ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 991, 10 July 1883, Page 2

ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last evening. There were present hia Worship the Mayor and Cra St Hill, A. Orr, R. Bird, W. Roberta, S. Nelson, J. Orr, and A. Harrison. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. mayor’s statement. The Mayor stated that the debit balance at the Bank was L 707 16s 3d, and the amount received for rates up to date was L 1,005 12s 6d. A REQUEST. Mr C. Neate wrote to ask permission to erect a horse-post opposite his shop in East street. —Gran ted. A NUISANCE, The Clerk of the Upper Ashburton Hoard Board wrote drawing attention to the accumulation of rubbish on the Board’s boundary. —The Clerk was instructed to inform the correspondent that the matter had been dealt with. REMOVAL OF COTTAGE, Mr H. Bnttan requested that a cottage on the reserve, at present in Ids occupation be removed by the Council.—lt was decided that the matter be attended to. LEAVE OP ABSENCE. Mr J. Iveas was granted two months’ leave of absence, as he had to attend to his Parliamentary duties. CONSIDERATION DEFERRED. A letter was received from Messrs Harper, but consideration was deferred till next meeting. SURVEYORS’ REPORT. The following report was read : The Works Committee held a meeting since the Council last .net, but as the business was merely of a routine character, there is nothing to report thereon. The labor gang have been engaged in re-forming Cameron street ; spreading shingle on roads and footpaths ; clearing grass and tussocks off footpaths ; clearing side channels ; clearing in plantations ; working at head of mill race ; attending to water supply, etc.—We are, etc., Fooks and Son, Borough Engineers. Memo, lor the Mayor.—With reference to your question as to houses draining into the outfall drain, some two years ago Mr A. Curtis, who was then occupying one of the Rev. W. E. Paige’s cottages, applied to have the drainage from his pump connected with the outfall drain. After some consideration this was granted on the authority, I believe, of the members of the Works Committee.

JRe memo, referring to drainage into the outfall drain, Cr St Hill said that he was a member of the Works Committee, and he had no recollection of the request mentioned by the surveyor being brought up. The Mayor and Of Roberts mentioned that they had no recollection of any permission being given to Mr Curtis. Cr Harrison moved—“ That permission to drain into the outfall drain bo granted to persona having properties facing the outfall drain, subject to the approval of the engineer." Or St Hill opposed any meddling with the outfall drain at present. Mr Hugo Friedlander, who waited on the Council in connection with this matter, said that he was surprised that the

request contained in hia former letter had been refused. He could not see any objection to his connecting the drain from his house with the outfall drain. He had spoken to some of the Councillors on the matter, and he thought that several of them had refused his request from a misunderstanding as to his intention. He did not mean to connect the urmal with the drain, and he was quite willing that it should be under the supervision of the engineer. . , The Mayor said that this Council had already decided in this matter, hut the question was now placed in a different light, as they found that one drain was already connected. . , Or Roberts seconded Cr Harrison s motion. The Mayor moved as an amendment—- “ That the connection with the house in question be discontinued.” He pointed out that if the Council once granted permission to allow the drains to be connected with the outfall drain it might be abused, and it would then be difficult to cause the disconnection. If they made a precedent he thought that before long they would regret it. He had no personal motive in the matter, but he thought it would be better to refuse all such requests. Cr St Hill concurred with what bad fallen from the Mayor. He would oppose the application of Mr Friodlander, and would support the Mayor’s amendment. Cr Bird spoke to the same effect. Mr Friedlandor, by permission of the chair, explained that pipes would be used, as he did not intend to have an open drain. . .

Cr Nelson said that he was of opinion that if pipes were used it would be worse than an open drain. He quite agreed with the Mayor’s remarks, and would vote for the amendment. Cr Harrison said that he failed to see anything in the objections that had been raised to his motion. Medical men had said that, in their opinion, if all drainage were done in the way proposed it would be better. If permission were granted subject to the supervision of the Engineer no harm would be done. Cr A. Orr spoke in favor of the amendment. On the amendment being put it was carried by five votes to three. The motion to grant Mr Friedlander’s request re drainage was declared lost. inspector’s of nuisances report. 7he Inspector’s report was read and approved of. QUESTIONS. Cr Harrison asked if any action had been taken in regard to overdue rates. — The Mayor said that the matter had been left to his discretion, and he had decided not to take any action. In answer to a question put by Cr J. Orr in regard to the formation of Cameron street, it was explained the man Spicer had gone a little too deep, but that the stuff had been removed from the next length, and used in place of the earth removed. FIRE INSPECTOR. Cr St Hdl, in accordance with notice given at last meeting, moved —“That this Council do take into consideration the oropriety of appointing some duly qualified person as chief fire inspector, and to take charge and be responsible to the Borough for the property at present in use by the Eastern Fire Brigade.” At the request of Cr St Hill, several letters which had parsed between the Secretary of the Fire Brigade and the Chairman of the Committee were read. In these the Chairman (Or Harrison) was charged with suppressing a letter sent to him, which the Secretary was of opinion would have put a different light on the discussion last week.

