AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 378, 5 March 1880, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wednesday, March 3. A meeting of this Council was held at their offices, Balguerie street, on tho above date. Present-—His Worship tho Mayor (in the chair), Crs Kissel, Chad wick, Bridge, O'Reilly, Bruce, Penlington, and Wiggins. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous mooting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read from Mr .1. I'\ Roberts, Civil Engineer, re his account charged to the Council, and complaining that it had been taxed in, what he considered, an unjust manner.

His Worship the Mayor stated his opinion to the effect that the Council were justified in the objections they had made. Cr Wiggins said the matter had been before the Council before, and had been dealt with then ; that the Works Committee had at the time made a certain recommendation to the Council regarding the account, and hethoughtj the former decision of the Council should be adhered to, and moved a resolution to that effect.

'Cr O'Reilly seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.

FINANCE.

Cr Penlington, as Chairman of the Finance Committee, stated that the overdraft to the Council at the Bank of New Zealand at the present time was £160 19a lOd. That the lamplighter had been paid his account in full.

Cr Wiggins askedhis Worship whether it was the ruling of the Council that it was necessary to bring forward again accounts once passed, although not paid owing to the want of funds.

His worship replied that such a course was unnecessary, as passed accounts would in every case be paid when the funds permitted. f (Cr Wiggins here left the chamber.) ' ACCOUNTS.

The accounts next came under consideration. With regard to the printing account, Cr Bridge suggested that a little more care should in future be taken as to the amount incurred during the year for advertising. He acknowledged that the Act had put it out of the power of the Council to choose whether they should advertise or not, but that they were still able to use their discretion with regard far tho" lenth of the insertions. He also thought it would be expedient for his Worship the Mayor or for the Clerk to interview Mr Wiggins, arid request him to allow the Council a discount on tha yearly account of, say from 15 to 20 per cent. His Worship . said he had always endeavored to make the insertions as short as possible, but the Council had no control over the election advertisements. He deemed it full time the Council made .their Clerk Returning Officer, seeing that lie Was fully able to peiforca the duties required. Cr O'Reilly spoke to the same effect, but blamed his Worship for the*present state of affairs, at the same time using language which caused his Worship to call him to order, but without effect. "'' '."; , It was proposed by Cr Bruce, seconded by Cr Chadwick, and carried, Cr O'Reilly dissenting, that the following 'accounts be paid :— Wiggins and Co., printing and advertising ... £1.5 2 0 Election expenses ... ... 18 15 0 Sullivan, weeding streets ... 3.0 0 Town Clerk, salary for Feb... C 5 0 ORDINARY BUSINESS. Cr Penlington moved—"That the Clerk -write to Mr A. I. M'Gregor, informing him that the Council resolve to dispense with that gentleman's services as Returniug Officer, and requesting him to send in his account in full. Cr Kissel seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Cr Penlington, as Chairman of tho Works Committee, held over his report of the bridge for a future meeting. Cr Bridge referred to the sums which had been paid for the footpaths, asking how much of the amount could be recovered, and suggesting that the Clerk should find out what was really recoverable and not already paid, and should at the end of the financial year, which was just at hand, place that amount only down as an asset, as last year the Council had been misled in this matter, a much larger amount being shown than was really recoverable. Cr Penlington said that the Council had, through neglect and loss of time, forfeited the power which they had held of collecting certain portions of the monies now in question. •■*•■■- -■-■—--:■•_--"-.- . Cr Bridge said qll was that the •Mayor and Clerk prepare aft exact list of amounts at present recoverable. \ 'His Worship "said *that -v flJeZ sanie iwas already being done. ■ •■;: >j\: \ A hot passage of arms here took place between Cr O'Reilly: andl ! his Worship, language not by any means creditable to either the place or the occasion being made use of, the scene ■ ending in the breaking up of the liieeting in great disorder, the councillors not waiting for any formal adjournment. ,