BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13953, 13 July 1909, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLV MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the Timaru IWough Council was held in tho Council Chambers last night. Present: The Mayor and Councillors Haw-k-y. Sealey. Ohorn, Harney. Raymond. Leathwiek. Porter. Watson, Sinclair. Peek, and Satterthwaite. MAYOR'S STATEMENT. The Mayor said the overdraft that ■ night stood at £746 Is 4d. temporary loans totth-d £4G7o. cnntni'-tors' ripnosits £1273 10- Sd.' totTl £6G!U 12s. The pay-sheet totalled £1378 17s 2d made i';> as follows: General £6ll 3s liuchifliup- £216 os lid on aeco'oit of the old Mechanics' 1 instir--to. h'brnry £lO lis 7d. wen-ral £384 os Gd): waterworks £3B IPs Sri: Caroline Bay 11s 2d:- Park and Reserves £lB 10s 3d: ab-ttoir £B2 os Id: drai'ri.iex lball Gs. The financial position was nhout tbe same now as pi t'- : « tin>" last year. The Council had to crodifc of the drninoge loan account Councillors to learn that since last, "-noting the Council ln'd aocepted mo<rt of it Toing into the current account, at 3J per cent. Thcv had refused £7300. some of it at 3} por cent, on demand, and j>t 5 ner cent, for a ycal\ They had therefore been offered since last mectin o ;. a sum i.f over £IO,OOO. which indicated that the ninncy market was getting easier. ■The library committee had spent two hours at a recent meeting, considering by-laWiS.- The Town Clerk was putting the- proposals into shape and would forward n copy to each Councillor. Tho librarian reported that since the ticw library had been opened 662-3 people had visited it—an average of 220 per day. The Council had some copies of New Zealand statutes for which it had no use and he suggested that these, as well as old conies of the Timaru papers in its possession, should be handed oyer to the library. The chairman" of the Waimate County Council (Mr R. 11. Rhodes) had intimated to him that a copy of the enlarged and coloured photograph of Caroline Hav would be very acceptablo to the Waimato, County Council to hang in the Council Chambers. The Mavor said that the Borough Council should maintain its cordial relationships with the people of Waimate; he reminded Councillors that Mr R. H. Hhndcs had given £IOO to the Caroline Hav rotunda and he (the Mayor) thought, it would lie a very gracious act on'their part to accede to the rcjucst. , . The Council decided that the photo should lie given. ~»-.,„•. TTXDEKOHOUND DRAINAGE. Mr P. Barr, managing director ot the Assets and Finance Co., Duuediii, wrote asking when the deposit on No. 2 underground drainage contract, of £262 lbs 3d, and the balance due by tlie Council, would be paid into the bank account. He presumed that although a further claim had been made bv the con tractors, and was disputed, tneii- was no reason why the deposit should not bo refunded. Councillor Sinclair moved and Councillor Lcathwi.it seconded that the deposit be refunucu. — the Mayor anil Councillors Raymond and Sealey expressed the opinion that the deposit should not be refunded until the claim for '"extras"'by the contractors had been setthd. Councillor Watson thought they should not pay the moiiev over until the claim by the contractors had been settled, or unless the Council had the sanction of its solicitors to the uayment.—Councillors Sinclair and Ijc-athu-K-k maintained that refunding the deposit could not make any dilFcrcife-e.. to"l the claim for "extras/' as the work had- been done and the men were entitled to their money. —Councillor Oborn said he understood that there wort' some parts of tins contract still uuhinsncd. —Councillor Porter supported Councillor Sinclair in his contention that tile money should be refunded if all the worK had been done. —finally Councillors Sinclair and 1-it-athwicK altered their motion to read that the uioik-v suouid be returned "• it the engineer certitied that t..e contract was linishcd to his satisfaction." 'tins was carntd. Messrs iibbcs and Clyma wrote complailimg that tiicy weio oeing delayed nith lueir worn on contract No. 4 through pipes not coming to hand as ordeit-d by tlicin. 'lJns was not the hrst tinre tney had been delayed in this way, and it not only disorganised tneir wOrk but maue their expciiuituie and risk very much grcatvr. The contractors said* that they would claim the fi.il amount to wiikii they were cii-titk-d for each and every weeK they had been or juight be delayed through the non-delivery of x>ipes. The Mayor said tue contractors were entitled to compensation if they had been delayed as stated. McSkimmiug and Co., who supplied the pipes, were rcsponsible'to the Council for the delivery of the pipes up to time, and the Council must hold them responsible.

