TOWN BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 658, 9 July 1864, Page 7

TOWN BOARD.

The usual weekly meeting of the Town Board ■was held in their new offices Princes street JVorth, opposite the Theatre Royal, Mr liedmayne occupied the chair ; and there were also present, Messrs Howard, Barnes, Miller, Bastiags, Grey, Murray, Turner, Ham, Lowe, and M'Leod.

MORAY PLACE.

A memorial waa read from ratepayers in Moray place South we s t, asking that the footpath there should be formed and gravelled as it had been done on the opposite side near the Congregational Church.

Mr Barues thought that the Board had no power to interfere with the contractor to whom this street wa9 let. He had only Btopped hi= work for want of money, and it was entirely owing to his good nature thit he had formed the footpath to the Congregational Church. Mr Grey thought the City Engineer sbnul ' he requested to ask the contractor (Wr Walkem) to finish this part of the footpath also. He tberefor • moved, that the letter be referred to tho City ■Enaineer for ibis purposa. Mr Howard seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

RBPORT OF THE PUBLIC WORKB COMMITTEE.

The first report of the Public Works Committee was read ; It referred to a number of matters of detail, which had been remitted to th-m It waß agreed to consider the report seriatim It was agreed to expend 40s in constructing a footpath in Dowling street, at Mr Meluish's property. The works in Walker, Maitland, and Melville streets, were ordered to stand over in tbe raeantim 0 . The mpmbers of tbe committee were ti pay another vi>.it to the store of Mr R. B. Martin this mornine, with respect to the drains of that store. With regard to the recommerdition of tbe City Engineer that rcen should be employed during the winter monthi in maintaining tbe recently formed street", thia was allowed to lia over until the report of the Finance Committee was read. it was agreed to expend L 6 in gravelling Hanover street, between George and Filleul streets, • this sum to come out of the rates of the ward, and also L 8 to be expended in gravelling G<aham street. The Engineer was ordered to inspect William etreet, in accordance with a letter recently received from Mr Hardy. It was agvepd to exoend LlO in roujh j»ra\elling 14 ch-iins of the Union «treet north, that sum to come out ot the rates of Leith Ward.

FINANCE COMMITTEE'S BEPOPT.

The Clerk read the following report from the Finance Committee : *-

•' Gentlemen— Your committee met on <lie 24th inst., and resolved that a resolution he submitted to the Board, that the rate for 1864 b-> made during this present month of July, and that the said rate be cr>llect=d half-yearly, iv order to meet the probable exoenditure for the remaining portiop of the present year. Your committee deem it advisable to recommend that the existing staff of the Engineer be discharged, and tint the resolution of thi.» committee of tbe 18th December Ia«>: and adopted hy the Board, be carrie i into effect, viz. :-• That all officers in the Engineer's department be engaged by the Board and not by the Engineer.' On the 20th May la't your Committee resolved " that when the various dfpar'ment'j ennrsectei with the Board are coticentiated in the new offices, a)! accounts and salaries in tho Engineer's department are to ba presented to the clerk for payment. On the 7th insiant, your Committee resolved that in consequence of the expense incurred by the Scavin^ering Contract, the labor pay-fheet for the present be abandoned. Your Committee have the honor to appeu I to thia report- the probable expenditure and income for the remaining portion of the present year, and would recommeud that the strictest ecouomy be observed, consistent wtth_ the particular requirements of the 80-ml ; thi* is the more desirable in consequence of the Board having corns to a decision (under certain conditions) to expend over £3000 in making good Princes street South and the Maiket Reserve, which sum, for the present, must come out, of the City Asaassmerjta. In carefully consi'lerina: the financial position of the Board, your Committee view with much regret the difference* that at present exist with them and the Provincial Go vernment, and as the Board have no other object than the interest of their constituents and the advancement of the city generally, hope that an amicable arrangement will shortly be concluded."

The Clerk explained that he bad not been able to make up the approximate estimate of the income and expenditure mentioned in the report, but he would have it completed iv time for the next meeting of the Board. On the motion of Mr M'Leod the report was received, and ordered to lie on the table for consideration till next meeting of the Board. CITY ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Clbrk read the folio wing report from the City Kngineer : - - i " City Engineer's Department. "6th July, 1861. "To the Town Board, "Gestlbmen— l have fco report that iv accordance with my minute upon the pyy sh-set of this depa-tment, datel 18ch June last, I h&ve reouced the Engineering staft by four orriews, namely:— Mr Cha<». Millar, Mr Richd. Hal! Coe, Mr — Bngland, Mr Wra. Loehhead. " Tbe staff now consists of Mr G\ orge O'Brien Mr John Norman Cimpbsil, and M.v Edwin Franks Millar. •

" I have the honor to state, that with this reduced staff, I propose attempting to get over the work still before the department, i.e., in completing the permanent records of th 9 many improvement works executed, aud in progress durinsr the pa3t piebteen months. "I have to brine under the notice of the Board, that I hive ordered a slighr and inexpensive improvement to be made upon thn landing of the '• Dowling street" steps, to present, a* much as possible, nuisance, wA unsenni g exposure in open day lii,'ht beias committed in this populous thoroughfare. I woul i at the same time recommend 60^ being expended in puttii g ■up a hind rail to the step? upon the oppo3ite mdo of Pi ine^s street leading to Bedford Kmse locality. I may sta'e that th« public safety requires this, since Messrs Lonnie and Co. inaae the cutting in iJowling street east. " I have also to recommend tbat an absolute'y necessary expendi;ure be gone to, in fencing in the several high cuttings in Bowline street, particularly near the High School and tho bouses of worship : otherwise fatal accidents may hi expected to occur during the dark evening-!. To partially obviate the likelihood of which, I shall

proceed to erect lamp pillars there in their permanent eituation c , " I have the honor to be, " Gentlemen. " Your most obedient, " John Millar, F.S.A., " City Engineer."

