MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume II, Issue 99, 3 October 1871, Page 4

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

—°— _ : , The usual fortnightly meeting of the CotmJ cil was held in the Town-hall last night. i There were present : The Mayor (Mr Tay--1 lor), and Crs Dawkins, Brown, and Fraer. I The minutes of the previous mooting were i read and confirmed. | CORRESPONDENCE. The following outward correspondence was read and approved of ; —-Letters to Mr B. Hallenstein, Mayor of Queenstown, and- to Mr C. A. de Lautour, Secretary of the Mount Ida Trade Association, acknowledging receipt of letters in reference to mail terminus ; letters to Mr Bows in reference to he Nevis road ; to the Government, in reference to the extension of the main road along the surveyed line at the west end of Cromvell ; to i the Government, requesting that tie reserve on the south side of Melmore Tu-raco he transferred to the Council ; to he Chief Postmaster, requesting him to auao the weekly mail contract to the Nevis ind Bannockburn to bo accepted ; and to Mr John Hurley, in reference to his contract The inward correspondence corustcd of letters from Air 0. A. do Lantonr, enclosing a memorial the Mount Ida Trade Asociation had forwarded to the Government, in reference to the Hound Vmm Hill road a letter

from the Provincial Secretary, stating that the formation of the Quartz Reef Point track : would receive the consideration of the Government ; and from Mr W. Talboys, asking for permission to erect a verandah in front ' of his premises. The letters from Mr de Lautonr and the ■ Provincial Secretary were received ; and permission was granted to Mr Talboys to erect a • verandah, as directed in clause 0 of bye-law No. 12. auditors’ report. Or Fraer said that he had gone over the books ha-]oe with the Auditors, and he would read r£?_jrt “ Cromwell, 2nd October, 1871. “To the Mavor and Councillors. “ Gentlemen, —We now hand you our report of ] our last examination of the Municipal accounts from last audit to 30th June, 1871, which still 1 remain unaudited, owing to the non-production ] of several accounts, the particulars of which are , as follow:—(1859) July 28.—Town Clerk, for sundries, fa ; April 23.—Connellan (water) £35 ; , May s.—Neil (contractor), £5; August 30. j Town Clerk (for sundries), £3 ; (1870) January 22. —Fraer, £3 18s ; February 12.—Mills, Dick, j and Co., £1 os ; June 13.—Town Clerk (salary, H &c.). £34 17s ; July 2. S. Brooks, £1 10s ; July ' i 14.—Hurley, £2O ; July I.—Town Clerk, £24 jl 15s; July 23.—5. Brooks, £2 ss.—Note; See {< minute 12th July, accounts amounting to £4G \ 1 11* 6d passed for payment. Receipt for £24 15s ! ■ since obtained. i, ■ f ‘-4s?ith regard to the item, salary, &c., £34 17s, ( we find that £l7 10s, for salary, was authorised,, by tl|ftCouncil (see minute 21st May, 1860 ; and lor portion of balance, see letter-book, June 24, 1860). The items £5 and £3, Town Clerk for i sundries, (voted, we presume, for petty cash,) we j can obtain no information from Mr Jenour, late j ■ Town Clerk, as to how expended, therefore ave ! j include them in his deficiency, to which we will 1 1 now draw your attention. “ In last audit, £4 8s was charged to petty cash, | and two months after ave find this amount is | : again charged, being included in an account paid to Mr Jenour for salary, &c. (622 ss). “There is also a deficiency in accounting for rates. The amount collected, as per rate-book, : is £363 10s 3d. while the amount accounted for ■ is £360 4s Id, leaving a deficiency of £3 6s 2d ; and on checking the commission paid on rates, ! ave find he lias been paid commission on £2O 5s | 0 I (at 10 per cent : £2 0s Gd) rates collected by Mr Fenwick, the latter having received a like sum. ' ’ 1 “ Mr Jenour is found indebted to the Corporatjon.jis follows , . IB6o.—July 25 : Account for petty cash * 8 ( as previously paid - - - 4 8 0 July 28 : T. C., for sundries - 5 0 0 ; August 39: do do - -3 0 0: Rates not accounted for - - - 3 6 2 Commission over-paid - - - - 2 0 6 j Total - - - - £l7 14 8 “During Mr Fenwick’s term of office, tavo amounts have been paid for which no receipts ; have been produced, viz., Jemmr’s judgment, L. 10 19s, and Mills, Dick, and Co., L. 1 Is. i “ With regard to the unauthorised accounts, if the present Council are satisfied as to their correctness, and avill record a minute to that effect, particularising them as in this report, ave ' avill thou bo prepared to complete our audit to ;' last June. “ We cannot conclude our report without com- ■ meriting on the unbusinesslike manner in which I the books have been kept, and would suggest to ! - the Council that for the future all Corporation moneys collected for rates, rents, or otherwise, should be paid into the banking account, and that no payments he made except by cheque ; ami that, if it is the intention of the Council only to keep a cash-book, they should sec that particulars of moneys received and expended should be made more explicit. AVe would also recommend that a book be kept, showing what i Municipal properties arc leased, with full parti- ■ cniars as to when leased, for what amount, &c. “ Awaiting further instructions, we are, &c., “ John A. Fresh aw ) . „ “ Isaac AVrkiht ) Auditors. | - Or Fraer proposed, “That the following| l unauthorised accounts {vide Auditor’s report); be recognised by the present Council as cor- j i root: —Connellan, for water, £35 ; Neil, con-; < tractor, £5.; Fraer, £3 18s ; Mills, Dick, and j Co., £1 os; Town Clerk, salary, Ac., £341, 17s ; Brooks, £llos ; Hurley, £2O ; Town |, Clerk, £24 15s ; Brooks, £2 5s ; Jenour’s |. judgment, £lO 19s ; Mills, Dick, and Co., £1 j! Is.” Seconded by Or Dawkins, and carried, j • CV Fraer proposed, “That the Town Clerk [ be instructed to write to Mr Jenour, cnclos-' mg a copy of that portion of the Auditor’s : ' report referring to the deficiency, and request-1 1 ing an immediate settlement, in order that i * flic books may bo audited without further! delay.” Seconded by Cr Brown, and car-1 ! vied. i REPORT ON WATER SUPPLY. | i The Mayor stated that he had written to j Dunedin in reference to iron pipes. He! l found that they would cost about £l7 per M ton, delivered in Cromwell. Cr Dawkins then read the following report!' from the Public Works Committee. “ The Cromwell Public Works Committee have 1 1 the honour to report on the Supply and ’ 1 Conveyance of the Town AVater as f01... ... lows : ( J“i. That having taken levels from several ; kanta, we find that water cannot ho conveyed , through an open race to cammand the town at a , higher level than where the town race now drops over the terrace, near Mr Connollau’s house. “2, Wo recommend that a site for a reservoir 1)0 applied for to the Waste Land Board, as near as can be got to unsold land, on the level above < alluded to. i ’ i " 3. That a reservoir ho formed by excavating, 1) ana lining the excavation with stone and cement 1 < ''alls capable of containing at least 10,000 cubic ’ Jeot of water ; and that four-inch iron pipes bo laid from the reservoir to the outlet of the ' wooden boxes at the low end of Mr Gnodger’s 1 honao. The perpendicular, pressure is 16ft from lme reservoir, and the distance is 1250 ft or there- < abouts. \

