OAMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3967, 29 May 1885, Page 2

OAMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting was held in the council chambers last even* ing, when there were present ; His worship the mayor, Messrs Spence, Davidson, Sanderson, Dalgleiah, Headland, Finch, and Christie.

The minutes of the previous ordinary and special meetings were read and confirmed.

Mr P. Williams wrote asking to be excused for non-attendance at the meeting as he was suffering from a severß cold.

Mr J. Church, as secretary to the N.O.A.P. association, wrote stating that it was the intention of the association to erect a new fence round the show ground reserve, and directed the council's attention to the fact that at the south end, fronting Greta street, the ditch now open is on the land belonging to the asaocia* tion. It would be necessary for the borough to cut a new ditch or drain on their own street line, or put in pipes of sufficient size to carry off the water. The secretary requested their early attention to ihe maiter. — The letter f was referred to . the public works committee to report. | Mr John Wilson asked for permission to transfer lease of reserve C to Mr W. Christie. — Granted, on ihe usual terras.

Mr J. M'Combe wished to be relieved of reserve D, as he didn't know^of the slightest chance of hia being able to pay the rent of it. He gave the notice, so that the council would be enabled to relet it without further lo.«s.

It was stated that Mr M'Comb* wai going to Livingstone. The acreage of the lease was 45 acres, at 2Gs per acre, and that the lease had two years to run. The rent np to date, the clerk Btated, was paid. It was decided that Mr M'Combe's lease be forfeited by tbe council. The question of the upsot price of various municipal sections throughout the borough waa referred to the reserves committee, prior to their being put up at aucHoD.

Mr John Brzett asked for a rebale of rate^, for these reasons : (1) The total destruction by fire of one of his houses on section 19, block 6 ; (2) The fact that ho was not in a position to rebuild, but would do bo as soon as he wa» able ; (3) The total loss of all his furniture, personal effects and household belongings, insured to something Ipss than a-quarteff of their actual value ; (4) The invuility of the wafer supply attached to the house de»tr>ye3, ifc being not nov required. The clerk stated that tho valuation waa L2B per annum for Mr Bezatt's two houses.

It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Headland, to request the valuer to revalue the property of Mr Bezett, taking into consideration tho actual value of property now on the ground. The following letter was received from Mr W. Cunninghame Smith, general rcanager of the New Zealand refrigerating company.

I am in receipt of yours of the 22nd, concerning resolutions passed by the council regarding tbe supply of water to the proposed refrigerating works at Oamaru. Theee resolutions will be considered by my board at their mweting to-morrow. Meantime I may be permitted to point out to you that in the opinion of our engineer the system you propose to adopt of charging by " th«oretioal" horse power, will not suit this company, What we require — the least we csa do with— is the whole of a 15in. main, and it would be much n;ore satisfactory to both sides if we could come to an understanding by which we pay a specified sum per annum for this supply. Prom the news* paper report of the meeting of the counoil I gather that it is proposed to lay a 15m pipe along Wear street, snd connect it with a 12in pipe to the works. This our engineer says will not do, becau c we must have all the water which a 15in main will carry. I will write you after the meeting of the board, meantime you can ask the corporation engineer whether there are any insuper* arle difficulties in charging us as our^tp. gineer proposes instoad of by theoretical^ horse power

Several other letters relative to the supply of water to the refrigerating company were read, but it was considered that it would be premature, at the present stage of the negotiations between the council and the company, to publish these communications, and their consideration waa also postponed until such time as the coudc 1 shou'd |receive the result of the |company's beard meeting, gether with replies to questions put by the borou»h authorities io the company.

Mr Headland prpsented a petition from twenty--wo resident* praying for the erection of a lamp at the corner oi Wansbeck and Lune streets.

Mr Headland said that the ratepayers who waited on him urged the necessity of having a lamp erected at the point named.

Mr Spence said that some of the ratepayers had also spoken to him of the necessity for a lamp at the corner of a strpet further on.

It was resolved that the matter be referred to the works committee to report.

The tender of Mr T. O'Donnell for laying gravel in Humber street was the lowest, tho pr'ce per chain being 14j Id, or L 43 lid for, say. 60 chains. On the motion of Mr Christie, seconded by Mr Davidson, that Mr O'DonneU'a tender be accepted, a discussion arose, and —

Mr Finch proposed as an amendment that the work be deferred until they had the several works to be brought before the council by the works committee. It had been said that there would be no h*rm in tha tendering, and that it would give them aa Idea of the cost of the work

without binding iho council to any de finite course of action.

Mr Spence seconded tho amendmonr, pro forma. Th* mayor Raid that it would take LIG,OOO to nffect all the n» cessary works throughout the town, and they knew that that was a sum which, under their present circumstances, they could not expend ; therefore, he thought, that it would be beUer for the council to do the most tircent works na they cropped up. Mr Davidson said it was impossible for the works committee to bring in a report upon all necessary works. It would take them wpeka.

Mr Spenoo referred to the expense which tho refrigerating water supply w ould entail upon the oouncil, riz , aboubLl4oo, and aald (hat if the work could he done without in the me ntime it would be Hpfc.er to d»fer it. They would hare L3OOO or L4OOO to pay in intereat in two or three months, and would require every penny. He would, therefore, object to the work being carried on; not because the work was unnecessary, he believed it was necessary, but because of the condition of their Gnances, and the negotiations pending between the council and the refrigerating company. They should reaerve all their forces even to a single pound. The mayor Baid that the money would bo got for these works, and he thought the comfort of the ratepayer! should receive a littlo attendance.

Mr Davidßon said that if the could not lay tbe pipes without entrenching upon the people's comfort they had better give thn matter up altogether. The motion was ultimately carried by 4 to 2.

The tenders, for carting for 12 months, wero left for the mayor and engineer to accept the lowest tender.

Rlr Snow, the noting engineer, sent in his usual fortnightly report, which was adopted ; and in connection with its adoption it was resolved that it be a recomrn«tidation to the race inspector to take the earliest opportunity of having all vegetable matter removed from the race.

The mayor said that he might mention to the council that the wnter had been laid down to tbe wharf, and that a cheque for the amount had been handed over to the council.

The following accounts were passed for pivment : Ordinnrv, L4l 0a Id ; gas, LIG 10s; waterworks, L 37 10s; extension, 13». —Total, L 96 Bsld. The council then roae.