BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1373, 10 July 1878, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

LYTTELTON. Monday, Jnx.7 8. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Hawkins, McClatchie, Chalmers, Weyburne, Macpherson, Parsons. The Clerk stated he had received £1203 9s lOd since last meeting. Correspondence was read between the Government and Council regarding taking over Orphanage, Hospital, and charitable aid. The Mayor had sent the following telegram to the Government on June 25th : —“ In event of Government arranging with borough that no deductions whatever shall be made from the 'subsidies agreed to bo paid to the borough under the Financial Arrangements Acts, 1876 and 1877, the borough will agree to take responsibility of distributing charitable aid exclusive of Orphanage and Hospital.” On the 28th this reply was received from Wellington “Will you be prepared on July Ist to assume responsibility of charitable aid, including Orphanage and Hospital, on terms offered by Government as stated in your telegram of 25th. (Signed) G. S. Whitmore.” The Mayor replied “ Council agree to distribute charitable aid exclusive of Orphanage and Hospital, as per my telegram of 2Sth.” Colonel Whitmore then telegraphed as follows :—“ Quite understand you° undertake charge .Orphanage, Hospital, and charitable aid, as you accepted Government proposals before end financial year have refunded £374, stopped from subsidies pipep Ist January. You can take charge when you like.” The Mayor had then telegraphed; « Cannot understand your telegram ; Council never agreed to take over Orphanage and Hospital. Your telegram 21st states Government would carry on Orphanage- Is it supposed Lyttelton is to bear the whole burden o! the above institution ? ” Government replied “ Your telegram

difficult to understand. Offices shut, but think date yours, offering take over Orphanage, Hospital, and charitable aid, 25th. You yesterday declined unless Hospital and included. Both now given together with refund of subsidy last half-year. Not included at all that expense should fall on Borough. Q-overnment will make no stoppage from subsidies, and further pay 20s for every 20s subscribed or paid from Borough funds. Hitherto entire cost has been stopped from subsidies. Henceforward Government will pay half, and subsidies remain in last. If you fear expense of Orphanage will keep it. On July Ist the Mayor replied—“ Your telegram of Saturday not intelligible. Please repeat.” The Government, however, had sent no answer to this, but telegraphed as follows—" Nothing could be plainer than your telegram of 25th June, wherein you say that in the event of Government arranging to make no deductions from subsidy, borough will undertake responsibility of distributing charitable aid, inclusive of Orphanage and Hospital. On the strength of this stoppages have been refunded. Propose writing fully by mail to explain position of case.” On July 4th the Colonial Treasurer telegraphed “ Bank of New Zealand requested to instruct their manager at Lyttelton this day by telegraph, to place £574 8s lOd to credit of borough fund account, refund of amount deducted on account of charitable aid. Particulars by post ” The following letter containing fuller particulars from Colonial Secretary’s office was then read “ Referring to the correspondence which has taken place on the subiect of the administration of charitable aid in the borough of Lyttelton, and particularly to the telegrams which have passed between your Worship and the department within the last few days, I am instructed by Colonel Whitmore to lay before I you for the information of the Borough Council a statement of the case as it appeared to the Government to stand. During last financial year a sum of £50,000 was voted by Parliament as grants in aid to hospitals and charitable institutions. In many instances, including Christchurch and Lyttelton, the whole expense of hospitals, orphanage, infirmary and charitable aid of all kind was paid out of this vote, and the whole sum of £SO 000 was recovered by pro rata stoppages from subsidies payable to borough and county funds throughout the colony. The Government, however, felt that this was a very unsatisfactory way of conducting the administration of these institutions, as it was -manifestly impossible to exercise that amount of control over the expenditure necessary to the due efficiency and economy of the service when conducted from a distant centre, and the Government endeavored to induce the local bodies to undertake the administration on conditions which in many other parts of the colony have been found to answer remarkably well. An offer was accordingly made to Mayors and County Council chairmen, the effect of which in cases where it was accepted was that a sum of £1 for every £1 subscribed by private charity, or contributed from the funds of the local body, was given to the committee of management, and in addition all sums deducted from subsidies payable to local bodies were refunded to them, as from the Ist January last. In the case of Lyttelton, although the Borough