GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 16 August 1901, Page 2

GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of the Qreymouth Borough Council was held last night. Present: —The Mayor, Crs. Petrie, Joyce, Gieseking, Steer, Thomas and M‘Lean.

The Mayor moved the following resolutions, which were carried unanimously “That this Council doth proceed to borrow and raise by way of special loan, under and In accordance with the powers of Section 155 of “The Municipal Corporations’ Act, 1900," the sum of £3,348 2s 2d, being money sufficient to pay off the overdraft due by the Council to the National Bank of New Zealand (Limited) as existing on the 31st day of March, 1901; and, further, that this Council doth by way of special order strike a special annual recurring rate of l-6th of a penny in the £1 upon the capital value of the rateable property appearing on the valuation rolls for the Borough of Greymouth for the purpose of providing the interest ami sinking fund on the said loan of £3,348 2s 2d. Such rate to commence on the Ist day of September, 1901, and to be levied year by year if required by the Council without further proceedings until the loan, in respect of which the said special rate is made, be paid off. “That this Council do by way of special order strike a special annua l recurring rate of J- of a penny in the £ upon the capital value of the rateable property appearing on the valuation rolls for the Borough of Greymouth for the purpose of providing the interest and sinking fund upon the loan of £6,500 raised by the Borough for building a town hall, gas-ho'.der and parts purchase of Gas Works. Sucli rate to commence on the Ist day of Sep ember, and to be levied year by year if required by the Council without further proceeding until the loan, in respect of which ,the said special rate is made, be paid off." CHARITABLE AID. From Clerk Charitable Aids Board, asking the Council to pay ever amount due as the Hospital Committee was very much in want of'funds. Mr. Petrie moved that the money be paid over under protest. This would fully protect the position taken up by the Council, and would enable the Hospital Trustees to pay tradesmens bills now overdue. It was not right that the Hospital Trustees should be put in such a false position through a dispute between contributing bodies.

Mr. Thomas agreed with the resolution holding that while it fully protected the position taken up by the Council it would enable the Hospital Committee to pay their debts.

The Major likewise supported the resolution which was carried unanimously. The Mayor moved that the members for Grey, Hokitika and Buller, along with the Hon. Mr. Kerr be asked to wait upon the Government and bring the matter before them, and ask that an amendment be made in (he Act. Mr, Joyce seconded, declaring the position taken up by the County Council was an extraordinary one. They collected the rate and yet refused to pay to the fund it was intended for. Mr. Petrie said that at the last meeting of the Municipal Conference he got a resolution carried unanimously in favor of amendment, but Government refused to accept recommendation, liesolution was then put and carried. Mr. Petrie asked that the cheque might be signed at once to enable Hospital payments to be made next day. This was agreed to. Town HAM.. The report of the Town Hall Committee was brought up as follows “Your committee have the honor to report that they mot the trustees of the Church of Kngland, and agreed to the following conditions to be attached to the purchase by the Council of portion of their reserve for £SOO

(1) No other buildings to be erected thereon except Town Hall and Municipal Buildings. (2) That twelve months’ street scrapings, or such portion of same as is nece"sary to meet requirments, bo used for filling up the low-lying portions of the reserve.

(3) All the space except that u»ed for Town Hall and Municipal Buildings to he kept as open space, but this clause shall not prevent the Council from fencing or walling in their portion of the ground. (4) The south boundary to be a line parallel to Ma -kay street, and 168 links from it, running through the mark on the school building sft from the main building as agreed to on the ground by both committees.

(6) The church committee to remove the old school building, and towards such removal the Council will pay £125. (6) The borough will lift and remove the present iron fence, re-ere6t a portion of it on the northern boundary and stack the remainder where directed.

(7) The borough to pay the trustee* £1 Is per annum rent during the remainder of their tenancy from the natives) and pay all legal expenses incurred in the transfer,, etc :

(8) The purchase money to be £6OO. The Council undertake not to sub-let ot soli any portion of the ground. Your committee therefore recommend! that the above-mentioned terms be, accepted by the Council.” The Mayor moved that the report be received. Carried.

