BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 52, 14 July 1868, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Monday, Jui/r 13. The Council met at tho usual hour. Pre«ont: Ilia Worship tho Mayor, and Council* lors Duncan, Kuddcnklau, Cdlvert, Sboppard, Anderson, Thomson, nnd Jameson. Tho minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. Tho «urn of £89 I* was stated to have been received from various sources during the weok. Tho Clerk reported tho credit balance at tho hank to Im> XO 3s B<l, Accounts amounting to £141 la 11.1 were passed und ordered to bo paid. A lcttor whs road from the Manager of tho Qns Works, stilting that on tho 4th inst., the cock of the lump nl tho corner of Manchester and Hereford streets, had been broken, m ulao hud a pano of glass in the one at the corner of Oxford Terrace and LichOeld street The perpetrator of tho damage in both cases was unknown Tho Collector reported thai £4115 of tat year's rotes had been collected, but that £780 .yet remained outstanding. Councillor Duncan called attention to the flnnnclal position of tho Council, and said it was very necessary in order to provide for the numerous works requiring to be carried out, that tho old rates should bo paid at once, more especially as tho now ones were nowdue. Ho would therefore more that tho collector be instructed to sue at once for the balance of tho rates due for 1867. Councillor Thomson seconded the motion, which was curried. Tho Mayor anid tho surveyor to the Heatheote Road Board had apokeu to him respecting tbo planting of willows on tho riverbunk. Tho Board were desirous of continu* Ing tho work from Ward's brewery down to tho lower Avon bridge, provided tho Council would supply them with the necessary cuttings. lio would suggest that tmsshould bo done, as thcro woro sufficient trees abovo Lane's mill to supply them without being in any way a loss to the city. On tho motion of Councillor Duncan, seconded by Councillor Col vert, this suggestion was adopted. :

Tho Mnyor roforrcd to tho voto of XSO pafliied by the Provincial Council for oxponicfl | in connection with tho flro cng\no, and naid that although ho had moved for a lnr^or sum to bo plncoil upon tho cfltimatcff, that was all ho could poflNlitly obtain. Tho Burvoyor'u report wan read. Attention wan firm called to a provioun iiigHOßtion of. annhaliinß tho bridgou acroßß the Avon, confliuoralion of which had been pofttponcd until tho erection of <v new etructuro flhould nfford «n opportunity for trying tho experiment. The Manchcfltor utrect brldgo would shortly bo ready for flooring, and, i\n it would bo ncccsflnry to mako Home altorallon in tho laying of thft timber, if asphalting woro decided upon, liifltriiotlnnfl woro rcquented in tho matter. Tho probablo cont would ho about X2O. Tho report noxfc stated that the oxtoneion of time allowed to tho contractors for .formation of GlouccfUor Btrcet had oxI pircd, hut tho wet weather had prevented tlto work belncr complotcd. Tho contract time for tho Worccntor ntreot fooipath hud alno expired, liufc tl>o work would not ho winplotcd »o»oro Tucmlay next, Curling o£ tho »I)ij)gio from Lincoln rond hud boon temporarily dlneonllnuad in ennscquenco oil tho bad «tata of tho rondn, Tho arrival of ntono for kerbing and channelling had al«o been delayed by tho audio MM, and Mr Dlunt tho contractor did not aiuioipato receiving It for flomo connldorablc tlrno. Tho crcotion of tho ntono Imko for tho lamp In front of Cobb and Co'fl ofllco had boon commonccd and wnn expected to bo complotcd by TuoAday night, Tho labour gang had during tlio pnot week been omployed in ncraplng tho rondo 5 spreadIncr broken motal In Colombo otroetj repairing other fltreotn with nhlngloi fencing and planting on tho Eant town belt; putting In plpo culvurfc in Gloucester fltrcotj clearing out Aide drains in different pnrto of tho oityi and repairing footnatha in Oxford terrace, and I'apanui road. Tho report \ri\n considered mtullM, It wan ricciiled that no UHiilialtlug flhould at prcflont bo dono to any of tuo brl'lgou, Tho noeoHflftry oxtoiiolon of timo wan grnnted for completion of tho works in Gloucenter and Vvorcofltcr ntrcetfl, Tho Mayor called attention to the contract timo for erecting tho ntone haflo to tho lamp, post In front of Cobb and Com oiTlco having expired, and tho work Httll being unflnlnlicd. 