NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

Colonist, Volume XIII, Issue 1339, 26 July 1870, Page 3

NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers of Nelson for election of members, was held at the Board premises yesterday, at noon. There were present about fifty or sixty ratepayers, and Mr. Elliott was appointed chairman. -

The retiring members, it was announced, were Messrs. Robert Burn, J. Percy, J. P. Black, and William Haddow.

The Secretary read "the annual report of the Board, as follows :—

Thirteenth Annual Report op the Nelson

BOAED OF WoEKS,'POB THE YEAE 1869-70.

In accordance with previous custom, the Board of Works present to the ratepayers a brief statement of the works effected during the last twelve months, which complete the thirteenth year of the existence of the Board as a public body. •

Sundry repairs hare been effected on the Haven and Waiinea-roads and Waimea-street, extending from Mary-Ann-street to the; toll-gate. The road has been gravelled in various parts with Boulder Bank gravel, new drains-executed and old oneß repaired, the breastwork renewed, and the ditches and water-tables cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £428 6s. sd.

In Vanguard-street, a considerable amount of work has been executed during the past year. The street has been made up from the Haven-road to Hardystreet; the road has also been.gravelled from the Post Boy Hotel to the extreme end of the street adjoining the property of Mr. Hale; the ditches have been cleaned out at various times, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £295 18s. 9d. This amount is exclusive of prison labour.

In St. Vincent-street, the upper portion has been formed and gravelled, and the lower portion repaired, the ditches cleaned out from time to time, and also a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £74 3s. 6d. : * In Franklyil-street, extending from Vanguardstreet to Ngatiawa-street, a portion of the road has been made up and formed and also footpath, and about twenty-sis chains of the road gravelled, at a cost of £74 6s. 3d.

In Hampden-street, extending from Vernon-street to Ngatiawa-street, the road has been reduced and made up in several places, also portions formed and gravelled, and a quantity of gorue cut and burned, at a cost of £94 9s.

In Collingwood-street, the road has been gravelled and repaired, the ditches, water-tables, and drains cleaned out at various times, at a cost of £26165. 9d.

In Bronti-street, the road has been gravelled and repaired, the ditches and water-tables cleaned out from time to time, and the drains repaired, at a cost of £10. ■...-■

In Tupia-street, a quantity of gorse has been cut and burned, at a cost of £2 7s.

In Alton-street, the road has been gravelled and repaired, and the water-tables cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £6 lie. 6d.

In Tory-Btreet, the road has been crowned up and water-tables cleaned out, at a cost of £717 a. 6d.

In Nile-street (east and west), the road has been gravelled and repaired in various places, the ditches, water-tables, and drains cleaned out^ from time to time, at a cost of £55 19a. lid. In Milton-itrwt, the water-tables, have been fora«ci, &• voitd efoim«d up* «od portion* of th«

road and footpaths gravelled, at a cost of £21 7s. 6d. In Cambria-street, the road has been gravelled in various parts, the water-tables, drains, and ditches cleaned out at various times, at a cost of £14 2s. 6d. In Grove-street, the road has been repaired and the water-tables cleaned out, at a cost of £13 Os. 6d. In Tasman-street, the voad has been gravelled and repaired in various places, and footpaths formed, at a cost of £24 15s.

In Hardy-street (east and west), the road has been gravelled and repaired in several places, and new curbing executed from Trafalgar-street to Colling-wood-street, the water-tables and drains cleaned out at various times, at a cost of £125 3s. 3d. In Bridge-street (east and west), the road and footpaths have been gravelled and repaired in various parts, and the water-tables cleaned out from time to time,-at a cost of £39 9s. 3d. In Milton-grove, the road has been formed, the foot-bridge repaired, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £25 3s. lOd. In B»ook-streefc, the wattling has been repaired, and and also the road in several places, the water tables and ditches cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £25 2s. , In Brougham-street, the ditches have been cleaned out, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £4 14s.

In Trafalgar-street (south), the road and footpaths formed last year by prison labour; have been gravelled, stone drains executed, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £88 Is. 2d. In Ngatitawa-Btreet, the sum of £3 9s. 6d. has been expended in repairing road and culverts, and burning a quantity of gorse. In Harley-street, the road has been repaired, and the water-tables cleaned out from time to time, at a cost of £2 2s.

The ditches in Gloucester-street have been cleaned out at various times, and the road repaired, at a cost of £2 ss. 6d.

