AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 604, 28 April 1882, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tlie usual fortnightly meeting of this Council was held on Wednesday evening. Present —His Worship the Mayor. Crs McGregor, Waeckerle, Black, Brown, Gutberlet, Cullen, and Bruce. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. OUTWARD CORRESPONDENCE. The outward correspondence was approved . INWARD CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read from Mr E, S. Latter, County Council Clerk, asking that the Electoral Lloli for Bc-ard Hiding might be open for inspection at the Council Chambers.—(Permission granted.) PETROLEUM LICENSES. Petroleum licenses were granted to Messrs Gnrwood, E. M. Watkins, Billons, Daly, and Vangiohi.- ,- carters' licenses. Carters' licenses were granted to Messrs G. Scott, A. Scott, and Lardner(2). rOUNDKEEjPKii'S REPORT. The poundkeeptr's report, showing receipts amounting to £2 ( Js for quarter ending March 31st, was read and approved. WORKS COMMITTEE REPOU'I'. TliO following report of \U'i VvorV.ii Committee was jo •'': —

"The Works Committee met at the Council Office at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 14,1882, for the purpose of receiving and opening tenders for supplying the Council with 8000 ft of Bin by 2in totara timber. Present—Cr Cullen (chairman) and His Worship the Mayor. Tenders were opened from Mr W. Coop, offering to supply the timber at 16a per 100 ft, and Messrs J. J. Noonnn and Jas. Richfield, at 12s 6d per 100 ft. The Committee have to report that they unanimously agreed to accept the tender of Messrs Noonan and Eichfield, at 12s 6d per 100 ft; and further, that the Clerk lias been instructed to write to those gentlemen to that effect. The Committee have also to report that the plans showing the proposer] permanent levels of that portion of Jolie between the District School and Brittan street havo been deposited at the Council Office, and published as being open for inspection, in accordance with the provisions of 'The Municipal Corporations Act, 1876.' The Committee recommend that they be empowered to employ day labor to clean out the side channels where necessary, and also to see to the culverts, before winter approaches."

The report as read was adopted on the motion of Cr Gutberlet, seconded by Or Bruce.

LIGHTING THE STREETS.

There was only one tender for lighting the streets —I rom Mr Burke at £20.

Cr Waeckerle thought the sum arifliculor.s one to ask. The previous contractors had had 16 lamps to light for a year, and this one had only 5 lamps to light for four months. The old price had only been £65, and now Burke wanted £20 for doing much less than a third of the work for less than a third of the time.

Cγ McGregor then moved '• That fresli tenders be called for the work."

Seconded by Cr Waeckerle. Cr Black moved—"That the tender be accepted," as he thought it reasonable. Seconded l>y Cr Bruce.

The amendment on being put was carried by five to two. Cr McGregor said that he believed the price excessive. Cr Black said it was only 4s per night and the oil would cost 2a a night so it was only 2s a night for labor. Crs Cullen and Bruce pointed out that the work had not paid the previous contractor and that it was a disagreeable job as he bad to wait up to 11 o'clock to put out the lamps. Cr Waeckerle was still of opinion the price was too much, they had said a good deal on the score of economy when he had introduced the subject of lighting and now were going to waste money unnecessarily. The amendment " That the tender of Mr Burke be accepted " having become the standing motion was then put and carried, Crs Waeckerlo arid McGregor being the only dissentients. FINANCE!. Keceipts since last meeting :— Rent reserves, £3 lOs ; dog tax, £1 1 Os. Tot al £5. Credit balance at the Bank, £62 13s J 9d. Accounts to be presented :—Clerk's salary, 1 month. £6 4s; Maguire, day labor, £1 13s 3d; Dalglish, timber, (Wharves account), £13 4s 7d ; T. Martin dale, day lahor, £6 ; R. Close, day labor, £6 ; « T . 11. Thomas, day labor, £4 16s. Total £37 17s 10d. Theacconnts were ordered to be paid. The accounts for the past year and half year were laid on the table and ordered to be published in the Akauoa Mail. THE WHARVES. The Mayor said the conditions of tha new lease would have to be prepared. Cr McGregor moved: "That it be an instruction to the Wharf Committee, that at the next meeting of the Council they bring up a report of the terms and condition of any new lease of the wharves they propose to call tenders for." BURGESS LIST. The Mayor said that there were no objections to tho burgess list, and two members had therefore to be appointed \o sign it.

Cr Black moved that Crs McGregor and Waeckerle be authorised to sign the roll. Seconded by Cr liruce and carried. MORE JUSTICES.

Cr McGregor said, that they all knew great inconvenience was experienced hy thore being so few J.P.s in the borough. Sometimes statements had to be signed before them, and there being so few, if one were away it was awkward. He knew the Mayor did his duty most conscientiously, but of course he was away sometimes, and more were required. He had great pleasure in proposing that Mr J. D. Garwood, merchant of Akaroa, and their late Mayor, should be recommended to Government to be placed on the commission of the peace. The Government had made so many J.P.s lately that the Gazette was fairly groaning with the weight of their names, and he did not sec why they should not follow the example of Sydenham in this matter, and get the Government to place Mr Garwood on the roll, as the people of •Sydenham had had their Mayor placed on the commission. Mr Garwood had experience on the Bench through sitting there when Mayor, and he was nearly always to he found at his place of business, another great advantage. The police too would be very glad of another JP. Only the other day a man for being drunk was locked up from Saturday to Monday, and there being no justices available had to be liberated on bail, and afterwards to return from Waikerakikari to receive judgment, which was a great hardship considering the offence. They were fairly entitled to bo considered in this respect; and he therefore bc&ged to move —'' That the Government be asked to appoint Mr J. D. Garwood, merchant, of Akaroa, on the commission of the peace." Seconded by Cr Cullen and carried. NOTICE OF MOTION.

