HARBOUR WORKS.

Timaru Herald, Volume IX, Issue 342, 5 September 1868, Page 2

HARBOUR WORKS.

The Secretary reported that no. communicationl had' beeri refeeivfcd frbm Mr' BaHbtiii regarding the report on harbour works. I Mr LeCren proposed — "That tbe Secretary be instructed to telegraph to Mr Balfour, informing him that the funds for tbe Timarii harbour works will shortly be received, and to reqnest that he; will furnish tbe' 'Board as soon as possible with the plaus, Ac, ac promised. Mr Healey seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Vi TIMARU HOSriTAL. ';'.<-. [ The following letters from the Secretaay for Pnblic Works were read : — July 11, 1868. " Sir, — I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt nf a report of the Committee of Board of Works on the subject of the Timaru Hospital aud a site for the .same,, aud to reqUest'you to b£ good "enongh to convey to such Committee the thauks of the Government for the attention they appear to have given io the matter referred to them. "I beg to add that it is the intention of the Government, to. proceed ,with : ths hospital building at once, and that the suggestions contained m the report will be carefull/ considered." ] ..,.,. „ . ..... . Angast2l,;ißo& ' '■ '"Sir,— 'Referihag 1 to ybur letter of the 6tb ultimo m referenced the proposed hospital building at Timarn, I beg to observe that the site recommended, by the Board of Workti Committee ia part of -the i*esdrve for a public park, for which his Honor the Superintendent has not received a Crown grant; it ia neceasary, therefore, for me to inform yon tbat aa there may be a legal difficulty/in the way of building the hoapital on that aite, I must delay any decisions on the matter nntil I obtain the opinion of the Provincial Solicitor,' to whom I will refer the matter."

Mr Peeby conld not see what legal difficulty there could be m tbe way. Mr- Healey feared. those "difficulties'' would exist for some time. Tliere waa' another site which might be ohtained near) to the one selected. . , J JThe CoairWak aaid hfe had" printed o«t mi tha report of the Committee that the mta chosen was a part o^ the Paris Rfferre. ,

*V' CEMETERIES. . The CHAiRSfAK brought np the report of •the subcommittee m reference to the cemePriea in'the town- which, he read as folws;'—' A ' ' • "Tjie committee reoommend that the Superintendent be reapectfully requested to divide ttbe. cemeteries (reserves?; 122 and 146 m red) between' the different "denominations, and that m the meantime m the case of Timarn : they should be handed over to the Borongh Council, with power to dispose of sites for graves. The proceeds to be de voted Jtothe ', maintenance orthe'eemeteries. ~ <-—-•-- . , "The -comnMttee would surest tbat the cetaeteries 'at' Temuka, Geraldine, and Waimate should be also divided,, and: m the , 'meantime banded over to the custody of tbe Koad Boards with the same power; the Temuka and Waimate ' cemeteries being at present unfenced. , , " Memo — The north west-end of cemetery reserve to the south of Timaru (122 m red) is occupied chiefly by Episcopalians, and the north-east end by 6ther denominations. " Tbe report was signed by the Chairman, and Mesirs Perry ana Healey. The report was adopted, and Mr Perry proposed— "That a copy of the report of the Committee appointed by the Board to enquire into the cemetery reserves be forwarded to tbe Secretary for Public Works." Mr He alky seconded tbe motion, which was carried tiem. am. The Chairman stated that he found there had been no money paid for sites, m the cemetery, as was at first believed. , OBIHI BBIDOB. A plan of a section of the rivers Temuka and Opihi. by Mr Dobson, was laid on the table, received from the Provincial Government. The following report by Mr Doyne, made m 1866, to the Secretary for Public Works, was then read : — " Sir, —Incompliance with your instructions, I have examined the Opihi river, with a view to enabling me to advise the Government as to the best mode and tbe cost of bridging it, and 1 have now to report for thc information of his Honor the Superintendent as follows :— " First as to tbe desirability of building a bridge to carry the present ordinary road traffic m such a maimer aa to make it suitable hereafter for tbe railway traffic. I entertain considerable doubts on the advisability of attempting this course, because I doubt m the first iiwtauce whether ordinary timber piles of sufficient dimensions could he driven to a sufficient depth to make the work secure uuder the weight of locomotive traffic ; and even if they could, the bridge would be yery much more expensive than the present traffic requires ; it would be at best but a temporary structure, and to a certain extent experimental. As the railway may not be carried so far for many years, I wonld suggest that it may be more convenient at present, and even ultimately more economical to ,kejp ( the ,two ; questions quite distinct," by building now a bridge of the most economical character, that will safely carry tbe road traffic for some years to come, leaving the raflway bridge for future consideration. I the more readily tender tbis advice, because I dpi not at present see nay way clearly to the construction of a railway bridge at a moderate cost, while the experience of the next few years may develop many resources to that end, of which we may avail ourselves, and 1 think I see my way to the Construction of a bridge' for ordinary road traffio at a reasonable expenditure, using only local materials which are easily obtaiued. " Second as to cost. Taking as my data' the coßt of the harbour works now m progress • m Timaru, , I estimate that a safe.bridge wifh the necessary bjiening for the first stream to the south of tbe main river, the diversion of the west stream, and the embanked approaches, can be carried out for the sum of between £2,000 and £2,500, the bridge work to be heart) of totara from the Peninsula, sawn square, and well put together. ' "1 am not now prepared to say how a bridge for railway traffic should be constructed, or what would be its cost, but it would very largely exceed, perhaps by. two, three, or four times the amount I have named for tne proposed road bridge. " With such a bridge over the Opihi, and a foot bridge oyer the Temuka, I think the traffic of this' diatrict would be amply provided for for many years' to come, and I doubt there being any advantage in.incurring, at present, further expenditure." "I therefore .adviie, if the Government is i prepared to proceed with these works, you ' should have proper r dra wirigs and ■ specifications prepared, and tendera called for their. • execution."'' ■■.'■.'.•'' ■/■'A . ; j It was decided to take no further steps m I the matter until the money from tbe debeni was m hand. ' >••■;'•' '. : ; '' ". .rtsiikcixL.. . .. '..'.''.', . Tbe sum of £5 was voted ax petty cash. The Secretary stated that tbe money due 1 to the Boad Boards for land sales m June and July was, to Geraldine, £363 12s'; ' Levels, £216 8s; 'and Waimate £24. lie had written to tbe Colonial Treasurer asking, for the money to be paid over at once, and 1 then tp.be paid regularly every mpnth. j - It Was' suggested that the Secretaiy should 1 also communicate with Mr Cox, the member for Timaru,. on the ; matter, . ; 1 The following telegram received by the Secretary from the Assistant Treasnrer, Wellington, waa read: — "The payment to the Board '.for proceeds of .debentures,' w^kbo ' by draft on the Crown Agents, London. (This 1 Treasnrer leqnirea to know m whose favour the draft is tqjbe drawn.,-' ;. , • - -•; ;•• - . The' Secretary said he bad advised this ' Colonial Treasurer that the draft should bb ' drawn m the ndmi- of the Treasurer to thie Board of Works, and he expected to receive the dr»f t by th 4 nextJmaiL - i j , The Board then adjourned until Thnraday, September 17. 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