BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6296, 17 February 1892, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

o The Borough Council met last evening M'hen there were present the Mayor, and Councillors Somervell, Dunlop, Joyce, Hepburn, Harding, Akroyd, Lewis, and Whinray. A letter to Messrs Kitchen and Co. was read asking if they kept candles which would burn for eight or nine hours for street lighting purposes, and asking for a box. —The candles are for the bridge when the Tuna is working frozen meat. A box has come to hand. j The secretary to the Treasury wrote ap--1 plying for the sum of 3s 6d for share of advertising re the Taruheru footbridge enquiry. — Granted. Messrs Clayton and Co. wrote asking a progress payment of £100 on the footbridge. — The Clerk said that Captain Winter had verbally reported that the contractors were entitled to a progress payment of £100. — The payment was made subject to Captain Winter's certificate. Mr R. Knox wrote sending his account for the stone supply. The balance shown to be due was £183. A payment was passed for a sum of £174, deduction being made for cost of closing Read's Quay and for an overcharge. overseer's report. The Overseer (Mr Wilkinson) reported : — " Mr McLeod is pushing on with his contract. The decking will be finished this week. I would recommend a progress payment of £10. The contractor has agreed to erect a footway across the Taruheru bridge in conjunction with his contract for the sum of £20. Whilst the Tuna was towing the punts down the river on the 3rd instant one or the other collided with a pile underneath the centre of the swing, breaking it tw© feet from the top. Mr Sunderland immediately sent his men down and had the damaged pile repaired. Captain Winter, County Engineer, will report on the footbridge contract. Mr Knox has completed his contract. He has delivered 153 i yards over the 500 contracted for, making a total of 653$ yards now delivered. I recommend a final payment for the same less £1 for inferior and unbroken metal on Read's Quay. When Mr Knox commenced breaking stone with the crusher it worked very well for a few days, but since then the stones crushed have been uneven and slabby. Day labor £5 45." Cr Somervell, referring to the breaking of a pih», said that it was a very serious thing « If an outside pile had been broken it would not have mattered so much, but where the central pile was broken it was serious in this way, for the swing was thrown out of place, being jambed on one side. He suggested that piles be driven a few feet from the bridge to act as a cut-water or fender to ward off the vessels and keep them from injuring the bridge. The Mayor said they had had it up before them several times, and were of opinion that it would be a very desirable work, but were afraid to tackle it at present on account of want of funds. Mr Oxenham, in repairing the swing, had said that it Avas a very weak structure and badly required staying." RATES TWICE FAID. The Finance Committee reported : " Your Committee have the honor to report as follows : After hearing the evidence of Messrs Harding and Crawford, supported by entries in the cash book and cheque butts, we arc convinced that the amount of L 6 15s was twice paid to the late clerk, and we would recommend the Council to refund the £6 log to Mr Crawford. It our last report we were under the impression that the sum of £10 paid by Mr Crawford was the last payment made, but we now find that the sum of £12 3s paid by Mr Harding was the final payment, which makes it quite clear that the £6 15s was overpaid." The Mayor said they were quite clear that the payment had been made twice, and there was nothing to do but to ask the Council to refund it. — Cr Somervell moved and Cr Dunlop seconded that the report be adopted. —Carried. PAYMENTS. Gas Company £16 15s 6d, insurance £2 ss, sundries £3 14s 6d, Humphreys and Davys £12 17s 9.1, Herald £2 10, J. Kenny £3 10s, D. McLeod £15, Clayton and Co. £100, R. Knox £174, H. J. Finn £8 14a Bd, W. F. Crawford £6 15s. FOOTPATHS. A discussion arose as to the disposal of tar for footpaths. — Cr Whinray moved for some being spread on the path leading to the English Church. — Cr Somervell moved for the paths on the west end of the town, in Upper Childers road, to be repaired, stating that they were in a very bad state. — Cr Harding said that of all footpaths the one leading to the wharf wanted a coat of tar. — After a little discussion the matter was allowed to drop, it being generally agreed that the footpath to the wharf deserved attention. The Mayor made a suggestion that the Council should follow the rule adopted in Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington, and other places, namely, that the Corporation asphalt only one-half of the footpath, leaving the owners of property to do the other half nearest their properties if they thought it desirable to do so. THE FINANCIAL POSITION*. The Mayor read the report of the Finance Committee, which showed that the overdraft was £1550. The engagements of the Council were : Footbridge £200, stone £174, salaries £112, bridge £56, interest £55, Gas Company £30, rent and valuation £25, sundries £37, Fire Brigade £30, total £720, making a total of £22/0 with the overdraft. The expected payments were rent £85, rates £40, pound and dog tax £10, refunds of bridge expenditure [" doubtful just yet," said His -Worship.}" £185, total £320, leaving their overdraft £1950. Special account : cash in bank £307, rates £8. The limit of the overdraft was £1950. They had as assets £400 worth of metal. The Mayor said it showed that they would have to be very careful. They had never had the rates so well cleared up. They had within the next week or two a very difficult ease to meet. That with Mr Woodhead would entail some expense to the Council whichever way it went. Cr Harding said it would be bound to entail £50 cost. The Mayof asked the Council to authorise him to take legal opinion lxith with regard to Woodhead's case and the action with tl;« Harbor Board, and to act aa was thought most advisable. — On the motion of Cr Whin,* ray such authority was given,