CITY BOARD.—Wednesday.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 227, 4 August 1864, Page 4

CITY BOARD. —Wednesday.

Tho usual weekly meeting (adjourned from Tuesday) was liolcl at 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Present —Messrs. Sheehun, Maereudy, Ueorga, Swanson, I)arbv, and Wriglev. Mr. George was voted to the chair, tint the Clinirmmi cuino in at a subsequent p:irt of the meeting. The minutes of tho lust meeting were read and confirmed. I.ETTEIIS. The Stvrelnrv real the loiter.-; sou by him since the lust meetinic, I'OHT AND COM.M I;P.OK STKUK'I'S. A letter was read from .Mr. Walter iiraham, ami several other leading merchants, offering to hear a. portion of the expense, if the Board would put these streets in a thorough state of repair. arxcTiox i.k qvekx a> - i« avakkfiklp stukkts, A letter wiis re:el ii-om the Auekloul Sn-li aud Door J'acton" Company, ea'lmg attention to tin; bad stute of thir locality, and offering to pay a pur ion of the expense of its repair. The.-e applications were ordered to he referred to the Knginccr, to report upon the probable expense of the repairs. I!'rVUrSIIMr.ST ST.UJ. l>\ ".UK WltAtir. An up; licatiou to the lioard was read from several boatmen and carters, rcqU'siin-,' that the refreshment stall kept by Vincent i'riucipt, at the foot of the wharf, might be allowed to remain, it being a great accommodation to them both hv day anil night. Mr. Mucready was of opinion that the matter should be left in the hands of the police, it being their duty to look alter these mutters. Messrs. Swanson mid Darby were of opinion that the Hoard should not interfere. The Secretary \v:n directed to write to tin- applicants and inform them that trio Board had no power in the mutter, and referring them to the police authorities. Ii.UI.WAY CTTTING TO .M RCII ANtC.s' BAV. A letter was read from the Kail way Commissioners requesting to be informed what portion of the expense of a cutting from Custom-house street to Mechanics' Bay the Board would lie willing to contribute, in the event of the railway works being carried out in that direction, as the making of 11 it* cutting would be a benefit to the city. Mr. iSwanson proposed, and Mr. Darby seconded. "That the railway authorities should be requested to furnish the Board with a working plan of what, they intended to do; together with an estimate of Ihe expense, and the proportion or it which the Board would be expected to contribute, and a'.so a statement of the patt.icular benefit which would accrue to the city from the contemplated cutting. Mr. Wriglev believed that the formation of this r'ud would be a puMic benefit. ;md a great. improvement to the city. The advantage of a good entrance into the city would be especially felt by people from the country; and whatever benefited'tho country would also benefit, the town, lie believed tint if carried out, tin- people of Parnell would contribute thousands of pounds towards such u work. The general feeling 1 of members appeared to bo tluit the Board should receive more definite information on the subject betoie takinir any further steps, and Mr. tiwanson's proposition was put and carried. Gl/TIK'AS IN ALHKUT ANI> IiI'HMAM STUKKTS. The Managers of tho Awklanil City MKmoii forwarded a letter drawing the attention of tho Hoard to the stati: of the gutters at the juuetfou of thesi* streets near the Mission (fnuM*. Ordered to berelened to tin* foreman of Works. LIGHT IN CrsTOM-llorsF. STlfKir. A letter was read lrom the Provincial Authorities ottering to co-operate with the Board in the expense of placing lights in this locality. Mr. Shoehaii thought the authorities should ho assisted in this matter, as it might be tho means of saving human life. After some further discussion, it was proposed b}' Mr. Mucready, and seconded by Mr. Darby, and carried unanimously " That three lights should be placed in Custom-house street, half the expense to be borne by the Board, and half by the Provincial Government." Mr. Sheehan suggested that tho Secretary .should write to the Provincial authorities exonerating the Board from blame in this matter, which had been very unjustly attached to them. HEI'AIIiS l;y Till; CAS UOMTANV. A letter was read from the Secretary of the Gas Company fitating that the Company had no objection to make good any damage done to tho streets, although, as ho explained, he did not regard the Company as blameable in the matter. Til K I'l Id: iIItIOADK. A letter was received from JI r. James Oilberd, Superintendent, of fhe Tire Brigade, soliciting the payment of tin; .CHO per quarler, as promised by the Board, towards tho expen-es of the brigade, and also informing the Hoard that, upon the taitb of the first quarter's subsidy having been paid, a new uniform had been ordered lor 1 lie men, new hose procured, and other expenses incurred. Discussion arose upon I he subject of tho condition on which' the amount named had been prom ised, viz. —that 2~) men should be kept.-upon the Hrigade. That condition the .Hoard were of opinion hud not been complied with. Tho Secretary was requested to write to Mr. Gilbcrd to know whether the Urigndo wore willing to carry out 11io conditions on which the grant of £12(J per 1 annum was proposed to ho made, and that if so, tho Hoard wasprepnrod to gr mt the assistance mentioned. KKI'AIKINO 01-' WILLIAM STISKIST. A letter was received from Mr. Kee.sing and others with reference to this matter. Alter discussion it was proposed by Mr. Kwansou, seconded by Mr. M/icready, *' That the matter be ordered to stand over," which was subsequently withdrawn in favour of :i proposition by Mr. Oeoige, 11 That the matter he referred to the Kninneer to ancoitain tin probabh .0 :ponse of tho roj.airn, and how far Vhyy would bo ft* ths publk btttsiirt

