Feilding Borough Council

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 101, 18 February 1890, Page 2

Feilding Borough Council

— — ■■ ♦»- ' ■ A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last night. Present— F. Y. Lethbridge, Esq. (Mayor), Crs Ruther- . ford, W. E. Chamberlain, J. C. Thompson, Saudilands, Goodbehere, W. G. Haybittle, S. J. Thompson and Watts. The Mayor informed the Council that no applications had been received for the position of Ranger. In accordance with notice of motion Cr ■, Sandilands moved, That tenders be called for the lease, for 12 months, of grazing rights on the streets of the Borough, excluding the following, viz.: Cambden, ' Denbigh, Eyre and Warwick streets, and also the streets comprised in .the area ; bounded by the above-named streets, and that the successful tenderer be appointed Borough : Ranger, and r he be required "to exercise the duties pertaining to such office free of charge. The mover said he did not think for .£2Ol . they could get a man to. do the work of a Ranger thoroughly. It would require a? day to go over the" streets, and a hbrao-' s *?' was therefore necessary. By the meana - he proposed that expense would be saved to the Borough. Cr J. C. Thompson moved the Council go into committee. Cr Goodbehere objected, and moved an amendment, 'which was seconded by Cr Haybittle. Cr S. J. Thompson thought the subject wanted a good deed of threshing out, and it would be better to go into committee. The amendment was put and carried. Cr Haybittle then seconded Cr Sandilands' motion pro forma. The Mayor said he would like to see the motion carried. He believed the Council had power, to let the grazing onf the streets. It would have tha effect lof keeping the grass down, and" thus abating the danger from fire v Of course there would have to be regulation? so as to keep the cattle off ther street* a& and during certain hours. He referred to the Act, and read the clauses under which the resolution wasdrawxi. Cr Goodbehere said although there was a good deal to say in favor of the motion there was more to say against it, Cattle allowed to run in the streets would do a great deal of damage to the water tables, &c., and the Council would not be able to get a responsible, person -to- take all the legal risks. The Council would have to pay another man to see that cattle were off the streets during the prescribed hours* They all knew the present system was a •'■ '■ failure. He would suggest, as the only remedy, that a good man with 'a good! salary be employed, who would perform the duties of poundkeeper and ranger with profit to the Borough.' He referred afe length to the past history of the pound. The receipts for last year were .£64 2s 6d, and the expenditure £6& Os od, leaving a profit of Is 9d. He went on to say that he questioned if the Council could divest themselves of any liability arising from the motion, if it were carried, and place ifc on the contractor even if they got a responsible person. Cr Rutherford thought it unfair; the 7 : cattle should be thrust, upon the settlers' ' outside the boundaries proposed. It wa? a great objection by persons driving cattle that cows and horses should be allowed to • graze on the roads. Cr J. C. Thompson thought as the legality of the motion had yet to be decided it would be wrong to adopt it offhand. He would suggest that a' charge of ls a week, be made for running cows and horses in the streets during six months of the year;. They were sick of the one man business. He doubted the correctness of Cr Goodbe- .. here's figures. Cr Sandilands: They tot np correctly, anyway. Cr Rutherford did not think Cr J. C, Thompson owned many cattle or he would not talk as he did. Cr Goodbehere moved as an amendment, That the present poundkeeper receive one month's notice that his services will not be required, and thai tenders be . called for the combined position of ranger and poundkeeper at a salary of .£SO a year, Cr Rutherford seconded, but said the present poundkeeper had done his duty most efficiently, and there was no fault to find with him. \ '..*. Cr Watts would oppose the amendment. The contractor would take the money ancl . leave the work undone. It woulcTbe bet- ' ter to pay the ranger but of the fees. Cr J. C. Thompson said Gr Goodbehere ' was inconsistent because he would be paying .£lO more than at present. 7 Cr Sandilands said if his resolution wae. lost he would be inclined to support Cr Goodbehere's amendment. He then spoke to his own motion, and replied to the several objections raised. He thought ifa carefully worded agreement were drawn ' up there could be no difficulty in keeping the contractor up to the mark. Cr S. J. Thompson said, with regard to the poundkeeper, Mr Blackmore, no blame could be attached to him for the smallness of the revenue. If there was any fault to be found it lay with the' ranger. He would vote 'against both tiie amendment and the resolution. Cr Watts asked Cr Sandilands how he . " would work the affair. Cr Sandilands said the cattle would be in one mob in charge of the contractor, who would mind them as they grazed in the streets. . " Cr Watts explained the plan followed in Pioton, which was in vogue at the present time. Only milking cows and working | horses, but no young cattle, were allowed to run. The Mayor, speaking to the amendment; said he would feel great diffidence in put- ' tmg out Mr Blackmore from the position 7 of poundkeeper. He was always on the spot. He said, in reference to. some remarks from Cr J. C. Thompson, that they must trust somebody. - The amendment and resolution were' put and both were lost. ■Proposed by Cr J. C. Thompson, seconded by Cr Haybittle, That applications for the position of Ranger to the Borough of Feilding be invited for at a salary of £80 a year. Cr Goodbehere objected. - If they could not get a good man for iS2O a year they ', would not get one for .£3O. It was per- ' * fectly ridiculous to move such a motion. ~ Cr Haybittle spoke in support of hia motion. Up to the present we had got indifferent men at £20 a year, and for £80 they would, no doubt, get better. The financial results as shown by Cr Goodbehere rather surprised him, and he thought the thanks of the Council were due to Cr , Goodbehere for the trouble he had taken; * Cr S. J. Thompson Would support the proposition, but would hke to double the > amount. Cr Rutherford thought if it were made worth one man's while to do the work they could get a good one. Cr Watts Baid they could not get' an * active man to. hang about for less than £1 a week. ..-,7.* Cr J. C. Thompson thought they could 7 get a young man for i'Bo. As an amendment Cr Goodbehere pro--, posed, That the present Poundkeeper ■»•"- ceive one month's notice, and that applications ba invited for the post of Poundkeeper and Ranger at £1 per week. In BpeaMng to this amendment he contended they never yet. had a good Ranger, andt the amount he proposed would probably 7 secure a man who would dp tile work thoroughly, to the satisfaction of ihe rate--. - papers. - . ' Cr Sandilands seconded the amende.

ment, and spoke in support of it. He pointed out that the Ranger was paid the same as the Poundkeeper, but did double the amount of work. Cr Watts said they kept on increasing the amount to be offered They had better appoint a permanent man and let him look after the roads as well. Or S. 3. Thompson did not think the Council should expect a net revenue from the pound. He considered Cr Goodbehere's amendment identical with the one that had been rejected. The amendment was put and lost. The meeting then closed.