BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXVII, Issue 5, 7 January 1891, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

_ <» At the ordinary meeting of the Borough Council held last night there were present His Worship the Mayor (Mr Houldsworth), Crs Norgrove, Hooper, Patchett, Sinclair, Tunnicliffe, and Smale. TESDEBS. Tenders for cleaning oat the Co-operative Drain were opened, and were as follows :— No 1 contract— M. Desmond £11 13s, C. Byan (accepted) £9 15s, W. Meads £10. No 2 contract— M. Carroll (accepted) £35 153. Nos. 1 and 2— T. Neville £50. BECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE. The receipts and expenditure for the month were— receipts £546 ss, and expenditure £150 10s 3d, the general account showing a dsbit balance of £1953 17s 9d. COBBESPONDENCE. Letter 3 were received from the Kailway and Government Life Insurance Departments acknowledging receipt of communications re holes and hedges. Mr li. A. Browne again wrote calling attention to the nuisance on section 203 Alfred- street, pointing out that on Sunday last his residence was endangered by fire owing to some boys setting fire to gorse on the section m question. Mr James Sinclair also replied to the Council m connection with this same section declining to do anything unless the Council took the necessary steps to provide drainage, which at present the Council had stopped up. There was no smell or effluvium from any water on section 203, but it came from a piggery and stable drainage on the boundary. Cr Smale was under the impression that the opinion of the Committee which had inspected the property was that they could not drain a private property across the road. He would move that the Council clear up the ditch, and that the owner be requested to cut the overhanging willows, and that the furze be cut, also the furze on the street. -Or Patchett agreed with Mr Browne that there was a collection of nuisances, though ho could not see any stagnant water on the place. If the Council cleaned up the ditch there would be very little nuisance. Motion carried. Mr C. Webb, Government Insurance agent, wrote as to section 108, Market Street, stating that he bad forwarded the complaint to the Head Office. The artesian well complained of was not on the property m question, and the section, though low lying, was not a nuisance, nor did it take the Whole of the surface drainage of the neighbourhood, and if it did that was the fault of the Council for not providing proper drainage notwithstanding the excessive rates. . ' ' . NIGHT SOI!!. G. Blackburn wrote stating that owing to the unsuitability of the soil on Marple's land it was impossible to properly bury the night soil. Cr Norgrove thought a Committee had been appointed, to secure a suitable site The Mayor replied that the Sanitary Committee "had not yet had time to meet. better held over. BATHTKG PLACE. Mr J. Allen, Coroner, forwarded the rider of the jury which sat on the inquest touching the death of James Sylvius, pointing oat the necessity for the provision of safe bathing places. The Mayor said that owing to the holidays the Bathing Committee had not yet met. """tetter held over. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr E. Priddle called attention to the condition of the footpath m front of his hotsl, and asked that the footpath be kerbed. Cr Sinclair sympathised with the writer, fnd moved that the letter be referred to the Works Committee. The same course was adopted with letters from J. Brown as to a hole m Nicholson Terrace, and W. Clouston & Co. asking for a lamp at the east end of High Street. INSPECTOR OF NTJISAHCES BEPOBT. '. The Inspector reported- that there were no nuisances m the Borough which are likely to endanger public health. He reminded the Council that his term of office had expired, and it was resolved that he be asked to remain m office till next meeting. ESTIMATES. Cr Norgrove moved as he had given notice : — That the Inspector of Works make an estimate of the cost. of the footpaths as indicated m Cr Sinclair's motion of Dec. 10th. He said there were a number of works on the list of promises, some of them going back as far as Mr Ryan's time.. He believed that these footpaths would cost at least £200, there were also the i ■Nelson Street Bridge, Co-operative Drain, Benwick Old Road, and other works which would require a large outlay, which had to be kept m view. He considered therefore it would be as well to have an esiimate, particularly as large portion of next year's rates would be mortgaged for these ".works. Cr Sinclair would not oppose the motion, bat he contended that it was patent to everyone that the work would not be gone on with without an estimate when the proper time came. Cr Patchett seconded the motion. Cr Hooper thought the motion would give the Inspector useless trouble to make up an estimate just now. He believed the work •would be postponed much later than March, and he would vote against any works being gono on with till some of those already promised had been attended to. He would also oppose any new works except those absolutely necessary, until their overdraft was very much reduced. Cr Tunnicliffe considered the motion useless. The footpaths m question were a necessity, and those who paid large rates were entitled to more consideration, as compared with thoße on the outskirts, than they now received. The Mayor agreed with Cr Sinclair that it had been perfectly understood that the ■work was not going to be touched m this financial year. He thought the Council Bbould press more for their rates. It was '. unjust to those who paid promptly that one half of those who were rated should be so much m arrear. It meant that they had to . pay all the more to the bank, and he thought the position should be faced, and some compulsion used to get the rates m. Cr Patchett thought there would be no hindrance to the work to pass the motion. Cr Norgrove thought it would not be useless to look into the future, m this and other matters. He believed the Inspector should also prepare a schedule of all pledged works before the end of the financial yearCr Sinclair would not like to take an estimate now, when further experience might show that the work could be done cheaper than at present is thought. The motion was put and lost, ayes 3, Crs Norgrove, Patchett, and the Mayor ; noes 4, Crs Hooper, Tunnicliffe, Sinclair, and Smale. This concluded the business.