In Halifax-street, on the mud flat, a ditch has been cut to confine the sewerage running from the Trafalgar and Bridge-street sewers from spreading itself on the flat, and also to get a lower level for the run of the sewerage. The object has been attained by this ditch being cut. The cost was £6 Is. A contract is at present going on for forming a portion of this street in the wood.

In Van-Diemen-street, the water-tables and ditches have been cleaned out, and the road repaired in several places, at a cost of £2 12s. 6d. In Mary-Ann-street, the road has been gravelled, and the water-tables cleaned out, at a cost of £5 Bs. 6d.

In Trafalgar-square, the road has been gravelled and repaired in several places, the drains and watertables attended to, at a cost of £37 17s. 9d.

In Shelbourne-street, the water-tables have been cleaned out from time to time, and portions of the road and footpaths gravelled, and a quanity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £7 Is. 9d.

In Washington Valley, portions of the road have been gravelled, the water-tablesjand ditches cleaned out from time to time, new drains executed, and a quantity of gorse cut and burned, at a cost of £38 10a. 6d.

In Totara-street, the ditches have been cleaned out, a footpath formed and gravelled, at a cost of £8 19s.

In, Manuka-street, the water-tables and drains have been cleaned from time to time, the ford repaired, and a portion of the street gravelled, at a cost of £5 Os. 6d.

In Harper-street, -the road has been formed from from Manuka-street to Nile-street East, at a cost of £13 10s.

In Emano-street, Examiner-street, North Eskstreet, Wellington-street, and Vernon-street, a quantity of gorse has been cut and burned, at a cost of £10 16s. lOd.

There has been expended the sum of £54 10s. 3d. for cleaning the various streets in the centre of the town from time to time.

In Selwyn-place, the sum of £5 lOd. 3d. has been expended for gravelling and cleaning out of ditch. The sum of £71 15s. 3d. has been expended in purchasing a quantity of glazed earthenware-pipes for drainage purposes. A new dobbin-cart was purchased by the Board for the sum of £16.

Upon the recommendation of the late Board, a water-cart has been purchased at a cost of £24 12s. 3d., for the purpose of watering the principal streets of the town during the summer months, which has been found to act admirably. The amount expended by the Board for the watering of the streets has been £38 7s. 6d.

The sum of £8 has been expended in keeping the town clock in order.

A new map of the town has been purchased by the Board for the sum of £8 Bs.

The lighting of the lamps has been taken by contract for the sum of £96 16s. per annum.

The Board has had a quantity of work done during the past year by prison labour; such as the fillingup of a portion of Nile-street East; the making-up and widening a portion of Examiner-street; and the excavating of a quantity of earth and the filling of the carts (near the Board of Works Office) for the making-up of Vanguard-street. The Board also again this year desires to express their thanks to the Q-overnment for their readiness in granting prison labour. The Board have therefore unhesitatingly voted the expenses of a Christmas dinner to the prisoners, together with a small allowance of tea and sugar. . . •. . The sum of £20 has been paid to the Fire Brigade during the past year. The sum of £250 has been placed as a fixed deposit in the Bank of New Zealand to the credit of the Board, for the purpose of meeting debentures when due for Bridge-street sewer. The following is a statement of the amount of revenue derived from each block (from the city rates), and the amount expended in each block during the past year out of the r&teß:— "' ■• '■ ' Amount of Kevenue. Amount expended. ■■'•■• £ 8t a. £ 8. d. Block A ~ . 855 14 2i 350 0 0 „ B . 185 10 li 103 610 „ C . 324 8 6f • • 242 0 0 ' „■ D . 145 8 5i 300 0 0 „ E . • 48 5 4}« 171- 0 0 „ P . 99 18 3f ■ 94 1 7 „ G . 230 13 0 38 13 6 £1,889 18 0 £1,299 1 11 The Board having pointed out to the Council last year, by a petition, the injustice of the Toll-gate at the town boundary, regrets to find that the resolution'passed« last year by the Provincial Counoil, to abolish the clause in the Country Eoads Act, relating to tolls, has not been carried out at the late sitting of the Counoil. The Board hopes at the next session of the Council, they will cause the Toll-gate to be removed away altogether.

