MUNICIPAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5552, 25 February 1886, Page 4

MUNICIPAL.

I. * Kaiapoi Borough Council. ;

A meeting of the Kaiapoi Borough Council was held on Tuesday, Feb. 23 5 present — The Mayor, and Councillors Kidd, Wearing, Brighting, Blakeley, Humphreys, Simpson and May. Correspondence was read : — From the Town Clerk, asking to be excused from attending at tho meeting, as he waa very unwell. Leave granted. From Ballantine and Thompson, enclosing an account for kerbing amounting to JBIS 8s Gd. Passed for payment subject to the appioval of the Works Committee. From the Standard Office, enclosing account for printing. Referred to the Clerk for explanation. From Mr W. Hills, enclosing- account of work done for the Fire Brigade. Passed subject to the approval of Superintendent. Leave of absence was granted to Councillor Oram. Councillor Blakeley reported, for the Finance Committee, that the receipts for the past fortnight were : Kates, £7 10s 6d ; dog tax, £1 10s ; burial fees, £1 ; sale of burgees rolls, 2a ; overdraft at Bank of New Zealand, .£950 17s 2d. On the motion of Councillor Blakeley, seconded by Councillor Simpson, accounts amounting to .£32 17s were passed for payment. Councillor Wearing proposed— "That tenders be invited for the excavation of a youths' swimming bath." The 6ite proposed waß situated at that part of the river known as the Blind Creek ; the material to be removed was for the most part shingle, and would be useful to the Council for repairing the streets. Councillor Blakeley said he had much pleasure in seconding the proposition. _ It was very necessary that some provision should be made to provide a safe place for children to learn to swim in. Carried. On the motion of Councillor Simpson, seconded by Councillor Blakeley, it was resolved to refer the matter of adjusting the plots in the public cemetery to the Cemetery Committee. On the motion of Councillor Blakeley, seconded by Councillor Simpson, it was resolved to appoint Councillor Brighting to the vacant seat on the Cemetery and Sanitary Boards. Councillor Brighting moved—" That the immediate attention of the Works Committee be drawn to the unsafe condition of the suspension bridge." Its condition was so bad that an accident might occur there aft any moment. After some discussion, the matter was referred to the Works Committee to prepare plans and specifications, and submit them at next meeting. Councillor Kidd called the attention of the Council to the fact that, in his opinion, the drawing of the piles of the old bridge was likely to affect the stability of the new structure. Councillor Simpson was under the impression that this matter had been finally settled at the last meeting. He would oppose the re-opening of the question. The Council had no power to alter the specification without the consent of the Harbour Board. Councillor Humphreys would be sorry to see the new bridge damaged, and would propose — "That, with the consent of the Harbour Board, permission be given to the contractor to leave those piles mentioned undrawn." Councillor Wearing would oppose the motion. It had been adduced, as an argument in favour of leaving the piles, that they would act aa fenders to the present bridge, but the new structure was provided already with fender piles, and did not require any more unsightliness in the form of old piles alongside of it. Councillor May was opposed to the motion. It had been fully discussed at the last meeting, and was then finally disposed of. Councillor Wearing said that tendei'3 for the removal of the old bridge had been called, on certain specifications, which had been approved of by the Harbour Board. One of the conditions in the specification stated that certain piles had to be drawn. No doubt this was the most troublesome part of the work, and had deterred several contractors from tendering, who, if they thought that part of the specification would not be insisted upon, would have given a far larger price for the old bridge than the present contractor. He did not see how the Council could entertain the proposition. He would like to hear the Major's ruling on the point. The Mayor said he thought it was inadvisable to re-open the subjects which had been disposed of at former meetings ; but if Councillors thought a mistake had been made, he would gladly endeavour to rectify it. Councillor Wearing would like to know if the Works Committee were prepared to recommend to the Council that the piles be left. Councillor May, for the Works Committee, said that they were in favour of seeing the contract carried out in its entirety. Councillor Kidd had looked at tho3O piles since the Surveyor's recommendation had been received, and he agreed with the recommendation. Councillor Blakeley would like to know if permission was given to the contractor to do as suggested ; whether the contract would not be thereby vitiated. The Council had already had some painful experiences of broken contracts in the new structure, and he would not like a repetition of the kind in future. Councillor May agreed with Councillor Blakeley j it was dangerous work meddling with contracts. The meeting then terminated.