BOBOUOH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 2715, 7 August 1923, Page 6

BOBOUOH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. At tho meeting of the Borough Council last night, there were present:—The Mayor (Mr F. J. Nathan), Crs. W. L. Fltzherbert, M. H' Oram, H. J. Canton, F. Jackson and J. Hodgens. CORRESPONDENCE. From T. Carmocly, agreeing to accept £l3 5/- in full settlement of his claim for extra work carried out in connecion with his contract for duplication of outfall sewer.—Received. From E. H. Bodalla, making application for the renewal of his street barrow license for a. term of three months.—Grn nt-ed.

From Mr J. H. Hankins, intimating that wlthuot prejudice, he would agree that the Council should appoint one arbitrator under the Arbitration Act, and he would appoint aupoint another, and they in turn appoint an umpire, for the purpose of deciding upon the value of the building notv situated on li.e Borough reserve, Avenue Road. If this proceiling was agreed to. he would abandon every claim for the act. of the Council in terminating hie. occupation before the expiration of his lease. —No action was taken.

From Mr C. R Larson, stating •■.hc.t the sign post at the corner of Martin and Grey Streets obstructed the entrance to his gateway, and asking that same be removed. —Referred to the engineer. From Mr F. Black, forwarding*) certificate issued :n favour of Mess.*? A. IX Riley and Co., for payment of £1,633 Os 3d, in respect of transformers and oil supplied under contract No. 6. —Referred to the finance committee.

From the same, with reference to charge made by Messrs. Turnbull and Jones for concrete used in setting poles in Ferguson Street, and stating that the work was being carried out under contract, and all rates were determined by it, —Received. From the same, noting that it had been decided to take over Ihe gas holder from the gas department, and re-erect it at the power works; also agreeing that Mr Brownley should construct the new foundation for the holder, and also tha.t he would prepare specifications for the removal and re-erection and would take an early opportunity of examining the holder. —Received.

COMMITTEES' REPORTS. RESERVES. The reserves committee recommended that the borough curator be instructed to erect a small length of fence on the boundary between Taka.ro Park and property owned by Mr. Edward Cook, the latter agreeing to payment of half costs: that the Boy Scouts Association be informed that provided they can make satisfactory arrangements with the lessee of the Scandiastreet Domain, the use of the reserve will be granted free of charge; that the request of the Palmerston Nfukn Tennis Club for the use of the moroimower be agreed to if cost is mot: that Mr. Findlay’s application to lease Lot 1, of Section 153 G, Avenue-road, for a term of 21 years, at a *-'*n!al of ft) typer annum, be granted; that the curator’s action in leasing free of rent, n small area of Anzac Park to de Clceno Bros., be confirmed: that the work of connecting the children’s playground at the Esplanade, with the public sower in Fitzherbert-street, at an estimated cost of £165. be now undertaken, in lien of laying a sewer to the Manawatu River, estimated to cost £155; that the engineer be now authorised to proceed with the erection of conveniences for children at Kortn. street Park, cost of which has necn provided for on this year’s estimates: that public tenders be called for the lease of Lots 1 to 12 inclusive, of Section 15SG, corner of Filzherbort-streer and Avenue-Road. —Adopted.

THE NEW GASWORKS. “The whole of fhc sfocl construction work, pijiing and engines of the new gasworks tire now erected,” stated the Borough engineer in his report to the Council last night. The engines were now erected, and good progress was being made with (he brickwork surrounding the retorts, approximately throe quarters of this work being completed. The construction of the vertical retorts was under way, eight of them, which was half the total number had now been brought up to a. height of 5 feet. The exhauster was now erected and coupled up to a temporary boiler, it would be used for the purposes of inflating the new holder for undergoing the tests. It was expected that the holder would be completed during the coming week when the teats for tightness would be immediately carried out. The concrete' facing of the terrace for a storage for coal was completed, there yet remained to be done the division walls and front wall. The excavation for the tar holding tank was about finished and concrete work would be commenced shortly.

HO KOWHITE LAGOON. BOROUGH ENGINEER’S PLAN ADOPTED. At the meeting of the Borough Council last night, the report of the engineer on the Hokowhit'u lagoons, which had been asked for rtf the last meeting, was received and adopted. It ran as follows: — “A survey has been made for the suggested line of pipes from a point where the outlet of the upper lagoon crosses Alexandra Street, to To Awe Awe Street, and thence through private property to the lower lagoon. This survey shows the length to be 24 chains, and a difference in level of the two lagoons of five feet, giving a gradient of 1 in 320. This would be quite sufficient, and a flatter gradient might even be adopted which would enable the water level in the upper lagoon to be lowered 18 inches; assumingl, o£ course, the water lev©! in

the lower lagoon remained the same all fhe year round. The depth at whiqh a pipe drain would have to be laid, however, is excessive, being an average of 12 feet throughout, and I estimate that the cosf for a 15-inch diameter pipe would be so great that I cannot recommend its adoption. “Whilst on this subject, I might again repeat the opinion I have already expressed from time to time, regarding the drainage of these lagoons. The total length from the upper to the lower lagoon is 149 i chains, and, as above slated, the fall is five feet. In this length there are a number of pocket's and depressions which it is impossible to drain The gradient is 1 in 1953, and for all practical purposes useless for the small flow of water that comes down The water, being almost stationary, it clan only get away by soakage. In wot weather, win n the flow slightly increases, some water naturally finds its way to the lower reaches, and lies in the Borough property in the vicinity of Jickell Street. From Jickell Street to the lower lagoon there is a rise in the bed of the water course of about three feet, which is at present holding back the water. Various schemes have been devised with a view to finding an outlet and avoiding certain private property, but I could not recommend any on account of the high cost, of providing drain pipes laid to a depth of approximately 13 feet. I am of opinion that water will always bo found lying in the depression in the connecting water course during the wet season/ of the year, until the low-lyinn pockets are filled up. a narrow drain being left through the filling to permit of the upper water passing down to the lower lagoon. This is a work which must take years to do, and can only be carried out as spoil becomes available or by cutting down the sides of the banks, should permission be given by the property-owners.