ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1947, 18 September 1888, Page 2

ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

— . — » The ordinary meeting <>f tho Borough 0 mnoM was held lait oveniag. Preeeut. : —The Mayor, and OounoHlorß WMiamaon, Tucker, Bird, Tuonne, H Friedlander, Scott, MoFitrlana, and Scaly Ors William ion and McFarlan«, th<i newly-eleoted G.>n noil low, s'gned the uaa \\ dco aratl >n MlYOft'S STATEMENT. Th«» Mayor nald that 1.110 (\rp\t balance at tho Bink who £1337 10s Bd. Th Amounts which had bean received slnoo last; meeting wore: —Dog lioensei, 6i ; refands, £2 11s ; library, 10i ; reits reserve, £1 ; ja-oe, £41 12a ; lital, £4") 18a. The amount of rates remaining unoolleotod was £412 12a. OJRR'SPONDKNOB. Letters were read (1) From M< flirs P. at>d D Demean roapootlng a farther reduotlon of ren v , of reserve ooonptod by them* A motion to refor the mitter to the Reserves, Commlt'ee wan lost, and it was resolved t> reply that the O>ano(i regrettod It c uld not m>l • any farther redaction. — (2) From Canterbury Fire Inea-atioa Asanolatlon, m reply to letter from Ooanoll, stating that the Association's contribution towatdi the parch ise of a atoam (ire engine would be paid when the engine arrived. In roply to 0 Thomas, the Mayor Bald the £130 hnd been oollootod. Or Thomas moved that the engine ba now prooured. Or Williameon pointed out that the raattir of obtain* ing thd engine had bson referred to a Oommitteo, of which Or Thorn*? was chairman. Or Thomas was no 1 , aware of the iaot of his being chairman. It appeared that Or Thomaa was chairman cf the Committee by reason of m >vlng for It. The matter of forwardirg a suitable reply waa left In tho hands. of the Mayor, whnn the onglne had been ordered. — (3) From Mr W A. Powell drawing attention: to a verandah m East street, which he sild wan ander the regulation height, and he looked upon it »s a source of real danger, he having struck hie head against it twice.— The verandah had, U appeered, been originally 7ft high, bat since its ereotlon the foot pith had been raised a few Indies. It h-d been ereotpd prior to the passing of the by law, wh'oh set forth that verandahs should be Bft lOin high. The matter waa referred to the Works Committee. engineers' report. The Bnglnee»B reported as follows: — Planting etc. : The general planting Is now, with the exception of willows, jaat on completun, ThelOaore planting resorve h«s been patty reaown with gams and wattles, and partly planted with various kinds of trees. The other plantations and belts are being looked over* for the purpr g ) of making good any 7a~anoles, — Labor gang : The labor gang his been engaged m pla Hlog, carting soil, rproadlng ibin^le catting gorse, t'.vbt protection, patting m lamp at corner of Barnett and William streets, aad mnlntenaco) work, etc.— Metalling : Tha Worka Committee being of opinion that Buffioient metalling had been done for the present, the contra t for supply of shingle ha« been stopped. The report was adopted, RESERVE, The Mayor reported that he had notified Mr Oookaon that his application for two B'jrongh reserves would ho acoepted. The action of the Mayor was approved. INSURANCE. The Mayor reported what had been done la regard to the Insurances on savaral buildings on Borough reserves. WKSIERN FIRK BBIOADE. The Mayor who had been deputed to Isoartaia tho Ooaaoll'i power to make any grant to the Western Fire Brigade atated that he had boked into the matter and had foand that aeotlon 347 of the Municipal Ojrporations Aot, 1886, gave saoh power. Or Williamson thought that the Council were committed to pay the Western Brigade's expenses, and he moved that the Council pay any liabilities owing by the Brigade up to the amount of their former grant from the Council. Or Bird seconded the motion. Or Thomas said that It was only duo to the Brigade that they thoald be pat on their former footing. He had moved m this direction previously, but nothing had come of the motions. Or Frledlauder thought it. would be better to give the Brigade the amount of tha half year's subsidy and let the Brigade pay the liabilities themselves. Or Williamson s»id that his motion araoqoted to what Or Frledlander had expressed. Ultimately Or Williamson altered his motion to read " That a subsidy of £7 10a for the last half year ba paid to the Western Fire Brigade." Or Thomas moved an amendment— "That tho Brigade be put on their original footing, and that they be paid a subsidy at the rata of £15 per annum till the arrival o I'ho steam fire engine." He stated that he objeotod to the motion beoanse it proposed to deal only with the present liabilities of the Brigade, and made.no provision for the future. Or Williamson said that bis motion implied the payment of the eabaidy till the arrival of tho a team Ore engine. Or Thomas said that euoh was not expressly stated. Or Tuokor oould hardly agree with the amendment m its present form. The Retrenchment Committee bad decided that , the Brigade should not be paid expenses for firoa outside tho town, tho amendment proposed to put the Brigade on their original footing, and they originally got expenses for fires outside the town bonndarlea. Or Thomas said that his amendment oontemp'ated only putting the Brigade on their original footing as far as the subsidy was oonoerned. Or Williamson maintained that In that case the amendment was oat of order, not belnp; really an amendment at all. Or Thomas having altered his motion to read that the Brigade bo pat on their original footing, only so far as the subsidy waß oonoerned, the Mayor ruled the amendment out of order, In that it was not a real amendment, but conveyed practically the same meaning ai the motion, Or Thomas challenged the Mayor's ruling. The Mayor hold to his ruling. Or Williamson's motion was put to the meeting and carried. LIBRA* Y. Ihe Mayor reported that the Library buildings had boon insured In the Standard and Oolonial offices for £800. OUTSTANDING BATES The Mayor asked directions as to how defaulting ratepayers should be dealt with. The amount of rates now outstanding was £412 12a. After discussion the matter of taking proceedings against all defaulters was left m the bands of the Mayor, tEAYfI Of ABSENCE. Or Scott apologised for the absence of Mr Koir, who had been eleoted to a seat on the Oounoll. Ho moved that Mr Kelr, who was absent In Melbourne, be granted alx weeks leave of absence. Or McFarlano seconded, Or Frledlander had no wish to oppose the motion, but he would like to ask what position Mr Kelr ocoupled. He was v pot jot a Oounolllor, not having signed the declaration or taken his Beat. Or Scaly said that the Act set forth what the position was. The Mayor said that the Aot laid down that a Ooanoillor should not be absent four meellnga m succession ; bat Mr Kelr was not yet a Ooanoillor.

Or Senly said that it was stated In the Act that a novrly-eleotod Councillor mutt take his seat before a certain time elapsed After dlsomsloo the matter waa left la the htQdj Q f the M»yoy to look into,

THE EEOBKT BED OTIoNSA resolution, drawn np by the solicitor, In reference to the recent redactions of ton's of rosorveo, wxs passed. RBNT.I. It was deoided to notify those whose rents wore ouVanriing that unless arrears wero paid at once they would not partialin thor'daoUon of rents and would bo Bund fnrih-vith. ' It w%b also decided to take steps to aeciro t ho Immediate payment of all araruots for onp 1 at atl'l oatstandlng WATER OAKT. Tho Worka Oommittee were direotel to ape that the water-cart was sent out whari r. quired. PAYMENTS. Acoruits irere phased for payment and tho Ocunoll adjourned