MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 259, 15 September 1874, Page 6

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

An adjourned meeting of the above body was held on Tuesday evening last, the Bth instant. Present; The Mayor (D. A. Jolly), Crs Grant, Whetter, Taylor, Shanly, and Wright. TENDERS FOR STREET CLEANING. The two tenders sent in for this work,— one by John Baker and the other by J. A. Taylor,—were declined, it being understood that no specifications had been prepared for the work. The Legislative and Public Works Committee were ordered to draw out specifications for the new contract. ACCOUNTS. Accounts from Andrew Wood (£4 55.) and J. Baker (£l3) were passed for payment. Robert Brown's account for £l2 10s., for laying zinc piping, was not entertained, the Mayor stating that Mr Brown would have to sue for the amount. INSPECTOR OP NUISANCES. Cr Taylor new proposed the motion, of which he had previously given notice,—" That the salary of the Inspector be £lO for the ensuing year, and £5 extra for inspecting the scavenger's contract." ( Cr Shanly seconded this, and it was carried. ♦ BLOCK IX. Cr Grant had given a notice of motion in the above matter, and now brought forward a motion as follows : " That this Council is of opinion that it is desirable Mel more Terrace be reduced to a uniform width of fiftyseven .feet, and that Block IX. be subdivided into sections and sold, and the difference of ground between the original surveyed width of street and the proposed reduced width of fifty-seven feet, be added to and form part of Block IX. and Block XXVII. respectively, and that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to take steps to give effect to the foregoing." In bringing forward this resolution, he asked the Council to go into the matter calmly and dispassionately, and he would like every Councillor to give an expression of opinion on the subject. .In the meantime, no one could argue that fifty-seven feet was too narrow for the requirements of the traffic in Melmore Terrace and in the future Inniscort-street would become, if not the most important, at least a fair divisor of the busiriess and traffic. Then by building upon the south side of the main street of the town, something would be gained fn the way of improving its appearance ; the building's there at present were certainly not as a rule ornamental, but the Council had power to regulate the style of erection by bye-law. He looked upon it that great injury would be done to the town if the block was not sold. New-comers, instead of having a chance of getting business-sites in the town, would be be driven out on to the flat; while those who at present resided on the block would, if they had to remove, have no other resource than to go there also. The Town Clerk drew Cr Grant's attention to the fact that the motion of which he had given notice, and the one he had now brought forward, were dissimilar. He read the notice of motion given in by Councillor Grant, as follows : "That at next meeting of Council, I will move that the width of Melmore Terrace, and the desirability of having Block IX. surveyed and sold, be taken into consideration..".

Then there ensued a grand "barney." The Mayor asked Cr Grant if he would first propose the motion he had given notice of.— Cr Grant refused. He had given notice that he would move in connection with the matter of Block IX., and he had done so, —evidently considering that a notice of motion need not be specific.—The Town Clerk argued the point with great volubility. He had a motion on the books, and that motion must be got rid of. Cr Grant must move that the matter should be taken into consideration, and the Council must give their consent thereto, before the present motion could be brought forward.—Cr Grant could not be persuaded, and he objected to be " bullyragged." Occasionally he would attempt to explain, but he never got further than " Mr Mayor and Brother Councillors." Cr Grant speaks slowly, and at this point the Town Clerk would always trip him up. "Mr Mayor and Brother Councillors" had, in his opinion apparently, nothing to do with the dispute ; it was one between them two selves. And no sooner would Cr Grant have made this oracular beginning, than Mr Town Clerk would interrupt, —" Yes, but Cr Grant, I'll shew you." Thus every now and then the whole affair was explained afresh by the Town Clerk, but in vain so far as convincing Cr Grant was con cerned. Mild protests by the Mayor, who appeared to be inwardly chafing, were for some time of no avail; and the Councillors sat in patience, apparently with only a dim comprehension of what the row was all about. Eventually the Mayor made a decided interference, aud then order was restored.

