TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XC, Issue 13297, 28 May 1907, Page 7

TIMARU BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Timaru Borough Council met■-■lasi-evening. Present, the Mayor and all the Councillors. MAYOR'S STATEMENT. Trn Mayor made a report on -tho work of tha Underground Drainage Committee, acd. other Committees.' The Domain Loaimitlee had prepared a schedule of duties for the new caretaker, and the Caroline Bay Committee had considered the application for an addition to the cottage, and they recommended the addition ot a bedroom and a bathroom, the cottage being rather small. Ihe Abattoir Committee had visited .the abattoir, and were well pleased with the new drain «nd othi-r concrete work. Everything was now clean and satisfactory, and there tm u<> tomplaint or request- for anything clie. The •Sanitary Committee must take into consideration the provision of appliance for carrying out the scavenging work. Mr •J. S. Rutherford had offered to give tho Council for the Park a pair cf ken?, if they cared to accept them, and a pair of mallard ducks for the pond. The sea had' cut- into tho rubbish tip, and set up an awful procession of old tins along the beach to the breakwater. The rubbish could be shot a little further on, and perhaps arrangement's could be made with Mcsets Scott to provide by and by a destiuctor at the powerhouse: Mr Rutherford's offer was accepted with thanks. .

CORRESPONDENCE. The Council's solicitors furai.dicd a form of resolution fer the exchange of a small portion of Strathallan street' with Mr \V. Hay, and this was adopted at a special meeting. The secretary to the Beautifying Association, applied for permission to replant afroih the small triangle opposite the gas works.—Granted. Councillors Sealey and Harney, as members of the Association, asked that the drain be extended, and Councillor Parks asked that it be extended as well.—lt "was. decided that the Caroline Bay Committee should .-investigate and report at ingThe Department of Roads forwarded a copy of an Order-in-Council exempting streets in the Borough from the provisions of the Public Works Act regarding width of streets. —This, the Mayor said, will permit of subdivisions on the street* affected, and titles will be issued by. the Land Transfer Office, subject to buildings being kept 33ffc from the middle of the street, PAREORA WATER. Dr Finch, who had taken a sample of water from. ,Thnaru's water supply, sent the' result-of. analyses. of it.' Ihe conclusion he had drawn was that there was little or no sedimentation of the solids in the reservoir, and that .the screens through which the water passes from the reiLivoir have little effect in - getting rid of any solid matter. The water was entirely satisfactory with the exception of the amount of solids, which, although not large, are very noticeable. When the contemplated! alterations in connection with the snpply took place, special attention should be given to. the best methods for getting rid of the solid matters. At the present time all the solid matter is- discharged at the top, and the intake, being nt ihe bottom, little sedimentation lakes-v.. - Ilia present arrangements might be improved, or. considerably by the simple process of leading the race-water into the bottom of the reservoir, and putting in 'a floating -arm, by-which arrangement the outgo from the reservoir is always taken from about 2 feet below the surface. Dr Finch said he wonld strongly recommend tho Council to adopt-this'small alteration in tha first- instanc?, and after due trial, its success or non-success could be ascertained, and. the matter could then be further considered. A cop\- of the various analysis that had been made, was endorsed. The Analv.'t, Mr A. A. Bickerton, reported that hj; found total soKds ; from 6.44 to 7.29 grains per gallon, of which from 2.24 to 2.80 grains were vegetable matter. The waters were -discoloured by f-uspended malteis abrowniih milky shade, and the samples were all alike in that respect. , The Mayor said the Health Officer's iecommendations could stand over till they wer-a making alterations to the waterworks. It was gratifying to know that the Tmiaru. water was very satisfactory. OFFICERS' REPORTS.

Mr Beswick reported that the u-.ual rlearing work had been attended to. The sewer outlets had been less troublesome as the shingle had been cleared away by an easterly sea. -A number of footpaths have beai repaired and top-dressed. The metalling of Sophia and Georgo Streets was in hand, but it had been necessary tip reform iii.ni and provide about 100 loads of extra clay and shingle. The Jubilee Fountain was somewhat in tho way of presenting a good formation, and he . suggested blinding the •yholc of this new metalling with a.\phalt. A quantity of sand had.been washed up by the sea and this had been .secured for asphalting purposes at half the usual cost, xhe formation of Edward .Street had been completed and the centre shingled. About 1200 loads of clay had been offered for Hewlings Street, and he asked how many he should take. A culvert across Catherine Street gave way and had been replaced by a new pipe culvert. Pipes had been extended along Rathmore and Hassall Streets to . supply new applicants with wat-er. Prices were being called for making pipe trenches in Pearson Street and' Otipua Road. The castings for Pearson Street were ready and the work could be put in hand at once. Various repairs were being made to the water race. A new register grate an dmantel-piece were asked for at the caretaker's Adair cottage. SANITARY. Mr J. R. Smi.h reported on inspections made and- notices attended to. A ca?.e of typhoid had been reported in the Borough (in North Street), and the building had been disinfected. He reported the rubbish tip in very fair order. The sea was still making inroads on the rubbish heap and strewing the beach north. Dr Finch, District Health Officer, wrote on the 22nd inst. drawing attention to the necessity for enforcing compliance with the by-law dealing with drainage connections and plumbing work. Since the by-law was passed some connections bad been mad-s----and plumbing work carried out contrary !o the provisions of the by-law, and if tliis was to continue for an indefinite time the new drainage- system would-be a greater source of danger to public h-ialth than the total absinca of such system. It was better for a town to have no drainage system at all. than to have most of the principle:) governing the right way of using the modern system totally neglected. In a recent case of typhoid in Timaru, the defects in the drainage system (which he understood had been put into force) were of a very grave nature and likely to cause, serious illness among all occupiers.—The Town Clerk stated that- the house was built a year before the by-law came into force. — The Mayor remarked that when the drainage works started they must' have, an expert to see that such work was proptrly done. BACK STREETS. Councillor Leathwick askfld that ill'- attention promised to Regent ami Oxford streets, given them, and th? Mayor said Lhev should b? s-?en to. TENDERS. Fiv- tzr.drv.- w;re received for trenching for water pip? . ranging from 11? to 20s per chain, and the lowest, by W. Fitzgerald, was accepted. ACCOUNTS. Account* were passed for payment ta follows:—General. £222 0s lid: water-