TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXI, Issue 12476, 13 September 1904, Page 4

TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Timarn Borough Council met - last evening. Present —The Mayor and Councillors Hawkey, Sealey, Schmidt, Waite, Oborn, Harney, Wallace, and Guinness. Apologies were made for Councillors.Prisst, Kothwell and Parks. MAYOR'S STATEMENT. The .Mayor stated that the overdraft was £2737. Councillors would be pleased to hear that the owners of the adjoining land Messrs Smithson and Raymond, had agree.;, to purchase the three-quavers of an .accf: of land taken off Wai-iti road, at the'prift put upon it by the valuer, £750. This 'would reduce the overdraft by so muqh, an-; that being, the case the Council would do well to consider the erection of a' manager's house 5 1 at the abattoir. . They were now paying the manager £4O a year as house allowance, and as they could put up a house for £4OO, they would save the ratepayers' money by building the house. At last meeting they received tenders*, for a caretaker's house at Caroline Bay, *and the lowest waß accepted, conditionally on thf tenderer stating that he had included sub-con-tracts for plumbing and painting. He (tb-; Mayor) was authorised to- see the'tcndoie: and learning that he had omitted these sub contracts, the architect had been instruct to communicate with the second tenderer. Sir Tubb, whose price was £296. Th Mayor also made a statement regarding the underground drainage scheme. . The Mayor's statement was approved, aid it was resolved to instruct Mr James Turnbull to prepare plans for a manager'.* bouse at the abattoir, cost not to exceed £4OO.

THE BUILDING REGULATIONS. Mr M. White, manager of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency • Com--pany, wrote stating that the-borough building surveyor was objecting to some additions the company proposed to make t-c t.Tipir Bfnrp Afr "■ ——snowing the peculiar shape of the section, the present' buildings, and the propose.? alterations; and he stated that he could not see in what way they were contravening the regulations. Their proposal was simply to .replace a portion of the present shed. . with a two-storey building, of exactly similar construction to the present two storey part, the erection of which had beer sanctioned by the Council. The proposed addition fronted on the railway reserve only, and not on any street. Mr White waited on the Council and further explained the application. It was only desired to erect a temporary wall at present, and it would be a.hardship to have to erect in brick or stone, and have to pul' it down in a year or two, when they built out to the frontage. The building surveyor said the buildin? would be tin infringement of the regulations, because a wall proposed to be erected would be an exterior wall, and it must therefore be-in brick, stone or concrete unless the Council applied the "modification -clause." ■ The Mayor informed Mr White that there used to be. so much wrangling over the modification clause that when they werr revising the by-laws they abolished the clause. The new by-law had not yet been formally adopted, but the Council, eve' since the revision, had acted upon the spirit of it, and had refused every application for concessions. If Mr White could guarantee that the building was only a temporary one, to be taken down in one, two or three years, it would simplify the matter from the Council. Mr White said he could not give such a guarantee; it would depend upon the expansion of trade in Timaru. What they proposed to build was merely a conti""- • ation of an existing erection, that had beei sanctioned by the Council five years ago without' "demur. Mr White said that a good deal of work had been done on the work by the contractor. Cr Schmidt said that was one of the sore points with the Council: that people began building before their plans were passed as required by the by-law. Mr White explained that the building is quite in the middle of their own section, with a 30ft right-of-way between it and the Atlas mill, with a brick wall on that side. He recognised that the building surveyor had his duty to perform, and he. was asking the Council to give him special permission to make this temporary erection, and when they built out to the frontage it would be done in brick or stone. After a long discussion on the principle of the modification clauses, it was resolved by five votes to four to grant the . application "under the modification clause." MUNICIPAL BAND. A deputation consisting of Messrs J. Cameron, Bezzanfc and Coburn, introduced by Councillor Guinness, waited on the Council to support a petition, signed by 123 ratepayers and householders, asking the Mayor and Councillors to put before the ratepayers a proposal that the Counci! should subsidise a Municipal Brass Band, by guaranteeing £IOO a year for three years, to provide for purchase of instruments. Mr Cameron repeated to the Council the arguments in favour of a Municipal Band, which he set forth at a public meeting, and as stated in the petition, the text of which was published a few days ago. Cr Waite asked whether, if the Council did not agree to the request, the continuance of the present subsidy would not be sufficient inducement to form another band.

Mr Cameron replied., that it would <mean the members putting their hands into their own pockets, and it was unfair that young men should give both their time and their money to provide music for the public; and if they went round for subscriptions only a few would bear the burden, chiefly shopkeepers. A municipal guarantee would be the cheapest; it would only be about., three-fifths of a penny in the £. The deputation retired, and at a later stage the Council discussed the application at considerable length. The Mayor and Councillors expressed their sympathy with the applicants, and their recognition of the advantage to Timaru if another band could be formed; but no one could see his way to support the application. He discussion was closed by a resolu'tion moved by Councillor Schmidt, and carried without dissent—" That in answer to the deputation re Municipal Band, the Council cannot at present see its way to ask the ratepayers to sanction their re- . but are willing to allow a share in the annual subsidy should they be in existence. - The Mayor and Councillors Schmidt, Wallace and Sealey were appointed a committee to meet representatives of the bands to be subsidised and draw up a musical ,

! programme for the season, no' Sunday con i certs to ba included. CAROLINE BAY.

