NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 216, 14 September 1867, Page 2

NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

A meeting of the Board took place at the office yesterday afternoou, at half-past three o'clock. Present : Messrs Beutley (in the chair), Bum, Hooper, Bums, Webb, Field, and Carter. The miuutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. That part of the Finance Report which referred to the duties, &c, of the Inspector of Nuisauces, and which had been left at the last meeting for further consideration, was then discussed; and a letter was read from Mr Watts, claiming £25 for his servrces in assisting the Secretary in the last assessment, which was at once, tived. Two other letters were also read from Mr Watts, one in reply to a return called for by Mr Webb of the number of notices £or nuisances served by the Inspector, which stated that no record had been kept, because no book had been furnished for the purpose, and which was couched in very insolent language as regarding one member of the Board. In reference to this communication it was stated by the JSeeretajy* that a memorandum book had been furnished for this purpose to the Inspector when he commenced his duties, and it was resolved that for the future the Inspector should keep a proper record of these notices. The third letter from Mr Watts stated that, as the inspection of gorse hedges now devolved upon the Inspector of Nuisauces, and necessitated considerable extra trouble, he should expect an increase to his salary. This proposition was, after some consideration, negatived, the opinion generally of the Board being that the inspection of gorse hedges was involved in the following duties, which had been defined by the Finance Committee, as appertaining to the Inspector, of Nuisances, viz.:— the collection of all monies, including rates, the inspection of nuisances, the infringement of by-laws, aDd general assistance to the Secretary — and that his present salary was amply remunerative for the fulfilment of these duties. The clause of the Finance Report above referred to was then adopted. Dr. Renwick appeared personally, in reference to a letter sent to him by the Secretary, asking him to remove the fence of his property in Hardy-street, back to the proper line of road. Dr Renwick represented that the fence in question was 20 years old, and he thought that the shrubs of which it was formed might be rendered ornamental to the street, but was agreeable to enter with an agreement to remove it at any time the Board might think fit. It was resolved that the fence should be allowed to remain, on condition that a peppercorn rent was paid by Dr. Renwick for its occupation. The following tender was opened for lighting the lamps of the city, finding oil, &c, for twelve months; John Spencer, £100, which was accepted. The following tenders were opened for the gravelling of the Waimea-road: — W. Oraman, 67 3s per chain; Cockram and Dunlop, 42 7a j E, Jelljmnn, 5/ lls ; R. K. Turner, 7/ 6j Lloy*.nad Bray, Al 17a. The tender of Messrs' Cockram and Dunlop was accepted. The "followibg tenders for the giavelliDg of Hardy-street were also icpened :r— „ W. Orsman. 1/ 6s per chain, for Boulder Bank gravel, and It 3s For Maifcai gravel; Lloyd and Bray, It 2a 6dj Cockram and Dunlop, 11 2b. R. K Turner's tender was not considered eligible, as it did not comply with the conditions. The tender of Messrs Cockram and Dunlop was accepted. A tender by Cockram and Dunlop for the wattling near Gardner's Ford, at 101 lOs per chain was accepted. The Public Works Committee reported that they had inspected Upper Colling-wood-street, in compliance with a letter from Mr W. M. Stanton, and reported that the watertables should be cut down and the road crowned for the present. A letter was read from the Hon. E. W.

Stafford, dated Wellington, 31st August, •' with reference to the carriage road over Britannia Heights, and towards the formation of which it had beeu stated that Mr Stafford had promised to contribute £50. The letter stated, that Mr Stafford. had proposed in 1864 that the Board should make a good .carriage road from his house to the town by Britannia Heights and • Washington-valley, at the same time guaranteeing £50 towards the cost. He had however received no intimation that the Board would make such a road, and in 1865 Mr Stafford's family ceased to reside in Nelson, and his motive for the formation of the road ceased. When he made the proposal he believed that Colonel Richmond, Messrs Cross, Watkins, Bentley, Brunner, and others would contribute some portion of the £50. However that might have been, Mr Stafford stated that he would have been responsible for the whole sura, if the Board had agreed to his proposal and executed the work wheu he wanted it done, or had even informed him before he left Nelson that they intended to commence it. But he demurred to this proposal, made 'with a definite object, being considered as remaining open to be acted on at any indefinite date. It now appeared that the road had been made, but, according to $[r Watkins' representations, it did not fulfil original stipulations made by Mr Stafford, who however offered to contribute £10 towards its cost, remarking that it was the only work in connection with his property yet performed by the Board, who had received aboat £200 from him. Petitions were read from the inhabitants of Tupai and Halifax-streets, asking that those roads might be repaired, and Mr Webb proposed that they should be taken into consideration at the earliest opportunity. A letter was received from the Provincial Secretary stating that he had paid £150, being half the amount voted by the Council for the purposes of the Board of Works, to their credit at the Bank of New Zealand, and also stating that half the vote for the Haven and Waimea-roads would be paid on the 22nd instant. A letter from Mr Buckeridge, drawing the attention of the Board to the state of culverts and "drains in Haropden-street, to which the Secretary was instructed to attend. A variety of by-laws relative to the regulation of cabstands, by a committee consisting of Messrs Burn, Bentley, and Hooper, were adopted, which, after having been submitted to the Executive, will be published for general information. A letter was read from the Secretary of the Fire Brigade, asking for a subscription towards the. working-expenses of the Brigade for the ensuing year, which was received very favorably, and the Secretary was instructed to state that as soon as the new assessment was completed, the request would be taken into consideration. It was resolved that the buckatere tree near the Hardy-street bridge should be taken down, as being in a dangerous state. Mr R. Burn brought forwarda motion to the effect that the Secretary apply to the Commission of Native Reserves to grant a piece of land for the purpose of widening the road near Mrs Watts's property, which was carried. The Secretary was ordered to have a ditch cleared out near Mr Louisson's property in Russeil-rStreet. Mr Potter's application for 20/ on his contract for Boulder Bank gravel was granted, and a number of other accounts passed. The Board then adjourned at 6 o'clock*