BOROUGH OF EASTBOURNE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1414, 15 April 1912, Page 6

BOROUGH OF EASTBOURNE.

MEETING ,OE THE COUNCIL.

The Eastbourne Borough Council met on Saturday evening. Present: The Mayor (Mr. H. W. >Shortt), Councillors Button; Morris, Organ, Pilcher, Ross, and Wills.

Regarding ilie .Hull pipe and traffic bridge, Councillor Organ and the Town Clerk wore deputed to make certain investigations, with- power to act' therein. It wns decided to take a strip of foreshore from Mr. and Mrs. Mnntell, under tho Public Works Act.

lho Christchurch Council's recommendation for an otension of councillors' term of office to threo years was not well received, but the matter was left in the bjnds of the delefraV to the Municipal Conference. Councillors thought it more necessary to secure an alteration in tho term ami mode of election of Mayor. Sixteen remits to tho next Municipal Conference were considered, and the majority approved. One only was actually disapproved, and that was the suggestion for invalidation of voting papers upon which le?.s than tho full number of councillors required was voted for. Remits upon various subjects are ■to be prepared at tho next meeting of tho council. A proposal to set apart a portion of tho foreshore for boatshed sites, to be let at a noniinal rental, was referred to tho Public Works .Coin in itt-?e to report. Councillor Button introduced a discussion on the right of tho Mayor and Town Clerk to join the proposed association of property owners on tho eastern side of the harb-yir. He maintained thnt such an association must came into conflict with the council, and that therefore the officers referred to were placing themselves nnd tho council in a false position. Ho felt sure tho association would cncroach upon the activities of tho council. He instanced the press reference to the probable action regarding boating-sheds and bathing shelters. The Mayor and Town Clerk spoke in justification of their position, pointing out the broad basis of the association, covering the district from T.owr.v Bay to Muritai, the policy of the association being to take up those matters that could not otherwise be effectively dealt with, and that there was a distinct intention to avoid purely local matters that camo within the scope of the Eastbourne Borough Council. The press reference alluded to was misleading, as the association did not intend to concern itself with boatsheds and bathing shelters. These wore thc_ ideas of one member, who had no authority to publish them under the association, which had not considered and would not. adopt, them. Councillor Organ, a member of the association's committee, also justified the support of tho association. He stated that for the present it would confine itself to securing better communication by road to Petone on the one hand, aiul by ferry service on the other. He thought all councillors should join the association. Councillor Button still dissented, and moved tho following motion"That this council emphatically protests against the Mayor, Town Clerk, or councillors becoming members of the newly-formed Pro-pcrty-Owners' Association, as the work of the Borough Council and the association will at times be liable to confl'ct.. Tt is therefore undesirable that tho Mayor and Town Clerk, so long as they hold those offices, should 1»» in any way allied with the association." Councillor- Pilcher seconded the motion, which was also supported by Councillor Morris. Councillor Boss said he had come to tho meeting prepared to support Councillor Button, but after hearing the explanations he was thoroughly satisfied and must therefore oppiso tho motion. 'Councillor Organ said thnt. were the motion carried, lie would still remain'a member of the association, so lorn: ns it did not come into conflict with the council. Councillor Wills characterised the motion as a piece of presumption on tho part of the mover, in attempting to unduly restrict tho liberty of officers and councillors. The Mayor, as had been previously stated by'himself and the Town Clerk, declared that'when tho association gave signs of coming into conflict with the council, he would wash his hands of it, but there were no such signs at presentrather the reverse. He thought they should welcome tho opportunity of helping, on such a broad basis, to promote the interests of tho eastern side of tho harbour. Councillor Button, in his reply, asserted that he had not altered his opinion, which was,that the association was likely to do work that belonged to the council, and that therefore the Mayor nnd Town Clerk should withdraw from* the association.

The motion was lost on a division, the "ayes" being Councillors Button, Morris, and Pilcher, ■nd the "noes" being the Mavor, Councillors Organ, Ross, and Wills.