KATES COLLKCTED. The Secretary reported the sum of £2,4-1)1. lis. 3d. [ collected to the present time. | CAKTEKS* WVPCrRS. ' j Phillips' tender for supplying these vns : acccpted. ' TIIR ANNUAL ItfaPOKT. | The Seerrfnry !n:;l before (he Board a printed copy j of the annual report, and also a fin an i«1 stateme;d ; to tlie HOth of June, which were approved of. j TUB KNOINKKU'S TiT-POUT. j Tho following report from the Kngincer was laid he fore Ihe Hoard: — t: KNG fNJJKIi'ri KKI'OKT FROM -STU OU2A" TO 2XD .wor.sT, ISfU. " J£ngineor*s OiHee, Auckland, u 2nd August, IBGI. " To tlie Chairman and the Board. " 0 KNTfiKMF.x, —Your Engineer regrets to report that in Upper Queen-street the culvert pus.sm«i across anil under the newly formed road is flattening and giving way in the crown of tho arch, and tho retaining wall h fVaetiuvd and unsafe. u The sewer afiroPß (Irey-streefc isliUewise in a.vorv had state, the areh deformed, and tho crown bricks falling in. This requires immediate attention, j Would it not be better io take down the unsafe por- , tions of the present culvert at once, and build a new i onf* of suffiHeiit strength the whole length required. (£ AVhut con be done with tho sewage of the Barracks ? u If tlie occupiers of Fort-street will subscribe and pay into tho otlice £350 towards the milking of Forrstreet, I pi'o])ose to make the sewago, footpaths, and road, permanent and for £oud. ' c Tlie contractors in Ouatom-hoasc-street aiv proceeding verv unsatisfactory indeed, and tho Board must-put themselves in a position of independence hv allowing their Kngiueer and the foreman oi Works to hsive plaid-s, barrows, picks, shovels, and requisite tools, so that no delay of works, without reasonable grounds, slnill, under any circumstance, be permitted, l»ut that, your Kngineer can at all limes command a power more than equivalent to tho emergency. "An application has been made by Cnis Company ofleriiiiT to make a roud adjoining their works, upon conditions which have not yet been sufficiently distinct, but will, your Kngincer expects, at- 4- o'clock to-morrow, when ho has an appointment to meet the Cras Company's ICngimvr with Mr. Smart. ° Votir Kngin- or desiros to n:end tho footpaths ; can ho reduce or abolish the cellar flaps, some ol wldch exten-.l nearly tho whole width of tlie lootpath on both silos of vjueeu'streefc and West Queen-street. r i here are many places whevo u small outlay for drain pipes across the footpaths would yield a large amount of comfort to the public. 11 The bricks used on our works I find to be of a wretched variable quality, and in order to prevent the work beinif unsound and bad, your Engineer advises the Moard to at. once purchase 50,000 or 100,000 of real bricks, and have them delivered on the Boards premises ; for itappenrs while the works are in hand tlie biick carts deliver all sorts, and so they are used to the detriment of (lie work. " Your Engineer litis had numerous applications for levels of different parts of the city, and other parts (in and out), by builders and others ; and your Kngincer wishes and advises that lie take the levels, and' lav down a huge sized map or plan ol the City, &c,, shewing the sewage and all levels required by tlie buildings. In order H> enable him to do this he will ivquire two or three assistants, othcr»vir-e it will be the work of too long a time (with assistants about three nmmhs' work). " Your KuL'ineer is now preparing some notes and remarks in reference to tlie Additional requirements under the Building and City Board Acts. u Your Kngincer has purchased a stone-breaking machine, price .£3OO, including the driving drum ; aud he lut* likewise purchased the carriage tor the same for £50. which will be iouud a most useful unci portable tool. a Looking over the cartage account of this month, I ihid it amounts to about L"7s'). Can there lie any reiKon why the 8.-arl >houUl not have carts aud horses of their ov.u to put on the most pressing ■work (which every day occurs), and would not only be a saving of the carman'.- profit, but a much more important saving—that of time and large contingent expense- 1 , aud the power in your own hands of doing work where required, and whether early or late, " f am, gentlemen, u Your obedient humble servant, " G-. BUAMAII Fn.xsr, 4; City Kngincer." After some discussion upon the matters referred to in the Kngineer's report, several accounts were passed, and tlie meeting terminated at half-past 5 o'clock.