110 conflldorod that great neglect had bocti evinced by tho contractors, and the Council ought to oxprcnn Homo opinion in the matter. A flliorfc dlflOllflfllon enfliied, but tho Council being of opinion that tho wot weathor was a nuuiclcnt oxcuno for tho delay, and being satMflcd that tho contractors had oxorclKoa ovory dlligonco, their conduot wan, on the motion of Councillor Anderflon, pronouncod 6atl(ifactory, I Tho following correspondence wan read i— Lottcr from l)r IM/ro rofcrrlng to tho ono written by him Irmt wock, rcnpcctlng tho footpath in Wbftloly Ro«d, and fltatlng that 110 had no inteiitlon at ottorhitf oftancc to tho \ Council by unlng tho word <' tllflgracof ul," Jlo requested that tho work should bo attended to an early mi ponfliblo, The letter wan roferrcd to tho Works committoo, with ii)fitru«tlond to effect tlio ncccsimry improvementfl at onco. Letter from Dr l/ranklnh, calling attention to tho doplorahlo otafo of tho .footpath In Colombo fltroet flouth, and nnlcing for Home improvement to bo eJTocted at tlio oflrlloot opportfinitj . Councillor Jamenon nnid tho Worka committee had already considered tho Atato of the footpath in qucßtlon, but m it required 1 raining, and there was no material at hand to do it with, they had refrained from HhhiKllng it at prcHont. A luw dayw lino woatlior would cnablo tho n<)(:ommry oart-li and »hf»glo to bo obtained, and tho work would then bo proceeded with at onco, Letter from Mr 0. Trlho, complaining of tho stftto of Pttorborough ntrcot, botwcoo Manchester and Madran ntrcot?), lioferrcd to tho Worka committee, Letter from Mr Adloy, ro-calllng attontion to tllO bad fltato of Clieatcr Htroor, in front of Ills ntahlofl, and pointing out that tho traffic tlioroto wnii almost ontirc-ly blockod up. Councillor ilameHon tuald the Work« commlttco had taken th« work In hand, hut could not proceed actively with it until fino weather net In. Tho Clerk wan directed to reply to this effect. Letter from Mr Hainan requcHtlng normlnelon to mako uoo of a quantity of oartli lying on tlto fiido of Uio roadway in Llchlluld street. Councillor Jamcoon nald it waH required by tho Workfl commitkc for filling up several "grlpa" ill Uio principal thorough faros of tho City, and tho Clerk wan accordingly directed to reply to that effect. Loiter from Mr William Atnok aoklng for romlflfllon of Court cxpoiiHCH incurred in the {>rococ<lltigfl taken ngalnHt him for recovery of ilh ralcfl. Iloforrcd to tho Unto Collootor for explanation. Two other loiters woro road, asking for romlflfllon of rate*, but were al«o referred to the Collector to roport upon. A dlflcufldfon arofio repeating tho mannor of collecting tho rritoii mu\ oomtiderablo (llhhhfciafactlon wnti cxprowoil at tho delay and lonlcnoy »how» by tho Collector. The Miiyor adverted to tlio injuotlco of tho Council having to pay Intorcnt upon an overdraft wliilnt n huBO amount of la»t ycurfi' ratoo wno ovorduo, Huvoral mumhorfl of the Council oxnroflflcd their opinion upon the nceeanlty of (icoifilvo niGOßurca licing adopted by the collector at an earlier period of tho your than hitherto, and it wan finally rcoolvcd that ho ohould roport upon tho amounts now duo, at tho next meeting of tho Council. 1 Tho roport of tho committco appointed to consider tho Canterbury Itlvcra Act ( 1808, wan read, It wan nuggCHtod therein that a« tho city of Chrifitchurch would havo to pay a largo proportion of, tho intended rato, tho Borough Council flhould havo tho opportunity of appointing two of thdr numbor no mom-