Mr. J. C. Gd»iie, - nwi. iecr-Haiy to the Beauiityiug Association, _ sent in a report on the proceedings of the Association, with regard to Caroline Bay. They had adopted the recommendations of the Joint Committee, had Appointed Mr Harney to carry out the work, with authority to spend up to £IOO, half of which the Association had in hand, and the Council's subsidy of £ for £ would provide the other half. They hoped to be able to claim the full subsidy, promised, £IOO, before the end of the season. They had purchased on very favourable terms indeed, a quantity of superphosphate damaged by the fire at Brace's mill, and .as this was rather used as a preparation of the ground than as beautifying it, they asked the Council to pay for it out of loan. —The Council highly approved sf the bargain made, and agreed to pay £ls towards cost of material and cartage.

The Association also thanked the Council for its vote of £lB, for a chain fence round the rotunda in Alexandra Square. CORRESPONDENCE. Messrs Perry, Perry, and Kinnemey forwarded account for law costs in connection with the destruction of an insanitary cottage in Cross street, £7 ss. There was also ah account for £3 17s for labour in connection with the same matter.—These accounts to be sent to Mr J. Mee. A memorandum of transfer of lease of 193 acres of the Opihi reserve, from G. J. Gould to W. E. A. C. Hervey, of Fairlie, was approved. - A carter's license was granted to G. Williams. The Duhedin Drainage Board wrote that the- cost of fighting the Ferro-Concrete patent case was £95 9s Bd, which had been equally: divided among nine local bodies which had promised to contribute. One of the nine had declined to pay, and its share therefore fell on the Board.—The Cowacil agreed to pay their share, £7 19s 2d, representing their " sympathetic interest "in the matter.

Captain McDougall, for Shaw, Savill and Albion Company, wrote that the charge quoteri for water supply for gas engine for the wool store (£l7 18s 6d per annum) v as. excessive; and inquired whether-the charge could not be- made by. meter. The ccst of water, at Lyttelton for steam was cs.ly £7,JOs to £9 10s, and gas engines use less 'water.—The overseer explained that the charge is made on a fixed scale, £1 for. the first, and 7s 6d for each additional horsepower, and this was a large engine, much larger than any contemplated when the scale was fixed. Charge by meter would be unsatisfactory.—Mr Beswick suggested, and it was agreed, to hold over decision on the matter till the engine is fixed, and the consumption ascertained. Mr J. H. Webster wrote and also waited on the Council re offensive drainage on Henry street, and whence on to his land.— The. Council promised to attend to the matter in some way.

Mr George Walker, : blacksmith, Stafford street south, applied for and was granted leave to erect a signboard across the path/Mr D. J. Roper offered to take the duties of caretaker at the Century Commemoration, Baths this season, on terms to be arranged.:—To be favourably considered. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones wrote that lie would give the matter of a Bill to authorise the sale of the old hospital reserve his best consideration and' attention, but he pointed out that there was a very strong feeling in the House against the sale of any reserves vested in a local body. - Mr C. P. Johnson, Audit-Inspector, recommended some alteration in the manner of collecting senvengihg fees and accounting for them. There were 1227 names on the register, and 780 of them were in arrear.

Mr A. J. Crocome. employed under the Park Curator, applied for and was granted an" iticrense an wages.

The Post and Telegraph office advised that the cost of a telephone connection with the High- Street station would be £9 12s and £2 per annum.—lt was agreed to pay these sums. . SMALL" "BIRDS. A resolution was passed .authorising the Town Clerk to pay for small birds' eggs and heads at the same rates as were paid by the Levels County Council. ; THE ABATTOIR. On the report of the manager of the abattoir a resolution was passed authorising him to take 'egal- proceedings against a butcher in town for exposing six carcases of pijrs for sale, that had not been killed at the* abattoir, provided that the Mayor first make enquiries and was satisfied-as to the legal .position. Councillor Waite drew attention to n. remark of the Mayor which had been published, which appeared to reflect upon the contractors at the abattoir.—The Mayor explained that, he had merely expressed the opinion he had always held," that day labour would' be more suitable there than contract work. He had no idea of reflecting upon, the-present- contractors. TENDERS. " The tenders of T. W. Fyfe were accepted for renovations at Park cottage and Charles street cottage, total £6B_6s_3<L >- —-several - tenders were received for each work some of them informal, from not including a statement of wages to be paid. - from the deposit being by cheque, no' " marked." One tender was received for work on Campbell and Cooper streets, and was declined as too high, and fresh tenders were ordered to be called. Four fenders were received for work on Archer street, and that of Mr A. Grahame at *£s6 .was accepted. REPORTS AND ACCOUNTS, The officers' reports and the committee's recommendations thereon were adopted and accounts were passed' for payment.

The ■ Council rose- three minutes before .midnight. ■ ,