NELSON CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 16 April 1910, Page 2

NELSON CITY COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the Nelson City Council was held last evening. Preeent—The\Mayor (Mr. J. Piper), Crs. Turner, Adams, Neale, McCanchie, Grace, Field, Bisley. FINANCE. £. s.d. General Account 306 16 7 Gas Account 184 7 3 Water Account 70 6 6 Abattoir Account 44 2 5Cemeteries Account 11 12 6 £617 5 3 £. s. d. £• sd. General A/c 14,637 5 1 Water A/c 4,267 8 9 Gas Account 2,054 810 Interest A/c m 5 5 Abattoir A/c 9 7 1 Hospital & Char- <n r itable Aid 16 18 6 Balance (Dr.) 20,827 5 9 Cr. -£. s. d. Cemeteries (Trust Account) 186 6- 1 Contractors' Deposits (do.) 50 0 0 Trafalgar Park (do.) 53 16 5 Drainage Loan Account 11 16 1 Bridges Reinstatement Loan Account 5 12 4 CORRESPONDENCE. Mrs. E. Richardson inquired the lowest price the Council would take for the iron shed ?.t the Maitai lately conceded by her to the Council.—Resolved to offer the shed for £B. Mr. W. W. Snodgrass informed the Council that a cow attached to a gas main had been roaming over Milton Acree, to the detriment of the writer's grazing rights, not to mention the damage being done o the wire fence. The Council was asked to abate the, nuisance.—Referred to the Engineer. Mr. W. W. Snodgrass wrote stating th(at he was surprised that the Council proposed to terminate his tenancy of Milton Acre. Th turn out a good paying tenant and substitute, one did not propose to pay any rent was not good business, even although the incoming tenant might pay 10s a year to clear weeds. He trusted that the fact that he was not now a City Councillor would not prejudice his case, but that he. would receive equal consideration with other applicants.—Referred to the Finance Committee. Residents and ratepayers of Wainuistreet requested the Council to complete, the work of gravelling, rolling and blinding the street.—Referred to Works Committee. Cr. Pettit wrote resigning his seat on the Council. Mr. A. B. Hughes called attention to the state of the ditches and roqd in the upper part of Beachville.—Left to the Engineer.

WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT. ... The committee reported inter alia : On letter from secretary Peloras Road Board: That objection be lodged and that the matter be referred to the city solicitors.—On letter from Mr. de Castro (Mtount-street): Consideration deferred, the Committee to visit the locality.—As to metalling St. Vincentstreet : That the street be metalled at a cost of about £9O. Adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The Committee reported inter alia : On letter from secretary Nelson Volunteer Fire Brigade: That a copy of the letter from the secretary of the Brigade with reference to fire-plugs be sent to the secretary of the Fire Underwriters' Association.—As to traction plant: Consideration deferred.—As to consolidation of loans: That inquiries be made from luvercargill as to the' method adopted with regard to consolidation of loans.—As to estimate of re ceipts and expenditure: Consideration deferred.—As to nroposed drainage loans of £4OOO and'£sooo: That .the security be a special rate of Id in the £. in respect of each of the loans. Adopted. Cr. Adams urged that the Council should consider the question of obtaining a traction plant. The question was hung up from meeting to meeting. A great saving would be effected by a traction plant. The Mayor explained that some of the members of the Finance Committee had to leave early at the last meeting, and could not consider the question then. Crs. Neale and Turner agreed, that the Council should seriously consider the matter, and not hang it up indefinitely.

CITY ENGINEER'S REPORT. The City Engineer reported as follows :—Sewerage: Since the last meeting of your Council, the work of effecting repairs to Cambria-street sewer has again been placed in hand, and is being pushed on with every consideration for efficiency and econonmy. Dr Frengley has visited Nelson in connection with the Roding river water supply, and I took advantage of his presence to explain what I was doing, and he expressed himself in satisfaction of the design that has been used to overcome all the sewer defects. Works: Since the last meeting of your Council a goodly amount of repair work has been carried out on .streets and footpaths. Hardy-street has been scarified and rolled, and similar work is now in hand in Trafalgar-street central. Water: In this connection, I have to advise your Council that Dr Frengley, D.0.H., has visited Nelson, and proceeded to the Roding river with the object of procuring samples of that water for analysis, with a view of it being conserved for human consumption. It is my intention to drain and clean the high level weir during the month of May ancl effect such adjustments as may be required in connection with the screens—probable cost £46. Waste lands: In this connection I would direct tne attention of your Council that I have engaged a licensed surveyoi to establish all the Council's outlying boundaries, with the result that it has already been found that over 20 acres of the Council's property has been used for many years by private holders. These lands are included amongst the most rich areas of the city. There is no doubt in

my mind that I will yet find many acres used in a like way from which the city should be doviving revenue and is not. GENERAL. • On the Mayor's motion the question of the charge for rent of gas meters was referred to the Finance Committee. Cr Field drew attention to a blockage -the watertable in Central Bridge-st. In reply to Cr. Turner, th. e Engkiee: •.tated that permission had been sought to run pipes under the railway line to ,: rvy off water from the hill in St. Vin-cent-street. Cr Adams moved that a lamp b> placed at. the corner of Waimea-road and 'Vtuki-street.—Carried. Th* Mayor moved that a lamp be placed on Franklin Rise—Carried. Cr Turner moved that it be a recommendation to the Committee that a lamp be placed in Toi Toi-street. Cr Bisley moved that a return be presented at the next meeting as to the number cf men employed and the i mount of monev expended weekly_or fortnightly for the past 12 months. He said that the Council had lost control so far as expenditure was concerned, and that'money was spent without authority of the Council. The Engineer said that it could not be expected that he should come to the Council with respect of every bit of a job that had to be done. Cr Bisley admitted that, but again contended that the Council did not know enough about what work was to be done. The motion was seconded by Cr Field and lost on the voices. | The Council then rose.