TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 2864, 15 November 1898, Page 3

TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Timaru Borough Council met last evening. Present — The Mayor, Mr Grandi, Councillors Young, Keith, Thomson, McQueen, Hawkey, Macintosh, Mills, McNab, Rothweil, Wilds, Wood, Whitlaker, Targuse. Apology was made for Councillor Hole. CORRESPONDENCE. Several letters of routine character were read. The Audit Office returned the half yearly balance-sheet, duly certified,

Commissioner Tunbridge wrote thai increased police supervision would bt provided for the suburb.-! of Timaru. THE DOMAINS. The report of the park ranger was re.*d oil the work of the past month. THE FOREMEN OP WORKS. The foreman of works reported that the surfacemen had been chiefly »:n---ployed on the street channels and street cleaning. The formation of road »ud paths m North street had been completed at a cost of £37, without shingling, which was now going on. The inverting of Hospital gully was proceeding satisfactorily. In a couple- of days eleven chains would be completed, lie had prepared plans and specifications for inverting Bank gully from Bank street to the old boundary, 19 chains, including inverts for three street culverts which have no bottom. Two applications for building permi's, one for nn open shed or verandah, the other for a small office on skids, were referred to the Council because they were wanted m the "inner area," and w«ve proposed to be of wood and iron. — On the motion of Councillors Keith and Targuse the former was granted ; tie latter was objected to as it was proposed to place the office close to the main road. The specifications for Bank gully invert were read. Councillor Wood proposed to move as an addition to the specifications a condition that the contractors shall pay the same rate, of wages as the Council are paying on the Hospital gully for the same class of work. The Mayor said this reminded him f.hat he intended to bring up the question of the payment by the Council on the Hospital gully. These men were only paid for fine weather, and with a few days wet m a week their wages were not very much. The permanent men were paid 42s a week, wet and dry, becauße they had to work wet an<i dry. But the men who were at work at the concrete were only paid when at work, and he thought they should get Is aa hour. Councillor Young said if a man was not worth Is an hour he was not worth employing a'i anything, and he strongly supported the proposal to increase the wages to Is per hour. Councillor Mills moved, and Councillor McNab seconded — " That all casual labour employed by the Council be paid Is per hour." Councillor Keith expressed surprise at this matter being, brought up again, when at the last meeting it was settled that the engagement of the men should be left entirely to the foreman of works. The foreman said he was, employ ing one man to help him to take levels at 5s a day, and this man could not earn Is an hour as a labourer. The Mayor explained that it was mentioned because the Council had been informed what the wages were, and he thought it right to mention the proposal to alter them. Councillor Keith moved as an amendment, and Councillor Hawkey seconded — " That all- men employed on the drainage works be paid at the rate of Is per hour, except the ganger, who shall be paid la 3d per hour." Councillor Keith argued that there were plenty of men acquainted with concrete work to be got at 88 a day, and one of them could be appoiuted ganger, under the supervision of the Foreman of Works, at 10s per day. The wages now paid, 13s per day, was too i much difference for the little lesponsi- | bility. Councillor Thomson spoke against the amendment. They wanted, and had got something more than a ganger, and 13s was not too much for a thoroughly competent man. Councillor Smithson disapproved of raising the whole question of wages on a particular case, and the foreman had given them an instance m which it would not be right to make a hard and fast rule. H seemed to him to be popu-larity-hunting.- (No ! no !) He would propose an amendment dealing with the drainage work only. Councillor Hawkey said he approved of the 13s a day because he understood that the ganger was going to do the plastering, and 12s a day was plasterers' wages ; but the other men were doing it ; and 10s would be fair wages for.overseeing the labour work. . Councillor Keith's amendment was then put and lost, only mover and seconder and Councillor Whittak'er voting for it. Councillor Smithson's amendment, seconded by Councillor Rothwell— "That the men employed by the Council on the drainage works, with the exception of the overseer, be paid Is per hour"— all voted for this but Councillors Mills and McNab, whose proposal was therefore declared lost. Councillor Rothwell asked if it would not be better to use broken metal m the concrete. It would be more expensive, but would be very much stronger. The foreman of works said broken metal would be much more costly, and ! the shingle concrete had bpen well proved m the Strathallan street sewer. The by-law was suspended to allow the plans and specifications to be adopted at I once. Councillor Wood's motion, that contractors for the Bank gully sewer be required to pay not less than Is per hour, was then taken, rind some discussion took place on the application of the rule to youths. Some councillors urged that youths should have a chance of employ* ment, and they could not be employed at Is an hour; others said the youths should not be employed to ousting of men. Councillor Thomson strongly condemned any idea of fixing one standard of wages. Councillor Smithson moved to amend the motion by inserting the word " adult " before the word " labourers." It was argued m favour of this that some contractors have sons, who do a good deal of their work. The amendment was lost, Councillors Smithson, Kothwell, Thomson, Targuse and the Mayor voted for it, and nine against. Councillor Wood's motion was then put and carried, the Mayor, Councillors Targuse, Thomson, Keith, and Hawkey voting against it. Councillor Targuse said that no contractor pays less than Is an hour. Councillor Wood said then it would do nobody any harm. The plans and specifications were formally adopted, tenders ordered to be called for next meeting, and the foreman of works instructed to prepare an estimate of the cost for the same meeting. Councillor Keith wanted to know whether the tenders were to be called hona fide for the purpose of accepting 'one, or was it only to put contractors to trouble to obtain infoi'mation. The Mayor replied that the Council could not bind themselves now to accept a tender. Councillors Macintosh, Hawkey and Mills, said they would oppose contracting altogether. The resolution to call for tenders was opposed by Councillors Mills, Wood, and Macintosh. I On the motion of Councillors Young and Wood, the foreman was instructed ' to report at next meeting on the cost of kerbing and channelling Elizabeth street from York street to Grey road. The inhabitants along the. street, he said, were all willing to pay their share. Councillor Hawkey asked if the south side of Queen street was to be formed as well as the others, and the foreman said it ought to be done. Councillor Whittaker mentioned the need for slight repairs to footpaths m Eose street, West Belt, and by the malt kiln.— Referred to the foreman. WATER SUPPLY. The waterworks inspector reported that the extensions of mains m Commercial, William, York, Wilson, and LeCren streets were practically completed, and these completed the extensions approved by the Council's committee. The 4-inch pipes were now exhausted. The Order for further supplies, however, had not yet been sent Home, on account of a rise m the price of iron and freights, which might be only temp-

