BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8543, 25 March 1908, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

OPENING OF THE NEW WATER WORKS.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last night to deal with tho question of the opening of the waterworks by the Premier, Sir Joseph Ward. So far no definite intimation had been received on the subject. Tho Mayor moved that the Finance Committer bo authorised to make suitable arrangements for the entertainment of Sir Joseph and be empowered to issue invitations to the function— Seconded by Cr. Matheson and carried LABOURERS' DISPUTE.

The Mayor then mentioned the question of the labourers' dispute, and asked for a motion on the matter. —No motion was forthcoming, and the matter dropped. Tho business held over from the previous meeting was then proceeded with. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Tho Engineer reported as follows: — (1). Re use of tarred macadam in place of untarred macadam on Main Street W. from tho Commercial Hotel to the Railway Station, 1 have to state that tho cost of tarred metal only for the above work will bo about £841, and of untarred metal about £459, or a difference of £382, the cost of tarred metal being at the rate of £33 nor chain, and untarred at £18 per chain (for metal only), tho tarred metal costing 10s 9d per cubic yard and the untarred 5s 8d per cubic yard; but should tho Council decide to erect machinery for the heating and tarring of metal tho difference in cost would bo as £26 is to £18 per chain for tarred and untarred metal respectively. With respect to this work I have to state that there is now sufiicient metal broken to enable a c: mmencement being made, an:l with the Council's consent I propose entering upon the work of reconstruction forthwith. —Some discussion followed, and Cr. Luxford wished to know if .they could not do the work as it was being done at Napier, with a good top-dressing of tar. —The Engineer did not think that kind of work would stand for any length of timo. — The Mayor alluded to the Victoria Ave- ' nue in Wanganui, which he stated he had been, told had been done for a considerable time. —It was finally decided ihat the work should be carried on at once, and that the side of the street next the footpath should be done first. (2). Re amount of Kawau improvement loan available, tho Engineer reported: — After payments on all present contracts are provided for there will be a sum of about £60C remaining for work between Boundary Road and Terrace Street. With regard to this work I have to state that I have made a survey, and find that the course of tho drain is very sinuous, therefore I propose calling tenders separately—(a) widening and clean- ; ing, anil (b) straightening where dccided ; upon, in order that the most can bo j done with the sum (say £500) available, the latter named being the sum originally set apart.—lt was decided to have the banks sown in grass-seed at once. I (3) In accordance with instructions to report on the number of pipes for sewerage works ordered from Peter Hutson, Ltd., and deliveries to date of said ! pipes, the Engineer submitted a stateS ment showing that the total pipes order- ! Ed were 19,540, received 12,555, balance . to arrive to complete order 6985, in stock 1C10; total pipes required to complete scheme 19,503, less in stock and to arrive as above 7995; quantity yet to order, 11,508. The quantity yet to order represented about 43 miles, half of which (owing to sparse population) will probably not be required for some years. I The Engineer further reported:—Re : Weighbridge: One important firm operating in the borough has made application to open a ledger account in connection with the payment of weighing fees, and seeing that this would increase the usefulness of the biidge I would respectfully recommend that the request be complied with. As it. is probable that much use will bo made of the road roller during the ensuing winter and spring, I beg to suggest that a few bars of special steel for scarifying be procured from Home. The report was adopted with the resolutions thereon. I ENFORCING THE SANITARY BY-LAW. I Tho Sanitary Inspector's report from ! December 16th, 1907, to March 16th, I ISOB. was as follows: —During tho above \ period seven cases of infectious disease i occurred, viz. : Tuberculosis 1, enteric 2, j typhoid 1, tetanus 1, scarlet fever 2; | total, 7. Tho whole of the above cases , have been attended to and disinfected. ■ Tho permits issued for sanitary plumbi ing work were 102. This work is very J much behind tho drain work on account j of the plumbers not having enough jour- > noymen plumbers, and in some cases j I have received complaints on account of ; plumbers pulling out old sanitary work ; before they are ready to replace the same with new, thus causing inconvenience and a nuisance, and .the householders have had good cause to complain. There are a number of pre- ■ misos where notices have been served some two months ago not yet paid any attention to them or even given any cause, in tho following streets: —Willis, ! Pascal, Andrew Young, Cuba, David. ! The property owners have had plenty of time, knowing that the main sewers have , been laid in tho above streets for nearly i three years. I should like the opinion ! of the Council with regard to these cases, ! where they have not complied with noj tices so served on them. | Cr. Ilolben moved that .the Sanitary , Inspector be instructed to prepare a J detailed report of those persons offend- ! ing against tho borough by-laws with regard to sanitary work — : Stconded by Cr. Matheson and carried Cr. Stubbs moved that tho Town , Clerk be instructed to take action to enforce the by-laws on those people 1 who have received notice to connect .with 1 the sewer and have not taken steps to ! do so, the Town Clerk to first give 1, notice of tho Council's intention, i Cr. Haydon thought this was too drasI tic, and that a clause should be inserted i asking for reasons for not having done | so, and that the Council consider the | reasons before enforcing the by-laws. I Cr. Ilolben agreed with this. I Cr. Stubbs said he would be only i too pleased to insert the clause if he i could see a reason for it. They wore spending a large sum of money on : sowerage works, and a lot of connections were not being made that should be made. ; Cr. Ilolben stated there wore many people who wore willing to connect and couldn't. i Cr. Stubbs stated that wherever it was proved to tho satisfaction of the Council that a ratepayer was too poor to connect, they were willing to assist them, and had arranged to do. It was not right to have the sanitary cart going into streets for only one ratepayer. Those who would not connect should be mado to do .so, and those who could not should be assisted. : Cr. Haydofe moved that in sending out tho notices, the words bo added, "or show cause why they cannot connect," so that the Council have the opportunity of considering any individual cases and act as they deem advisable. The amendment and motion were taken as one motion. —Seconded by Cr. Matheson and carried. Tho Sanitary Inspector reported that owners had been interviewed re cart crossings in Queen Street, Grey Street. Main, East and West Streets, and had asked to have their crossings laid by the borough. Cr. Ilolben proposed that the applicants for cart crossings over footways bo notified that the crossings will be made as soon as the cost is deposited with the Council. i The report was adopted, j GENERAL. On the motion of the Mayor, it was decided that specifications bo prepared and tenders called for the annual supplies required by the Council, tenders to be returnable at,* the first meeting of tho Council in April; tenders to be advertised in both papers. On the motion of Cr Holben, seconded i by Cr. Matheson, it was decided tha,t