“ 4. Four-inch cast iron pipes could be had for 3s per foot at the present rate of carriage. “5. Instead of trying to purchase water by private bargain, WO would recommend that tenders bo called for the absolute purchase of one head of water, to be delivered at the site of the propped reservoir. “6. Our approximate estimate of the cost of procuring for the town a permanent supply of water as above is L. 339. “ As tho race from Mr Grant’s premises to the Upper terrace runs through private property, and as parties arc building over it, something must bo done with it immediately. “James Taylor, Mayor) u ~ “James Dawkins, Or. orl f, B “ William Sn inly, Cr. ) Domanttce. Cr Fraer thought the Council was not in a position to act on the report at present. The Mayor stated that there were no pipes to be obtained in Dunedin, and they would have to he brought over from Melbourne, which would take some time. [Cr Slianly here came in, and apologised for Ids lateness, stating that lie had just returned from the Garrick Range.] Cr Fraer proposed, “That the report of the Public Works Committee be adopted ; and that, in the meantime, the Town Clerk be instructed to call for tenders for the pur- j chase of a sluice-head, or a portion of a sluice-! Head, of water, to he delivered at the site of i the proposed reservoir, tenders to be sent in on or before Monday, tho 10th inat.” Seconded by Cr Brown, and carried. f ' * RYE-LAWS. Cr Brown proposed, “That the Finance Committee he requested to ascertain from Messrs Matthews and Fenwick the cost of printing 109 copies of the bye-laws of the Council, and report same at next meeting.” Seconded by Cr Slianly, and carried. The Town Clerk was instructed to see that all licenses, etc., under the bye-laws be enforced. RECREATION (IROUND. Cr Slianly proposed, in accordance with notice of motion, “ That the Town Clerk he instructed to write to Mr Pykc, and inform him that the site wished for by the Council for the recreation ground is situated on the flat adjoining Ah Qno’s market garden on the Gorge road, and the quantity of land is (50 acres.” Seconded by Cr Brown, and carried, Cr Brown proposed, “ That the Town Clerk be" instructed to write to the Secretary of Phblic Works, and request that the District Engineer he allowed to survey the reserve about to be applied for by the Council as a recreation ground.” Seconded by Cr Slianly, and carried. town race. Cr Fraer proposed, “That the Public Works Committee be instructed to take tho necessary steps for placing another box to carry the town water under Mr Grant’s building.” Seconded by Cr Brown, and carried. NOTICE OE MOTION. Cr F raer gave notice that he would move at next meeting, “ That the desirability of erecting a fire-bell in a prominent position in the town bo taken into consideration at next meeting.”