AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 234, 15 October 1878, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Friday, October 11

A special meeting of the Council was held as above to consider the question of letting the Ashburton Eeserves. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Annand, Sunckell, Cullen, Billens, Bridge, and O'Reilly. The minutes of the last special meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. Letters were read from Messrs Matson and Co. and C. F. Barker, Christchurch, and Messrs Bullock and Co. and C. E. Fooks and Son, Ashburton, offering to undertake the letting of the reserves on terms named. Also, from the Town Clerks of Christchurch, Lyttelton, and Kaiapoi, in answer to enquiries from this Council as to the conditions on which their reserves were let; and from Mr J. Ivess, Ashburton. Cr Bridge said the question seemed to be whether the lands should be let for fourteen years. He would be in favor of letting them for five years, and would suggest that a committee be appointed to draw up tho conditions of lease. Cr O'Reilly was of opinion that the Council wore losing- sight of one subject which was of the greatest importance. Cr Bridge's suggestion as to a five years' lease was quite out of the question. They would not get a tenant to take them for nothing for so short a term, as ho would have to fence them. The questson was by what means they could derive the greatest amount of income from them, if they must be let by auction, as provided in the Act, the Council should, before placing them in an auctioneers hands, fix a reserve price as rent. The Mayor read a draft of proposed conditions of lease, founded principally upon the leases of educational reserves. Cr Annand proposed that the Council consider the conditions seriatim. The motion was seconded by Cr O'Reilly. Cr Meech moved as an auienduient that a committee be appointed to consider the matter and report. On a division there voted — For the amendment, Crs Mcech, Cullen, Billens, and Bridge ; against it, Crs O'Reilly, Sunckell, Annand, and the Mayor. The Mayor gave his casting vote against the amendment, which was consequently lost. The Council then went through the conditions seriatim. The term of the lease was fixed at fourteen years, and with a few unimportant alterations, the rest of the proposed conditions were agreed to. On the motion of Cr O'Reilly, secondedby Cr Cullen, Mr C. F. Barker was appointed agent for letting the reserves, and Mr G. W. Nalder, the Council's solicitor, to draw up the leases in terms of the conditions. The Council then adjourned,