BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 387, 8 September 1875, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

LYTTJiLTON. Monday, September 6. Present —His Worship the Mayor, Crs Chalmers, Hawkins, Buist, Graham, Murray, Allwright, and Grange. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The clerk stated he had received during the week £55 3s Gd,

Correspondence was read from Mr James Scott, of the Bridle path, in reference to rates.

After discussion, the matter was left in the hands of the clerk to inquire into. With reference to the Bridle path the Mayor said he had spoken to Mr Stinson about the fencing in his land, and he had promised not to go on with the fencing just for the present. The question was whether the Council was in a position to spend the money in purchasing the land. Mr Allwright said he did not think the land was now open for purchase at the price mentioned.

Cr Chalmers said before the fence was put up the tramway apparatus should be laid down for the purpose of removing the clay from the back of the track.

Cr Allwright thought it would be better and cheaper to pay the £4O for the land at once, if the money could be procured, and then make arrangements for its being repaid at a later time. It might cost £l5O to make the road.

Cr Buist objected to buying the land. Cr Chalmers said that £l5O might bn spent in making the road, but then a great part of that would be spent in metalling as far as Captain McLellau’s, and that would be needed were the road made or not.

Or Graham said, in reply to a question of Cr Hawkins’s, that he did not see how £IOO would be spent, Cr Hawkins said that if the road would cost more to make than £4O, they should pursue the most economical course and buy the land.

Or Chalmers said it would be possible to shoot the clay over the lank. Cr Allwright thought it would be a difficult matter, and he was not sure Mi Stinson would allow it.

Cr Grange asked, if the ground were purchased, would not this difficulty crop up again some future time. The Mayor said the Council could claim 33 feet from the line they had given to Mr Stinson, and of course this would be a permanent road. Cr Graham moved, and Cr Buist seconded, the adjournment of the matter to next Monday night. Carried. With reference to the £IOO grant for the Sumner road, the Mayor said there had been some error, and the money had not yet been paid in to their credit; but he had seen the Secretary for Public Works on the subject, who would look into the matter at once. With regard to the return laid on the table last week of the expenditure on the upper part of Oxford street, he was of opinion that it was far too large an estimate, as it included all monies spent between Ripon and Exeter streets, and he certainly thought that was not what was known as the Heavenly road. Now the expenditure in and above Ripon street, that is on what is commonly known as the Heavenly road, had only been £77 3s lid, and out of this £49 12s 3d had been spent in the necessary arterial drainage for the town, so that the sum really spent on the Heavenly road was very small indeed, and even of this small sum a proportion was yet to be deducted for the value .of the plant purchased. He would not say that the labor of the prisoners was not worth something, or that it might not have been better employed elsewhere; but he did think that the Council had been blamed for what they had not done. Or Graham said, that with regard to the prisoners being employed elsewhere, they must remember that they ("the prisoners) had been placed there at the wish of the authorities, and not at that of the Council.

Or Allwright said that the former statement was the more correct of the two ; did they mean to say that all the kerbing above Ripon street, near Cr Graham’s and Mr Robert’s properties, was bought for £5 ? if so he should like to buy a lot at the same price. Cr Chalmers said most of the kerbing spoken of was old, and had merely been relaid. He had seen by the newspapers it was stated that sixty or seventy men were employed on the Heavenly road ; now he had carefully watched and counted the number employed as he passed in the morning, and could assert there were never more than thirty-two employed, and often only fifteen. The discussion then dropped. The Mayor said that he supposed they were aware there would be a public meeting on the following night, for the candidates for municipal honors to address the public.

The inspector of nuisances said he had visited the slaughter yards, and had seen the police on the matter, who had promised to see to it. His Worship stated that with regard to their financial position, they must endeavor to get in their rates before the end of October. This would materially lessen their overdraft, and there was no doubt they would be treated liberally by the Government, as the Christchurch Council had been. Accounts were passed for payment, amounting to £29 13s 6d. With regard to the plans for the culverts, it was stated they would shortly be completed. Cr Allwright called attention to the fact that the gas mains were to be laid down at once, and that if the Council intended to use gas for lighting, they should have it laid on at the same time, as it would be a great saving of expense. Cr Grange asked if the water supply works were progressing. His Worship replied that the necessary works were going on. He was sorry the Government did not try if the nine wells were not sufficient; when he saw them there was a good stream of water, enough, he believed, to supply Lyttelton. He thought the estimate of 150,000 gallons per diem was a very large one. Cr Grange spoke at length on the subject of distributing reservoirs. Cr'Chalmers said he would move— That a letter be written to the Secretary for Public Works, asking him how the works in connection with the Lyttelton water supply were progressing. Cr Grange seconded the motion, and in doing so called attention to the fact that the plant would soon arrive, and yet no steps had been taken with regard to reservoirs, The Council then adjourned.