plans and specifications of the footway in Foatherston Street in front of Messrs Ihle's and Gallichan's property be repaired and prices obtained at once, the same to be \ returned to the Public Works Committee with Dower to act. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. The Public Works Committee reported that on the recommendation of the engineer it had been decided to extend the inch water-pipes from Wood Street to Seddon Street, in Boundary Road, as applied for by Messrs Prentice, Nathan and Wilmot. Tho question of giving water to Mr Buchanan was considered, it was decided to inform him that as tho Council was under engagement to supply Mr Hayill with a water-trough, if required, it could not agree to erect a joint trough between the two parties. Joseph Rush's tender of £114 for fencing tho Kawau Cut had been accepted, also his tender of £8 cach for flood-gates. Tho question of traversing and surveying the Forest watershed according to the specifications prepared by Cr. Armstrong had been considered and tenders opened and held" over pending a reply from the Surveyor-General as to whether tho watershed reserve had been surveyed and, if so, that a copy of tho survey plan be supplied to the Council. It was resolved also to recommend the Council to take into consideration the advisability of making a survey or a re-opening of the survey, if made already, of all sides of the watershed reserve. It had been decided to recommend the Council to authorise the tarring and sanding of the footways at the unfinished ends of Waldegrave, Bourke, and Campbell Streets, six to eight feet wide, and to tar and sand tho portion of the footway in Grey Street from Duke to Amesbury Streets; also the unfinished portion of the western side of Lombard Street at the Featherston Street end. The committee met again on the 16th inst. and inspected the work on the river-bank. At a subsequent meeting the question of which side of Broad and Fitzherbert Streets cycle tracks should be made was considered and held over for inspection.

The report was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The Finance Committee reported having met and passed a number of accounts for payment. The question of storm water drainage in Rangitikei and College Streets, referred to by the committee, was considered, and it was resolved to recommend that the work be carried out in College Street, from Fitzherbert Street to Cook Street, the engineer to make a further report upon the outfall drain from College Street to the lagoon on the old racecourse; also to recommend that the storm water drainage in Rangitikei Street, as proposed by the engineer's report of February 18th. be carried out. —Adopted.