AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume V, Issue 508, 27 May 1881, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Special Meeting,

A special meeting of this body was held in their office. Balguerie street, on Monday evening last, in terms of sees. 45 and 4G of the Act, for hearing objections to and amending the Burgess List. The members present were His Worship the Mayor (in the chair). Councillors Brown, Sunckell, Chamberlain, Bruce, Cu-len, Gutberlet, Noonan, and Black. The Mayor explained that the time as required by the statute had been enlarged by an Order in Council. There .vere no objections to the list, aud Crs Sunckell and Bruce were appointed along with His Worship, to sign and certify the same, which concluded the business of the special meeting. Ordinary Meeting. The ordinary meeting was afterwards belli, tlie ssme members being present, with the addition of Cr McGregor. The minutes of the last ordinary meeting were read and confirmed. correspondence. Letters were read— A notice was read from the returning officer, stating on that day Me.-srs Stephen Watkins and Alfred Nichols were elected as Auditors for the Borough. A letter and telegram were read from the Secretary for Post Office and Telegraph Department, stating that from and after the 13th inst., the extra charge of six P'-mee on telegram-! to and from the Akaroa olli-.-e will ho remitted, owing to the increase of telegraphic business at Akaroa. The telegram his already appeared in our columns. A letter was received from Mr Gundry the Council's agent, at Ash inrton, in reference to the arr 'ins owing hy Mr Solan for 2GO acres of the Reserves, and also covering ii h'gal opinion as to Solan's lease. Ttiu opinion suggested that there were in any points ot dilfijulty in connection with the matter, and advised the taking of a lump sum to settle the debt and cancel the existing agreement. Cr Cullen seconded by Cr C .amberlaiu, moved that the nutter of the recovering of the iwT.'iars duti by Solan as rent lie left in the hands of the Council's agent. Cr McGivgor would support this on the understanding that no further law costs would he involved. The motion was ihen put and carried. Mr Gundry also fm warded Mr R. Camphell's lease and duplicate for the seal of the Council, which was duly impressed by his Worship. A lawyer's letter was. read from Mr Joyce, Solicitor, Ciiri>tchurch, in reference to a Mr Mark Abraham luving fallen over a precipice of eight feet on to the beach below, and asking the Council to compensate him for. tho injuries he had sustained through their gross aud culpable negligence. His Worship was sure that any member of the Council receiving such a letter in his private capacity would take no notice of it and suggested that the letter be laid on the table. Cr McGregor had no objection to offer to the course Indicated by His Worship, '

