BOROUGH COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1900, 24 July 1888, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL

♦ The ordinaiy fortnightly moating was held Jsst nipht. Present — The M*yor, and Ors Willlam?cn, Friedlander, Bird, Robert?, Reid, Thomas, and Scott. f MAYORS STATEMENT, £ Tho Mayor a-»ki that ihe debit b-lanoa -! at the Bank was £1412 11a 2d. Tho i amounts which had born received slnca laat maotlng ware : — L'cnnses, dogs, £3 6j ; do. sundry, £1 ss ; library, 13i ; rates, £3 6*; total, £8 9j. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read (1) From Property Tax Department, In regard to balance of subsidy £46 17s 61, which had been passed to the Couuoit's credit ; (2) From Secra- " tary to Treasury, acknowledging reoalpt ■ of copies of balance-sheet ; (3) From audit offioe, returning copy of balancesheet from April let to June 23rd last, sent by late Olerk. It was not necessary for the Aud' tor to oertify to It as it was not. a statutory balance-sheet, — Reoelved ; (4) From Auditor m reference to disallowed payments, stating that if Oounoil oould point oat any authority for then, he woald be happy to pass them ; (5) From Mr W. 0. Walker, stating that he h_d given notloe of amendments to the Municipal Oorporations Bill, to allow payments out of Borongh fond for oost of meetings convened by requisition of ratepayers, and for expenses of delegates to Municipal Oonferenoas. — Consideration of the matter of the disallowed payments was deferred ; (6) From Messrs A. and T. Bart, m regard to Iron pipes — Received ; (7) From Mr J. Tasker, asking pernJßsion to erect fence on reserve,— Referred to Engineer, and Chairman of Works Com* mittee. ENGINEERS' REPORT. The Engineers reported as follows :— > Removing buildings, builders' licenses, eto : The Works Committee recommend that for builders' licenses a depot It should be required at the rate of Is per foot frontage of the building where the asphalt paving ia half the width of the footpath, and 2s per foot where the paving is the whole width, and that the deposit for removing buildings should be not less than £2. — Asphalt paving : We have prepared specifications for new asphalt pavement, and for repairing, replacing, and maintaining the present paving, and called for tenders for the same, which will be laid bafore you this evening. — Metalling : The oontianor is supplying additional quantities of shingle where required for repairing and renewing, as it is considered advisable to get as muoh of this work done as possible, while the weather continues fine. The labor gang have been engaged ln ploughing m the 10---acre plantation reserve, carting and filling shingle m side channels, Cameron street, repairing water race Winter's road, repairing plantation fence N.W. Belt, spreading shingle delivered by contractor, planting trees m tha Belts m riverbed reserve, tying up gorse for fascines, and Sundry maintenance work. The report. was adopted. INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES The Inspector of .Nuisances submitted a report complaining of the rights-of-way leading from Havelock street to Moore street. He had Informed the Engineer of their state, but that gentleman had told him that there was great difficulty m dealing with these rights-of-way, and suggested that he should brtag the matter under the notice of the Council. In regard to section 169, through which one right-of-way ran, the Inspector said : — "If sectiou 169 1b not drained s'ekneas might break ont at any moment, as the residents m this locality are extremely careießs as to sanitary matters " It was thongbt that there wero no rights-of-way from Burnett stteet to Moore Btreet, and that there was nothing wrong with that from Havelock to Barnett street. • It was resolved, after a lengthy dlaonsslon, that If any nuisance existed on the proparties referred to, that the Inspector should notify to the occupiers to abate the same. STEAM FIRB ENGINE. In reply to Or Williamson, the Mayor said that the question of procuring the steam fire engine had been held m abeyance till tbe Oruncll had decided what action to take m regard to Mr Brown's scheme The Engineer had undertaken to have his leport ready for presentation at next meeting. Mr Q- Cate.°, who was present, asked If he could Bay a few words on the " high water scheme," The Mayor was afraid not. The. Council had some time ago determined that no t burgees should have the privilege of addressing the Couocil unless he had previously given written notloe of his Intention. If Mr Gates gave written notloe to the Council he could address It at the next meeting. In reply to Or Friedlander, the En« gloeer said that he would probably have his report ready this week. On the motion of Or FrledUuder the Works Committee were iostraoted to oonfer with tho Engineer, and bring up a report m coo junction with his at next meeting, WESTERN FIRE BRIGADE Or Bird's notice of motion rescinding the resolution previously passed ln regard to the expenses incurred by the Western Brigade, was seconded by Or Scott and carried. The mover exp'a'ned that the object of hta resolution was to guarantee the expenses of the Western B-lga.e till some arrangement had been come to ln regard to the Bteam fire engine or high pressure supply. Or Williamson moved to the effeot that no expenses be allowed for fires outside tbe Borough. Or Roberts seconded. Or Thomas protested against the Western Brigade being put on a d'fferent fqoting to the other Brigade. He moved as an amendment — " That the Western Brigade be pot on Its original footing, but that no expenses be allowed for pumping at fires outside the Borough." The amendment was not sco.-nded and lapsed. Or Bird thought some discretionary power should be allowed the Western Brigade. A fire might oocor at the faotory or some other important plaoe outside the belt. | Or Williamson said that In a oase of tho sort mentioned by Or Bird, the Council would not Insist on his motion. All he wished was the brigade tp, understand that generally It wag not needful for It to i attend hires outside the belt; besides some ! of the local bodies had refused to be responsible for expenses. After discussion Or Williamson's motion was carried. RENTS OF BESERVES. Or Williamson said that since the last meetlrjg of the Opun6.ll certain facta to oonneotlon with the rents of Reserves had oomo to his knowledge whioh merited the earnest consideration of the Ooancll. Unless they made some abatement m the rents some of the lessees would not be able to pay them, and they knew H would not be wise or right to make these men give np all they had m the town. The 1 Council bad previouly deferred this queß- 1 tion till It had been seen what became of I the Fair Rent Bill, but he saw no use J m waiting any longer and he thought the QjuccMl should! oonsidec each case on its iperitp, Ha would move that the mater be referred to a Committee to go Into, each lease and report to the Oounoil, He had at first opposed any reduction being made, [but the facts whioh had come under his notloe had caused him to ohange his mind. . The matter was a serious one and unless some reduotlon were made It was most likely several properties woflld be abandoned,, Oouncllloiis agEeed that It was imperative r'educt'ons should be .made m some oases. Some discussion arose as to k whether the mattenhould be referred.to

a speoial Committee or considered by the Coonoll as a whole. It w*3 ultimately decided that tho matter should ba referred to a Oomuiitiee consisting ».f Or a Williamson, Friedlander, and Roberts to report to nezt meeting. KATFS As a third of the rate", or seme £600, was still outstanding; it was decided to sue for all amounts "unpaid by August 15. RFSEUVrS. A report drawn up by the Olerk In regard to llosorvea was read. TENDERS. The tender of John Orum for aspbalt- [ ia,'? was accepted. I Tha teuder of Mrs Mills for cleaning the Municipal offices w»s accent .«d. MISCK__ANKOUS. ; A pnblio hall license wis granted m respeot of the Templar Hall, accounts were passed for payment and tbe I Council adjourned. . ' —i