LAWRENCE TOWN COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 290, 21 August 1873, Page 5

LAWRENCE TOWN COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Lawrence Town Council was held in the Council Chambers on Monday evening laat. There was a full Council present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The report of Mr. Blair, the Government Engineer, on the water supply was read. The following is the report : — Dunedin, 14th August, 1873. Slr, — In accordance with your instructions I have considered the question of filtering the water supplied to Lawrence, and I beg to submit the following report thereon. I shall first consider briefly the causes that lead to the excessive impurity of the water. From an inspection of the race for some distance above the reservoirs, T fiud that, although the supply is by no means pure, it contains much less sediment than the same water when delivered in town. The extra quantity is obtained from the sides of the race and reservoirs, which are wearing away fast in consequence of the water having too much fall. The race and pipe leading into the reservoirs also discharge themselves wi'h great force, thereby preventing the settlement that would naturally take place in still water. • As 1 understand that it is not intended to expend a large sum at present in improving the water supply, I shall merely indicate what 1 consider the best means of remedying the evil at the smallest possible cost. The race for some distance above the reservoirs is to be improved by having its sides sloped off, so that nothing but the stiffest clay is exposed to the action of the water. The race generally to be flattened, and the falls given in steep runs to be protected by timber ; a cistern or some other obstruction being placed at the bottom to check the current. The two reservoirs to be. thoroughly cleaned out, and the clay sides to be sloped away to about 2to 1, The upper one to be divided into two equal portions by a 9" brick wall, the lower half being floored and lined with, thin brickwork or concrete, and the upper half with timber or shingle rammed into the clay. The upper division is intended as a settling pond, consequently the water must flow into it as quietly as possible, and the discharge will be in a thin Btreani over the dividing wall. The lower division is %o be used as a filtering bed, which shall be prepared by rilling it with five feet of fine shingle, gravel, and sand of varying size, commencing with a foot of shingle from an inch in diameter downwards, and ending with a foot of line sharp sind, such as is used for building purposes. The water at the lower side of the filtering bed is collected into a perforated pipe, which discharges it by two or three openings into the lower reservoir. An arrangement such as above described should filter about 170,000 gallons in 24 hours, and, I believe, the water will be left sufficiently pure to admit of being used for all domestic purposes. About ouce a fortnight the mud. that has accumulated on the top of the sand will require to be scraped off, and the upper layer of sand must be renewed about on.cc a year As the work to a considerable extent consists of the alteration of the present race and reservoirs, it is difficulty to estimate the cost

I think, however, that at the utmost it should not exceed £250 to £300. I have the honor to be. Your Worship's most obedient servant, G. M. Blair, Civil Engineer. The report was received. A letter was received from Mr. Whittet asking permission to place building materials on the road opposite Mr. T. Auderson's premises, for a few days. Permissioa granted. R. Williams asked permission to place a culvert in front of his house. Granted. Wm. Sutherland asked the Council to make tho footpath to his house passable by placing a few loads of gravel upon it. Letter referred to the Public Works Com mittee, with power to act. A letter from the Town Clerk of Invercargill, asking what percentage remains unpaid of the rates of the Corporation for 1871, 1872, 1873. The information was asked with the view of providing by legislation for some improvements in the way of collecting rates from unoccupied property. The Town Clerk was instructed ] to furnish the information required. A letter from Jonas Harrop, stating that he was prepared to negotiate with the Council for a loan of £2000, at 6 per J cent, per annum, for a period of twenty years — interest to be paid either in Dunedin, Melbourne, or London — was received. Cr. Hay moved, and Cr. Hill seconded, that the offer be accepted. Cr. Mears thought it preferable to refer the letter to the Finance Committee, as a little time should be given to consider the offer. The Mayor suggested that it be referred to the Finance Committee, giving them power to act. Cr. Hay said the Finance Committee had already considered the matter, so it would be no good referring it back to them. ! Cr. Hayes suggested that a particular time should be mentioned to tho Finance Committee up to which offers could bo received, so that the chance of a better offer might not be lost. Cr. Armstrong thought if it was left with the Finance Committee they would deal with ifc properly. Cr. Hill submitted that the letter came to thorn in the shape of a tender, and as it was the only offor it should be accepted. Cr. Mears sad had tho offer been received by the Council by ths advertised date, then they would have been bouud I to accept it, but it had not. There was some conversation about another offer that was expected to be submitted, but owing to the telegraph being interrupted, a reply had not been received by the negotiator. On this account, the Council thought it advisable to wait, and the letter was ultimately referred to the Finance Commitfeo with power to act, and make the best arrange- [ ments they could. i The question then of the amount of ' I bonus or commission to be paid to the | negotiatior was discussed, and also finally left to be decided by the Finance Committee. A letter was read from J. M'Leod Xicolson stating that he had forwarded the map of the town, and if any errors or omissions wore discovered in it, he would gladly make the necessary corrections when he visited Lawrence in a short time. A letter was read from the Hon. J. Bathgate, Minister of Justice, in reply to one sent by the Mayor, with reference to the new Courthouse. Mr. Bathgate stated that he had placed the Mayor's letter before the Postmaster-General with a strong recommendation, and that he thought something would be done if the Assembly approved of the loan for public buildings. A letter from Mr. John Tuckey was received. It referred to his contract for fencing the reservoir being completed, and asked the Council to lay the account before the Finance Committee for payment Referred to the Finance and Public Works Committeeg. The following accounts were referred to the Finance Committee :— J. M'Leod Nicolson's account for map, L 5 ss. ; J. Williams, for use of Room on polling day, £1 Is. ; L. C. Holmes' services as Returning Officer, £1 Is.; T. Buckley, labor, £8 ; " Tuapeka Times " printing Citizen's Roll, &c, and advertising, £11 11s. 6d, ; "Daily Times" advertising debentures, £4 15s. 6d. ; and the following account was referred to tho Public Works and Finance Committees : — James Harris, sundries, £2 2a. 6d. Cr. Hayes said at tho last meeting of the Financa Committee there seemed to be some misunderstanding about the duties of the Committee. He thought if objections were to be made to any accounts, it should be done at tho Council table. Cr. Mears scarcely saw how that system could be carried out. The accounts, as he understood, were referred to the Finance Committee for discussion and inquiry. It was impossible for the Council to discuss them when they knew nothing about them. If the Committee find anything in the accounts to find fault with, their duty would then be to refer them back to the Council. Cr. Hill imagined the Corporation had not existed so long as it had done without having some proper method of dealing with tho accounts ; if any change was wanted, it would then be time to discuss the matter. The subject here dropped. Cr. Hill reminded tho Council that in fixing the salaries of the Corporation officers at last Council meeting, they had omitted to decide upon the amount to be paid to the Nuisance Inspector. Cr. Hayes moved, and Cr. Hillseconcled, ' ' That Mr. Titchener be allowed to continue in office at the game salary, namely, £15 a-year. Carried. Mr. Blair's report was then considered, when it was decided to refer it to Public Works Committee to " report upon it at next meeting. The Mayor said he should now like to see some decided steps taken in the matter of the town hall. Cr. Hill said that Mr. Hunter, Mr. Lawson'a manager, would be in Lawrence m a few dayg, and it might be well to consult him about the hall. Cr. Hay thought that competitive designs should be obtained for the hall. Only one man had been mentioned. He would move that competitiye designs bo called for.

