MIRAMAR AFFAIRS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 792, 15 April 1910, Page 6

MIRAMAR AFFAIRS.

I CREDIT BALANCE FOR YEAR. AGREEMENT WITH GAS COMPANY. The Miramar Borough Council met last evening, when there were present the Mayor (Mr. C. J. Crawford), in the chair, and Councillors M'Leod, Muir, M'Clelland, and Bowie. Councillor Muir pointed out that in the report of the last council meeting , in The Dominion it was made to \ appear that the council paid a certain wage to a lamp-lighter. The borough was, howover, lighted by electricity, and the mail referred to had merely .to look after a switch. The resignation of Councillor Brodie was received, and, on the motion of tlie Mayor, seconded by Councillor "M'Clelland, a resolution was passed placing on record the council's appreciation of the good work done by Councillor Brodie during many years of service to: the borough. An application for permission to erect boat davits on the beach at Karaka Bay was granted, subject to the engineer's approval. With regard to a complaint of special caTS not carrying double-fare notice boards, the tramway engineer wrote that instructions had again been issued that all special cars must be provided with the- "special" boards. A ratepayer drew attention to the alteration of the starting time of the Thorndon-New Plymouth , mail train, which now leaves Thorndon at 7.45 a.m., instead of 9.10 a.m., as previously. The first car from Miramar, leaving at 6.56 a.m., hardly allowed time to catch this ■train, and ho suggested that the ear should leave at 6.4G a.m. It was decided to obtain • a report on the matter. Mr. A. Greig wrote suggesting that a polling-booth should bo appointed at Seatoun. Consideration of the matter was deferred. The Mayor, who had consulted the returning officer on the question, thought that nothing should be done before the present election, as it might be thought to affect the chances of one or other of the candidates.

The Year's Accounts. • A statement of finances plated before the council showed that' the debit balance on the general account of .£1916 10s. 4d. at the beginning of the year had been converted into a credit balance of .£822 18s. 6d. through the sale of tho land given for the benefit of the tramways. The advance made to the sanitation loan of .£SOO will be repaid during the year on the remaining debenture of .£IOOO being sold. The advance was made so as to enable the sanitation loan to pay J23000 for the land, the bank advancing the other ,£2500. The council authorised the fixing of their seal to an agreement between the council and the Wellington Gas Company regarding the laying down of tram rails from the wharf along certain streets to the company's property on Miramar Avenue. The company will pay ,£6OO towards the cost of the rails, and Id. per ton for all goods carried on the lines, and will guarantee .£IOO per annum as a minimum toll in the event of the tolls at Id. a ton not reaching thai amount. The right given to the company to use the tramway is not exclusive. - In the event of the company deciding to determine their use of the Tails before .£2OO has been paid in tolls this amount must be paid by the company. The Mayor said he thought that the council could congratulate themselves on the settlement of this matter, which had been under discussion for the last two years more or less. ' ■ . ■

The ■ Mayor thanked the council and ratepayers for their support and trust during a very long period. A contest was .now going on for tUo Mayoralty of Miramar, and therefore he would not make any remarks about, the affairs of the borough at the present moment, bnt he could claim to. have attended every meeting of the council for the last three years, and that in regard to the finances everything was in .order in the district; He again thanked the council and ratepayers tor the support they had given' him. • 'A resolution of thanks to the Mayor for his services was carried- with' acclamation, as reported in another column. On the Mayor's motion a vote of thanks was also passed .to the press for the manner in ■™, toe council meetings had been reported during the year. Tramway Losses. , A return came before the council of tramway revenue and expenditure, prepared to . meet the views of .Councillor isowie, who considered , the return submitted, at the previous meeting not sufficiently conclusive. ■ The Mayor suggested that as there iwas an election in progress, and the report -was largely controversial, it should be considered first in committee, and the conncil. in committee should decide whetner the return should be given •to tho press. ■ ■ , Councillor Bowie thought that as the previous statement had been published tins ono should be made public also, though there might be two opinions' as to whether some items should be included. '■ ■ ;

,-riie Mayor , stated that -the return, wmch had beija- compiled according to instructions given by Councillor Bowie, who had moved a resolution at the last meeting, contained items which ho was sure he could show were quite wrong, including one eery serious' error, which was, of course, inadvertent. It would be a very inopportune moment ior letting a wrong statement go forward Councillor Bowie said that if the return contained absolute errors he would prefer to have them corrected. It was decided that t)ie council should consider the return in committee before giving it to the press.. The Mayor made an explanation as tollows, in regard to the' report read at the last meeting:—"ln the report submitted at the last meeting of the council, the net loss on the Miramar tramways for threo years was stated as .£829. lhis, as a-matter of fact, was after deducting the sum of .£3OOO for.the sale of land, which was given as a subsidy on the runnin'g loss of the, trams, so that tho actual loss' for three years was c£3829."

The council then went into committee to consider the new return, and the representative of The Dominion , Was afterwards informed that the return would not be made public until the nest meeting of the council.