TOWN BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 408, 11 April 1863, Page 4

TOWN BOARD.

A special meeting of the Town Board was held yesterday afternoon, having been convened at the request of Messrs Switzer, John Cargill, and Henderson, to consider the position in which the Gas Company was placedby the stoppage of the.vrorks in Stuart-street, whereby the supply to the Gaol and other public buildings was delayed. There were present—Messrs Turner (in the chair), Jenkinson, Webb, Cargill, Redmayne, Fenwick, and Henderson.

The Clerk read a resolution and some correspondence. It appeared that on Tuesday, tho Committee of Works discussed the question of tho pipe-trench -which the Gas Company's workmen ■■were then cutting in a lino with the centre of Stuart-street, which has just been formed and metalled. The Committee resolved that they would not allow any metalled street to be'opened, except where.absolutely necessary,and that then the work should lie done willi the consent, and to the satisfaction, of the City Engineer. The Clerk communicated this resolution to Mr Sholl, secretary to the Company. That gentleman replied, protesting against the decision ; on the ground that the Company was expending its capital on the faith of a promise made by the Board, which, was how being broken. The Clerk I replied that the Committee were acting within the terms of Mr Sholl's original letter of application ; in which he undertook that all the Company's street, works should be done " under the supervision, and with the'approval, of your City Surveyor." Mr J. Cnrgill said he had been absent from the Board for some time, having been in the country.-, but tie was sorry to observe that the Board and the Resident Magistrate seemed to be agreed in a persecufion'oi" the Company. The Board seemed to have taken a position towmds the Company-, implying (bat they thought it a nuisance, instead of treating it asa siction of the community desirous to promote the general good. No such works could le carried out. without inconveniences to the publicising caused ; but they were of a very temporary nature,"and the-Board, as representing the public, ought to make due allowance for what was; unavoidable. The letter of the Clerk, stopping the works in Stuart-street, was .an attempt to dictate to the Company how they should carry on their operations. The original condition was that wherever works were curried out. the Company should leave the streets in as good order and condition as they found them ; ana complaints that this had not been complied "'with were beside the question, seeing that enforcing it was the duly of officers of the Board. To say" simply-that because Stuart-street had been recently mettallpd it should not be opened, was to say nn absurd tbiug—equivalent to, "Wait till the metal has been worn down somewhat, arid then you may do what you like." He doubted the power of the Committee of Works to upset a resolution of the Board ; nw} he objected strongly to their passing a resolution to up the Clerk's letter. Mr Jenkinson denied that there was any desire to persecute the Company ; for every facility had. been given by the Board. As to Stuarkstreet, it had just been formed and metalled at considerable expense; and he thought that if tho Company were allowed to lay pipes on each side of the channeling, where the metaling would not be interfered with, it would be sufficient for all their purposes. He moved the confirmation of the Committee's resolution. - V .-,''•'

Mr Webb Beconded the motion* The. Company' were simply required to comply- .•with the conditions specified by their- own officer, and which formed the groundwork of the Board's consent to the breaking of the streets.-- Instead of the Board persecuting the Company, he believed that the public looked upon the Company as their persecutors. The Company had broken the "regulations of the Board, and had caused inconvenience which was something more than temporary. Where trenches had been cut. the surface had not been properly re-formed ; and so little power did the Board seem to possess, that the inconvenience thus caused wa3 serious nnd would be lasting. The Committee had by no means" said that Stuart-street; should not be opened ; they objected to the disturbance of the metalled part, which was but a small portion of the whole width ; and the inconvenience to the Company of laying their pipes beside the channelling had yet to be demonstrated. The City Engineer had pointed out that wherever the Company had disturbed metallei ground, the workmen had allowed the metal to become mixed with clay, so that a satisfactory surface could not bs formed. The City Engineer hud described an e\sy mode of preventing this ; and the Committee desired that it should be adopted. It was the duty of the engineer of the Company to put himselfin communication with the City Engineer ; but if he had done so, the Board remained in ignorance of the fact. A feeling had been raised in the mind of the public, which would never have been raised if the officers of the Company had conducted themselves pioparly.

Mr Fen wick thoroughly approved of the courao, taken by the Committee.

Mr Redmayne said that the footpaths in George-street were nicely formed and gravelled. When the [Company came there, they opened a great length of trench ; and there were many indignant remonstrances from the public at such a thin£ being permitted. Instead of leaving the pathin as good a state as they found it, they had left it in an exceedingly bad state. The Chairman said that Mr Cargill's charge against the Committee, of passing a resolution for the purpose of bolstering up the letter of the Clerk, was altogether unfounded. The resolution, was passed on the 7th, and the letter was written on the Bth. He was astonished to hear Mr Gargill talk of the Company being persecuted ; the. reverse being the fact. Mr Cargill was not convinced that the Committee of Works had not, in effect, rescinded the permission given to the Company by the BoardHe believed that the Company was persecuted..

There was a certain officer of the Board called Inspector of Nuisances, who had been very active in getting the Company fined on all possible occasions. Once ho got them fined for removing stones brought to the surface in trenching ; and afterwards ho got them fined for not removing stones, but leaving them as obstructions. The works in Stuart-street were virtually stopped by, the Clerk's letter. It was no loss to the Company;, for the street was scarcely formed, and was generally a Gorurnment bungle, so that it was very risky to have anything to do with it, owing to the high embankment and the no-drainage. There were things about it which would yet cause the Board plenty of trouble and expense. The Company had been anxious to supply the Gaol and other public buildings ; but if they were prohibited, it could not be helped. Whether tho lines of chunelling should be taken for the piping, which would involve a double series instead of a single one, was an engineering question, onwhich neither he nor any other member of the Board ought to venture an opinion. Ho was quite ready to admit that some of the trendies had not been properly filled up. There was one in Princes-street, close to the office, which was left with a clayey ridge throughout its length. In' fact, it ought to have been well rammed, made level, and metalled ; but he repeated that it was the duty of the Board's officers to see that this was done.

Mr Jenkinson said that the Inspector of Nuisances never took any proceedings against the Company without first consulting the Board, and he had behaved very leniently. Stuart street, now was by no means in the state supposed by Mr Cargill■': a numbe.t of the Board's men. had been at work on it, and it was thoroughly formed' before being metalled.

After some further conversation, the motion was adopted, auU the Board adjourned.