TOWN BOARD.

Southland Times, Volume 3, Issue 101, 14 October 1863, Page 3

TOWN BOARD.

A special gencr.al meeting of the Town Bo.'ird was held yesterday afternoon. Present -Messrs. J aggers, Garthwaite, Grieve, Downes, and Clarke. Mr Clarke hi the chair. The in unites of last meeting weie read and confirmed. The Chairman read the following memorial from the inhabitants of Tay-street .— TO T/TIE tOAVS BOARD. your memorialists have for many months past quietly submitted to a nuisance created by the laying down of fl-ix and fascines of green scrub in the middle of Tay- street, fro-r: a conviction that such a proceeding was a necessary evil during the wet season, to render the Street at all passable for d raj's. That -now when the strecft'has dried so as to ii ake works of the usual description in road making to be gone on with, your memorialists were for a clay or two complacently observing that the crying eril was beiag exhumed, and would be forth .vitli removed. Tciat it is now with the greatest chagrin t'ipy discover that fresh fascines, as well as the flax, is bjinr again laid down a!mi<r the edge of the gratings for dray traffic. The noxious miasma from the latter, in its half decomposed -condition, is begin- ing to affect the dcalth of many of your memorialists. ■ ! Your memorialists pray for the removal of this > terrible nuisance at once, and without delay. ' And your memorialists, &c. ; In reply to the memorial, the following explanation by Mr Marchaat, was read : — ; TO IHR CHAIKSIVN OF THE TOWS' BOARD. Sir. — I have the honor to report, in reference to a Memorial from Inhabitants of Tay-street, lying for presentation, that it has always been my i;itenbion-to cover uplhe fascining, now complained of, as soon as practicable. I have on former occasions repeatedly expressed to the Board my desire to have all fascininq well covered over with gravel, which not only io noves every possible objection to its use, but, by p>resorving it from destruction, renders fastening a cheap and good foundation, on which to construct the roadway, from the only material for metalling at present available. The B'«ard is aware that-, throughout the winter, the traffic in Tay and Clyde-streets would have been entirely closed but lor the use of fascines. During the greater portion of this rcriod, flax fascines were more or less on the surface throughout the entire length of Tay-streofc, as were al=o ■ the brushwood fascines in Clyde-street. Thus | exposed on the surface, the traffic and the wet , weather not only rapidly destroyed them, but also rendered them obnoxious to the senses, and posbib ly to the health. About a week ago, the experimental gratings were moved for laying in the portion of Tay -street alluded to, and as the level at which the gratings require to be laid was, in places, below the surface of the fascines, these had in places to be removed before the gratings were laid, and the whole covered up with grovel. The flax removed, forms a valuable foundation to the gravel, and being intended for use in a day . or two. was not taken out of the street, because, to d) so, entailed, unnecessary expense. I cannot suppose, and tint your Memorialists dcs-ire to intimate, that the delicate state of health I am sorry to hear them complain ot, is consequent on tho deposit of the iew removed fascines for a day or two in the street, and 1 therefore assume that it can only convey their opinion on the possible effect of any continued exposure of vegetable matter of any kind in the street, to the ajlion ot the weather and existing traflic. As your Memorialists admit, the use of fascines has kept the streets open where they \<Oild otherwse have been closed to traffic, and the state of the streets has hitherto j revented the fascines trom being kept entirely covered with gravel, except at an addiVonal outlay that circumstances did not appear to warrant ; and now that their improving state allows the formation of Tay-s'roct to be proceeded with, a very short period will leave no fascines in it which have now been effectually Covered, and tbis method secures any advantages of construction they afl'ord without possible injury from their use, and. without the nuisanco of their being eihuined, as suggested by your Memorialists. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, It. W. Marchant, Jingineer. After some conversation, the Clerk was instructed to inform the memorialists that their requests would he attended to. The following communication regarding cellar gratings, from Mr Marchant, was read : TO THE CHAIRSfAN OF THE TOWN BOARD. Sir, — In reference to the gratings to their cellar 3 applied for by one or two hotelkecpers in Tay' street, &.nd to the resolution passed at tho Hoard, that I shall submit a plan on which gra' ings to meet any requirement can bo constructed ; it. appears desirable that I should supplement *l ho opinion I expressed at tho Insf. .Board meeting, that the applicants should supply full particulars

;of what their requirements jarc; in. order tint L " J rnayjb'o placed in a position to submit a plan ; Should, 5,6 fin' as practicable, include the; provisions necessary for the various uses f.jr which such grat- T ; ings would be required by different applicants for them. '"-' At present, there are two applicants for these gratings, and they have each been informed 'that if they will have a "plan or properly complete sketch prepared, showing the connection of the cellars with the footpath, and the construction they pro-, pnse, I will make such alterations or additions as may appear to bo necessary, it" any are required, and obtain, the assent of the Board to the erection of the cellar gratings on the plans so approved of. The provisions for supporting the sides of the footpath where it is cut into is an important one, "and I have not considered it ray duty to explore the height of the cellars to winch gratings are required, or to provide the applicants with plans suitable to their particular cases ; this if they are anxious about a grating, they can obtain from any Architect in the usual way, nnd as the requirements will be variotts, it is necessary that I should obtain them Jn a proper shape, before I can make any plan containing the provisions that will be necessary in all cases. I have endeavored as a rule, and except in similar cases to the one stated, have generally succeeded in having any plans required by the Board laid on the table the following week to that in which a re-'s'-ilution requiring them was passed} and the delny in the present case is a necessary one, and depends on the action of the applicants themselves. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, R. W. MaechanI 1 , Engineer. After some conversation, it was agreed that Mir Marchant should be instructed to prepare a general plan and other particulars for such gratings, according to a resolution passed at a previous meeting. The Chairman read a memorial from the inhabitants on north side of Esk-street, praying 1 for gratings being laid down on the pavement from Dee-street to Deveron-street. On the motion of Mr Garthwaite, the Engineer was instructed to prepare plans for the same on both sides ol the street, from Dee-street to Doon-street. A simi'ar memorial from the inhabitants of block 11, Deveron-street, was read. Mr Garthwaite would include Deveronstreet in the motion, which was agreed to. A letter was read from the trustees in R. Mac George's estate, declining to remove the verandah fronting the store in Tay-street, and stating that the Board might do it at iis risk. The opinion of Mr Weston, Solicitor to the Board, was read. He considered the Board would have some difficulty in defending themselves if they removed the verandah, and an action was raided in consequence. After some discussion, it was agreed on the motion of Mr M'lvor, that the matter stand over till next meeting when Mr Weston would •be requested to attend. A series of bye-laws were submitted to the meeting. Resolved that they be distributed among the members, and considered at next ; meeting. : The Chairman stated that Mr Jamieson manager of the Bank of New South Wales, on whom the deputation waited, could say nothing about the rate of interest until he had communicated with the head office. Meantime any pressing demands would be met. In reply to the deputation who waited upon him regarding a fire engine, and the amo'&iffc that would be required next year, His Honor the Superintendent stated that he would lay the matter before the Executive, and do everything he could to get what was required. Some other business of no importa nce : ot over, and the Board adjourned.