Cr Harrison said the accusation brought against him was totally unwarranted. N- > one could ever say that he “suppressed ” a letter sent to hint by the Brigade.' As to the letter referred to he had used his own discretion, as he would always do in such a matter, Ho had given an explanation, but he did not think that any vindication of his conduct was needed. Cr St Hill said that the Chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee had acted in an unjustifiable manner. Although Cr Harrison might quarrel with the expression “suppressed,” he (Cr St. Hill) did not gee what other word could be used. The letter had been kept back, and none of the Committee, with the exception of the Chairman, knew of its existence till after last meeting of the Council. If the Chairman had not been .so “chock-full” and boiling over with egotism this thing would never have occurred, and he was of opinion that Cr Harrison had not acted in accordance with the position he held, and he (Or St. Hill) stigmatised his holding back the letter as unwarrantable and unjust. He would, with the permission of the Council, amend his resolution and now moved the following :—“ That Mr Walter B. Dolman be appointed caretaker of the Eastern Fire Brigade proparty, and in consideration of his accepting the appointment he be paid a salary of L4O per annum, and his duty shall be to take cave of the plant, and to lay on the table once a quarter a complete inventory of the same and its condition, and that (the sum of L4O be deducted from the amount at present paid to the Brigade, and that this Council vote LlO per annum to an accident fund for the members of the Brigade.” The Mayor said he would second the motion, if Cr St. Hill would reduce the salary to be given to Ll 5, as he thought the sum mentioned was altogether too high. Or St. Hill agreed to this. Cr Harrison hoped that the Council would throw the motion out. He was Chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee, and he had not resigned nor had he been turned out. That Committee had prepared a carefully arranged statement to lay before the Council, and had taken into consideration this question of appointing a caretaker. It was an unheard of thing that a Councillor should take away the duty of a Committee, although he must admit that he did not exoect anything to be dona in a business-like and gentlemanly way from the quarter where this motion came from. Ho would oppose it as a matter of justice to himself md the Committee of which he was Chairman. Cr Bird was in favor of the appointment of Dolman, but ho thought Cr St. Hill was “jumping the claim” of the Committee. Or Nelson endorsed Cr Harrison s remarks. The Committee had given the matter consideration, and he was of opinion that the appointment was premature. Cr Harrison proposed as an amendment —That it be handed over to the Fire Brigade Committee to 4 report upon. Cr J. Orr seconded this. The Mayor said ha thought that the matter had dragged on long enough. Every meeting it was brought up and made the occasion of unpleasant personalities and waste of time. The Council had better settle it now and have done with it. The motion of Cr St Hill was then put and carried. DAMAGE TO CHANNEL. Cr St Hill called attention to the fact that a part of the channelling opposite Messrs Matson, Cox and Co, on the south side of Burnett street, had been damaged on two occasions, and he would suggest that the firm in question be requested to make culverts there, as Messrs Fnedlandei had done.

Cr Nelson said that Messrs Matson, Cox and Co had assure .1 him that they had not loaded draya at that place for three months. He had himself noticed that this corner was made the loafing place of a good many vehicles belonging to all sorts of people.

It was decided that Messrs Matson Cox and Co’s attention be drawn to the matter, and that they be requested to take due care of the channelling. FINANCIAL. On the motion of Cr St Kill seconded by Cr Nelson, it was resolved that the Finance Committee make enquiry re future arrangements with (he Bank as to the Council’s business. Cr J. Orr’s name was.* added to the Committee. ACCOUNTS. The fortnightly accounts were passed for payment. NOTICE OF MOTION. The following notice of motion was given by Cr Harrison :—“ That the clause in the Engineer’s report with reference to Alford Forest road formation be rescinded, and that the formation of streets in the north part of the town be carried out as ordered by this Council.