SYDENHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1224, 5 February 1878, Page 3

SYDENHAM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of tho above Council was held last evening. Present —His Worship the Mayo? (Mr G. Booth), Crs. Wbitelaw, Langdown, Brown, Vennsdl, Jones, Hall, and Buxton. A letter was read from Cr. Charters apologising for his absence through illness. Cr. Scott also wrote saying he would be unable to attend that meeting. Mr Treadwell interviewed the Council with respect to his application to be allowed to construct a siding across the Hazeldean road. He handed in a letter »igned by a number of the residents in favor of the application being granted, and made a number of remarks in the same direction.

The Mayor said the matter would be carefully considered by the Council, and Mr Treadwell then withdrew.

The Borough Clerk reported that £85112s 4A had been received during the last fortnight; bills paid and payable, £231. The credit balance at the Bank was £1737 9s Bd. A circular letter from the Treasury, Weilington, was read, covering vouoher showing the subsidy of ten shillings in tho £ for halfyear ending 31et December, on account of rates collected, to be £35217s Bd. From this amount a sum of £330 10a 6d was deducted for borough's contribution for same period towards tho maintenance of hospitals, and charitable institutions within tho district, leaving a balance of £22 7s 2d in favor of the borough. A letter was read from the Bank of Now Zealand, advising that £22 7s 2d had been forwarded by the paymaster, to be placed to the credit of the Sydenham borough fund. A letter was read from the Manager of the Bank of New Zealand re future conduct of the banking business with the corporation, saying that interest tot the rate of 5 per cent, per annum, would be allowed on the minimum monthly balance, and a charge of 7 per cent, per annum would be made on overdrawn accounts —the amount of which was to be arranged from time to time, as required. Cr. Whitelaw said he understood that the Bank paid the Heathcote Road Board 5 J per cent.

The Mayor §aid that the terms arranged by the sub-committee were the same aB those between the Bank and City Council. The arrangement with the bank was approved. A letter was read from the Chairman of the district school committee, asking the Council to remit a sum of 40a, their proportion of the cost of forming and metalling Queen street, as they were legally unable to apply their funds to such a purpose. Cr. Whitelaw said the committee had no money to pay for the work, and a cursory perusal of the Act would show that it would be nearly useless to apply to the Board of Education for the amount. If the Council did not remit it, the ratepayers residing in the street would hare to subscribe the money amongst themselves. After further remarks it was decided to adjourn consideration of this matter until next meeting. The Mayor desired to say that lie had reason to suppose that some taxes for registering dogs were being received by the City Council. He would suggest that the clerk be instructed to wait -upon Inspector Broham, and give him a note of the boundaries of the borough. Cr. Whitelaw thought it would be aa well for the surveyor to make a tracing of the district and hand it to Mr Broham. He moved a resolution to this effect, which was agreed to. The Clerk reported that he had forwarded a tracing of the borough to the Chief Postmaster, but had not since received any reply. The Mayor reported that the committee had succeeded in obf aining a reserve of 2000 acres as an endowment for the borough, and the necessary documents had been signed by him as Mayor. These would now be forwarded to Wellington by the Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands. Before the Council could say the land was entirely secure they would have to waih for the next session of Parliament. The account for expenses incurred would be laid before the Council. On the motion of Cr. Hall, a special vote of thanks was passed to Crs. Whitelaw and Charters for the trouble they had taken in this matter.

On the motion of Cr. Brown, the finance committee were appointed to select a motto for the borough out of a number sent in by Messrs Coates and Co.

The clerk read sm award by the Commissioners of Audit on the financial separation between the He athcote B-oad Board and borough. The Board awarded the borough the sum of £Bl6 16? 3d, and interest, making a total of £825 15s 2d. This sum had been paid into the borough's credit by the Heathcote Road Board.

The Mayor said that no reply had been received to a letter written to the Spreydon Road Board with reference to the award made by the Commissioners of Audit. He thought that some further action should be taken.

It was resolvod 3 on the motion of Cr. Brown, that the clerk should forward a claim to the Spreydon Road Board for £1429 4s sd, with interest added, being the amount due to the borough. It was also resolved that the <?ommittee formerly appointed be a deputation to wait upon the Road Board with reference to this award.

On the motion of Cr. Whitelaw, it was resolved to draw th? attention of the Colonial Secretary to the sum due to the borough by the Heathcote and Spreydon Road Boards out of land fund grants for the time in the financial year of 1878, during which the borough of Sydenham was a portion of those Road Boards.

On the motion or Cr. Brown it was decided to extend the time Jor the committee to bring up their report for the purchase of a aite for the Council's office*.

The Clerk said nn offer had been received from Mr Goodyer f offering to sell a quarter acre of land on which is a Bix-roomed house for the sum of £303.

Cr. Whitelaw, us chairman of the works committee, brought up a report of works carried out in the borough since the last meeting of the Council. In the report the committee, after examining the locality, recommended the Council not to sanction the sale plan of Mr Eestell's land, as only half chain Btreets were being reserved in some instances.

The recommendation of the committee was adopted, and the report as a whole approved. Cr. Whitelaw snid the committee had gone over the district, end found it would be necesfary to spend about £I6OO in metalling and shingling the roadu and footpaths to prepare them for the coming winter. The Clerk re&d a return showing that the approximate rateable value of the borough amouted to £35,570. After transacting some routine business, the Council adjourned. • i