ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1722, 22 December 1887, Page 2

ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

« INSTALLATION OF MAYOR. The following Is the conclusion of yes* erday's meeting t>f tho Boroagh Ooancll : Mr Thomas m a neat Bpeech proposed :he toast of %i ex Mayors," MeßßrsT. Kullock, H. Friedlander, D. itfilliamson, B. Friedlander, and T, S9aly luitably responded Mr K. Friedlander specially referred to the imparti til and able manner m whioh he ex- Mayor had performed his duties, Mr D. Wil iamson proposed the toast of ' The County Couucil," and m doing so thought the County as a whole had reason to be , satisfied with the careful way m which the County Council had carried out the many important works it had undertaken. It had been said at one time that a County Council sitting m Asbburton would not be inclined at all times to deal fairly with the outlying districts, but he might point out that a very email sum indeed of County funds had been spent m the borough, while m the districts outside very large sums indeed had been spent on many most important and useful permanent works. He noticed that the County Counoil, like the Borough, had an overdraft at the Bank, but did not think that either of these debit balances had assumed any serious proportions. Messrs H. Friodlander and T. Bullook responded. Mr Friedlandef referred to the overdraft of the County Counci', and explained th»t this had arisen mainly through the Council having taken into consideration the depressed times, and refrained from striking anything more than the ordinary rate duriug the past three yeara. Cr R. Friedlander proposed "Our Banker," coupled with the name of Mr A'iß.Shury, Mr Shury responded, ?££* Mr T. Scaly proposed " The Officers of the Council." He referred m highly complimentary terms to the zeal and ability with which the offioers had performed their duties. The Town Clerk had devoted hiß energies m a very marked manner to bia duties, and he had proved himself at all times to be a most zealous and efficient officer. He expressed regret that the Council bad not been m a position to pay the Town Clerk a salary more m accordance with the important duties ha had to perform. Mr Scaly aleo paid a high compliment to the Borough Engineer and the Borough Solicitor. Messrs Braddel), .Pooka and Crisp responded. Mr D. Williamson proposed the " Fore, man of the Council and the labor gang. " He thought they possessed an excellent labor gang, and a foreman (Mr Spicer) who performed his duties m a most thorough and conscientious manner. He eulogised the. zeal and ability of Mr Spicer, and spoke highly of the way m which he had carried out his many important duties. The Engineer also spoke m favor of Mr Spicer, and said he was a man who could be thoroughly depended upon. Mr Bullook proposed " The Aahburtnn Boroagh Oounoll." He thought the burgesses were a>uoh Indebted to the members of the Council for the manner m which the affairs of the borongh had been oonduoted. He referred to the borough reserves, and pointed out that there were a number of other reserves the boroagh was entitled to, and he hoped these would be obtained daring the ensuing year. He treated the present shilling rate would not be exceeded, that a loan would never be raised, and that the steam fire engine would be procured with, oat delay. OBDINARY MBETINa The Council then proceeded to ordinary business. VA.OANOT. Thj GWk waa instructed i» take the neceaßary stops to fill tip the vaaanoy m the Ooancll caused - by the eleotion of Cr Harrison as Mayor. FINANCIAL, The Mayor stated that the debit balance at the Bank was £1410 13s 7d, 00RttB8P0NDEN0E. Letters were read — (1) From the Colonial Seoretary acknowledging the receipt of notification of the eleotion of Mr A. Harrison aa Mayor. (2) From the Hampstead Town Board otating that they had no foods available for a contribution towards the purchase of a steam fire engine. The letter farther stated that the Board would be willing to contribute towards a Local Board of Health. * A GRIEVANCE. The following letter waa received [from Mr D. H. Brown :— 11 Canterbury Mills, Ashbarton, N.Z.. "December 19th, 1887. "To His Worship the Mayor and Members o! the Oounoll of Ashbnrton 11 Gantlemen, — Allow me most respeotfally to brlns; ander yoar notice an lrrlfcatiDg anomaly conneoted with the working of the Ashbarton Pound " For the want of a proper bathing plaoe In the town I am continually annoyed by boys breaking, down my fences to get to the Mill Greek to bathe. The breaches so mide allow my horses fo esoapo, and the gates are often tampered with as well- " On Monday morning last the gate was wilfully opened by the breaking of a strong obaln, or rather the opening of a split link, and blx horses got oat at once ; they made straight towards the town, and at 6,30 a m. got into the pound. "At ,10.30 they were released, my having to pay £1 2s whioh Included 15s for feeding. The driving and pound daeß proper I do not for a moment dispute the fairness of, bat the letting of a pound to anyone to make a living of by oharglng the fall flam allowed by Aot of Parliament seems to mo to be an outrage m a free oountry. Should there not be a certain time allowed for owners to. look for their stray oattle oe horses before being called on to pay for food whioh In many oases exists only m the bill for pay* ment ; the food not having been supplied at all ? Again, l the fall payment Is demanded as if the horses were In the pound a fall day, whereas they were only four hours In that useful Institution, I do not assert that they were not fed, hat E am oertaln that one shilling would oover all that they would eat, having got oat of a paddock of olover. "I do not say a word against tho pound as a useful Institution, but when It is used as a means of extortion It is time tq ory out, and as you have the power to make any rul6s and regulations you please as regards the fees to be paid, In so far as you do not " exceed " the fees allowed by the Aot passed, whan feed was iear, I would most respectfully request that 70a give the subject your consideration. [ do not ask this on my own behalf so nuoh as on behalf of many families to vhom a fine of this nature means a day's york, many of them belnp ill able to tifora It U) the) present state of the time's. '' I am, gentlemen, " Yours respectfully, "David H. Bbown." After discussion during which Or Sold suggested that the lotter should be eferred to the Poandkeeper for an uplanatlon, and Or Williamson on the nher hand pointed oat that the Counoil lad no power to deal with the matter, he following motion was oarried ; — ' That the Ooanoil, while sympathising rlth Mr Brown, has no power to deal ?lth the matter, bat woald point out hat Mr Brown's only remedy agalnßt an nfringement of 4 the Impounding Aot rould be through the Magistrate's Jourt." 4 REQUEST, Mr Pates waited o,a the Council with eforence to a Bt&ml for a fish cart It waa resolved that Mr Gates be llowed to stand on the Somerset Hotel Ide of Bu|oetb etreat, noUesi thin half

