BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 792, 14 November 1882, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the above was held last evening. Present— His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors St Hill, Roberts, Priedlander, Nelson, Bird, J. Orr, Harrison, and Ivess. Mayor’s Statement. —The Mayor reported the overdraft at the bank to bo L 1,054 16s Id. Amounts received since last meeting : Rates, L 27 13s ; previously L 1,072 18s lOd ; total, Ll,loo'lls lOd ; earth sold, Lll 7s ; rents reserves, LII 10s ; excise license, 5s ; Borough seal, H Is. His Worship said that he had directed the Clerk to send a copy of the letter received from the Minister of Public Works to the Mount Somers people, and to write enquiring the probable date of the Minister’s visit. The reply was that the latter would be leaving Wellington that day (yesterday) for Dunedin, and would be in Canterbury a fortnight later. He (the Mayor) had, with Mr Ivess, attended the West Coast Railway League at Christchurch. The Athletic Sports Association had made an application re surplus soil, which had been referred to the Engineers, and reported on by them. He had interviewed the promoters of the bathing scheme, and they had promised to furnish him with a tracing of the proposed site for a bathing place, but as they had not done so he had been unable to take action in the matter. They would have to consider the valuation of the Borough that evening. Correspondence. —Correspondence was read as follows:—From Public Works office, intimating that the Minister of Public Works would arrive in about a fortnight’s time. —From Assistant Engineer, stating that the crossing at Havelock street was now open for traffic,— From Mr W Byrne, asking to be allowed to withdraw from his lease of Borough reserveheldbyhim. The request was granted. Mr A. Curtis, hon. sec. Ashburton Cricket and Athletic Sports Ground Company, wrote as follows : —The company being about to prepare a piece of ground for athletic sports, etc., and understanding that there will be about 3,000 y irds of spare soil when the S. B. Town Belt and Cemetery Terrace are formed, I am instructed to enquire if any arrangment can be made with the Council which may be mutually beneficial, we obtaining the surplus soil the Council have to spare, and in return assisting to form the Town Belt free of cost to the Borough by removing the surplus soil under the superintendence of your Engineer. A reply will oblige, as it will be necessary for the company to proceed without delay.—The Engineers reported at soma length on the application, and concluded by saying that as there were matters of detail to be considered in connection with the same, they would respectfully suggest that the Works Committee might be empowered to discuss the matter.—The Mayor spoke stiongly against the proposal, and was followed by Cr Bt. Hill, who remarked amongst other things that it would be better for the Council to make the company a present of a cheque for LSO than part with the earth in the manner suggested. The application was refused. Engineers’ Report.—This report was read as follows :

The labor gang have been employed in lowering, filling, and shingling Cameron street west and forming footpath in Cameron and Winter streets, digging round trees in Baring square east, clearing out water race, for which we have taken on two of the men lately discharged, making and fixing bridges near Mr Williamson’s homestead, attending to water supply, etc. The gang have finished on the west side of the town, and are ready to begin work on the east side.—Fooks & Son.

The report was adopted, A Petition from the Carriers. —Or Harrison, on behalf of the Ashburton carriers, presented the following petition:

