BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 155, 2 December 1874, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

LYTTELTON. A meeting of this Council was held on Monday evening last. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Rouse, Hawkins, Graham, Young, Kenner, Grange, Buist, and Murray. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The clerk stated he had received since last meeting £l3 2s. Outward correspondence was then read— To Messrs Willcox and Carder re auditing the accounts. To Mr Hlingworth with reference to fencing his section. To the Superintendent with regard to the water supply, running as follows : "Lyttelton Borough Council Office, " November 27th, 1874, " To William Rolleston, Esq, Superinten dent, Province Canterbury. " Sir,—By direction of the Borough Council of Lyttelton, I have the honor to again request to be informed if any and what progress has been made towards procuring a rate supply for this town. In doing so, I feel it my duty, though an unpleasant one, to say that the Provincial Government appear remiss in the matter, looking at the length of time elapsed since funds were voted and in hand for the purpose, while the question even now does not appear to have got beyond the stage of investigation by engineers. '' J cannot in the interest of the town allow myself to be either satisfied or silenced by remarks such as I regretted to hear from members of the Executive at our last interview. I must take it that the Provincial Council distribute the people's money in the people's service, not as a favor but as a right. I should regret to have to say that a constituency so large as that of Lyttelton was becoming fairly dissatisfied with the action of your Honor's Government, but in such a case I should feel it unjust to yourself to conceal the state of matters. I have to point out that the population ha 3 increased largely since the vote for water supply was passed; but that the expectations raised by that vote have prevented any material increase in the private provision for water storage, still the Borough Council, for the same reason, cannot feel justified in expending their limited funds on water storage arrangements which the Government scheme of supply might be expected to supersede almost as soon as completed. "I would here gratefully acknowledge your generosity in allowing the railway to carry water for the town's use, but supplies from this source, while expensive to the Government, can but ill meet the requirements, while a J long of that system must engender habits of dependence by no means desirable. In personally searching for water during the disastrous fire on Monday, I was surprised and I may say appalled, "to find thaJjhprivate tanks, as a rule, are empty so eawkkin the season; this, and the unprecedenxedly early lowness of the wells, being attributable to the greatly increased demand.

"Complaints are already reaching the Council weekly of cases of fever and intolerable smells from drains, the Council being all the'while helpless in the matter; and it is worth consideration, that in the case of extensive fire or prevalent fever, unchecked from the want of means to extinguish or purify, necessitating a stampede of the working classes from the town, the operations of the entire province would be paralysed. It is also right to say, although of secondary importance, that the prolonged delay of the Government on this vital question cannot fail to unjustly weaken the position of the Borough Council, and lessen its powers of usefulness. The public naturally look to us for the redress of their grievances, and taken generally have neither time nor opportunity to arrive at a correct understanding of where the responsibility of these delays really rests. They simply expect the public servants to be equal to the public's service, and cannot see the necessity, or listen to the intricacies of an interminable office correspondence, resulting in apparently nothing. They feel that their just expectations are not fulfilled, and that blame rests somewhere, and I cannot stand silently by and see the Borough Council become the scapegoat of indignation, excited by the inactivity of the Provincial Government; neither will my doty to the townpeople allow me to look silently on any longer, while their prosperity is hindered and their health and lives imperilled by the non-expenditure oE moneys voted for their use ten months ago, and still lying idle in the Council chest. In conclusion, I beg to express the hope that your Honor will be able, without further delay,

to direct an explicit and satisfactory answer to be returned to the inquiry with which I commenced.

" I have the honor to be, " Your Honor's obedient servant, "Adam Chalmers, Mayor."

The Mayor said that in writing this letter he was trying to set the Council right with the townspeople. He had argued the matter in rather strong terms, but he thought it right to do so. The following correspondence was then read:—

From Mr Bowers, asking the Council to let him rent that piece of land near the Council Chamber abutting on Sumner road. Cr Rouse moved and Cr Grange seconded " That Mr Bowers' application be entertained, subject to the sanction of the works committee. Carried.

From Mr W. Holmes, asking to be allowed to let a house remain on the JJampier's Bay road for twelve months. In reference to this matter several councillors spoke, and it was eveutually moved by Cr Young and seconded by Cr Buist " That Mr Holmes be allowed a month from this date to move the house off the road, carried.

