BURGESSES MAKE REQUESTS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21409, 27 February 1935, Page 8

BURGESSES MAKE REQUESTS

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the council of the United Burgesses' Association was held last evening. Mi' A. Peveriil was in the chair. It was decided, on the motion of the chairman, that the City Council s attention be drawn to the very bad condition of the road on the north side of the tram track on Cashel street, between the city and Linwood avenue, and that the council should be asked to place an amount on its estimates for sealing the road and covering the side channels from Manchester street to Madras street. Solicitors' Fees The following motion, propose_d by Mr G. T. Baker (PapanuP, was passed: —"That (hose local bodies in the Christchurcli district who employ a .solicitor to issue .summonses for rales, and so impose (he costs on (he ratepayers who find it impossible to pay their rates, be written to, to request them to instruct their clerk to issuo such summonses, and so save the ratepayers the extra solicitors' costs where no defence is raised to the claims.' It was stated that in the majority of cases the judgment was given by default, and the solicitors' c'osts were imposed unnecessarily on the ratepayers thus summoned.

An addition of two members was made to the committee investigating and comparing the costs of tramway, drainage, domains, and hospital service in the four main centres. On the motion of Mr G. T. Baker it was decided that the president and secretary draw up a letter to the Waimakariri River Trust stating that the council considered that the making 01. the second cut was unjustified and a waste of public money. Mr G. E. Franklin (North Beachj was appointed to the removal of refuse committee. It was decided, on the motion of Mr E. 1,. Hills: "Thai the council of the United Burgesses' Association support, the Canterbury Unemployed Workers' Association in its demand for an allround increase of 10s a we<sk in relief pay." Mr Hills said that the petition_ was being well supported by business firms. Alphabetic Order on Ballot Tapers It was stated by Mr S. W. Richardson (Richmond; that the present system of listing candidates alphabetically on the ballot papers was unfair, in that it gave an advantage to those at the top of the list. Many voters recorded their choice of two or three candidates and voted for the rest in the order in which they appeared. Mr Richardson's suggestion was that when 1000 papers had been printed the name of the candidate at the top should be placed at the bottom, and the next 1000 printed in this order, the process being repeated at the end of every 1000. In the present City Council, hu added, seven of the 16 members had names beginning with A or B. It was stated that the proposed system would not cost much more, but the act would have to be amended before any change could be made, and, at any rate, nothing could be done in time i'or the next election of the council. l't was decided In forward a resolution to the Minister for Internal Affairs (Sir Alexander Young) proposing that the present system be reformed along the lines suggested.

If; was decided to write to the Government giving support to the proposal to complete the South Island Main Trunk railway. The motion was put forward by Mr G. E. Franklin, and it was stated that the work would considerably relievo unemployment The bad condition of Hackthorne road was referred to. and it was decided to draw the attention of the Heathcote County Council to the matter.