Invercargill Borough Council

Southland Times, Issue 12022, 13 May 1892, Page 2

Invercargill Borough Council

Thursday, 12Tn May. The fortnightly meeting of the Council was attended by his Worship the Mayor (Mr J. W. Bain) and Councillors Roche, Storie, Frogcatt, McFarlane, Raesido, Stead, McLean and McEwan. m Eleven returns under the Factories Act were received from local firms. G B. Webb, of Clifton, applied for 320 piniis insignis to plant on the western side of Cliftonvale on the boundary between the educational reserve and the New River foreshore. —Referred to the Public Works and Reserves Committees. Tbe Town Clerk of Avenal complained of a nuisance caused by the contractor for the removal of the town nightsoil carting it through that borough before midnight.— The Gladstone Borough Council complained of the same nuisance, holding that it was a danger to public health.— To be informed that the time during which nightsoil may be removed is regulated by clause 170 of tho bylaws, and that the contractor is working under these.— The Mayor remarked that if there was any grievance in connection with tbe matter it was for the neighbouring boroughs to see that their bylaws were not infringed. If nightsoil were conveyed through thoso boroughs at unreasonable hours they would have cause of complaint against the contractor. The town clcr'i of Gladstone (Mr H. McLean) had spoke a to him (the Mayor) the other day about the nightsoil beiug deposited next his section on the Bay Road, and he told him t hat he should write to the local board of health in his district — the County Council— if there was any nuisance. Mr McLean replied in a very improper way, saying that he knew nothing about the matter, and he (the Mayor) declined to diweuss the subject further. He understood Mr McLean had written to the press stating that the Mayor j was discourteous, but the discourtesy was : really on the other side. The Railway Commissioners intimated ! that the request of the Council to have a j Saturday night train run to and from the Bluff had been acceded to. — Received, the Commissioners to be thanked for their promptitude in acceding to the wish of the Council. J. S. Baxter and four other ratepayers asked that the footpath in Teviot street should be repaired before winter sets in.— Referred to the Works Committee. John^Hill applied to have section 3, block 72, transferred to the N.Z. Pine Company. — Granted. John Williams asked the Council to remove some gorse that had spread on to his property from the Eastern cemetery.—Referred to the Reserves Committee. Jabez Hay wrote inviting the Mayor and Councillors to take a trip in the new steam launch Ontario any fine day that woald suit next week, leaving the wharf at about 9 a.m. — Received, and left in the hands of the Mayor to arrange, the 19th inst. being suggested as a suitable date for the excursion. The Colonial Hardware, "Woodware, and Implement Company, Limited, wrote asking to be allowed to place two more hydrants in addition to those already on the premises in Nith street to reduce the risk of fire. — Granted. The following report from the Public Works Committee was read and adopted : — (1) With reference to the claim of North Invercargill for cost of metal for Elles road recommend that it be paid on the basis of one-third of the total cost of tbe mete 1 , measuring, stacking, etc, L 4 8s lOd, as previously promised. (2) Report that as it is understood that the cause of the complaint made by Mr T. Lumsden (the blocking of his shop door through the Salvation Army holding services in Don street) has been removed the Committee have no recommendation to make. (3) Recommend that tenders be called for 200 18-inch and 200 9-inch drain pipes. The Harbour Committee recommended that the foreman take steps to have the trucks, tarpaulins and points on the jetty attended to, and stated that the question of repairing the crane was under consideration. — Adopted. — Councillor Raeside protested against further expenditure in connection with the harbour when the money was wanted for the streets, but it was pointed out that the jetty having been leased the plant must be kept in good order. The Finance Con nittee reported: — (1) Recommend that the Council join the Muni* cipal Association. (2) Report that the committee have examined the statement of accounts with the London officeof the Bank of New Zealand for coupons paid and have found them to be correct. — The motion for the adoption of the first clause was lost, and the report as amended was then adopted. The tender of F. J. West for the supply of 200 yards of rubble at 4s per yard was accepted. Councillor Roche called attention to the section of the balance sheet dealing with the municipal sinking fund, and pointed out that the Trustees had given as assets several sums which were also shown as disbursements. He moved that they be asked to explain the matter. The Mayor said that he found that the two items to which Councillor Roche referred, amounting to L 320 17s Bd, ought to be deducted from the total, leaving it L 10,802 4s 9d instead of L 11.123 2s sd. They were debits instead of credits. He then went on to deal with the balance-sheet generally. So far as the loan account was coucerned they would observe tbat it stood at L 155,300, or, deducting the amount of the sinking fund, L 144,497 15s 2d. That was the position in regard to the indebtedness of the town at the present time. The total revenue of the town, or municipal accounts, excluding gasworks, waterworks, harbour and market accounts, was L 8220. Out of this sum L 4044 had to be paid as interest, leaving available L 4176, but out of this smaller sum the town had had to aid the water account by L 364 and the harbour account by L 163, or a total of L 527, which left only a balance of L 3649 to pay for street works, reserves, street lighting, hospital and charitable aid, tire prevention, salaries and office expenses. In March next the first loan of L 3500 will fall due, and that would save the annual charge of L2lO now paid for interest, and the following year a similar amount would also be clue, which would save a further sum of L2lO. The Sinking Fund Commissioners had the money in hand to pay both these loans. During the past four years the town had had to assist the water account by advances amounting in all to L 3871, and the harbour account to the extent of L 905. One important feature in connection with tho loans to which he might refer was the conversion of tbe balance of the consolidation loan. If it were possible to exchange the 4i per cent, consolidation loan for the old six per cent, debentures, the annual saving would be LIOB9, less of course the cost of making the exchange. This would be an important work, and he might at some future time ask the Finance Committee to go into the matter carefully and see if any means could be devised to attain that desirable object. Reverting to the statement of accounts, the unexpended balance of the loans was L6BO I Is lid. The majority of tho Councillors now in office had, like himself, noshing to do with the expenditure of the i borrowed money. The day of borrowing had Sast, and their business was simply to eneavour to keep the expenditure within the ordinary revenue. He" was glad to see that a spirit of economy animated most of the members, because it would be gathered from the outline he had given that they had very little to come aud go upon, and must conserve their means iv every way possible. — Councillor Roche obtained leave to withdraw his motion in favour of another to the effect that the balance-sheet of the trustees of the sinking fund be referred to the Finance Committee for report. This was carried. On the motion of Councillor McLean, seconded by Councillor McEwan a vote of 1 thanks was passed to Mr Leslie Reynolds for his report on New River, together with plans of same.— ln reply to a remark from one of the councillors, the Mayor explained, for the fourth or fifth time, that the work would not cost the Council a single penny. He thought they might accept the assurances he had already given on that point. i _ Councillor Roche pointed out that according to the balance-sheet the lease of the reserve at Dunsdale expired in February last. — The Mayor explained that this was a typographical error, the lease having ten years to run.I In reply to Councillor Stead the Mayor stated that several matters ia connection

