Borough Council.

Taranaki Herald, Volume L, Issue 12437, 15 December 1903, Page 3

Borough Council.

The fortnightly meeting was held on Monday night. Present : — The Mayor, Mr R. Cock (chairman), Messrs Bellringer, Burgess, Brooking, Carter, Tisch, Edmunds, Medley. The Mayor apologised for Mr Collis' abbe nee.

LETTERS OUTWARD

The usual schedule was tabled, questions were asked. RIGHT-OF-WAY.

The solicitor for the Primitive Methodist trustees, Mr R. C Hughes, applied for leave to grant ihc tenants, of bees 247 and 248 a right-of-way, Gft. wide at the back of the sections. The application was granted.

GENERAL.

Several letters of a formal n u turo were read. PUTTING RESERVE ON MARKET. Mr D. Berry applied that tbe section at the corner of Brougham and King-streets should be submitted to public competition, he agreeing to pay cost of advertising if no sale took place. It was decided to grant the request, the lease to be 21 years in perpetuity, and the upset 50s a foot.

WATER TABLE. Mr R. J. Jay, the manager of the N.Z. Express Company, drew tho Council's attention to the water tublo in front of their new offices. Referred to Works Committee.

TEMPORARY ENGINEER.

Mr W. Armstrong offered ?o act as temporary engineer.

The Council decided th a t a temporary engineer was not required. HOARDINGS FOR ADVERTISING.

Mr G. W. Henderson, manager of the Drc^xlcn Piano Co., applied for leave to erect hoarding boards for advertising on Borough reserves in town. Referred to Works Committee.

STRENGTHENED CONCRETE.

Mr J. F. Anderson, engineer of the Dunedin Drainage Board, wrote calling attention to an attempt Leing made by a syndicate to obtain a patent in strengthened concrete. This modern method of strengthening concrete with iron, he pointed cut, \v a s known to the profession in New Zealand for the last two or three years, and in order tp keep +b<; use untrammelled he had filed bis opposition to the application to the patent, and asked the cooperation^ <J the Council. •'£ Referred to the Works Committee for report.

COMPLAINTS

Mr P. Kelly wrote ••omplain'.-ig ot the uncivil way tfpreman MoC&rthy spo'te t o him while working at Standish Hill, and which fndstl in his being ordered eS the job. Mr B. Adams also forwarded a complaint against the foreman on the ground that he had been tn-ated unfairly. - The former letter >vas referred io tho Engineer for report, "he latter had been dealt -with .•iln-d.Jy by the Works Committee, who )ad n.;avd mid accepted Foreman Maher's explrnation.

REMOVING EARTH. Mr J. C. Montefiore wrote offering to remove earth for the C 1 >uncil.

The Board could not tec its way clear to remove earth at prisscut.

DRAINAGE .

Some discussion took place on the question of the drainage w\.?ks. On Mr Bellringer's motion it was decided to make arrangements for a second section from Liardet to Eliotstrcct.

RESIGNATION OF ENGINEER

Mr L. G. Spencer, Borough Engineer, under date, December ldth, wrote :—"I: — "I beg herewith to resign my appointment as Borough Engineer and Building Inspector in terms of my engagement with, your Council."

The arrangement is three months' notice.

The resignation was accepted.

The Mayor moved that fresh applications be called for the position, and enumerated the places in w'hicli applications snould bo invitod, and that the Works Committee fix the conditions.

Mr Tfach seconded the motion, which was carried.

DRIVING HORSES LOOSE.

Messrs M. Jones, W. Jury, J. "VV. West, J. Colesby, and Jury waited on the Council, and asked the Council to reconsider their decision about driving horses loose in irom thu paddocks in the morning-.

Mr Jones asked the Council to grant them the same privileges as were accorded livery stable keepers and others in much larger centres. Ho handed in telegrams stating the system that prevailed at Auckland and Christchurch.

The Mayor said he was willing- to incut/ the horho owners, but great damage had been done to Powderhamtitroot path only that morning.

Mr \V. Jury gafcl that it was pn> poHCfl to bring all the horses In a i\Uh'voni way and thus avoid damaging the footpaths when turning corners.

TVic matter was rcfcrretl to the Works Committee, who will inquire us to what system prevailed m other places.

ENGINEER' S REPOIt il.i 1 .

The Engineer reported that satisfactory process was being .a a de at the intake contract at the new waterworks. The electrician's cotta»e should oe completed during tee cirient month. The work at the abattoirs wa^ progressing satisfactorily , as the work of making the metal ; :ns and shoot for the stone crusher. .He iccommended that the *st'>ne o;u.~,hei should be shifted to 'ts ivrir.ancni site as soon as possible. '!ho contractor for the Henui t-.Hye h a d placed material on ;he i>vc>a.-.'j lor the temporary bridge. The E a st End bathing shed was nearly oo nuloied. The turncock's" sub-report <ja-.e details of work done. The waterworks engineer's sub-report stated iho a' crage drop had been seven inches. 'lut hours of pumping had l)33'i it.' l'drs* for two weeks. The en^iuoor vAj-q rePorted on the work of 'he lo'iiran and stall.

The report w a s received

In answer to the Ha/or lit ci g:neer stated that he would p!v j-Ji ji& of work in Cameron-street uo'cre the Works Committee at >'.cxt i^i-^t.no-. GENERAL INSPECTOR'S LEK-RT.

Mr F. Stohr, the injector, reported he had been , n o 'n^ed in issuing certificates, and other duties. He had also been engaged in obtaining signatures for the solicitors m the matter of drain connections. The billiard rooms were well cenducte 1. The report was received.

WORKS COMMITTEE'S ElE] ( ]?T

The report, Avhich has (dready been published, was adopted, witli the exception of clause 7, »eferring to driving horses loose in the Borough. The Mayor said that some additional work had been done by the Committee. It was decided to instruct the foreman to m a ke up path in Bullerstreet near Mr Chong's ; and also do some work near Mr Ewing's place. The foreman had been instructed to see to the stone protection for the East End bath. Instructions had been given to clear all rubbish away at the depot at the East End, and other minor work had also been authorised.

TENDER.

Messrs Okey and Rollo's tender (£37) for hooks at the abattoir was accepted.

GENERAL. The Council will meet again next Monday night for ordinary business.

Messrs Tisch, Collis and Bellringer were appointed a Committee to look after the Saltwater Baths.

It was decided to dose the offices for the holidays from December 21th to January 6th.

A notice in Mr Collis' namo» referring to mixed bathing w a s held over. The questton of encouraging family bathing by issuing tickets for families w a s discussed, but no resolution wa^ arrived at.

PENDARVES-STREET

On Mr Bellringer's motion the Council decided to sell that part of Pen-darvGS-street next Mrs B a uchopc's property, which was not now required, on account of the straightening- o f the ••itrect in that locality.

BAND SUBSIDIES.

Mr Bellringer's motion to subsidise the two Bands on certain conditions (the motion having already been pub- ' Hied) was carried. The Council rose at 9.30.