STREETS AND FOOTPATHS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXX, Issue 11867, 16 May 1906, Page 7

STREETS AND FOOTPATHS.

_ — 4>- --■■■. - - — — Needs of the Upper Part of the Town.

A Borough Council Discussion

At last night's meeting of the Borough Council the Works Committee recommended re London Street, that the crown of the road near the railway crossing be extended outwards towards tho railway line, that a larger culvert be put in acros-s the- road, also that field drain pipes be laid along the side of the road at the bend. The committee recommended that the gardener "be instructed to lop the trees in front of Mr N. Andrew's premises. The committee recommended that the foreman be authorised to employ necessary additional labour to complete any urgent work of forming and gravelling footpaths and grading streets above Glasgow Street. The committee recommended that the foreman We instructed to replace broken slabs, level, and tar and sand the footpaths from Guyton Street to Maria Place, and to rensphalt the footpath from Maria- Place to Ridgway Street, and that the proportion of the cost, such as represents the area disturbed by the laying of gas mains be charged to the Gas Department. The MAYOR, in moving the adoption of the report, said the committee thought the time had arrived to cut out each ;ilternate plane tree. This would give more space, and would not spoil the look of the streets. In regard to footpaths, there were over 200 chains which wanted doing in the streets between Glasgow and London Streets, and the committee wished the Foreman to be authorised to employ extra men if necessary, so as to push the work on, and enable residents to get out dryshod before tho winter sets in. It was not a question of cost, merely of doing the work quickly.

Cr. CALMAN seconded the motion pro forma, asking if the Mayor could give an idea of the cost, as the Council should know that before embarking on the work.

The MAYOR said there were 215 chains of kerbing where path formation was not put down, the cost being estimated at .t'4oo.

Cr. BATTLE said the report was not written in accordance with what the committee agreed upon. He understood the cost was to be £800. lie thought they should only do that work which w;>s in a dangerous state, pending the framing of the estimates.

Cr. COHEN asked what would be tV position if no report had been brought down.

The MAYOR said the work would still "o on, but at the ordinary rate, but he wished to see it pushed on with as cxpcditioufily as possible.

Cr. COHEX H;iid no member of the Council had ever breathed a complaint at the Council table that work in the upper end of the town was not being pushed ou with sufficiently, and lie asked was the Council to delegate its functions to the Foreman to say what footpaths were to be completed. If it was necessary that certain footpaths should be completed, then surely those who had no paths at all had n still stronger claim, and though the people of the upper end wanted looking after, he did not think there should be any preference. So far as^ie could learn most of the money spent on roads and footpaths last year was spent at the upper end of the town, which had been, during tho last twelve months, looked after in a way that was unprecedented in the history of the borough.

Cr. LIFFITON here drew attention to the fact that some councillors had not signed the report, to which Cr. Williams retorted that he had not signed because he disagreed with that portion of it re the Foreman and urgent work.

Cr. BATTLE then suggested that the clause in question should be altered to read: — "That the Foreman of Works be empowered to employ additional labour to have that part of the work which is absolutely necessary done pending the bringing down of the estimates." Cr. COHEN moved that the report be referred back to tlio Works Committee in order that they 'might agree upon what they had reported. He also thought the Forpman should be abked what works he considered necessary.

Cr. CALMAN seconded tho amendment. The work in question, he said, involved £800. The MAYOR— .£4OO. Cr. CALMAN said he was told £800 by one and £400 by another, and no one seemed to know which was right. The committee should also ask the Foreman to draw up a schedule of the work, ami its cost, i-800 was a big sum to spend on one locality, and they should not spend it on London Street to the detriment of Glasgow Street. Crs. LIFFITON and WILLIAMS agreed that the report should be referred back to the committee.

Cr. BATTLE drew attention to the condition of Niblett Street where the kerbing had sunk in places making walking dangerous in the dark. The MAYOR opposed the amendment, raying that those who had no paths should net them. Of the .£ISOO borrowed for streets and footpaths, all except jC6() was spent, and there were now in the streets l'otween Glaspow and London Streets 215 chains of Icerbing without any path formation. In places the kerbing was standing above, or else buried in the ground, both of which were dangerous, and. the gutters were blocked. What he desired, and thought the Works Committee desired was that this work should be done as quickly as possible so that residents could get in and out during the winter. The amendment to refer the report back to the committee was then put and carried, the Mayor dissenting.

The Borough Council election proceeded very quietly to-day. The poll closes at 7 o'clock this evening, and the result will bo declared as soon thereafter as possible.

Captain Edwin telegraphs: — Strong winds to gale from between northwest and west and southwest; glass rise but fall after 16 hours from now; tides high; sea heavy; rain probably heavy.

Pansy Tooth Powder docs not scratch the enamel off the teeth, being completely free from prit, but aids their preservation lw its cleansing and antiseptic properties. Price Is. The Dayics Pharmacy.