BOROUGH COUNCIL .

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1252, 1 June 1886, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL .

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council was held at the Council Chambers, Baring square, last evening, Present —The Mayor, and Cr Roberts, Sealy, Thomas, Williamson, Harrison, Bird and Reid,

An apology was received for, the absence of Cr Craighead.

mayor’s statement. The Mayor said that the debit balance at the Bank was £1175 5s Id. The amounts received since last meeting were : —Library account, £1 ; dog licenses, £1 Is ; rents of reserves, .£39 15s; rates, £IG 12s. Total, £B7 9s. He reported the sale of a number of the Council's iron pipes at a satisfactory ] figure. He had, as requested by the Council, written to the Minister for Public Works with reference to crossings over the railway line. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read—(l) From Cr T. Quill, resigning his seat on the Council, on account of his leaving the district.—The resignation was accepted with regret. (2) From Mr Gr. Jameson, Chairman of the Ashburton County Haleyards Company, stating that the directors of that company after considering the proposal made by a deputation from the Council that the company should change the saleyards site, could not see their way to comply,[the advantage to be gained, not being sufficient to justify the removal of the yards. —Consideration was deferred. (3) From Mr J. J. Quane, Secretary of the Fire Brigade (in reply to a letter from the Council) regretting that in pursuit of their duty the Brigade should have inflicted .certain injury upon the properly of the Council, but at the same time pointing out that calling the custodian in oases of fire was neither one of the defined nor implied dut es of the Brigade when the members volunteered for service, nor was any reference made to the matter, either in the rules framed by the Council of in the drill instructions adopted by the various brigades on the colony. The members of the Brigade had presumed, mainly from their observations of the services rendered by the custodian to the previous Brigade, that it was the custodian’s duty immediately on an alarm of fire, to open the shod and have the plant ready for use. He pointed out that it would be very inconvenient, and that very serious delavs might arise if it were made a duty of the Brigade to lind the key of the shed, collect the plant, and arrange for the despatch of the engine. It the Council desired the Brigade to undertake those duties, the members were

prepared to assume them, but would, however,

in that case ask to have some direct control over the custodian and plant. Returning to

the special case referred to by the Council’s resolution, he stated that many members did not know where the key was to bo found, and others assumed the custodian was not in the town; therefore, under these circumstances the members present, in ;.icir desire to discharge the functions of the Brigade, considered expedition of more importance than the preservation of a few municipal nails. He trusted the Council would give the members of the Brigade credit for the zeal by which they were actuated.—The Mayor thought the alterations that had been made by the Fire Brigade Committee would obviate a recurrence of the affair.—The letter was received.— (1) The Fire Brigade wrote, asking that the custodian be instructed to hoist the flag at the engine station on meeting nights,—Referred to the Fire Brigade Committee. engineers’ report. The Engineers submitted a lengthy report on the subject of repairs to the library buildings. They considered the cost of repairing would be about £l3 or £ll. With regard to the work of asphalting footpath in Tancred Street, they asked that the Council should empower the Works Committee to make a fresh contract for asphalting, the late contractor, Mr Bradley, having left the district. With regard to the clause referring to asphalting, it was resolved to call for tenders for the work. The report was then adopted.

AUDITORS. The Returning Officer reported that Messrs J. C. Duncan and W. B. Moss had been elected auditors for the ensuing year. A COMPLAINT. Mrs Butler wrote, complaining of the action taken by the pouudkeeper in refusing to release a oow which was applied for three times. She stated the cow was impounded on the morning of the 27th, about 7 a,m., and about half-past nine she received notice informing her of the occurrence, and stating the poundage fees were Is. A messenger was sent about 1 p.m., but the little girl who was in charge of the pound refused to release the cow, although the la was tendered, saying the fee was ffs Gd. About 6 o’clock in the evening another messenger was sent for the oow, and although she tendered the poundkeeper ffs Gd Mr Compton would not release the cow till sunrise next morning. The messenger was then despatched, but had to pay 11s Gd before the cow was released. The cow was in full milk, and for want of milking was now ruined. Mrs Butler asked that the matter might be fully enquired into, and reasonable compensation granted hex. If the Council did not see its way to grant her compensation, she asked for an expression of opinion as to the treatment she had received. It was resolved to send a copy of the letter to the poundkeeper, with a request that he make an explanation.

LIGHTING. Cr Harrison submitted the report of the Lighting Committee, and on his motion it was resolved to issue the necessary instructions for the erection of a lamp at the corner of Grigg and Wills streets. The matter of the lamp at the triangle or the Wakanui road was referred to the Lighting Committee, with a request that they should visit the spot and taka the necessary action. RATEPAYERS. A long and desultory discussion took place with regard to the employment of ratepayers on borough works, and it was resolved to instruct the Engineers to carry out a former resolution of the Council on the matter as far as possible. STOCK SALEYARDS. The matter of stock saleyards, in view of the adverse reply of the Saleyards Company, came up for consideration. It was resolved to acknowledge the letter. Cr Held moved that the Council notify its willingness to confer with anyone who was prepared to undertake the erection of stock saleyards within the Borough. The motion was not seconded, and the matter dropped. RESIGNATION. The Town Clerk was instructed to take the necessary steps to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Cr Quill. PAYMENTS. Accounts amounting to £95 14s 6d were passed for payment, and the Council adjourned.