BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 234, 10 March 1875, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

LYTTELTON. Monday, March 8. The usual meeting was held on Monday night last. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Chalmers, Hawkins, Buist, Graham, Murray, Young, and Grange. The clerk stated he had received since last meeting £22 6s. Correspondence was read : From the librarian of the General Assembly Library, asking for an authenticated map of the town, for the use of members of both Houses of Parliament. After considerable discussion it was determined that the clerk should forward a gracing of Doyle’s map. From the Secretary for Public Works, asking if the Council bad any objection to the contractors for the breakwater excavating beyond the south-west boundary of the Sumner road, on their giving a guarantee to preserve the road safe for traffic. Or Graham said it was desirable to continue the road to the width of one chain. The difficulty could be got over if the Government took what they wanted from the reserve. He thought it better that the Government and estates committee should meet on the spot, and thoroughly agree about the matter. He would move that a letter be written to the Government, asking the Government to meet the estates committee, and visit the locality referted to in the letter to consult on the matter. Cr Grange seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. From Mr S, Johnson, of the Marlborough Express, Blenheim, asking for a copy of the printed accounts of the town for last year, for the purpose of comparison. From Mr David Lazarus, stating that Messrs Ward and Co would pay the ground rent of his section in Oxford street during his absence. From Messrs J. Fisher, George Messiter, and J. Tregear, asking the Council to permit the Council laborers to lay on branch drains from their sections to connect with the main sewer in St David street, and offering to pay the cost of the same to the Council. This was assented to by the Council. From Mr J. A. Plimmer, asking that the Council laborers might be allowed to lay six lengths of drain pipes (on the property belonging to Matheson’s Agency, Norwich Quay), leading from the cottage to the main drain, they paying all expenses of same. Agreed to. The Mayor was here called out, before he left he stated that he had made a beginning of enforcing the Public Health Act. There was much fever in Monkey Town, and the drains were in a frightful condition. He had ordered the foreman of works to have the drains on the road cleaned out that night and purified with chloride of lime. The private drains were, however, in this part of the town, in a most filthy state, and indeed so were others? the stench proceeding from a drain in an alley between Mrs Pearson s and Mrs Lewis’s being excessively strong. He was confirmed in his opinion that, as they were committed to the culvert system, they must do something to prevent the stenches rising. A trap door, which was balanced so as to admit water and reclose itself, would, he thought, be of much use. No doubt if soot, stones, &c, came down, they might choke up the drain, but this could be remedied by cleansing periodically. The mischief done by sewage gas was done by the ascension of the gas; the upper openings of the drain being by far the most dangerous. A complaint had been made by Mrs Leslie about the scavenger leaving the night-cart near her premises, but he tad found on enquiry that the complainant had not been much inconvenienced by it. He had intended to bring up a detailed report of those parts of the town where fever existed, but it was spread to a greater or lesser extent all over the municipality, and the difficulty was not to say where fever existed, but where it did not. He was happy to say that the fever was not of a peculiarly malignant type. He thought that although the fever might not have originated from bad drainage, it was that which was assisting in spreading it, and making it of a more dangerous character. He was sorry to go, as he wished to hear what the Councillors had to say on the matter, as no doubt during the week they had noticed the condition of certain portions of the town. He hoped the chairman of the works committee would spare Mr Sowden as much as possible during the week, in order that he might draw up a detailed report of the sanitary condition of the town. Cr Buist said he thought it was better to have a special meeting to consider this subject, as they had not enough time on their ordinary nights of meeting to thoroughly go into the matter. His Worship said that Mr Sowden’s report would greatly facilitate matters at the ordinary meeting, and he would afterwards call a special meeting before the report was sent to the Board of Health. The Mayor having vacated the chair, Cr Buist moved, and Cr Chalmers seconded, “ That Or Grange take the chair,” which he did. Accounts were then passed for payment amounting in all to £166 3s 6d. The clerk stated that when these accounts were paid, the overdraft at the Bank would be £449 16s. Or Graham rose to move the notice or motion in his name. The matter had been fully discussed, so be would merely move—- “ That the motion that drain pipes be used in Winchester street be rescinded, and that 9in pipes be used. Nine-inch pipes were quite sufficient for the work and the cost would be considerably less. Cr Buist would second it. He did not think that 12-inch pipes were required. It would be decidedly unnecessary expense. Or Murray was of opinion it would be oennv wise and pound foolish. * The chairman said he should be sorry to oppose the works committee, but he Jcoew

great inconvenience had been experienced in London from small sewers being used in the city, as owing to the suburbs spreading they became insufficient. Or Graham said there were miles and miles of back country in London, but Lyttelton would not spread very far. He thought if Or Murray would only visit the spot he also would be satisfied that a nine-inch pipe was sufficient. Or Hawkins said that there was little doubt that had Or Murray been present at the previous meeting he would have been peifectly satisfied. The motion was put and carried. Cr Chalmers rose to propose that a rate of one shilling in the £be struck. He would suggest that the rate be struck for the remainder of the financial year, and not for the whole, as by this expedient they would include all tenements built during the last four months. He begged to move that a rate of one shilling in the £ be struck for the eight months ending on the 31st of October next. Cr Hawkins seconded the motion. Or Buist said he thought that the person living in the house at the time the rate was struck was liable. He should like to be informed on the point. Cr Chalmers said a proportion of the rates had to be borne by any new comer who took the house for any portion of the time lor which the rate was struck. Cr Murray asked Cr Chalmers to further explain the matter. Cr Chalmers said the object was that so many new buildings had been erected, even while Mr Willcox was assessing the town, that it was necessary the rate should be struck for the period. There had been several cases in which payment had been evaded, but he thought that by this means all quibbles would be avoided. The motion was then put and carried. Cr Graham said he thought that it would be well if another letter were sent to the Government to remind them that the Council wanted the grant. Cr , Grange said that if the Government ever read the proceedings of the Borough Council in the public prints they would see urgent necessity the Council had for the money. After further discussion it was determined that the clerk write to the Government, reminding them of the unanswered letter of the 25th of February last. The following notice of motion was laid on the table for Monday, March 15th:—“That this Council recognise the necessity of anticipating revenue in such manner and amount as may be hereafter decided on, for the purpose of meeting the pressing requirements of the town for extension of drainage.” The Council then adjourned.