—‘fsSte, the' uritj^jpeigtje'S catriers, holding KcenSißs under'Hie Council, respectfully tgj Js>: submit thatihitheirto we have been llflg|upon iib pijrTor aa'extra license (or 'Carrying passengers to the racecourse bn ;ficb“diys, 'in addition to our ordinary liSSifen'sek’of 20s, In Oamaru and nI ewhere ■We understand 1 carriers are allowed ‘to carry passengers on such special occasions by paying Ss additional, anckwW'H'aat ‘the Council, will favorably consider our application to be placed on a similar footing, as at present the extra rate [Here followed the signatures.} Or Harrison pleaded the cause of the petitioners with much energy.—The Mayor expressed himself against the request being granted, and Or St Hill said the Council was bouhd to consider the cabmen, who would suffer if the expressmen were to be allowed to have their way.—After further discussion Or Harrison withdrew the petition; Miscellaneous. —lt was resolved to sell three cottages and lease the reserve On which they stand.—lt was resolved tliat the valuation for 1883 be performed by the Borough, and that a valuator be advertised for. —It was resolved to call for tenders for dog collars for 1883. It was resolved, on the motion of Cr Harrison, that Havelock street crossing be properly graded and footpaths be made similar to 1 those on other streets, as at present the | crossing was not safe for public traffic. A Battle Royal. —Cr Harrison referred to the visit to Ashburton of Mr Harris, late Superintendent of the Christchurch Fire Brigades, who came down during Mr Hugo Friedlander’s mayoralty to advise re water supply for fire prevention purposes, and whose account for travelling expenses, L 3 ss— being the amount he was actually out of pocket had never been paid. This was not only unfair, it was unwise.—Cr St. Hill objected. Mr Harris’ services were sought by the fire insurance companies of Ashburton, and not by the Borough Council. It was purely a matter for the consideration of the insurance agents interested.— The Mayor believed a public meeting was called to consider the best means for fire prevention, but it was not called by the Council. A committee of gentlemen, of whom the Mayor was . one,. called the meeting, and collected some information ; but the Council could not be called upon to pay. He was very sorry the thing had been dragged up there, but since it had been he was bound to speak out, for he considered it was only his duty to do so. A meeting had been called, as had been said, re fire prevention, end certain reports 1 had been drawn up which had been brought to the Council Chamber, but which Mr Hugo Friedlander, then mayor, had snatched up when they were about to be handled, and declared they w.ere private property. The Council had not been able to peruse them even. He (the Mayor) wished it to be distinctly understood that he did not object to the amonot of the account, but he objected to pay it on principle.—Cr J. Orr was in favor of the payment of the account. —Cr St Hill objected that the Council never ; authorised Mr Harris’ visit and had in fact nothing; to do with-it.—Or Orr wouldmqve that the account he passed/—Cr Harrison had much pleasure in seconding the resolution. —Cr Nelson would move that the account .be.not,pfud. —Cr St Hill hac( ple?isv>re In supporting the amendment. I The Mayor said that if they paid the account they held themselves liable for expenses incurred through any public meeting. On principle he objected to the account being paid.—Cr Harrison on principle supported the resolution as to the payment of the account. He wished to deny that the meeting was got up by fire insurance agents. Mr Harris had given his advice for the benefit of the Borough. It was not a fire insurance meeting,—Cr St Hill: I say it was.—Cr Harrison: I say it was not.—Cr Ct Hill: I say it was.—Or Harrison: I say it was not.—Or St Hill: X say it wm nothing else. Facts speak for themselves. —Cr Harrison: Facts go for nothing sometimes. —[Mr Braddell was here requested to turn up his minutes and discover, if possible, by whom the meeting was called, but he could not find mention of the meeting in the minute book.] —Cr R. Friedlander observed, with some warmth, that .the pipers -referred to by the Mayor as having been snatched away by his brother were the property of ,)he Council, and no one had arty right to remove them, and that if they had been removed the Council had only itself to blame. The best thing they could do was to pay the account and say no more about it. —Or St Hill said that he must again object. There were two separate reports sent in with regard to the fire prevention—a public report and a private report.' By mistake both those reports reached his hands, and they were distinctly at variance with each other. He had stretched out his hand for the reports at the Council table, but when Mr Hugo Friedlander saw he (Cr St Hill) knew so much about them he had snatched them up and said they were his property, and of course He had imagined they were private property after that.—The Mayor read a letter from Mr 0. P. Cox with reference, to the account, in which the writer said he thought the Council ought to pay the money.—Cr St Hill said his interpretation of the letter was that Mr Cox, who was onq,of those who had called the meeting, had determined to “ try it on with the Council.”— Cr Friedlander: We don’t want your interpretations.—Or St Hill: I am on my legs, and I have a right to interpret, and lam going to interpret. The account is one wo are not called upon to pay, and we should not pay it.—After some further discussion the question was put to the vote, and it was resolved that the account should be paid. Accounts, —Accounts amounting to L 99 5s 5d were passed for payment.

Notice op Motion —Cr Roberts tabled the following notice of motion for consideration at nest meeting of Council:— “ That two horse troughs be erected, one in East street and one in West street, to be supplied by water from side channels, at a cost not exceeding L 5.” The Couneil then adjdurned. ;, . ~