The Mayor said Cr Grant must dispose of the motion he had given notice of; • After some' argument, Or Grant acquiesped, not that he was convinced, but that lie was persuaded, in order to get on with the business.

Cr Shanly seconded this motion. Cr Wright rose to speak to it, before it was put to the meeting. He thought the matter was taken out of the hands of the Council, and he referred to Mr Willis' letter/which, he held, declared they had no power with it except in a certain way. He I "ah amendment, " That this Council do hot take the matter into consideration," but this foUnd no seconder, The motion was then carried*

Cr Grant then proposed the motion of which a copy is given above. Cr Shanly had much pleasure in seconding the motion.

Cr Wright had a few words to say on the matter, He was a purchaser at the first land sale in Cromwell; and the then Commissioner of Crown Lands gave it to be distinctly understood that on the south side of the street no land whatever would be sold; it was to be retained as a mining reserve. A number of people had already settled on the south side, on what was now known as Block XXVII., and in accordance with the wishes of a deputation to him, the Commissioner disposed.of that block for their convenience. Block IX. was to remain unsold, however, and under such circumstances it was an injustice to sell it now. Some of the occupiers of Block IX. had sold their frontage allotments on the north side of the street, and then squatted right opposite ; and to sell to those occupiers now would be an injustice to purchasers such as he had mentioned. He objected to overcrowding in the town, and dilated upon the folly of lessening the width of any street, especially a main street. Besides, after the recent letter from the Government, it waa arrant foolishness to prefer such a request. He concluded by proposing an amendment, "That this Council take no steps in 'the matter, and that the original survey be adhered to." This met with no seconder. Cr Taylor then proposed a further amendment : " That as so many persons have been allowed to build on the so-called recreation reserve, a memorial be forwarded to the Provincial Council at the next sitting to make Melmore Terrace one chain wide ; and if compensation is demanded by any citizen interfered with, the same shail be settled by. arbitration, as is usual in such cases, such compensation to be deducted from the amount paid for the land." This also met with no seconder.

_ Or Wlietter would vote for Cr Grant's motion, and quite agreed with his arguments. The Mayor thought Cr Taylor's motion proposed an equitable arrangement of the matter, both as regarded the Government and the citizens. ' But he would like to see the block given into.the hands of the Corporation-for leasing, not for absolute sale. By building up the south side of the street, he thought a benefit would be done to the town. After some further talk, Cr Grant's motion was put and carried, there voting for it, Crs Grant, Shanly, and Whetter. WATERWORKS. It was ordered that a letter be sent to the Provincial Engineer, asking him to recommend an engineer for the Corporation waterworks, and to state the probable cost. MAIL ARRANGEMENTS. _ The Mayor stated he had had a conversation with Mr Parsons, the mail contractor between Queenstown and Clyde, who was willing to enter into arrangements to deliver the mail in Cromwell on the same evening as it reaches Clyde. It was ordered that Mr Parsons be written to on the subject. IMMIGRANTS' BARRACKS. Some conversation ensued on this subject, the Mayor mentioning that the old police buildings would be suitable for the purpose. Cr Grant thought that they could hardly serionsly propose to put people into such dilapidated and tumble-down houses. Nothing decided was done in connection with the matter, however. LEASING RESERVES. Several applications for leases of reserves had been been before the Council for some time, and it was now decided that the Legislative Committee should consider the matter, and report. TOWN CLERK'S DUTIES, Cr Grant, in reference to this matter, said it appeared to him that there existed considerable doubt as to the nature and extent of the duties of the Town and also of of the Inspector of Nuisances. He thought it would be well that a Committee should take the matter into consideration, and see if they could not define and fix these duties satisfactorily. Cr Taylor and Cr Wright thought such a proceeding would be extremely ridiculous. A Council that had been in existence for eight or ten years should surely by this time know the duties of such an officer as their Town Clerk. Cr Grant did not press the matter. CONCLUSION. The proccdings terminated with the usual vote of thanks.