BALCLUTHA TOWN COUNCIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 131, 12 January 1877, Page 5

BALCLUTHA TOWN COUNCIL.

._• A special meeting of the Tojvn Council was held in the Council Chambers on Monday evening. There were present : His Worship the Mayor and all the Councillors.

The Mayor having explained the object of the me.eting, the following letter from the Under-Secretary was read,: —

. .Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington,' December 27, 1876. , ; Sib,— l have tie honor t.> acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19th December, for- * warding for approval by His Excellency the Gov*.mor, copy of '■& -bye-law passed by the Council of the Corpora* ion of Balclutha. *--; A« it is now too lute to take action under tbe Act of 18\>7, 1 ani" directed to return 'to you the bye-law, and to inform -yon' that it must be. re"madeaftet the Ist of January* next, under the provisions; 0f ... the. -Municipal Corporations , Act, ,187*3, which came into fence with the New Year. I have the honor to be, &c, ' 6. A, Coopeh. •The Town Clerk, Balclutha. ■! A discussion ensued, in the course' of which the Mayor and Councillors ex-' pressed their opinion that it was optional .for: the Municipality to continue under the Act of 1867, which was not repealed, ,or to. come under tiie new Act of 1876, ■and "considered it very arbitrary on the ' , part of, the Government to refuse to sanction "a bye-law ; because they '"had not thought fit to come under the new Act. Councillor Dunne objected to the new Act, as it gave a plurality of votes to large property holders, thus' giving more import? ri'-ie to property * than' to in'di vidim.s. Ultimately, .'-•*--..• 'Councillor Cramond, "moved, that the /lttter-ke^rXfe , conded hy Cputicilidri^ '/ ? .., The. Mayor rjftrrci'lto a 'previous .correspondence m^ .'^•-'BirndVbri , l*'thesub'-i" ,ject -of 7 sitp^plyi^ with gas, ; : . anjd mentioned ;. r that M^Barties wai now .

' I in*' attendance;- and would -afford;any- in— I, formation .the Council might desire upon"" I the Subject. ■"-•* --■ • ;•; AA"AAA7(Ajaa). Mr Barnes, in the course of a few remask 1, said that in his opinion -gas works should be undertaken by Corporations instead of private companies, in consequence of their having public lamps' to maintain, and also in consequence of the borrowing powers conferred' upon them by. Act of Parliament. The works would pay themselves off in the course of 10 or-: 20 years,' as n;ijht be arranged. Tlie ; total cost of the works, including pipes, , should not exceed £4000 or £5000, and if. the Council should decide upon undertaking the works, the sooner tlio better; aa the price of iron was -very "low at present. He found that a general desire- existed in favour of procuring gas, and the only doubts were as to being able to raise the money. Some thought it - too soon to think of gaswbrks for -Balclutha, but he did not think so. - Towns as small had * successfully introduced* it,* and' they must bear in mind that it would take "eighteen months to complete the works, and by ' that, time they would 'have' a, railway-' station, and the town would, be.considerably enlarged. The gas, ' at all - events/ would be very muoh safer and cheaper tnan kerosene. '! ' '• Councillor Hogg said t if they were to " have gas, it ought to be introduced by the Corporation^ and not by a private company. Councillor Dunne said he understood from Mr Barnes that he would be prepared to take debentures in part payment of the cost of construction of the works. Mr Barnes said he had mentioned the matter, but he thought the proposition should emanate from ' the Council.,?, lf th i debentures did not go off, he would have no objection to take payment, in them to, say, the fouith of the amount. In reply to other questions, he' said the production of gas should not exceed 10s per 1000 feet to commence wi+h, and the Council should be able gradually to rediice it to a' very low. figure. He knew towns in England where the revenue from -■*' coke, tar, ammonia, &c, equalled the cost of production of gas, so that the consumers had gas .free. He had, however, made no calculations specially applicable to Balclutha, and therefore was not prepared to speak definitely as to the cost here. After some discussion, Councillor Hogg moved that the question of the advisability of supplying the township with gas be referred to a committee to obtain all information on the * subject, and report at npxt meeting, such committee to consist of his Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Cramond, Dunne, and the mover.— Seconded by Councillor Hope, and carried. Councillor Dunne moved that a hearty - vote of thanks be accorded to Mr Barnes for the trouble he had taken in the matter; and the valuable information he had afforded them.— Seconded by Councillor Cramond, and carried. Mr Barnes acknowledged the vote, and the meeting adjourned.