WOODVILLE TOWN BOARD.

Woodville Examiner, Volume 3, Issue 282, 10 September 1886, Page 2

WOODVILLE TOWN BOARD.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Town Hoard was held on Tuesday alternoon. Present - Messrs. J. Sowry (chairman), Murphy, Sturdy, and T. Moore, t: o k i: ks cox u k n c k . Prom Mr J. G. Scott, agent Bank of New Zealand, asking permission to tap the main drain. Permission granted, subject to Board's regulations. KAII.WAY STREET. The Chairman stated that he had v-rit-ten to the Government rc widening of Railway Street, but had received no reply up to present. ROSS STEET. The Chairman reported that he had had certain work done in Boss-street as a temporary measure. TENDERS. Tenders were opened for forming footpaths in McLean-strect, and for wor.c in Tay-street, but it was decided to hold them over till next meeting. A REVIEW OE THE PRESENT BOARD’S WORK. The Chairman said that he had been looking over the minute book, and found that Woodville was gazetted a town district on the tibtii December, 1884, and that the drat election was held on Jann-

ary 24th, 1885, and the fir .-4 rivaling of the Board took place on January 2(5, 1885. Of course a great deal ot preliminary work had to he dime, such as preparing by-laws, and gelling the outfit necessary for carrying on the business of the Board. These matters entailed a considerable expense to the town. r lhen the town had to he made into a licensing district. Then there was the work of preparing street levels and plans. Jn addition to all this preliminary work contracts had been let for the formation of Gray and Adele-streets; clearing and stumping in Gray, Adele, and Hampsonstreets ; footpaths in Vogel and McLeanstreets : drainage works in McLean, Gray and Bnrgoyne-streets, and a number of small works such as culverts, &c., drains, approach to the school, improvements in Boss-street, repairs, and several others. A fire-engine shed had also been constructed, and the Board managed to get a telegraph pcle at the corner of Murphy’s Hotel which was an obstruction, removed, after a lot of correspondence. Hie Board had also insisted on the widening of Eail-way-street, and would eventually succeed in carrying their point. Ko doubt one of tho best feature of the Board’s tenure of office was the enforcement of clause 24 of the Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Act, 1878, and its important results. A law-suit, in which the Board gained the victory, compelled owners to make streets before selling their property. Cap- j tain Bussell paid the Board .450, to make ; the street through his property, and other | sub-dividors had made their streets according to the Board’s regulations, and he (the chairman) reckoned that the formation of streets which had been done under this clause had cost about 4450—an amount which, but for the victory, would have had to be paid by the ratepayers. The enforcement of the clause would, in the end, save the ratepayers about .47,000. The reserves which the Board had received from the Government were six town sections, one suburban section of 1 04 acres, and two rural sections of 40 j acres each —the latter would be gazetted as soon as the engineers, now at work on the railway line, had completed their report. During the Board’s lime, the Volunteers had asked the Board for a drillsheu site, but at his (the chairman’s) suggestion Captain Moore applied to the Government for a site, and thanks to the Hon. J. Ballance, a capital site had been obtained. The work of altering and widening of Vogel-street north, had been commenced by the County at the Board’s suggestion, but the work, so far, was not very satisfactory. The appointment under the night-soil contract and the enforcement of the use of proper pans had been a step in the right direction, and although a few might grumble at first, they would soon see, he believed, that the action of the Board had become absolutely necessary. 'With regard to tho preparing of the work and the inspection after contracts had been completed, he (the chairman) had written out theispecifications, and with the assistance of the members, had supervised the work. Of course there were a number of important matters which would hove to be attended to —such as drainage, water supply, street formation, and the making of private streets at the owner’s expense. There were at least five miles of streets •which —besides the footpaths and kerbing of the same—to be made by sub-dividers before the streets could be declared public streets, and these matters would doubtless receive early attention by the Council when it was formed. During the year there had been 20 regular meetings of the Board, besides several informal ones. For himself he did not think he had been absent from a single meeting during the whole time, and he had never exercised his vote as chairman. The Board had been in existence about a year and three-quarters, and during the whole of that time the members had worked welt together for the good of the district and the general welfare of the town. He trusted the next Board would work together as harmoniously and agreeably as they had done during their term of office, and in conclusion he thanked the members for the support they had given him while he had acted as chairman. —(Applause.) On the motion of Mr Sturdy, a hearty voted of thanks was accorded to the chairman for the efficient manner in which he had carried out the duties of his office. The Board then adjourned.