From Mr Henwood, asking permission to remove warder's house across Oxford street and to stack metal.

The Mayor said he had stated that he had said the request would be granted, and after remarks from the Councillors, the matter was sanctioned subject to the general conditions.

From Mrs Jeffrey and Mrs Meade, asking that their rate should be remitted, and stating they were both in receipt of charitable aid.

It was moved by Cr Grange, seconded by Cr Buist, and carried—" That the rates be struck off the roll."

Cr Hawkins said that on behalf of bathing committee he had made arrangements with a custodian to take charge of the bathing shed, and that he was to receive the bathing fees for his trouble. He also stated that no one one would be allowed to bathe without a drfss after seven in the morning. The weekly pay sheet amounting to £3B 5s was passed for payment. His Worsnip then read the balance of accounts and statement of assets and liabilities as signed by the auditors, and aiso the auditor's report on the same runniug as follows :

"The Lyttelton borough auditors have the honor to hand to the Lyttelton Borough Council the balance-sheet of the past year, certified to as far as is in their power. The auditors found it impossible to check the amounts received for rates to the account of any particular ratepayers, as no record was kept from whom it was received, the gross amounts being paid from time to time to the credit of the Council. The auditors also found it impossible to check the amounts due and paid to the Council for miscellaneous matters, drainage, &c, the only record in the Council books being made when the accounts were paid. The auditors found that several vouchers were wanting, but have satisfied themselves in respect to them from other evidence. The auditors expressed their regret that from the loose manner the accounts of the Council had been kepi, they found it impossiV.e to properly perform their duties, and they also expressed their opinion that a slight supervision on the part of the Council would have prevented the recurrence of the irregularities. The auditors perceived from the items of expenditure that an expert had been employed by the Council to audit their accounts at other than the ordinary time. The auditors, if they had been applied to, would have considered it to have been their duty to have given their services with or without remuneration, and they expressed their opinion that it was disrespectful to the burgesses and themselves that such a step as appointing a stranger to do their duty should have been taken unless they had refused or neglected, or proved themselves incompetent to perform their duties. (Signed) "J. S. WiIICOX, " Josh. Carder, " Auditors. " P.S.—The Auditors apply the foregoing remarks to the accounts of the past year, taken as a whole, at the same time they wish to bear testimony that during the time the present town clerk has held office the accounts have been kept in a systematic and intelligible manner." From the balance sheet it appeared that the receipts for the year hud been £1964 12a 6d, and that the expenditure had been £IB7B 5s 9d, leaving balance in bank of £B6 fis 9d. The assets were stated to be £IOO2 13s 7d, and the liabilities nil. The matter was thoroughly discussed. Cr Rouse called attention to a botanical nuisance in Voelas road in the shape of a vaiiegated thistle. He had found specimens of the plant in his own garden. He hoped the Council would take steps to eradicate them; Left to the works committee. Cr Kenner drew attention to the amount of the blacksmith's account, and suggested that all the blacksmiths in the town should have a share of the work. Cr Grange spoke respecting the necessity of the erection of a casual ward, and thought the Council should remind the authorities of the matter. The morgue was completed, and he thought some steps should be taken with the other. Cr Eouse said that four months ago a plan of the casual ward, which was to be placed near the Morgue, had been sent to him for suggestions. The plan was rather an elaborate one. There were two wards, holding three beds each, marked as male and female wards. This is absurd, as few females needed it. He proposed that the wards should be called the surgical and medical wards, and that one bed should be sei; apart for females. He had sent these remarks back, and they had been referred to the Provincial Secretary, who approved of the plan, provided it could be carried out for the sum voted. He (Cr Eouse) did not, however, think it was possible to carry out Mr Mountfort's plan for the money. After some remarks from the Mayor, Cr Grange moved, and Cr Graham seconded—- " That a letter be written to the Secretary for Public Works calling attention to the necessity of a casual ward for the town." Some general discussion took place in reference to the road metal received from the gas works. Cr Graham suggested that the Council should take all the metal available from the gas company. Cr Young asked the chairman of the worl-s committee what was intended to be done to the footpath recently metalled in Norwich quay. The Chairman said it was intended to blind the path as soon as possible. The Council then adjourned.