with the Gas and Waterworks, which had been held over till the balance-sheet was before the Council, would be considered at the next meeting of the Gas and Water Committee. The Mayor asked fche opinion of the Council as to whether tbey would, after the recent interview with the Premier on the harbour question, proceed with the drafting of a bill giving the Council po»ver to lease the harbour. The solicitor had been ordered to draft a measure of that kind in readiness j for the ensuing session. The exact cost of doing this had not yet been ascertained. It might be any sum from L 25 to LIOO. — Councillor Storio thought it was time the Syndicate came to light, and let the Council know what they had to work on. — Councillor McFarlane thought it would be well to delay the drafting of the bill till next meeting in order to allow information as to the cost to be obtained, and after further discussion Councillor McEwan gave notice of a motion to the effect that the solicitor be asked to refrain from proceeding with tho bill till ho receives further notice. The manager of the gasworks reported that about five chains of pipe would require to be laid before a lamp post could be erected at the railway crossing in Liddel street and about three chains in JFindhorn street west to Bluff railway crossing. He also recommended that the price of service pipes be altered to the following rates :— £in., 3d ; 2in., 4d ; lin., 6d;ljin.,Bd; l£in., lOd ; ljin., Is ; 2in., Is 2d per foot.— The manager also stated that two applications had been received for supplying gas to two residences in Teviot street. There was no main in this block, but an extcntion could be made at small cost from Ythan street. — Some repairs were required at the gasworks. — Tho jjgas sold during tho year amounted to 13,347,800 cubic feet, equal to 10,228 ft. per ton of coal carbonised, while the leakage amounted to 8.8 per cent, as against 10 per cent, in former years. — Referred to the Gas and Water Committee. The Waterworks engineer reported that the engines had been running 12 and 14 hours daily, and that the flushing had been continued regularly. The water on the south side of Puni creek' was in first-class condition, but to keep it so he found it necessary to flush certain streets daily. He had examined the inside of the pipes at the corner of Conon and Forth streets, and found the coating as good as new and quite free from rust. He forwarded Bix samples of the town Water. — The report was referred to the Gas and Water Committee. Several ratepayers in block 7 petitioned the Council to box in the ditch on the east side of Liddel street from Tweed to Findhorn streets, and along the south 3ide of "Findhorn street between Liddel and Clyde streets. — "Referred to the Public Works Committee. The Council then adjourned.