Mr Joyce moved that consideration be deferred till next meeting to enable an. estimate to be prepared of the cost. Mr McLean seconded. It was_ he' thought quite right that the conditions; should be considered by the Council. Mr Petrie did not oppose an adjournment till next Thursday, which was the ordinary meeting. At the some time he' did not see that much good would come of further postponment. Mr Steer favoured the adjournment. It would not prejudice the site. Resolution carried unanimously. The Finance Committee brought up their report as follows: ' r\ FINANCE KB POET. : ’ '7 (1) “Accounts have been passed fbR payment as follows: General Account £362 17 0i Loan Account 911 14 9i r Gas Accounts... 258 5 9> Total ... 1587 17 6; “The Loan Account is in credit £2208; 10s 9d, and the General Fund debit £26ST 6s Od. (2) “We recommend that 2£ per cent; be taken off all trade accounts in future. 13) “Estimated expenditure for tbe< year is as follows: —Maintenance of streets, and bridges, and asphalting footpaths£looo; fire prevention £1360, “The unimproved value of property ini the Borough is £80,014, so tbat a 4d rate’ is necessary, yielding £IBBB 11s 4d. The Charitable Aid Co. is £746 tor the year,, and as the capital value of property in Borough is £818,246, a rate of 2-16ths of a penny in the pound yielding £7BB wiU be necessary to cover it. ‘ (4) “That the outstanding rates ‘ sanitary fees be sued for. (5) “We recommend that the office boy , receive a rise in pay from 10s to 15s pet weak, he having been in office for sixteen | months at the former rate.” , ; i Mr Petrie said a olanee enforcing a discount of 21 per cent was ridiculous. Thf Council he presumed got their goods at first cost and business people would poc. sible not agree to it. Mr McLean took a like view. T Messrs Thomas and Joyce supported the Committee’s recommendation. The clause was on resolution held over till next meeting. The remainder of the report was then adopted. > WOEES SBPOET. The Works Committee roported that in i regard to Mr Merrett’s application for • pipes, the Committee deferred any re* ! commendation at present. GAS BEPOBT. ! The Gas Committee’s report was read and adopted as follows “(1) That a hydraulic main be puru chased from the Wellington Gas Comt ‘ pany for £lO. “(2) That the Manager he authprissi - to procure 5 tons of oxide of iron loit ge« : purifying purposes to be used in lieu of “ (3) We recommend that A Scott, of Napier, be engaged as gasfitter at 9/- per , day. Council to pay his fire down.

“(4) We recommend that arrange* ments be made for a supply of incandes* cent gas fittings, etc. “ (5) We are of opinion that the men at the works should receive £3 8a in lieu of £3, and that Evans receive a week's salary—viz., £3—for his services during Mr Kennedy's absence. “ (6) That the Railway Department b« allowed 10 per cent off the net amount for gas burned in the incandescent lamps on the wharf provided that they are kept burning same hours as Borough,lamps.

“ (7) That new street lamps be erected at Elmer Lane, High Street at Hospital, Lombard Street and Threadneedle Street, and that consideration be deferred with regard to other lamps applied for until the Committee have inspected the sites proposed. “ (8) We propose that a hearty vote of thanks be conveyed to Mr M. Kennedy, Manager at Palmerston North Gas Works, for the aid -he had given the members of Council in Wellington re gas matters.” SLAUGHTER HOUSES. From Department of Agriculture forwarding applications for slaughter house licenses and intimating that upon the Inspector being satisfied licenses would be issued. The Inspector of Slaughterhouses’ report was read and adopted as follows

“ On July 22nd I was present while a bullock was being slaughtered. As soon as the head was taken off I could see that the glands at the root of the tongue were diseased, and when the bullock was opened I found all the glands in the throat diseased, also the liver and longs were very much diseased. I cenaidarad it was unfit for human food, ,«o- I condemned it. The owner challenged aft' ruling. Mr. Empson, Stock Laapee*or,. was sent for, and after he had ewwined the diseased organs he rul* mg. By condemning the carcase I mtf. state that, as the carcase was being cut up for the digester, I found the glands in the kidney fat, the thin flank, the thick flank, and between the silver side and topside diseased, thus showing that the carcase was affected with tuberculosis throughout. On the 23rd I condemned one heifer; it was very much diseased with tuberculosis, grapes showing freely on the walls. Inspector Empson endorsed my ruling in this case also, and the carcase was digested.”

mayor’s salary. Mr Petrie moved that the Mayor be voted a salary of £IOO for the year in terms of section 39 of the Municipal Corporations Act. He looked upon the resolution as a first .principal of democratic government. Greymouth was one of the few boroughs that did not pay anything to its Mayor, and he regarded this as as a reproach and quite at variance with popular sentiment. Mr Thomas had much pleasure in seconding the proposal. It was high time that their Mayor, who now had to devote a large amount of his time to business of office, was paid. Mr M‘Lean also supported the proposal, but would have preferred it just prior to an election. The resolution was then carried unanimously. MISCELLANEOUS. From Coburn and Co relative to condition of night cart. Referred to Mr, Lord to deal with. ' » From Mr Lord enclosing account for receiving returned troopers. The deficiency was £65, divided among three other bodies to de thanked*for tho aid they had given. r-

The report of money paid over by the Blackball Coal Company to Fire Bi'gade was read and adopted. Letter from Mr. Taylor, asking the Borough to insure workmen in Govern9ie.i through him, and statin" that reductions had been made. The Mayor said a previous resolution of the Council affirmed that nothing would be done till present policy expired, and the matter could not be dealt with at present.