COUNCIL WILL PROTEST AGAINST REMOVAL OF AQUEDUCT

Ald. Burgar’s Report on Street Work Lightly Treated- Y.M.C.A.

Taxes Remitted-A New $15,000 Sewer

[Welland Telegraph, 20 December 1912]

Harmony and felicity which should exist among the members of the Council at their meeting of the year was lacking in the Council’s final December session on Monday last.

Ald. Burgar collaborated with the engineers in preparing a report of the work that has been done by the Street Committee this year. The report was lengthy and went into great detail, even giving the weather condition throughout the year. This report was introduced by the alderman with fatherly pride and interest, but he had not finished reading when Ald. Crow began a tirade of sarcastic criticism which much incensed the head of the active street committee.

In continuing this criticism Ald. Crow ventured the prediction that some members of the Council would have a difficult and laborious task to accomplish if they wished to be re-elected.

When this little trouble was not exciting the members, the quiet dignity of the council was being disturbed by the yells of an infuriated inebriate who had been placed in the cells in the basement.

HYDRANT RATES TOO HIGH

As a forerunner to a change in the hydrant rates charged the town Ald. Burgar asked who had given authority to the Water Commission to put in a number of new ones.

Mayor Sutherland informed the questioner that he believed the engineer had the authority.

Ald. Burgar felt that the town was paying too much for the use of hydrants and he hoped that next year’s Council would see that a  reduction be made. Welland was paying the water commission $45 for every hydrant. He read a report of prices paid by other towns and cities larger than Welland and the hydrant rates in those places ranged from $20 to $40, but none were higher than $40.

Ald. Crow-What do you think we should pay?

Ald. Burgar-I would be willing to pay $25 or $30.

Ald. Crow agreed and said he knew the town was paying more than it should.

STREET SPRINKLING

A petition signed by about a dozen residents of East Main Street asked that the charges for street sprinkling on East Main Street this year be remitted. Practically no sprinkling had been done because of the weather.

George Cronmiller, one of the those who signed the petition, spoke briefly on behalf of the application.

Ald. Reilly pointed out the inconsistency of the request by saying that the town had paid $473 for street sprinkling.

The Finance Committee will be given the honor of making an investigation.

FEAR AN INJUCTION

Taxes on the Y.M.C.A., amounting to $72, were asked by a committee from that institution to be remitted. Dr. W.C. Smith, one member of the committee said that it was necessary that the taxes be remitted as the Y.M.C.A. was in none too good a shape financially.

John Flower also spoke. He said that the taxes had been remitted in previous years.

A DESERVING CAUSE

H.L. Hatt referred to the low membership fee, which enabled all boys to take advantage of the educational, physical and religious benefits of the institution. The Y.M.C.A. was not a money-making concern and was forced to get along on donations, etc.

Deputy-Reeve Pursel approved of the work being done by the Y.M.C.A, and felt that financial assistance should be given.

A note on remitting the taxes was moved by Pursel and Burgar. Mr. Burgar explained that it did not include the taxes on the bowling green or the frontage tax.

CROW OBJECTS

Ald. Crow said he would not vote for the motion, although he was in sympathy with the Y.M.C.A., and would help the institution out of his own pocket. “No Catholics can hold office on the Board and therefore it is unfair to ask Catholics to pay for the taxes.”

Ald. Burgar said the  restriction against the Catholic denomination was not imposed by the local “Y,” but by the general association. Catholic boys could be, and were, members of the local institution.

Ald. Crow doubted if the taxes could be legally remitted. What would happen if an injunction were issued?

Mayor Sutherland gave out the information that he understood an injunction would be issued if the request of the “Y” was granted.

Ald. Wade- The injunction would cost more than the taxes amounted to.

HELP NEEDED

Ald. McKay feared that unless financial help was soon given the “Y,” it would be forced to close its doors.

“The churches are exempt; why shouldn’t the Y.M.C.A. be given equal treatment?”

The  motion was passed, everyone voting yes but Ald. Crow.

KEEP STREET CLOSED

The Mayor, engineer and chairman of the street committee brought in a report and advised the Council that the solicitor had found the contractor had found the contractor could not be made to fix up the south end of Muir Street, according to the provisions of the bylaw. The committee advised that the street be closed for vehicular  traffic for this winter. The report was adopted.

NO OBJECTION

J.W. Lyons write the Council stating that he was satisfied to have part of Paul and Queen Streets closed. There are no further objections, so that these streets are now subject to the closing order agreed to by the Council.

POLICE REPORT

Chief of Police Laing submitted his report for November and part of December. During the month and a half there were forty-nine cases in court. The amount of cost collected was $41.50.

TO ENTER A PROTEST

There was unanimity of opinion on the serious problem which would confront Welland should the aqueduct be removed and the level of the water in the river raised to that in the canal.

The Council will, as a result, go in a body to see Mr. Weller, the superintendent engineer of the canal, to enter their protest and present the case of the town of Welland. The mayor will arrange a date.

PLANS FOR $15,000 SEWER

The Sewer Committee reported that the sewer on West Main Street was not large enough to dispose of the sewage of the west side and the committee had decided on a new sewer at a cost of about $15,000. The plans had been prepared and the Council was asked to approve of a motion to have them submitted to the Provincial Board of Health for approval.

