BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 110, 7 October 1874, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

LYTTBLTON.

The weekly meeting of this Council was held on Monday night. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Rouse, Hawkins, Buist, Graham, Murray, Young, and Grange. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

The following correspondence was read :—• Viz., a telegram from Mr March. Cr Rouse consented to meet Mr March at the time named, and consult with him in the matter referred to.

A letter from Mr Mcllroy, offering to take the full section between Robert's corner and London street, with buildings thereon, for the sum of £llO per annum, for tweuty-ona years. The discussion was deferred.

From the Provincial Secretary, stating that his Honor the Superintendent would be glad to receive a deputation from Council, re bathing site. In reference to this, his Worship stated that the deputation had had an interview with the Government, but that little had been done in the matter, as the Government were not in a position to give any definite promise what support they would give, but led the deputation to believe that the value of the water supply to the ships in harbor would be handed over to t> 4 © borough.

From the Provincial Engineer, in reference to the stoppage of sediment at t^ e gratings referred to in their letter of 22>: 1( i instant, and agreeing that it would be impossible to'stop the sediment without the water at the gratings, stating th?' 0 what he wished was the removal of loor, e debris from the gullies above the grati- a g 8 periodically. The following report from the town clerk was then read:—

"To his Worship the Mayor and Borough Councillors of Lyttelton. " I have the honor to report for your information that when going through the drainage account, carried out by the borough for private individuals, I found that an amount due by Messrs Parkman and Co for drain in Norwich quay, amounting to £3 8s 4d, had been paid by that firm to the late town clerk on the 3rd of August last, and not accounted for in the books of the borough, and also that when applying to Mr W. Allwright for outstanding rates due by him for 1873, amounting to 10s, as per Mr Craig's list, he informed me that he had paid the late town clerk 15s for 1873 rates, and produced a receipt bearing out his statement. As far as I can trace no credit appears in the books for this amount.

" I have further to report that upon application to Mr G. Gray for 1874 rates, amounting to Bs, he informed me that Mr BootWilson bad paid the rate on his house on Section No 92, and produced the receipt given by the late clerk for 15s as having beea

paid 25th May. I have carefully gone through the rate roll for 1873 and 1874, and cannot find that Mr Kobt. Wilson's name appears in either roll, nor does Mr Gtvi.v's name seem to have been entered for the sum paid to Mr Perrin. —I have the houor to be, sir, your obedient servant, " W. Packaed."

His Worship the Mayor stated that he was not surprised at these defalcations being discovered, and thought Mr Packard quite right in justice to himself, to bring the matter immediately before the Council. Cr Murray was surprised that those matters had not been more thoroughly investigated by his Worship before Mr Perrin left the province. As he was gone, it was useless to throw good money after bad, by taking any steps to bring him back. Cr Hawkins had always thought that, as the rate was collected, something of this sort would be discovered.

His Worship begged to refer Cr Murray to the minutes of former meetings, if he read those, he would see the course he (the Mayor) had pursued throughout. Any one acquainted with the manner in which the accouuts had been kept, would know it was impossible to discover every deficiency in a short time. He would rather not speak at length on the matter. The report of* the works' committee was then read, it ran as follows : " Your committee recommend that tenders be invited for yards of metal, to give work for the prisoners when they cannot well be employed otherwise. " William Graham (chairman.) "

His Worship stated that he believed the request of the works committee arose from a request from the working overseer of the hard labor gang that the prisoners might have something to do when unable to work at the cutting in Oxford street. Or Grange asked what the saving would be per yard, and what the expense of procuring the metal would be. Cr Graham stated that there would be a saving to the borough of 2s 6d per yard. Cr Grange proposed that the matter should be left to the works committee.

Cr Graham moved, and Cr Buist seconded, —" That 500 yards be filled into the blank in the works committee report. 1 ; The same gentlemen then moved and seconded, —•' That the report be adopted, and that tenders for breaking stone be called for.

His Worship asked the Council to consider Mr Mcllroy's letter.

Cr Hawkins said he did not think Mr Mcllroy's offer waß sufficiently liberal, the last clause particularly. Cr Buist was against letting the Council Chamber; it was a suitable place for their meetings, and he thought they might let the rest of the section without disturbing ths Council buildings for as much money as Mr Mcllroy offered for the lot. Cr Young said he thought the land should be let the same as other land of the Council at so much per foot. Cr Grange moved, and Cr Buist seconded, —" That any proposition from Mr Mcllroy be considered in reference to the Oxford Btreet frontage only, and that the buildings on the present site be not let." Cr Graham said that he would hardly go as far as to say Mr Mcllroy should not have the Council Chamber. If he offered, say, £l3O or £l4O a year, he would certainly vote for that gentleman having it. His Worship said that if the Council Chambers were let it would put the borough to great expense to replace them. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. Accounts amounting to £7B lis 8d were passed for payment. The clerk stated that during the week he had received £SO 12s.

The Mayor reminded the Council that It was time to take steps for a new valuation of the borough. It was left too late on previous occasions, as it took a great deal of time to get rating machinery in proper order. People in the borough often thought they were paying rates for the current year when they were paying for the previous one. They had better invite tenders for the valuation now. Even if they did that it would be Christmas before the valuation would be completed, and the financial year ended on the last of October.

Cr Grange moved that tenders be invited for valuation of the borough by an expert. This was a time of general prosperity, and that prosperity was being shared by the town, and he thought they might this time afford a really thorough valuation. The Mayor said that he knew one gentleman, whom he supposed was not able to tender, that he thought would be admirably suited for the job in many respects. He referred to the Town Clerk, Mr Packard. The men who usually got these jobs were those possessing no regular occupation, and their work was very inaccurate, in fact, the generally took the old rate roll and altered it a little. He could testify to the very able manner in which the accounts were now kept, and they all knew that Mr Packard was an old resident here, and well acquainted with the town.

Cr Hawkins thought that any one like Mr Packard, thoroughly acquainted with the rate roll, was in a good position to judge in such matters, as he knew the rentals, and an assessor had to be guided as much by that as by the actual value of the property. Cr Grange having again stated that he was in favour of an expert being employed, Cr Buist moved, and Cr Young seconded, " That the motion be deferred for a week." Carried.

The Mayor hoped that Councillors would seriously consider the question before their next meeting.

The Council then adjourned.