Cr McGregor moved the following notice of motion standing in his name :— " That the Lyttelton Harbor Board be communicated with in reference to thjs Council being able to obtain the use cf theii dredge for the purpo c of dredging a channel alongside the wharf, and the cost of same." In moving the resolution he said they must all be aware of the great benefit to the town of making the wharves easy of access. The splended fleet of the Union Company should be offered every faculty for loading and unloading, and at present, at low water, they could not either get to, or move away from the wharf. There was a sand bank formed ofl; the end of the wharf and that should be cleared away. No doubt .t channel could easily be dredged that U'jtii'i huiuly viiilico, Jir.d { i.M their prt>:-;u:! nn;.'iv'Kii slaw-: ha ihoudit j .

would be no money for a new wharf. He had heard his motion ridiculed and called absurd, people had said Lyttelton was jealous of Akaroa, but the fact was there was no jealousy at all, Akaroa was looked on as a good Port at Lyttelton but not as a rival in any way. He did not wish the Council to rush into any expense, but to spend two pence on a tetter to the Lyttelton Harbor Board to ascertain if the work could be done and if bo at what price. He begged to move the notice of motion standing in his name.

His Worship thought there might be a difficulty about the Insurance, probably the dredge and hopper barges were insured for Lyttelton alone. He also thought the expense of fitting them for the journey would be very great. Gr Waeckerle thought they had no funds available for such a purpose. Cr Cul'en asked what the last year's revenue from the wharf was, so that they might know what they could afford. The Clerk said it was £82. Cr Cullen said this would not allow for any great expenditure. Cr Bruce said he had heard a good deal about the enormous expense incurred by the steamers waiting to get to the wharf. Why could they not be lightered as they used to be. The expense in that case would only be a pound or two at the most. The resolution was then put and car- | ried. VACANCY. His Worship pointed out that Cr Meech had now been absent for four consecative meetings, and had therefore forfeited his seat. Cr Black considered that Cr Meech had treated the Council very disrespectfully in not sending in his resignation on leaving the town, or communicating with them in some way. Cr Waeckerlo agreed. He was surpassed that Cr Meech had allowed bis seat to remain open through his negligence, Crs generally agreed with these censorious remarks.

The Returning Officer was then instructed to take the necessary steps for the election of a burgees to fill the vacancy.

This concluded the business.

Special Meeting,

A special meeting of the Council was held on Wednesday in accordance with Cr McGregor's resolution, "That a special meeting be held on Wednesday, 25th met., at 7 p.m., for the purpose of repealing by-law No. 42, at pages 19 and 20." The Mayor and Crs McGregor, Bruce, Cullen, Gutberlet, Black, Brown, and Waeckerle were present.

Or McGregor said thnt he thought tbe correct steps had been taken so far, but that the exact legal steps to be taken subsequently were not so clear. He wanted not only to repeal by-law No. 42, but to substitute something in its place. He thought cattle should be allowed to go through the town at all hours, but at the same time thought it should be a provision that they should move at a walking pace, and be preceded by some one as well as followed. If there were some one aliead and some one following the cattle, and they were only allowed to walk, there would be less danger than now, when the cattle were often r-ished through the town at the regular hours. As they fill knew he was not personally interested in this matter, but some time ago there had been an expression of public opinion on the subject. Other members of the Council had then promised to see to the matter, but had neglected it. These persons were not now present. In this place, as he had beforo said, there were no town belts through which the cattle could be driven at all times of the day, as in Christchurch, and tlierfore they should be more lenient, and he was certain that cattle could be easily driven and do less hnrm, if allowed to go at all times, than when they were infuriated at having been kept waiting for hours.

The Mayor agreed that when the cattle were kept waiting they became more unruly, and also that it was a bad time to drive them through the town, as at present after 3 p.m. just the time when ladies and children were about.

Cr Cullen said that before he agreed to the repeal of the by-law ho should like to see something substituted. They had to think of the town's people as well as the outsiders, and during: the week he had heard unxny complaints at the Council proposing to allow cattle to go through the town at all hours. As to sheep and pigs he thought they might go through at any time, but not horned cattle, which he thought should only be allowed to pass say between 9 and 12 o'clock. They must above all things protect the children going to school. The Mayor said that he saw by the Act that seven day's notice was required.

Cr Bruce said that he had no objection to the by-law being repealed if they could substitute another to provide for the safety of the children attending school.

Or Waeckerle objected to any alteration, there must be some restraint or there was an end to the safety of their children and wives. After some further discussion the debate was adjourned till J after the ordinary Council meeting. Another meeting was then held the same gentlemen being present, when Cγ McGregor moved the following :—" That fey-law No. 42 .at uages 19 and 20 of the Council's by-laws be repealed, and that in lieu thereof the following by-law be passed iti terms of " The Municipal Corporation Act, 1876. That in pursuance of section 41 the Council make the following regulation, that is to bay —no person shall drive any cattle through the Borough of Akaroa except at a walking pace and proceded by a person in chtrge to steady the same, as well as followed by a driver, and also that the necessary legal assistance be obtained by the officers of the Council to draft in legal ±orm the foregoing by-law." This was seconded by Cr Black and carried,

The meeting then adjourned.