GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 23 August 1901, Page 4

GREY BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The regular meeting of the Greymouth Bor mgh Council was held at the Town Hall last night. Present: The Mayor, Crs. Sheedy, Petrie, Joyce, Ashton, Steer, Gieseking,' Thomas, Bignell and M‘Lcan The Mayor gave notice that at the next meeting he would move “ (1) That in pursuance of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900, ‘The Rating Act 1894,’ and ‘The Rating on Unimproved Value Act, 1896,’ a general rate of fourpence in the £ upon the unimproved value of the rateable property appearing on the valuation rolls for the Borough of Greymouth for and in respect of the period commencing April Ist, 1901, and ending 31st March, 1902, be made and levied for the following, purposes, viz

Maintenance of streets and bridges, and asphalting of footpaths £I,OOO 0 0 Eire Prevention 350 0 0

Total ... ••• £1,350 0 0 «(2) That in pursuance of Section 26 of ‘The Hospital and Charitable Institutions Act, 1885,’ a special rate of ninesixteenth of a penny' in the £ upon the capital value of the rateable property appearing on the valuation roll for the Borough of Greymouth for and in respect of the peiiod commencing April Ist, 1901, and ending 31st March, 1902, be made and levied for the following purpose, ▼iz

•• Hospital and Charitable Aid £748 1 8 “ (3) That the said rates be payable in ■ one sum on Monday, 30th day of September, 1901.” Letter read from Mr. John Pohl asking that he be allowed to continue the supply of lithe to the Greymouth Gas Company on the same terms as his predecessor or will contract for same. Referred on the motion of Mr. Bignell, seconded by Mr. M'Lean that application bo referred to Gas Committee to re port upon. The Borough Engineer reported upon cost of site in Mackay Street as follows : Purchase site ... Removal School House... 125 ~ Pence ... 75 Filling in ground ... 400 £1,200 The Site Committee reported in favor of acceptance of terms (report already published.) Mr. Matheson moved and Mr. Petrie seconded that report be adopted. Mr M'Lean moved as an amendment that the offer bo declined. The cost was in his opinion too high and more than was put to the ratepayers. The cost of £1,200 would not leave sufficient money available for the erection of the building If the Councillors voted for the Macka-y Street site, they were not doing their duty to the ratepayers. The Boundary Street site was the proper place for the erection of a town hall. It was a most suitable place and at the intersection of a number of streets. He contended that if the .proposal was again put to the ratepayers, the Boundary Street site would be chosen. The difference between a freehold and a leasehold tenure required no comment. , Mr Joyce seconded the amendment.. He accused the Church Trustees of breach of faith with the Council and the Native Trust, and said the Council's Site Committee had not dealt fairly with the ratepayers, Mr. Petrie said the Council had agreed to allow the site to be decided by the ratepayers, and although the poll was a small one, it must be remembered that all the supporters of. Boundary street polled, the vote being largely a West Ward one. In his opinion a better site than either could be desired, but between the two Mackay street was the more central, besides having a frontage of 235 feet as against 66 feet in Boundary street. The Government valuation of Mackay street site was £1,175. The £4OO filling in was part of improvement of borough property and not purchase money. Mr Steer was against the committee’s report. After £I2OO was paid there was not sufficient to erect the new building. He favored the Boundary street site. The poll was not a fair one. If the actual cost had been put forward the result would have been different. Mr. Gieseking intended to support tho vote of the ratepayers. Those now opnosing were anxious to let the ratepayers decide the question, but now apparently they wore as anxious to throw that vote on one side. Mr. Ashton favored the amendment. Boundary street was a freehold, and that alone should tell in its favor. Mr Bignell took exception to Mr Joyce’s remarks, which were of a personal and unwarrantable character. The committee had only been influenced by one desire and that was to got the property as cheap aa they possibly could. Had ho known oi the lull conditions before, ho would have probably acted differently. Still ho considered tha> tin- ratepapers were getting good vftlun for their money ; and as he had been in favour of tuo si'o all a ong ho intended to nu,ip 'rt the report. It. was. after al was said and dune, tho very best. Th extra cost of foundations inß mndry stree: would be at least £4OO. Mr fhom.w like Mr Peine favoured « Bite oven further up town, but as between the two sites Mackay street was m .r----central and better, while the property wa * quite admitted that the uroperty was well worth the money, but Contention was that as they had a site of their own they need not purchase. The amendment was then put and lost carried, the voting being :

FOB 3IACKAY STREET FOE BOUNDARY SX. The Mayor Ttrs. M’Lean Crs. Petrie _ „ Joyce „ Gieseking „ Steer „ Thomas „ Ashton „ Bignell The Town Surveyor’s report was read and received. For tho first time on record all the rates w r ere collected without the intervention of the court. The tenders for metalling Shakespeare street were referred to the Works Committee to deal with.

The Mayor referred to the rise on the ground rent of the Maori estate this year and as this would probably be done periodically as they improved the property, he asked that the council grant him power to call a public meeting in in order to consider their position as leaseholders.

Cr Petrie said that the real object should be to try to get the property municipalised. This would be beneficial to the ratepayers and Council alike, while it would secure to the Natives an equal sum to that they were now receiving. The Mayor was empowered to call a meeting of the ratepayers, and the Council was appointed a committee to draw up resolutions to submit to the leaseholders.