The new sewer will be large enough to drain the new Hooker survey.

Reeve Griffith doubted the wisdom of draining any more sewers in the creek. In the first place the water level is likely to be raised and money would therefore be wasted. In the second place the Provincial Board of Health had frequently notified the town that it must cease emptying sewage into the creek and that septic tanks must be built to replace this means of disposal.

The motion was passed despite the objection.

THE STREET COMMITTEE’S REPORT

Engineer Black submitted a report of the work done by the Street Committee which Ald. Burgar read and moved to have adopted as the report of the Street Committee.

The report consisted of six or seven pages and went into every detail, including the names of all streets on which work had been done, the weather record of the year and a general review.

A brief synopsis follows:

This year saw the commencement of one of the most beneficial local improvements that the town has yet undertaken, but unfortunately the past summer has been one of the worst on record for such construction work. The new brick pavement so far as completed, daily illustrates the great economy and rapid transmission of merchandise.

The report states that the street railway company have all their rails and special work forward. With the work of the Sewer Committee and Water Commission well advanced a much better showing will be made next year.

The past year has been so far from favorable and weather so uncertain that the work was not only very expensive but of very little benefit. Many streets were graded several times but the weather soon destroyed all that had been accomplished. Thirty-eight streets were graded. South and East Main, Patterson Avenue, Queen and Major Streets macadam received some small repairs.

The road roller was used on a number of streets and averaged 50.64 cents an hour.

Bridges Committee

General statement of work covering eleven months-Engineering and inspection, $175.28; material, $503.99; labor and hire, $3038.49; total, $4,017.86.

Expenses on Street Pavement.

Street Railway portion             $17.46

Town portion                                       1,766.88

Repairs to walks                                  68.33

Cleaning pavement                  367.84

A statement of the weather condition for 1912 was appended to the report.

AWAY TO THE ARCHIVES

Hardly had Mr. Burgar finished reading the report when Ald. Crow turned upon him with a look of disgust.

“What an exhaustive and voluminous report on a great public work,” taunted Mr. Crow as he exhaled great wreaths of smoke over the tables. “Those statistics would, I am sure, be welcomed at Ottawa. I think the whole thing should be forwarded to the archives. That information about the snow and rain is especially valuable. No doubt the chairman spent many wakeless nights preparing that report.”

“I think though we should be ashamed to have allowed East Main Street to get into its present state. Speaking will all seriousness though, I don’t think either Mr Burgar or myself should allow our names to go to the ballot paper or we will be snowed under.”

WAS HE NEGLIGENT

“If Mr. Burgar had given as much attention to keeping the roads in condition as he did preparing that glowing report he would have been much more appreciated. Even today they are scraping the roads in the country and autos are speeding up and down. An auto can hardly be operated on Welland’s streets.”

“Of course, “ mused Mr. Crow, growing sarcastic again, “the report is valuable because it gives u a statement  of the rainy and cloudy days.”

Reeve Griffith- “And of the snow fall.”

SOME ADVICE

Ald. Crow had some advice to offer his colleague. “I think you better attend to the postoffice and let someone else take care of the streets next year. You must know that you neglected your duty this year. The streets are in a horrible shape.

TALKING THROUGH HIS HAT

It must be admitted that this was not a nice reception for a work which required so much time and attention and Ald. Burgar was angry. “Mr. Crow, your remarks are nonsensical,” he replied. “You are talking through your hat and trying to say something about a subject of which you know nothing. Everyone knows that we had continuous rain this summer and that the streets were torn up by the street railway, I can say this much: I did not exceed my estimate and did not ask for any extra money.”

Deputy-Reeve Pursel regarded this as false economy. “While you saved some money you have made it very costly for the people who have to use East Main Street.”

The report was received and placed on file. It will be there for any members of the Council to digest at leisure.

TWO SEWERS

Ald. Wade and Hedrick moved a motion that the engineer be given the authority to advertise for tenders for the putting in of a sewer on Locke Street and another on Rose Street. The motion also gave the engineer privilege to open the tenders and award the contract, as there will be no further meeting of the Council this year.

REPORTS

Several other reports were submitted. They follow:

SEWERS 1912

Summary of work done by sewer department for current year:

Five sewers were laid during the year, making a total of 21­99 feet of sewers as compared with 4742 last constructed in 1911.

The total length of sewers now in the town is 14.4 miles.

Recommendation of D.T. Black:- “I respectfully call your attention to the increasing necessity to have a plumbing bylaw for this town. The principal reason is in behalf of the sewerage system to provide outlets for the sewer gas, which could be easily overcome by ventilation pipes on the plumbing system.”

A store and tool shed is needed.

The engineer submitted report of the sidewalks to be repaired by W.G. Somerville. There are in all 79 sidewalks to be repaired.

The engineer submitted this report to the Street Committee.:

Attached hereto I show statement of engineering expenses against the work under the charge of your department. The statement shows the monies already charged as engineering department expenses which ought to be borne by the works on which the time was spent.

New brick pavement- D.T. Black, $628, 68; Eng. Dept., $679.55.

General roads and bridges- D.T. Black, $68.06; Eng. Dept. $115.83.

Sidewalks- D.T. Black, $75.00; Eng. Dept., $163.98.