Councillor Sinclair said he thought all supplies should be ordered direct by the Council, as then they would know where they were. He thought also that the settlement of disputes should not be left, to the engineer solely; they should be settled by arbitration. It seemed to him that the contracts were being carried on under wrong methods. Councillors thought things were going along first-rate, not knowing of troubles which often existed. It was decided to refer the letter to the drainage engineer for enquiry and report. THREATENED COURT PROCEEDINGS. Messrs Fibbes and Clyma further wrote acknowledging receipt of Mr Marchant's report on their claim for work done im No. 2 contract, which they could not accept. They desirjd to make an amicable settlement with the Council, and were willing to arbitrate. They hoped the Council would see its way clear to do this, otherwise they would have to take the case ii.to Court. —Received. CORRESPONDENCE. Mr C. Wocdyatt, King street, wrote asking permission to set back his building to enable him to put on four rooms in brick.—Granted. The Commissioner of Crown Lands advised that on account of the ma-iv l< "-al difficulties jn the way, the Council's request to have vested in them (for water conservation purposes) the •iverhed reserve-son the White Rock :nd Upper Paieora rivers could not be granted. McGruer, Davies and Co. applied for permission to erect a printed calico sign in front of their premises. Granted, subject to the usual payment of 10s. The secretary to the Timaru Marine Rand write asking the Council to pay the Rami its subsidy at as early a date as nossible. —It was decided that the Rand he asked to furnish a return of the concerts it had given, the subsidy to lie redd on receipt of this. Mr Walter Shaw, solicitor, wrote advising that Mrs M. Leslie was prepared to purchase or lease the old Mechanics' Institute for the purpose of a hydro-electric institute. — It was decided that the Council should'meet as a whole at the building, and decide what should, b- done with it. GENERAL.

Tr;ift;iii engine licenses ivcri' applied for by and granted to Messrs A. S. El worthy and James Henderson. Councillor AVatson said lie would like to see the section adjoining the.public librarv grassed, and otherwise beautified, so that it would b<> a credit to tlic town and make n comfortable place

d.r wuinijii and children t" sit wlule their husbands were in the. library ri-tlding the latest news from " Hansard." -Tin- section should he fenced ami seals provided in it. lie proposed a motion to this effect, and Councillor Raymond seconded.- Councillors Por-ta.-r, Hawkey. Sattcrthwiite and Lcathwick thought money expended in this way would he money wasted. Finally 'it was decided that the matter should he referred to the Park Committee for rcjwrt. It. was decided to liand over to the public library the old statutes" and •• -wspapers in possession of the" Council. The Mayor said tlic Ultrarv Committee recommended th'>t Mr McKebWil, librarian at Dunedin. be asked ti come to Timaru to advice i>- coi'i"''tion wiMi the purchase of 'the £4OO worth of new hr..-ks they wld bo gettiii". Mr Mt- T \oowil would come on to Timarii f«-l" his travelling expenses. —The slli'iiestion was ad"i)ted. f'ounei'l'-r \\"a+-.'>n said he lio-»-t! that si moil"' the books to hj" bough* Tvtler's "Mistorv of Sr«tla»d" would bo procured. He would eive lu-lf a towards the cost. (Hear. \\cr-r.) The flavor that if. w?>s niT-n to anyone to >n:>lvo ="!r""stions as to books t-li-t. sho-ld ho bought. Couneiil'-r Raymond brought under notice a drainage nuisanop. "Inch <---- '"'+« 0,, tho o! .ct, P ..,l wt » cMo ~f O'd North ro.-l. in front of Mr C. S. Fras-r's place.—Referred to ' overseer to report. On tho niof'on of Coi-""i'h)r S"»ilev. so,.on<lod bv Councillor Oborn. it w<-s oorided tl,-»>, 4 V Roroi.Hi Ovrso Cr W to lii-ve i>ntico= printed. an' l i-laced in prominent positions aboi-t tho to"-n. warni""" jwnln !>«ainst oxpector-*-'"-" 0., +l.CPManT'H' , .N', HKPORT'?. Cou"ojllor Sinclair, as chairman of th" AVor'-'s Committee., reported as follows:—That the Coiinojl endeavour to obtain from the Harbour Hoard a lea'O nil tho T»oi-t fnv"iir- , - , o tor-"" 1 f r a strip of land 2 chains wide by a bunt 700 chains long (containing 1. acre 1 rood 24 perches) of the beach land between the end" of Heaton and Mill streets, for work yards, stable, etc. That in the meantime the projxised repairs to Dick's cottage ha held in abeyance. The committee requests further time to enable it to complete enquiries in connection with the proposed improvement of Commercial and L'ullmann streets. —Adopted. The Council as a committee of the whole met on the 9th inst., and decided to mak" the following recommendations: —That the owner of section' at corner of Arthur and Bank streets be compelled to remedy nuisance caused by smell from rubbish, and also that he he notified to fence .section. That the owner of section opiwsite Parr's, Stafford street, be notified to repair his fence, which is in a dangerous condition.