but as civility was cheap, he would move that this Council having before them Mr Joyce's letter of the 13th inst. regret the accident to his client, but have to inform him that they cannot allow that they have been neglectful of any statutory obligation imposed upon them for the safety of tho public. The motion was seconded by Cr Cullen and carried. The Clerk to the Akaroa County'Conncil wrote requesting that the Roll of the Gerard Riding be returned to him. The Clerk reported that this had already been done. REPORT OF WHARF COMMITTEE. Cr McGregor brought up an interim report of this committee, and read correspondence in connection with the same from Messrs Garrick and Cowlishaw showing* the legal position of tho Council in refeience to the wharf, and also their status in connection with tho Harbor Act, 1870. In connection with the important question of wharf lights, no reply had been received from the Secretary of the Marine Department, and this would require to be to hand before the Committee could fully report. On behalf of the Committee he had to ask that they be continued, and to report again. Leave granted, and time to report extended. FINANCE. The Clerk to the Bench wrote, stating that the fees and fines collected in the R.M. Court for month ending, 30th April last, were £4. His Worship then read tho following statements of accounts since last meeting. The following sums had been received.— Kent Town Reserve £6 10s, License Town Hall £1, Carriers do £1, and the credit balance at the Bank that day was £88 9s 3d. Accounts to the amount of £42 4s lOd would be presented that evening for payment, and the Council had actual liabilities to the amount of £46 4s sd, which would just wipe off the whole of their credit balance. The position was one that required care. . Cr Black wished to know why the liabilities of the Council were paraded before them that evening. Hitliei to it had not been tho custom. His Worship thought that the financial position of the Council could not be too frequently pointed out to them. He was not bound by the customs of the past. Cr McGregor thought the Council indebted to His Worship for indicating sunken financial rocks ahead, aud while he had tho honor of a seat in the Council, could assure him of his support in making the finance of the Council clear on all occasions. The following accounts on the motion of Cr Cullen seconded by Cr Sunckell wa.3 passed for payment:—Akaroa Mail, advertising £Bls Gd, do printing £2 2s Gd, Austin and Kirk, pipes £21 17s Gd, Ketch XXX, freight £6, Clerk's salary £4 3s 4d, total £42 4s lOd. At the same time the Mayor was authorised to pay balance of H. Burkes account on tho receipt of the Clerk of Works certificate for same. Goodwin's brldge. „ The Mayor reported that Mr Barwick had verbally informed him that this bridge was not safe, and suggested that steps should be taken to ascertain its exact condition. : '^^Ss Cr McGregor moved that His Worship be requested to procure a report in writing from Mr Barwick on the state of the bridge, and further, that in the event of the bridge being reported as dangerous, His Worship be authorised to stop traffic on same. The motion was seconded by Cr Noonan. Cr Cullen was sure the bridge was quite safe ; it had recently been repaired by the Council. | Cr Black moved as an amendment that I the two practical members of the Council, Crs Cullen and Bruce be requested to report on the subject in writing to the next meeting of the Council. The amendment was seconded by Cr Chamberlain. Cr McGregor strongly opposed the spirit of the amendment. Councillors were simply making themselves ridiculous by rooting about in creeks. The amendment was put and carried by Gto 4. TOWN RESERVES. His Worship said the tenants of the reserves in the Borough had been complaining that the time for letting them was unsuitable. Cr Noonan proposed and Cr Brown seconded that the town reserves be advertised. WHARF ACCOUNT. His Worship reminded the Council that over £400 was lying in the Bank idle. The Bank had charged the Council's overdnfr, and he thought they might now have something o".t of the Bank. Cr McGregor said at tho proper time he would give notice of a motion on thp subject. auditors' salary. Cr McGregor'pointed out that by the Act it was necessary to fix the Auditor.-.' salaries before their election, and he begged to move that the salary be the same as last year, viz.. two guineas for each Auditor. The motion was put and carried, Crs Cullen and Black dissenting. SQUAIMiUi OF THE LAMPS. Cr Black brought up his motion to light three lamps on the beach wall during the winter months. The motion was seconded by Cr Chamberlain, who said that tho total cost would not exceed £4. His Worship, said the ideas of Councillors were pretty well known on the subject, and, he therefore, hoped the discu.-sion would be a short one. Cr McGregor moved, as an amendment, that the question of lighting any of the lamps in tha Borough be deferred until the proposed woiks in Balguerie street are completed and paid for. The amendment was seconded by Cr Cullen, and on being put, His Worship the Mayor, Crs Cullen, Gutberlet, Noonan, and McGregor voted for the amendment; and Crs Black, Chamberlain, Bruce, Brown, and Sunckell for the motion, Tlie votes being equal His Worship gave his casting vote in favor of the amendment, which was consequently declared carred. NOTICFS OF MOTION. Cr Chamberlain gave notice that, afc the the next meeting of the Council he would ask for the use of three lamps along the breastwork which he would light at his own expense. Cr Sunckell gave notice that at the next meeting' he would move that steps be taken under sec. 339 of the Act to repeal the By-law No. 42 as to driving oattlo in the Borough, at pages 19 and 20 of the said By laws. Cr MeGregot gave notice to move that

the sum of £100 of the wharf fund he paid into a fixed deposit account at the Bank of New Zealand, Akaroa, bearing the usual interest for (3 months.

The Council tion adjourned till Wednesday, June 8, at 7.30 p.m.