BLENHEIM BOROUGH COUNGIL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 115, 16 May 1908, Page 7

BLENHEIM BOROUGH COUNGIL.

The usual meeting of the Blenheim Borough Council was held last evening. There were present: The Mayor (Mr A. McCallum), Councillors Patchetjt, Brown, McKinley, White, Macey, Griffiths, Ching, Carr, Birch. GAS SUPPLY ACCOUNT. The following is the return for the Gas Supply Account during April, 1908. Gas collected by meter ,_ hIW •3s 2d; stove rent, £3 10s; residuals, £31 18s 3d; fittings, £3 2s; total, £298 13s sd. ■ Bank balance qr. £679 0s 6d. . Arrears, £2 11s od.— Received. SIGN OVER FOOTPATH. Fong Lee applied for .permission to erect a sign over the footpath.. in High. Street. . , It was pointed out that the sign had Already been erected.— Left m the hands of the Borough Foreman to deal with. ERECTING A HOARDING. Mr John P. Bourke wrote to the Council asking for permission to erect a hoarding in front of his proposed new premises on the south side ot Wvnen Street, the hoarding to take four feet 'of the footpath. Permission granted. The approval oi tne plans and specifications of the proposed new building were left m thehands of the Building Committee. NEW VERANDAH. Messrs Milled and McKay wrote ashing to be allowed to re-erect the verandah in front of their sbop.— Granted. " ■ ,-. f TENDERS. I Tenders were received for _t;he supply of a three-horse team to the t/pun§l for gravelling. The tender of Mr W. Satherly was accepted, the price being at the rate of 16s ...Bd. per The following also tendered : A. Marfell 18s, J. Jacques 18^B Register 18s, J. Wooster 17s 6d, E. Leake 18s. ALFRED STREET BRIDGE. The specifications of the Alfred Street bridge repairs were read and considered by the Council. _ It was resolved that tenders be called for. the bridge as per specifications. THE FOREMAN'S REPORT. The Borough Foreman- reported on repairs needed in Earll and Horton Streets. The necessary metalling in Horton Street would be 5* chains long by 33 feet wide; an earthenware pipe culvert was necessary. It was necessary to form a roadway with one •water-table on the western side, the cross grade of roadway to be from Earll to West Streets Other work was also necessary. In regard to -karli i Street the necessary metalling would. t>e 13 chains long by 22 feet wide, the street requiring forming the fullwidth of the roadway. Leithrim Street required to have some pipes put in, and some gravelling done in two places where the formation had sunk. The culvert crossing the roadway had very little covering on at the water-tables. The road, with heavy traffic, would be very bad during the winter. He had obtained permission from the Chairman of the Works Committee"to obtain a plough, which was very much required for road work. The report recommended that the Council consider the advisability of putting in a well in the Corporation horse paddock, The custom had been to carry the water, which gave a good deal of extra, •'work; to the horse driver. The Foreman had received plans etc., of a building which Mr J. Burke proposed to er^ct in Wynen Street, but he-thought that the survey of the proposed site was not yet complete and he recommended: that all survey pegs be shown before the plans were passed. Messrs. Miller and McKay had also applied for permission to build, a verandah in front of their shop. ~,-.' Councillor Macey suggested that the property-owners in Horton Street be approached and asked if they would give any assistance towards repairing the street, as: the; Council was not sure whether it had been taken > over. The matter was left in the hands of the Works Committee to report on at the next rtieeting. ' "i Councillor McKinley moved that the work in Earll Street be gone on with. Councillor Brown seconded pro forma, but he thought that instead of re-forming the street, they ought to make a footpath about 3 feet wide on each side—Referred to the Works Committee. In regard to Lethrim Street Councillor McKinley moved that McLauchlan and Co. be informed that if they put the street in order to the satisfaction, of. the Borough Foreman the Council Council will take it over.

The action of the Chairman of the Works Committee in granting permission for the purchase of a road plough was confirmed. In-regard to the matter of the well. Councillor. Patchett said the suggestion was a good one. He moved to that effect, and the motion was carried. ROAD GRADER. Messrs Booth, Mac Donald and Co. wrote quoting prices for a roadgrader, and asking the Council to patronise them as they understood the Council was about to purchase one.— Referred.to the Works Committee for report, and the Town Clerk was > authorised to write to various firms to ascertain details as to sizes and prices of graders. RESERVE COMMITTEES REPORT. The Chairman of Reserves Committee reported that the Committee met on Tuesday evening, when it was resolved that the following recommendations be forwarded to the Council :-^- ---(1) That the proposal for land exchange per Mr E. Parker's letter of the 30th ultimo cannot be entertained (2) Re Reserves: That the portion of Collie's Hollow lying West of. the eastern boundary line of allotment 39, extended, and east of western boundary line of allotment 32, extended, be offered to Mr Parker for one year s lease at £26 per annum, payable quarterly. . . Councillor Macey briefly reviewed the terms of Mr'Parker's proposal, which have already been published. The proposal was adopted. Councillor White supported the second proposal, but Councillor Griffiths opposed • it. and moved an amendment to the effect that the original ideas of the Reserves Committee be adhered to.

Councillor Ching supported the motion, hut he thought the rent was too high. He thought, however, that Councillor Griffiths' s. amendment would make matters'worse again for Mr Parker.

