BOROUGH COUNCIL

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 120, 18 May 1912, Page 7

BOROUGH COUNCIL

/fThe fortnightly meeting of the Blenheim Borough Council was held last evening, there being present:— The Deputy Mayor (Councillor W. CJarr), and Councillors F. Birch, L. Homes, W. J. Girling, J. H. Scott, E. H. Eccles, B. J. Cooke, and E. S. Parker.

Councillor Cooke, who was elected -to the Council at the by-election held -the previous day, made the usual formal declaration.

ISLINGTON

Mr P. Meehan and three, others waited on the Council as a deputation representing the residents of the Islington suburbs. Mr Meehan said -£hat the deputation would have been considerably larger but for the wet weather. He urged that the streets and footpaths be improved, that the Trillows growing on the roadway be cut down, and that two lamps be erected. Under present conditions the locality was the resort of many undesirable characters. The Deputy-Mayor said that the "Works Committee had commenced a tc-ur of inspection covering the whole "borough, and Intended' to 'visit Islington within the next few d[ays. *. Councillor Girling explained that a list "of additional lamps was being compiled, and ,it would include at least one lamp for'"lslington. CONDEMNED BUILDING. Dr Chesson, District Health Officer, forwarded reports on two house properties in St. Andrew's Street. One lie represented to be unfit for habitation, and he recommended that the owner's agent ,be requested to replace the unsound timber, reinstate the chimneys, and re-paper the rooms. In tfee .otherycase the practice ©f depositing manure was a menace to health. With regard to the first-mentioned

-property, it was resolved that a copy of the report be forwarded to the , agejnt with a-request.that its .requirements be complied.,with: The other matter was ordered to be referred/to the Sanitary Inspector, with instructions to take the necessary action.

FIRE BRIGADE.

Th© Fir© Brigade requested! that ■the Council enlarge the sleeping accommodation at the station by erecting another bedroom. It -was* advisable that two additional me.n should occupy the premises at night to deal more adequately with outbreaks of fire. The request was referred' to the Works Committee for a report.

TENDERS

The following tenders were received for the erection of the. western.High Street bridge, which is to be of reinforced concrete:— T. Dillon, Wellington, £3575 14s 6d; Ward; and Sons, Blenheim, £3714; W. Woolf, Masterton, £3358; D. Murphy, s Wellington, £3704 11s Id; D. Burke, Betone, £3423 17s. It was resolved that all but the two lowest tenders be returned, and that the Omaka,Road Board be asked to meet the Council next Friday night and' discuss the two tenders.

It was stated' that the cost of the bridge would have to be borne in equal shares by the two bodies. The Council had £1300 available for the work, and now had to consider the question of finding the remaining £500.

The Deputy-Mayor speculated •whether the Council would be: able to finance a structure of this charactier. ~ Councillor Homes said thar the suggested bridge would be a most desirable acquisition. It would be' of greater width than any other bridge in the Borough, and wpuljj. last practically for ever. On the motion of Councillor' Girling, it was resolved to .inform the Omaka Road Board that, the Council was willing to divide with it the cost -of protecting^ the northern side of the eastern apprqach, and thati, if the Board coincide, the work be carried out at once.

STREET WIDENING

The Secretary- of the Blenheim "Club wrote stating that the Club was prepared to give the Council" a strip of land; for the widening, of .High, Street,"the price to^be calculated on whj^M^iA for the- pr6perty. .The Club gave £500 for the section, rer presenting £6 per foot. It would haftd over a strip 10 feet wide for £60.

The letter w;as; referred to the Works Committee with power to act.

ROGERS STREET,

The Foreman of Works „ reported; that he had inspected the survey pegs in Rogers Street. He <no hesitation in saying that all the trees on the northern side of the road, num"Hering 30, were outside the fencing iinel •

The Sanitary Inspector'^ report represented that the trees were detrimental to the roadway aaid to the interests of health.

It was stated that Mr A. Rogers claimed that the trees were on his property, and declined to _ cut them all down.

It was resolved that Mr Rogers be notified that the trees must be cut down within a fortnight.

STREET LIGHTING

The Works Committee recommended that lamps; be erected at the follow^ jnjr street corners: —Beaver Road and Dillon Street: Lwtri.m Street and Maxwell Road; diaries andi Henry Streets; Ba«hwood' and Alfred "Streets (the lamp in this onse to lie nttrxjhed to tho telegraph, pole); Ip«!ey a.Ttd1 Hutchc-son Streets. Councillor Girling sue-gosted fchat, tho purpose in tlivit locality would be met if a, lamp further along Alfred Street were remover! to the Henry Street corner, but did not press the siip^estion. The report was adopted. In discussion it vraa agreed that the p;sis service should be extended to the Ipsley Street locality as soon' as possible. v• . '

A petition was received from Mr C. G. Coleman find 28 other resideciTs asking that* a lamp be erected f;t the •corner of George and Lee Streets.

The request -was refeiTed to Mie Committee eonsidoring the streetlighting system.

TREES AND HEDGES

Tho : Sanitary Inspector reoortcil havingserved « number of notices <:n ownei*s of overhanging trees ond hclges. It wzs resolved to request, tha I'.ppector to j.dhere to tho practice --f furnishing the Council with .-the names of owners on whom such notices were served.

At the instance of Councillors Scott nnd Homos respectively, it was '-esplvecl that the attention of the Tnspoctor be directed to trees overhanging Hutcheson' Street and George Street

'"GENERAL,

An application for A billiard-rojai license was declined.

The matter of purchasing a -horse | for the Council'.s work was \

to Councillors Eccles and1 Scott svn r] the Foreman; and the Foreman iv.-s instructed to call for tenders, for V,e • supply of a dray. . Mrs E. Spoiicei->\yrot9 calling attaition to the. condition of a boundary fence extending from her property m Mrin Street to the Council's paddo-i-i in Op aw a Street. She asked the Council to pay half the cost of til© work of erecting .a. new fence, which ! would protect her garden hedge. - •It"-.wins explained -tbf.it the Council'.s horses caused the damage referred to.—The matter was referred to tl-e Foreman of Works for a report. The Town Clerk wsts instructed to notify the property-owner concerned that willow wood stacked on Stopheason Street must be removed immediately, and the debris taken out of tho ditch. ; r . * Councillor Parker mentioned a. report that a married man employed vi the Abattoirs was receiving only £2 per week; and the responsible committee was asked to inquire into the matter.] ■ -• Accounts were passed for payment.