—Adopted. INSURANCE. Eight insurance companies tendered for the Council's accident insurance. All I lie rates were the same —3s (id "per £IOO for the clerical staff, and "27s Cd for the workmen. There was considerable discussion as to how the Council should decide which company to give its business to! The Mayor suggested that the fairest way would be to put the names in n hat and draw. Councillors Porter, Peck, and Sea ley objected to this'.on the ground that it savoured too much of gambling. .On a motion being put it was decided that the matter be not decided by drawing from a hat. Councillor Sinclair said he saw there was a want of courage in this matter and lie would propose that the business be given to the Government, as he took it to be their duty to support what was in reality their own business, and he had the courage to say so. Councillors Sealey and Watson topk a similar view 'and on a .motion to this effect being put, it was carried, \Cotincillors Ravmond and' Porter opposing. TELEPHONE CHARGES. Councillor Satterthwaite brought up the matter of the charges made for the use of the telephone at bureaus. Sixpence was charged for three minutes,, and he proposed that the Department be asked to allow five minutes for sixpence, any time in excess of this to be charged for on a sliding scale. The three minutes allowed for Gd ofte.il went in waiting for the person one wished to speak to, and it was rather hard that an extra Gd should have to be paid for a quarter of a minute over the three minutes. Councillor Satterthwaite mentioned the case of a resident of Fairlin .who desired to speak to a man in Timaru on business. The person wanted, could not be found for a few-minutes, and the Tcsult was that the Fairlie inaii had to pay 2s for the use of the telephone in this case. Councillor Watson said that the present charges were good in one way, namely, in preventing firms from holding the wire for a ridiculous lencth of" time. A little time back he had known of a case where a local firm had held the wire for an hour. Councillor Beck, who seconded tbe motion, said he had heard.it said that the Government might as well gain its revenue by gambling as by its present' method "of charging, for the use of bureau. telephones. He thought the charges altogether excessive, and that for 6d at least live minutes snould be given. Councillor Raymond said that a couple of minutes should be allowed at the start to enable the speakers to get into communication with each other as that was when the time was lust generally. Un councillor Satterthwaite s motion being put it was carnetl. COMMITTEE BUSINESS. Pursuant to notice, Councillor Sinclair moved —"That the resolution passed on the 2b"th November, 1902, that the Council as a whole be a committee (seven to form a quorum), His Worship the Mayor to by chairman, be rescinded." Councillors Sinclair and Satterthwaite spoke in support of their contention that sectional committees should be appointed, while the Mayor and Councillors Hawkey; Sealey and Beck spoke in favour of the Council meeting m committee as a whole, as at present. On a vote being taken the motion was carried. Councillor Satterthwaite was added to the Finance Committee, and Court cillur Beck to the Works Committee. FAST DRIVING. Councillor Lcathwick said complaint had been made about .fast driving over street intersections. He hoped the police would look into this matter. CAB CHARGES. In reply to Councillor Beck, it was said that 'tho new scale of charges agreed to between the Council and the cabmen would como into force at once. It was also said that tho Council can control the cabmen's charges for 'a. distance extending ten miles from the cab stand. The Mayor said, that he intended to see the Minister for Railways with a view to getting remitted the charge of 10s made by the Department to the cabmen for standing with their cabs outside the station. BOUNDARY ROADS. Tho Mayor again brought, up." the. matter of the Council taking in hand the formation down to the adopted levels, of. the boundary roads, and Councillor Oborn urged' the ' claims • *>f Avenue "road to early attention. On tho suggestion of Councillor Watson it was decided to meet at tho

junction of Archer street and Woodlands road to decide what is best to lie done there in the mutter of cutting down tile end of Archer street to its adopted level so as to save expense in putting down the sewer there. It was also agreed that the South Belt should he inspected with a view to deciding what should be done thcre.I'lliK ALARMS. Councillor Leathwick. who has taken considerable interest in the lire prevention business, reported that the manager of the Simplex Fire Alarm system had asked for permission to erect a couple of fire alarm boxes. No charge would be made for these boxes at present, but if they met with- the approval of the Council there would be a charge of £5. Such a system of lire alarm would be the means of reducing fire insurance premiums. ; The Mayor said that residents at the north end' of Timaru, out Maori Hill way wanted some fire alarm conveniences. Councillor Leathwick said lie • hnd looked iiito that matter and found the cost of establishing a station there would be £3OO, whereas for about £350 the Simplex Fire Alarm could be installed all over the town. • It was decided that the Simplex Fire Alarm peonle should make application to the Council regarding tlie l*»nncst made on their behalf bv Councillor Leathwick. the latter being asked to get the matter in form and bring it up again at next meeting of the Council. ' ACCOUNTS. Accounts were passed for payment; the officers reiwrts were all adopted, and the Council .rose shortly after 10.3°.