BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13941, 29 June 1909, Page 7

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the limsm C.-uiicil was held las; ni.dJt. I'rt.sent —The Mayor, and 1 ..uiicillors iiawkey, Sealey, Oboru, Lt-attiwiVk, Porter, Watson, Beck, Sinclair, Gilchrist, and Satterthwaite. Apologies for absence were received lY..ni Councillors Raymond and Har,r>~ MAYOR'S STATEMENT.

The Mayor said the overdraft sto- I at £4 .'43 Gs 9d, made up as follows: — Hunli overdraft £1197 13s Id, contractors' deposits £IOBO 10s Sd, temporary loans £"I8(*5. Unfortunately the pay" sheet was very heavy—General £9K3 3s ldj waterworks £2160 10s 4d (.six months' interest), Caroline Bay £'6B VU 4tl (interest on loan), park and reserves £26* 18s Od, abattoir £l4 Is 6d, drainage loan £44S 4s 9d. There was to thp credit of the drainage loan £54*2 12s Id,. Outstanding rates totalled £1307 -7s 6d, and "the 10 per cent, penalty "would be added to all overdue rates on July Ist. The lijuaru Borough Consolidated Loan Bill had passed its first reading in the Honst; it got no further because no Local -Bills Committee had been set " P *, CORRESPONDENCE. The District Health Oihcer wrote iiregard to the appointment of Mr Kershaw to inspect plumbing work in Tiniaru, stating that the Council must pay .£2 per week for thtse services wiien more than one day's work per week was required, otherwise the cost to tue Department would be more than was warranted. Councillor Sinclair thought that tne Council should dispense with tae services of Mr Kershaw and allow tueir own inspector to do the work. —The .Mayor said he did not think it would be wise ito lose the services of Mr Kersjiaw; he would soumr the Council pa.U the £2 per week asked for. —Coun. ulors hawkey, .C»»lcurist, Sealey, Oboni ami JSatia iuwu.te supportetl this v»e«. —Councillor temciair proposed and Councillor I'orttr seconded that the matter be referred to the Nvorks Coimmttee for re-

prut. —Couiu.ilor Uo.u-u proposed and i\»uiu'ihk,r Sat.iUy an auiena-

jucitt tttbt tno av.-viv.cs or Mr w " *x? I'v.uuued «"r c»a..fc wt't-ivs at i'2 per >\fK. —lue was earned oy 6 !.«* J.

1- -and J. Thomson \rere granted ptrmiasion to liang a sale wrapper „n ~ lruuLr ot the«r |jicaiis<.a. Mr J. fc>m-pt.v.ia hi'oic asking to be allowed to tciupicte in 'wot.u «ii open ttit-u on itis p»t»i«iov.r> —:i slim u nicli ne Uij-ucrsiovHi »aa contrary to luo b\la..a, uut whicu maundered u.ibouy but xiiuibtlt. — uet-nueii, as lue site ia in u.w uiKa urea. lue secretary to me I imam Harbour fio~*iu loiMarvAcd tne Uoartl s approval ol tue intercepting sewer wniv;ii tne Council piopoata to put uown along tue ioutaeru loiesnore. Messrs Hunt and Werry, on behalf of Mr A. Scott, wrote asking for a mollification of tne building b)-law so tnat tney conld erect a small washJiouse m wood, on Le Cren's Terraee. —Ueclined as it is in brick area. 'ihe South End Cricket Club applied for permission to use the Park grounds - Jor cricket from October next to the end of March. In its present state the ground was unsuitable for cricket, and snouki be well rolled and a portion of it, 40ft. by 70ft. top-dressed.—Referr-ed to Park Committee. Regarding the cost of a destructor, the 'lowa. Clerk had made enquiry, as Aiked by Councillor Sinclair at last ineeting, and received the following reply from the Wellington. Town Clerk. .A satisfactory answer to the query cannot be given, as the price depends g>n the nature of the site, character of auxiliary plant and accessories required. The Wellington destructor cost approximately £24,000 and is •capable of dealing with the refuse of a city o fabout 120,000 people, if required, but without a spare unit in reserve , . . A destructor considered capable* of dealing with refuse from a dty of 80,000 on the basis of population would represent acost or jfbOOO for a nooula-tion of 2U,UUU. The sanitary contactor IMr VY. Dickson) wrote agreed to „ ««??«*« ids current contract at a reduction ot £-50 per annum, the contract iernnnatiug on December 31st, 1909. Mr W. Dickson further wrote accepting the position as caretaker Vi. the rubbish tip at £SO per annum, flbis is for six months.) Mr N. Marquis wrote that on Saturdav evening in going round Ower s corner into Grey road he had ricked his foot through stepping into an open drain on the footpath. He understood that the Council would be responsible for any expense incurred. —Received, overseer to be asked to see to the drain. CAB FARES. A deputation consisting of Messrs W. Townsend, C. Pearcty, R. McKnight, T G. Brassel and J. Cameron, cabmen waited on the Council in reply to the charges lately made aginst them bv some members of the Council, who said that thev were overcharged. The deputation explained that the present scale of fares had been drawn up 30 •vears ago, but since then the Borough Lad been enlarged and it was unreasonable to expect them to charge Is for lon°- distance drives. They objected to * being represented in the press as thieves and rogues. A charge of Is from the cab stand to the end of the extended Borough was too little. They said that they had held a meeting last Fridav night and had decided upon the following scale of charges:— From the cabstand to Catherine street to the Belt, across to Grey road and foot of Wai-iti road Is; from stand to <}ueen street. College road, Archer street, Woodlands road, Wilson street Old North road to Cooper's corner and down to Mundell's comer Is 6d; to the extension of the Borough boundary Is Councillor Watson said he wanted it understood that he had not been sneaking for himself in drawing attention to what he considered over-