At the annual meeting of ratepayers, held last year, the Board stated in their report (which report waß adopted by the ratepayers) that the timo has arrived when more enlarged powers should be granted to the Board, so as to enable it to borrow money for drainage purposes extending to a period of twenty years, based upon the report adopted by the ratepayers. The Board prepared a bill, and submitted the same to his Honor the Superintendent for the purpose of laying the. same before the Provincial Council urging the immediate need for increased drainage. The bill was submitted to the Provincial Council by A. Collins, Esq., one of the City members, and the Board are happy to inform the ratepayers that, with very trifling alterations,- it was passed by the Council, and only now awaits the assent of his Excellency the Governor to become law. The Board also expect that the ratepayers contiguous to the streets, where the sewerage is proposed to be niado, will take advantage _of what has been gained for them by the Board in getting the aot passed so that the nuisances so long complained. of will, it is to be hoped, be removed by the contemplated sewerage. ,■...• A letter was also sent by the Board to P. M. Luckie, Esq., one of the City members, asking him to cause a Bill to be framed by the Government (during the recess), to be laid before the Provincial Council at the next session for the purpose of doing away with gorse, and gorse hedges, withiu the bouni d»rj of the City of Nels&n. The Board truiti tbftt

this wilt be carried out at the next session of the Provincial Council.

The amount levied for r^tes /or the last year was £1889 18s. Od., at three-farthings in the pound for the year, on a gross assessment of £604,768, showing an increase in the estimated value of the rateable property for the past year of £1794; but a decrease in the actual revenue of the Board through a threefarthing rate instead of one penny the previous year of £622 9s. lOd. The following is a comparative statement of the assessment of the City of Nelson, for the year 1868----1869, and 1869-1870, showing the reductions and additions made in each block, by the building of new properties, and depreciation of old property :— 1868-69. 1869-70. £ £ Block A 269,791 273,827 „ B 59,854 59,362 „ C 103,071 103,817 „ D 47,673 46,535 „ E 15,411 15,446 „ F 31,675 31,973 „ Gt 75,499 73,808 £602,974 £604,768 602,974 Addition £1,794 A special rate of three-farthings in ths pound, levied upon certain properties contiguous to the main sewer in Bridge-street, will continue for three years longer. ■ Four members of the Board have to be elected in the place of R. Burn, J. Percy, J. P. Black, and W. Haddow, who retire by rotation, but who are eligible for re-election. The accounts for the past year, with all the vouchers relating thereto, will be submitted to two auditors, to be appointed by this meeting of ratepayers. Thomas Yotjngeb, Surveyor to the .Board. Board of Works office, July 25,1870. He also read an abstract of the accounts of the Board for the year, which will be found in our advertising columns. In reply to Mr. Obestenxs, The Seoebtabx said that the £250 deposited in the Bank of New Zealand bore interest at the rate of j four per cent. With reference to the subjeot of gorse hedges within the town boundaries, Mr. Lttokib said that the letter of the Board on the subject had reached him about the time he' was absent from the Council through illness; but he had previously taken some action in the matter, having put questions to the Government on the subject in the Council, and also privately urged on the Provincial Solicitor the framing of a bill to compel the removal of gorse hedges within the City, but had not succeeded in impressing the necessity of that step on the Government, although he had suggested its gradual application, first to central districts, and then to more outside and less dangerous parts of the town. He counselled the Board of Works to put in operation the power they possessed, of causing regular periodical cutting of these hedges. . Mr. Wbbb thought the Government was to blame I for neglect in this matter. They did not seem to wish to have a bill passed. On the motion of Mr. Csisp, seconded by Mr. WIGZEIi, the report and abstract of accounts were adopted by the meeting, which thereupon proceeded to nominate candidates.

Mr. Eobert Burn was proposed by Mr. Joseph Garrard, and seconded by Mr. Crisp. Mr. John Percy was proposed by Mr. Hibble, and Mr. Mabin seconded the nomination.

Mr. Abraham Bush, sen., was nominated by Mr. King, and seconded by Mr. Eidson. Mr. Jessie Hounsell was proposed by Mr. Nehse, seconded by Mr. Thompson. Mr. J. P. Black was proposed by Mr. Haase, and seconded by Mr. Clements. Mr. William Haddow was proposed by Mr. Garrard, and was seconded by Mr. Healy. Mr. John Wigzell was proposed by Mr. Webb, Mr. Speed seconding the proposal. Dr. Squires was proposed by Mr. Pollock, Mr. Mabin seconding, On a show of hands, the following was the result:— Mr. Haddow 27 „ E. Bum ... .. ... 22 „ Percy 22 „ Wigzell 21 „ Hounsell ... 17 „ Black 14 „ Bush 13 Dr. Squires 6 The Chaibman declared the first four duly elected, whereupon Mr Bush demanded a poll, which takes place this day, beginning at twelve o'clock, and terminating at four. Mr. Mabin and Mr. Hibble were appointed auditors.