NEWMARKET BOROUGH COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8501, 27 February 1891, Page 6

NEWMARKET BOROUGH COUNCIL.

■ ',) ..;/■» ♦ ■ ..J. '.-■*■ ;.; The .regular fortnightly meeting of the Newmarket • Borough Council was held last evening. ' Present: Mr. Geo. Kent (Mayor) Messrs. Holmes, Laxon, Lumpkin, Randall, Clayton, Edgerley, Heron/and Whyman., Mr. W. Morgan, ex-Mayor, was also present, and was accommodated with a chair beside the Mayor, by whom he was , ■welcomed as a visitor to the Council. Osbqrne-strekt.—Mr. Joseph Osborne wrote calling attention; to the want of drainage in Osborne-street, and the neces- ; sity for having the matter attended to. , The Council, he said, had already admitted , this, and only postponed it for want of funds. He now urged that it should be : proceeded with as soon as possible. The application was allowed to stand over pending a motion of which the Mayor had given : notice. Railway-street. —The acting - resident engineer of railways wrote stating that the ; Council's application for alteration of the , position of a portion of the fence at the foot of Railway-street had been granted provided the work was done by the Borough Council, and that the Railway Commie- , sioners may re-occupy the land left open at any time they thought fit. The letter was received. > . r- ,: ;.<■';;, i Depositing Refuse.— Charles Sutton , complainedof a quantity of garden refuse . having been deposited in Victoria Crescent opposite his house by Mr. Lawry's servants, and requested ' that steps be taken to have it removed. , The Town Clerk stated that Mr. Lawry was not aware that the refuse had been placed there, and be had had it removed since. .V. . Municipal Conference.—A printed circular was received from Mr. J. E. Fagc, Town Clerk of Wellington, containing a list of the subjects to be considered at the Municipal Conference proposed to be held in Wellington next June, asking the co-operation of the Borough, and to Bend a delegate to attend the Conference ; also to forward any suggestions which the Council might think tit. It was suggested that the cities of Auckland, Wellington, Christcnurch, and Duneiin should have two delegates each. Mr. Holmes moved that the consideration cf the.circular, be deferred till next meeting. Mr.. Clayton.seconded the motion, and it was agreed to. Charitable Aid.—The Charitable Aid Board forwarded a printed list of the names and residences of persons receiving outdoor relief from the Board from the Ist of February, 1891, also a list of inmates of the Costley Home. Drainage of Railway-street. — The Streets Committee reported that they had examined Railway-street, and found that the outlet under the railway was at the southern corner of Mr. O'Hearne's property, which, in the event of drainage in Railway-street, would necessitate a pipe being laid along the embankment to .this corner. The length of drainage, including these pipes would be about 10 chains, and the estimated cost £40. The committee reported that the Alma-street work was completed in a satisfactory manner at a cost of £15. The report was received. There was also a letter from the residents and property owners in the , street, asking to have the street drained. -Mr. Clayton had given notice to. move that Rail way-street be drained in the same manner as Alma-street. This, however, 'Mr.- Whyman stated Mr. Clayton had withdrawn in favour of his amendment, that it should be referred to the Streets Committee. Mr. Clayton denied that he had withdrawn his notice. He then proceeded to deal with the necessity for the drainage of the street, pointing out that cases of fever had occurred there. There was a nuisance, and the ratepayers were entitled to consideration. He also pointed out how the drainage of the upper part of the street, the most thickly inhabited, could be carried into View-street at less than half the cost; mentioned by the streets committee, and he moved that the work be done. Mr. Randall seconded the motion. It was, he said, a work of necessity, and should be done as soon as possible. Mr. Holmes said that if they had the means he should certainly support the motion and have the drainage done, but they had no right to run the borough into debt. Could they afford it or could they not ? If they could not there was an end of it. The chairman said he had given notice of the following motion :— "That this Council, being unable to overtake all the drainage of the various bystreets at once, it was resolved that they be taken one after another, as funds will permit, until they are completed." They were now, he said, indebted £181, and there were many other streets, including Osbornestreet, to be drained, and the estimated cost would be £195. He asked them, before considering the motion of Mr. Clayton, to consider their financial position. Mr. Edgerley spoke in support of Mr. Clayton's motion, pointing out that they could drain into Lawry's old drain. He moved " That it be referred to the Streets Committee to report as to the cost." Mr. Whyman said the drain in View-street was only a six-inoh drain, and not fit to carry off the drainage of Railwaystreet. Anything under a nine-inch drain would be useless. It would cost £40, and they were not in a position to expend thai sum. The amendment moved by Mr. Edgerley, that the Streets Committee report on the cost of drainage into Viewstreet was put after Mr. Clayton had replied, and it was carried. The motion was therefore lost. Streets Committee Appointments.—At the last meeting Mr. Clayton had given notice to ask that the Council be furnished with the names of the Streets Committee and the dates of their appointment. The Town Clerk, in answer to the query, now reported that Messrs. Whyman, Kent, Holmes, and Lumpkin had been appointed a Streets Committee on the 10th October, 18S9 ; and Mr. Aneus had been appointed a member in place of Mr. Kent on the 15th of January, 1891. Mr. Clayton contended that Mr. Whyman and several other members of this committee were not properly appointed. They had gone out of office since their appointment and should have been re-elected. The Mayor said the reason why the appointments were continued was that these councillors had acted on the Streets Committee for years, and they were kept in office because others who had been asked refused to take the duties. In accordance with a motion of which he had given notice, ho moved, " That Messrs. Whyman, Holmes, Lumpkin, and Angus be appointed members of the Streets Committee, Mr. Whyman to be chairman, and three to form a quorum." Mr. Heron seconded the motion. Mr. Clayton moved, " That Mr. Edgerley be elected to the Streets Committee," but Mr, Edgerley declined, and moved, "That the Streets Committee consist of Messrs. Clayton, Laxon, Lumpkin, and Holmes, and that Mr. Clayton be chairman." Mr. Randall seconded the amendment, which was put and lost, and the original motion was carried. Balances.—The following statement of balances was submitted. General account, Dr., £135 3s Id. Cr., £144 9s lid. Interest and sinking fund account, £156 Is. Turncock's Report.—The turncock reported having connected several houses with the water supply. The report was received. Park Road Bridge.—Mr. Clayton moved that a letter be sent to the Railway Department calling attention to the dangerous statement of the bridge over the railway in Park road. The Mayor seconded the motion, and it was agreed to. This concluded the business.

Mr. John Smyth, of the Mount Eden Sawmills, has patented a class of sheep and cattle hurdles which, on account of their lightness and other advantages, as well as for their cheapness, are likely to come into , demand. The hurdles for sheep are 9 feet in length, while those for cattle are only 7 ; feet. The posts are in each of hardwood, , into which rails are morticed, and stays , lead to a centre post by braces. The peculiarity is that the posts have only to be ■ driven a few inches into the ground, sup- . ports being afforded by self-acting stays, which swing on the iron rods which, connect the sections. The hurdles are, although light in structure, very firm, for , they "are bound together by steel wires, and they can be erected so as to enclose a oaddock or a smaller enclosure with great expedition, and removed Us required. Some of these hurdles of both descriptions were on view 3'esterday at Messrs. Hunter and Nolan's saleyards, and Mr. Smyth informs us that he has already supplied a good number of them to gentlemen residing in aud around Auckland*