orary. A few loads of 18-inch pipes were being brought down. He had been round Mount. Horrible, and found the race safe and well attended to. A very large stone had been purposely rolled dowu Mt. Misery by some one, and it landed m the bottom of the race ; if it had struck the outer bank it must have broken it away. A letter was read from Mr F. Siederman, offering house and 35 acres of land for sale ; the house would be very suitable for a race caretaker. j After some discussion a motion was carried that the Council could not at present entertain the proposal to purchase. A good deal of discussion took place on tne question of sending an order for pipes Home. Councillors Young and Mills assured the Council that there was no chance of iron becoming any cheaper for the next five years — that was the gist of the information that had reached the colony. The Mayor said the Engineer anticipated a fall about January, but the councillors named were" positive that that vyas an erroneous estimate. Eventually it was agreed to send Home an order for the pipes most needed, instead of the full order that had been made out. The inspector said this would cut out the 6-inch pipes lor Pearson street, and m reply to a question whether this would be keeping faith with the suburban residents m regard to reducing their insurance, the Mayor said it would not be fair to saddle the borough with £200 or £300 extra, on the coat of the pipes and insurance and duty, to get perhaps a. £30 or £40 reduction m insurance. BYLAWS The new by-law ro milk and foods, and the suburban modification by-laws were received, and ordered to he adopted at a special meeting on the 28th inst. MAYORAL ELECTION. The Returning Officer asked the Council to suggest polling places for the Mayoral election, but Councillor Keith pointe.4 out that section 62 of the Act of 1866 laid down that there should be only one polling place for mayoral elections. / accounts. Accouuts were passed for paymentGeneral, £166 0s 6d ; waterworks maintenance, £49 14s 2d ; do. loan account, £2") Is 3d; drainage loan account, £59 7s Id (cement £28 12s 8d ; labour £29 Is lid); domains, £8 6s Bd. Debits and credits before the accounts were passed showed a balance of £1249 17s 9d to credit.

The Council rose at 10.40 p.m.