bora of tho Bonn! of Conservators, provided that tho Board should consist o£ flvo, or if Icflß than five, that tho Counoll should appoint ono | 'Mich membor or niombors of tho Council to cenflo to hold offlco m conservators m booh nflthcyvaoftlotholrocmtsln llio Council, and tho Mayor not nceoßsarily to ho ono of tho momborH selected. Tlio roport further recommended that all repairs exceeding onollilrd of tho original coufc, flhould I>O considered now i that fcho tennnfc fthould pay tho onothird, mid tho landlord any sum in oxcosn of thafc Amount i that no rato in any ono year nhottld exceed ono shilling in tho pound) that tlio Counoll fihould havo flolo control over tho river, and all brldgos in the city, ah otherwise a clashing of int«re«l« will take piano \ that fclio property of the Government ho tnxed in fulr proportion to any othor, and flint a fair percentage should ho allowod to tho Council and Hoad Bonrdfl for tho collection of rates. Councillor Duncan moved tlioeonflldoratlon of tJio report, hut flovoral mombora fltatlng that tho Importanoo of tho subject roqnlrod a moro caroful discussion' thnn could ho afforded at an ordinary mooting of the Couu- 1 oil, it waa deferred until tlilfl evening, when a I apcolal mooting will ho hold Cor that purpose. Tho report of tho Fira Dri^ado committee wan brought up by Councillor Jameson, and road. Tlio oontinuatlon of tho brigade under it« prcflont organisation was roflonunended with tho following oxooptlonn j— That tho X/ 5 gratuities Ahouid bo handed over to the Chief Iflro Inspector (tho title by which according to tho now Act tho prcfiont superintendent is to ho known), and dlßlrlbulod pro rata amongst tho men j that tho nunibor of mon roeolvlnfj gratuity ho reduced to twenty \ that tho payment to pumpers ho discontinued no far an regards tho Brigade; and that tho i'lro J'olloo ho requested to undortnko tho working of! tho hook and ladcior appnrnliiß Tho oommlttoo then recommended that the Brando ho provided >yJih tv complete uniform, the eofll not wceccd X2 ; 103, and tho volunteers with a hlouwo cap and bolt, tho oo»t not to exceed X I fl*i that the now hand cupjino ho worked by a volunteer 1 brli;ado of ten mon, who may elect their own ofllcerfl, but tho wholo to bo umlor llio control of tho ohlof inspector j that tlio repronontalivcfl of tho vnrloiifl insurance companion in tho city having promised nubsorlp.tloiiff to tho amount of XIAO it would ho advl«ablo /or thorn to oleofc two out of tho four flro innpeotoro | thafc th« Government had voted XJO for miiiulonauoe of tho largo hand engine, and that a f urihur gum -will bo voted next session of tho Provincial Council $ that when the flro polico arc re-organised In Hoptember next tho four captains ho appointed flro inopootorß, and that tho following ho tho amended He.ale of. salarlon for tho Brigade s -Chief Idflpootor, £8/5 ( deputy do, £15} engineer, XfiO j deputy do, jClfl j and Bccrctary, Xlfi. Tho report wan considered seriatim, All tlio clauses up to that referring to tho flnlarJofl woro adopted, A dlaouHßlon thou onuuod upon tho proponed red notion of XI O in tho imlary of the clilof Inspector. Councillor Jameson explained that this had boon dono in ordor to provide for tho continuance of tho florvlecH of a secretary, which Captain Wllfton had nald was necessary to the proper management of tho brigade. The salary of Xl oo for tho lnspector had originally been votod without any reforeueo to a seerotary, wliom Captain Wilson had Hubaoquontly appointed, After a lengthened discussion it wnn resolved that the salary of the Chief Innpootor remain at XIOO por annum on the underntandlng that it Khali cover ftll clerical asslntanco nuciiHoary to tho management of tho brigade Tho jmipoßod rates of remuneration woro then adopted, an al«o woro tho estimate,'! of clothing, AM, f?ratnltlcH, XI OO, and contlngonoloit, JSIOO, 'I'lio report nfl amended was thon adoptod, Councillor JnmcßOii thon inoTcd that Oapt, Wilnnn bo appointed chluf ln«pgotor of llio brlflrndtr, Jlo tliouwlit that tho fiUitoC Cnpt. Wiinon'ii flvrvl«<!H J!oi' hlfl pot torm of oflluo, Imyiiig Ixion ffciiorally nattMfaotorjr. was sufllclont to justify tho motion, and it wa« necos«ary that he should bo appointed without delay, In order that ho mi/jlit make the roqulfllto nrrantfomcnlH for conolruotlntf the hrlgadv for tho cnimliip; year. Ho had no he4<tatlon in ouying that tho Counoll could not find a bettor mun, and tho public woro in ovory way antinfloil with Mm. Councillor Uuddcnltlau flccoudad tho molion, wlilcli svuh (tarried. Tho Council then adjourned.