that step 3 were taken to form a River Board to protect the town from the danger of the river, and, on his motion, it was resolved that the Reserves Committee inspect and report on the river banks where damaged by the recent flood. '" Tenders were ordered to be called for formation and gravelling ou Mary street, the same. to be in by next meeting. The Mayor reported that the Committee appointed had arranged for the opening of the new bridge to take place on Wednesday afternoon, 29th inst. It was resolved to attend to several pools of water iv Ardwick Street. On the motion of Councillor Copland, seconded by Councillor Simpson.it was resolved to draw the attention of the returning officer to the fact that Councillor Fhilp had absented himself from four consecutive meetings, rendering his seat vacant. RESIGNATION. Councillor Martin, owing to business engagements, tendered his resignation after five years' service at the Council table. — Tlie Mayor expressed thn regret of the Council at the step. Councillor Martin contemplated taking, and it was ultimately agreed, on Councillor Copland's motion, seconded by Councillor Brewer, that Councillor Martiu's resignation lie on the table in the meantime, and that consideration of it be deferred to next meeting. nOROUOII RESERVES. In accordance with notice given, Councillor Gibbs moved that immediate steps be taken to have the public domains within the Borough of Gore vested iuthe Borough Council.— CouricilbrCarmody seconded the motion. — The Mayor said that at a meeting of the Goro Domain Board, which ho had attonded, he had found members amenable to reason, and that they were agreeable that a vacancy in their number now existing be filled by a nominee of the Council, also that the Governor's sanction ba asked, to fill the vacancy in Ihis manner annually. Another vacancy was likely of occurrence, and the -Domain Board were agreeable that it should be filled in a similar manner. This_ would meau that the Council would, have three representatives out of, five on the Board, the Mayor being au cc officio member. Tho Domain Board were anxious that something should bo done in this direction, and as it was generally admitted that the .Council had its hands full with tho streets, roads, etc., that plau should suit very well.- He moved, as an amendment, that tbe Domain Board be recommended to ask the Governor to allow the two vactmcies. to be -filled by nominees of the Council, it to be an annual election.— - Councillor Copland seconded. — Councillor Martin thought the Domain Board had been more or less of an ornament in times past, and the end Councillor Gibbs had in view would be accomplished" by the amendment. A stir had been made among tho dry bones, and as Councillor Gibbs ' had done his duty to the ratepayers by bringiug the matter up, he might well let his motion drop.—Councillor Gibbs said that the Domain Board had existed before the Council, and he contended that when the Council came into being there was ho need for the Domain Board. On the amendment being put, foUr voted for and four against it, and the Mayor, giving his deliberative vote in its favor, declared it carried. ... ESTIMATES. The Engineer (Mr J. Blaikie) presented estimates prepared by him for the proposed footpath along the East Gore railway esplanude. — For tho consideration of these the Council went into Committee, aud on resuming, tho following resolutions were carried : (1) That the AVorks Committee havo the j roadway from fhe railway feEco to the ; present roadway repaired and put in order at ouce ; (2) that the matter of rubble walls at the approach to the now bridge be left in the hands of the Works Committee, with power to act. The matter of the removal of the ! embankment opposite Mr Costello's was held ! i over for furthor consideration, plans and • specifications for a footpath over it to bo ! i prepared. Tho Council thin adjourned. 1 1