c-liarges on the part of some cabmen; lie never offered a cabman less than Is 6d t» drive to his place in Rhodes .street; he had often paid 2s. and sometimes 2s (id, though he knew that only Is could be legally claimed. One of the cabmen present endorsed this. The Slayer said the Council did not want the cabmen to work for nothing, but on the other hand they had to protect the public. For himself he alvays paid 2s to be driven to his place, aid he did not object to it. —Counc'llor Beck said he also paid 2s, and Comcillor Porter said he did the same. —Councillor Sealey elicited the fact that from the cabstand to Grey Road a elnrge "of Is would be made, while from the railway station to the same place ihe charge would be 2s, the extra is in tie latter case being on account of the license fee which the cabmen had to -for going to the railway station.—Councillor Watson said if thiswert'so the Council should in the interests <x the public pay this 10s license fee f>r each cabman.

The jjiayd: advised the deputation to go into the matter of charges more thoroughly, ind frame recommendations, after the Council would deal with: thes? and frame a new bylaw on-tite- sulfect that would be fair both to the cafrnen and the public.

It was decided that a special meeting of the Council be held on Fridny night to deal w'th this and other business. GENIRAL. On the motion ti Councillor Sinclair, seconded by Cnim-illor Gilchrist, it was decided to ask the Railway department to put in cittle stops at the crossing over the railway leauing from the main north road t» the abattoirs, as at present it was daigerous to take cattle over tne line ovm«; to their liability to run along tin line and be run over. The other diy a bullock had been run into and kjled by the express ; there. —The reconmendatiuii was approved.

Councillor Beck reported ->n a visit of inspection he had made in search of a section suitable for a yard, in which to keep the Council's horses aid plant, lie gave particulars of a section which lie tiiought very suitable for t\o. purpose, and a committee was set up to make further enquiry. Councillor Watson thought it vrong to charge traction engine drivers the full license fee, when there only remained three months of the year at the time a license was taken out.

Councillor Sinclair said that up -,o date 208 houses had been connectel with the drainage scheme, and 190 neu places had been erected since the contractor was given his last contract for the removal of night soil 2} years ago. i He thought the offer of the contractor to reduce his contract price by £SO per annum was a very fair one. A long discussion took place _on the I question as to whether the Friday night committee meetings should be abolished so as to avoid going over the business twice, Councillor Sinclair introducing the proposal and speaking to it at some length. After the matter had been discussed for over an hour, pro and con, and nothing definite being arrived at, Councillor Sinclair suggested that the press be admitted to the Fridav night meetings as then tho business would lie finally disposed of, in other words he suggested that the Council should hold an open meeting once a week.—For the past six years the Mayor said there had leen a resolution on the books of the Council that the Council meet in committee on the Friday night prior to the open meeting of the Council, and he ruled that this must be rescinded before they conld make any alteration. Ever since the Council had been established it had been the custom to hold the Friday night committee meeting. ; A motion was passeu imposing a 10 ner cent, penaltv on all overdue rates. i COMMITTEES REPORTS. Recommendations of the Committee of the whole:—That the Bowling Club, Sefton street, be notified to shitt baric fence to boundary line. That the committee meeting of the Council as a whole on Friuay evenings be .discontinued. The report was adopted with the exception of the last recomiiendation. The Works Committee rewred as follows: —That Mr Dickson's otter to reduce contract price by £SO p.a. for six months ending blst December, 1909, be accented. That the overseer be instructeu to proceed With n;etilhii" of Mam Xortli Road from Beverley 0 Road to Campbell S:reet. Commercial and Cullmann Streets. —The Committee ask for further time to consider this matter, and recommend that 'in the jneantime the Town Clerk be instructed to obtain fresh prices for frontages QU those streets in respect of laud which is likely 1o be required for widening Commercial Street and diverting Cullmaim totrwt, and also that the overseer be ins.ructed to prepare a fresh plan of dhersiou of Cullmann Street in order to avoid new liouse erected on Wilson Street. -North Side of Mewling &tre?t. —Tiiat the frontagers be givi-n notice to cut back fence«i U> boundarv lines. That the footpath oil north side <f Sefton Street from Sarali to Mewling Street be asphalted. The report was adopted. The Fire Brigade Committee recommended that 500 feet of Merryweather's hose, l-30ft. ladder 2 stell horse collars, and two leather traces, be procured; that a telephone be installed connecting the Wilson street station with the George streel station. Ihe Committee had no recommendation to make re installing electric fire alarm stations. The report was adopted, Councillor Leathwick stating tha-, he would like it deferred as he would have some important information by next meeting. The Library Committee reported on routine matters, which were approved. The Abattoir Committee, reported that they had instructed the overseer to make* one of the double gates in each pen secure to prevent same from opening; to erect a weather screen under the loading verandah, and to close up tho upper portion of the louv-res,-on the south side of the abattoir. — Report adopted*

A SPECIAL REPORT. Sir Paterson, manager of the abattoirs, reported on an inspection he Jiad made of Morton and Pearson's auction rooms where meat is auctioned. He found the premises clean, well ventilated, and entirely satisfactory. Councillor Gilchrist remarked that if the firm named was going into the meat business they should obtain pre mises the same as the other butchers had to do. The Council understood when granting this license that Messrs Morton and Pearson were going to give up their secondhand business, but they had not done so. —Councillor Beck said that Messrs Morton and Pearson's premises were just about as clean and healthy as any butcher's shop iu the town, and there was very little if any secondhand furniture kept there. Councillor Watson asked how often Mr Paterson inspected the other butchers' shops in town. The renort was annrorcd. ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed for payment, and the Council rose at a quarter to 12 o'clock.