The report was referred to the Public Works Committee, and the City Kngineer instructed to report upon the number of embankments which required to be fenced iv, and the probable cost of the same.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE BOARD. The Clerk to the Board reported that in accordance with the instructions of the Board he ha-1, on Saturday list, transmitted to the Government the resolution passed at last meeting, containing the decision of the Hoard regarding the baidin» over of the main line through the city, nnd the works in Princes street sonth, and the Market Re«erve Jle had received ro further communications from the Gbvernnvnt on the subject

Mr M'Leod thought it was very dis"ourteous on the part of the Governm nt" to return no answer to the communication from the Board, The mutter then dropped.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Mr R. Marshall wrote requesting that & sum of monoy should b? expended on "View street, from Moray plane to Bowling street, a« it was in a bad state. Referred to tha Public Worka Goinmitte?.

A letter from Mr James fonness with regard to access to his property in High street, was allowed to stand over until some action was taken with regard to the Market Reserve.

Mr Ie Carle wrote concerning the rites levied on his property. As his appeal had been dealt with in the usual manner, it was now resolved that the letter could not be entertained.

Mr Duncan, Maalaggan street, ob'ained permission to put down a pitched crossing to his property.

Mr Stephen Dorman obtained a similar permission in Albany «treet.

On the motion of Mr Turner, Messrs Simpson and Wright, Great King street, and Mr Thoma?, Albany street, were permitted to lay down pitched crossings to their respective properties. A memorial was read from Wr J. J. Webb on behalf of tbe fish dealers of Dunedin, statins; that on Saturday la<-t they engaged a dray to cart fish offal from the Rattray street Jetty to the Manme Depot. On the dray arriving at the depot, the keeper of it refused permission to the carter to cuter unless he paid 10s to bury the offil. This was refused, and the keeper then drew his chain across the entrance of the depot, ami the dray had to return back to town with the offal. Under ths=e circumstances, an-! seeing fiat the fishmoncprs had no land of their own in which to bury the off d, they asked that the Board should adopt such measures as would obviate the grievances under w!ii«h they at present labored, and prevent a recurrence of the fish nuisance.

Mr IVl'Leod moved, " That the keeper of tbe Manure Depot be oHered to receive tbe offal cart 3d there from the fish market."

This was seconded and at once agreed to.

Mr J. F. Miller wrots, asking permission to use the footpath in Mo>ay pi ice durinz the erection of a building there. Permission granted.

CLEANING THE STREETS.

The weekly report of the Inspector of Nuisances was read to the following effect : — | " The Inspector of Nuisances reports for the information of the Board that several (f the streets included in the eeivengering contract have not been visited by tbs contractor or cleaned during the jmt week, namely, High street be.tween Mame and Hope sheets, Mnclaggan street between riarke and Graham streets, and also Filleu! street. There are other streets which have not been visited, but the Inspector refers to the before-mentioned streets as tb.pre are heaps of rubbish in each, and have been for some time, which the contractor has f -died to remove. .Complaints have also been made by several persons about the hills ; and the contractor neglects to visit the streets each morning with the horse and cart to remove rubbish.'-

Mr Barnes was aware that the report was correct. Ie iia'l talked to the contractor till he was tired about the manner in which he cleaned the streets. The men employed in the work did not do their work, but.only killed time. Several members expressed great dissatisfaction with the minner in which the scavenging contract was b'^ing carried out, and, in order Lo investigate the matter,

Mr Ham move-1 — " That tbe Report of the Inspector of Nuisances be referred to tne Sanitary Committee to reporc at next meeting." This was carried.

MORAY-PLACE.

A deputation, consisting of- Messrs Somner, Towcra, and Osier, waited upon the Board, with regard to the condition of Moray- place, from George-3treet to Filleul-street. They represented that the street was impassable, and that they had either lost the tenants to their property, or been compelled to let their housps at halfrents. They requested that a foot-path might be constructed as soon as possih'e. Mr Basxikq9 moved -"That fhe City Engineer ba instructed to make arrangements with the contractor for Moray-place for the formation "f the footpath in tint portion of the street from George-street to Filleul-street "

Mr Ham thought that instead of taking up eyiry one of these footpaths separately for consideration as it was brought before them, the Board ought to form some definite pian on which to go in the formation oi all footpaths. With this view he m >ved as an a'i.en'iment— "That the matter be referred to the Public Woviis Committee " The motion moved by Mr Bastings was carried.

MQTIOH3.

_ Sir Barnes moved—" That the BoarJ will jjive permission lo parties to lay nown temporary crossings over footpiths — tiie work to be executed to the s^isfact'on of tha Engineer." This w*3 can ied Mr Murray movpd— " That notice be served on tbe ovwieis and occupiers of laud in George street, iV.-mt.be Oetngon to Frederick street, to pave or as>ha'.te iv front of their respective piemisi ?,"

Mr If asi objected to the word " asphalte" being iutiodui-bil into the motion. If it baid flawing iilone he would support it. Mr Murray agreed to strike cut the word object, d to. The motion was then put and lost. Several uotict-s of motion having been giren for next meeting-, The Board adjourned to Tuesday at two o'clock