LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 708, 30 August 1870, Page 3

LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

«, Monday, Aug. 29. The Council met at the usual hour. Present : Councillors Bunker, Young, Cumminc, Chalmers ; his Worship the Mayor pre Biding. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The clerk stated that he had received during the week — rates, £21 As. The Foreman of works' report was read and received. It called the Council's attention to the Jamage done by the late rains to the night-soil road, and to the Governor's Bay road. It was resolved to put them in repair. The special report of the Works Committee on the pavements of the town was read. It stated that nothing had been done by Mr Smart since the survey had been made by Mr Cuff, surveyor. j Councillor Cummins said he had seen Mr] Smart that day, and the work would be proceeded with when the weather was more settled. Accounts, amounting to £24 Os 4d, were passed for payment. His Worship said the three months' notice to the Town Clerk had expired, and he thought it would be necessary for one or two of the Councillors to form a committee to determine what should be done. Councillor Chalmers thought the Council had been very remiss in not making fresh arrangements with the Town Clerk sooner. He did not understand the delay, but supposed that the mover of the resolution had determined on a plan, or he should have apoken before. Hia Worship explained why no action had been taken. He was in hopes that the clerk mightbave found some other work in the town, and have been able to give them a portion of his time. The clerk said he considered his engagement at an end, but he could assure the Council he had no wish to put them to inconvenience by leaving abruptly. Councillor Chalmers said he thought the matter had better be held over. They were goicg to have a fresh election, and among the candidates they might have men with ■uperior sense to themselves, and they might j also have some red-hot members, who would upset any arrangements they might make. v/lThe subject then dropped. \ 'jjHis Worship said he wished to bring be^fore their notice a matter which affected not only themselves, but the whole town, and which was a disgrace to any seaport town. It was the want of an accident or hospital ward. When his Honor was canvassing the town, some months since, the question was put to him why had he removed the hospital ? He then promised that a casual ward should be provided. The first case he wished to bring before their notice was that of a man named Parker, who was brought up on the deck of a vessel from Lavercck Bay. He considered the man was tortured, for they had no place to put him in, and he had to lie on the deck of the vessel all night. In the morning be was brought ashore and sent up to Christchurch. There was accommodation in the truck for the poor man. The second case was one that occurred on Saturday. A seaman fell from the yard of a vessel and had to be taken to an hotel. The people at the hotel were verj kind to the poor fellow; but this was not the proper thing, and he felt sure that the Council would be only doing right in moving energetically in the matter. He might add that he had I been informed that the man who was taken

to Christchurch was taken there at the risk of hia life. Councillor Chalmers said he quite coincide! with the remarks made. They might bs told by the Government that it was no business of theirs to speak, but he contended that it was, and he felt certain they would have the support of every inhabitant, who, if things were not soon altere I, would express their opinions in a very short time in another place. It was a disgrace to the town and to civilisation. Mr Kolleston had promised them that a ward should be erected, and of course, like all promises at election times, it was net fulfilled. Captains who came into port expressed themselves surprised that a port town had no hospital, and the blame rested, they considered, with the inhabitants, in not having a proper hospital erected. It was the duty of every citizen to move in this matter, and he hoped a letter would be written to the Government by the Council. If no notice were taken of that, it would rest with the inhabitants to speak out, and demand a proper place of accommodation. Councillor Cummins said he quite agreed with what had been said. It was their duty to move in this matter. With,respect to the unfortunate man Parker, he was taken to Christchurch and thence into the goods shed in an open truck. There he was exposed to the gaze of a crowd of people, and to the rain and wind, and he had to beg that the doors of the shed might be shut. There wa* no officer in attendance when the man arrived in Christchurch. The railway officials did their best, but if cases of accidents were to be taken to Christchurch, then there ought to be proper appliances. He moved that a letter be written to the Government on the subject, calling their attention to the necessity of immediately erecting a hospital ward. The motion wan seconded by Councillor Young, and carried unanimously. The Council then adjourned.