ft chain from below East street, the police to be notified to this effect. FIRE ON THE BRIDGE. A letter wbb read from the Secretary of the Fire Brigade Committee, reporting that a 6re had taken place on the traffic bridge. The letter also contained a complaint of the Inefficiency of the apparatus for ringing th» fire-bell. The letter waa referred to the Fire Brigade Committee. An aooount waa alao en- ! closed for expenses. Or Thomas thought that Master Oartls Bhonld have a small reward for giving the alarm and assisting to pat the fire ont. Cr Williamson thought some provision ought to be made for having fire buoketa on the bridge. fie also thought that daring the dry weaher the water o»rfc might ba nsed on the bridge. The Oouoty Oounoll would probably be willing to contribute towards the cost. It was reaolved that the County Couocll be asked to pay their share of the cost of extinguishing the fire that took plaoe on the traffics bridge. Or H, Frledlauder waa requested to i bring the matter before the Uonnty . Oonnoll • engineer's report. , The l?ngineer'a report was read as i follows and adopted :— t The labor gang have been engaged at ■ formation and maintenance work, clearing Bide channels, waterlog streets, fenotng i Library Reserve, attending to water eapply, <fe 0 , The formation of footpath t in Winter's Road will be pat m hand In t a day or two, i DRIVING ■WITHOUT LIGHTS . l Cr R. Fflvdlandee drew attention td 1 the practice of vehicles being driven on 7 dark nights without lights, and moved " That the attention of the polioe be r called to the matter, and that OUuaa 87 r of the by-laws be pat into force." Or Tacker teoonded the motion, whioh was put and carried, f by-laws. y It waa resolved that an order nndei i seal be granted the Sergeant of Polioa to . prosecute under the borough by-lawa. i STEAM FIRB ENGINE COMMITrEB. i Or R. FrledUnder moved " That the i Steam Fire Engine Committee report at 8 the next meeting of the Council." t Seconded by Or Roberts and oarrled. a payments. y Accounts were passed for payment. ,t HOLIDAYS. 3 It was decided that the naval Ohristmai h hoJldaya be granted, namely, from Saturday, the 24th Deoember, to January 3rd. p ■