The Mayor spoke in favour of the recommendation of the Committee.

Councillor Griffiths, whose amendment was not seconded, withdrew it and proposed another, making the lent £15 instead of £26.

This was seconded by Councillor Brown.

The matter was ;then put to the Council and the amendment was deieated by 6to 4. The original motion was then put and carried oil the casting vote of the Mayor. GAS COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Gas Committee reported that they had sanctioned the ordering of goods as per list submitted to last Council meeting by the Manager, and submitted the following recommendations to the Council:— (1) That the Manager be informed that all orders for goods etc. for gas works must be signed by the Town Clerk. (2) That with, reference to the charges laid ,against the Borough officials by the Manager of the gas works as per his letter of the Bth instant, the Committee is satisfied with the explanation given by the Town Clerk and Gas Clerk, respectively. (3) That the Committee recommends that a gas-fitter be employed to read meters : make out consumers accounts on the round, test and repair meters and; see that all meters in use are in good working order and to do all the work required by the Manager of the gas works, under whose direction and control the gasfitter is employed. Weekly > notice to determine engagement on either side. In reference to the third recommendation in the report, Councillor Birch explained that he thought such a person was an absolute necessity, as the Gas Manager could not leave the works, and.the gas business was expanding. Councillor Patchett was opposed to the last recommendation in the report. He did not think any addition should be made to the staff. Theract of the case was "there is a delicate matter which the ; Gas Committee is afraid to face." Councillor Brown also opposed additions to. the staff. He thought the question1 should stand over for full consideration. .He was inclined to think that if the present staff could not do the work they ought to get a staff that could. The Mayor said that the Gas Committee was not afraid to face the question referred "to. > Everyone knew what that was, but if they would look up the terms of the appointment of the gentleman who was concerned in the matter, they would see that he was not expected to read meters. ; The Manager was the person who ought to do it- Those were the terms of his appointment. Councillor Carr said it was not a mechanic's work to read meters. Councillor McKinley said the report referred to the appointment of a man to repair meters. Councillor Brown proposed that the matter be referred back to a Committee of the whole Council to deal with, to be held on Friday night next. :■:.'■ Seconded by the Mayor and carThe other recommendations of the Committee were adopted without much "comment. RESCINDING OF MOTION. Councillor Macey moved the following motion, of which notice had been duly given., . .That the following resolution passfd at the Council meeting held on Ist June, 1905, be rescinded: "That the interest, £700 per annum, and the sinking fund, £400, per annum, on the £14,000 (gas works) loan, be allocated as follows per annum: Gas Account to pay interest £700, General Account to pay sinking fund £400." . >■• \Councillor Macey thought that the Gas Account should pay -£400 to the sinking fund if possible, rather than take it out of the General Account. Councillor White, seconded the motion which was carried. Councillor Macey then moved:— "That the interest and sinking fund on the said £14,000 loan be paid by the Gas Supply Account in the future." ■«" This motion was -also carried. ASSISTANT IMPOUNDER. Councillor Macey moved -.That an assistant impounder be appointed by applications.l Remuneration, driving fee/s. Engagement determihable bygone month's notice. y v' In speaking to the motion Councillor Mafiey said that the work was far r beyond one man. The assistant was to work independently of the other impounder. Councillor Ching seconded the motion,' and remarked upon the number of stock to be seen .about the streets. —The motion was carried. ROLLER AND ENGINE. Councillor Brown moved the notice of ■. motion standing in his name:— "That a combined road roller and engine be obtained^" The Council could purchase the engine, he said, without seriously prejudicing their financial position, as the ratepayers had sanctioned the loan. Much of the metal that was being put down on the streets was totally unfit for permanent work, and with the roller they could improve the streets very much. A quarry might be opened m the Taylor Pass or somewhere w,here they oould get some suitable metal. Councillor Brown then criticised the state of the main roads leading into Blenheim, maintaining that their unsatisfactory condition was due to the. unsuitable metal placed on them. If they purchased the engine, they would find they could work on a more economical line than they were at present. Councillor White seconded the motion saying that the proper idea was \ to get. a macadamised basis for1 a- road before putting any tar on. He would like to suggest that the matter be referred to the Works Committee to work out the deails. Councillor Carr opposed the motion, saying that they had no/thing to roll. Councillor Birch supported the idea of sending it to the Works Committee. The motion was carried with the recommendation that the matter go to the Works Committee for the consideration of the details.

This concluded the business, and the meeting terminated.

A MOTHER'S RECOMMENDATION. Mrs Mary Gray, Wagonga (N.S.W.), writes: — " Chamberlain's Cough Remedy has a splendid reputation in ) this district, and I know of many cases j where acute Croup and Bronchitis j have been cured. I had been a sufferer ; from Bronchial Asthma for many • years, and never found any treatment j that would relieve me, until I com- '. menced taking Chamherlain's Cough ; Remedy, and that completely cured j me. It has never failed to cure j coughs or chest complaints among the j members of my family. I always keen } a bottle of Chamberlain's Cough j Remedy in the house, and would • advise all mothers to do likewise." For sale by J. Benning, Blenheim, and W. Syms, Pictcn. | A Press Association telegram from j Wellington states that the State Coal ■■_ Department made a ret profit of £8000 last year.