Cr. Mears thought, if the Council referred this matter to tho Public Works Committee, the latter would bo obliged to work in the dark. He considered the whole question should be discussed in open Council. They should first decide upon the number and size of the compartments required in the building, after which it would be time enough to call for a design. The Mayor informed Cr Mears that the subject had. been frequently discussed by the Council. Cr. Mears thought the size of the hall mentioned would not be large enough ; GOft. x 40ft. would not admit of a stage being taken off it. Then from the peculiar shape of the section, he thought, it would be a great advantage to have a right-of-way from Peel-street to the back of the section, so that they could occupy the whole of the frontage to Ross Place — that could only be obtained by the permission of Mr. Williams or Mr. Ronghan. The Town Clerk said that Mr. Williams had declined to open negotiations as to a right-of-way through his property ; and Mr. Roughan was not at present in a position to do so. Cr. Mears continued by saying that he was not in favor of competitive designs. The job was too small to go to that expense. The Council could not offer sufficient inducement necessary to obtain first-class designs. He would move, " that one portion of the building be devoted to a hall, and that it be 40 x 80 feet." Cr. Hayes seconded the motion. Cr. Hill thought it would be better to refer the matter to tho Public Works Committe, to bring up a report upon it at next meeting ; also to wait upon Mr. Roughan, and try to arrange about a right-of-way, and moved an amendment to that effect, which was carried. Cr. Mears then moved the motion of which he had given notice with reference to the procuring of a weighbridge. The motion was " that an order be sent to Briscoe & Co. for a weighbridge capable of weighing eight tons, and not to exceed £100." Cr. Mears wished to alter the motion by leaving the price open. Cr. Hay was of opinion that a price should ho fixed. Cr. Walker was at a loss to understand why the Council should give an order to Briscoe & Co. for the weighbridge, when they knew that Robinson and Co. were getting two large ones from home. He thought they would get it quicker through that hrrn^ and equally good and cheap. Cr. Mears said that probably those ordered would be taken up before the Council had a chance of getting one of them. The course suggested by Cr. Walker would only delay the matter still further. The' Mayor disapproved of getting it from Melbourne. The motion was carried, Cr. Armstrong moved, and Cr. Hill seconded, "That the hour of meeting of the Council be changed from 7.30 p.m. to 8 p.m. from next Council meeting." Carried. A conversation took place with reference to filling up the Beaiimoiit road where certain retaining walla had been erected . Some misunderstanding had existed with regard to a promise made by the Council to fill Tip che road. It was decided that the filling up of the road alongside the wall built by Mr. Jamison be referred to the Publio Works Committee with power to act. Cr. Mears drew attention to the fact that the bye-law with reference to the keeping of the Corporation seal was not adhered to. Cr. Hill moved, " That the bye-law be enforced, and that a box be made for it." Cr. Walker seconded the motion, which was carried. The Town Clerk drew the Council's at- • tention to the fact that the reservoir valve was out of repair, and that the byewash had fallen in. The Council then adjourned.