Council seemed at first disinclined to accept the terms offered by Government, Colonel Whitmore was gratified at receiving, on the 25th June, a telegram from your Worship couched in the following terms:—ln the event of Government arranging with the borough that no deductions whatever shall be made from the subsidies agreed to be paid to the borough under Financial Arrangements Acts 1876 and 1877, the borough will agree to take the responsibility of distributing the charitable aid, inclusive of Orphanage and Hospital.” Meanwhile you had been mtormed that the Government did not insist on handing over the Hospital and Orphanage if you would in the first instance take over the charitable aid, and on the 28th Colonel Whitmore asked you if the borough would be ready to take charge of the charitable institutions as Irom the Ist inst. To this you replied on the 29th that the Council would not take charge of the charitable aid unless the Hospital and Orphanage were included. “Cannot agree to distribute charitable aid exclusive of Orphanage and Hospital, as per my telegram of 25th.” In the meanwhile the Government, relying on your Worship’s telegram of the 25th June, and actm gin good faith according to agreement, caused a voucher to be passed for the repayment to the borough fund of £574 8s lOd, which had been deducted from it. and that amount was at once paid. Colonel Whitmore gathers from your second telegram of the 29th that the Borough Council refused to undertake the management of its local charitable institutions, and is at a loss to understand this change in your plans. He hopes on reconsideration that it may be seen that by the present system a maximum of expenditure with a minimum of efficiency is inevitable in the management of institutions, the total cost of which is in fact paid by the local bodies; on the other hand by local administration a maximum’ of efficiency with a minimum of expenditure would be ensured, and by the proposal of the Government half of the cost would be defrayed by the Treasury instead of the entire amount falling on the local bodies as at present. The telegrams which have passed have been so contradictory that it is difficult to gather what was actually intended. But Colonel Whitmore hopes that in the main he has correctly interpreted your wishes, and that you will find no difficulty in carrying out the administrative duties you have undertaken. — Signed, G. S. Coomb.” The Mayor said the alteration of the word exclusive to inclusive bad caused the whole mi-understanding. Telegrams had been sent pointing out to the Government that they had misinterpreted the telegram sent on June 25th, but in spite of this they kept on acting as if the Council had consented to take charge of the Orphanage and Hospital. There had been no mistake in sending the telegrams. They had been sent to Wellington correctly. If there was a mistake it had been made in Wellington. After discussion, during which it was pointed put that it would be unwise to take over the Orphanage till the Council were empowered by Act of Parliament to collect proportion due from other parts of thp district for the support of the institution, which was used by the whole provincial district, and should, therefore, be supported in proper ratio by the various parts of that district. Or. Macpherson moved—“ That the clerk be instructed to answer Colonel Whitmore under his Worship's direction, pointing out that the telegram of the 25th distinctly stated that the Council would distribute the charitable aid, but would not undertake the management of the Orphanage or Hospital. This was seconded by Or. Weybdrne and earned. Letters from the Treasury, informing the Council that the sum of £574 8s lOd had been placed to its credit, and from Mr March, enclosing letter from Government re chantable aid, which has been already published, was then read. The Mayor said he had taken steps on receipt of Government’s letter to have the Government aid distributed as heretofore, so that recipients should not suffer. From Mr Joseph Dransfield, Mayor of Wellington, re meeting of delegates on opening of session. From town clerk, Christchurch, enclosing resolutions passed at late meeting of conference, on June 27th, re hospitals and charitable aid. From Mr Cuthbert, assistant engineer, stating a water column would be erected in Lyttelton for the supply of engines as speedily as possible. With regard to the careless use of hydrants, instructions to employes had been issued. From 0. Barker respecting proposed Rakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway passing through portions of Borough Council’s reserves between Rakaia and Ashburton, From Messrs Morton and White re Council quarrying stone on their run. From Mr J. G. Seaton, applying for balance duo to him for horse sold in the pound in August, 1877, the animal in question having been his property. From Messrs Garforth and Lee, applying for a renewal of slaughterhouse Keens® for their premises at Cass Bav. From 0. Vince, applying for license as porter. Granted, From Mr Illingworth, asking permission to sublet part of Council i reserve, as a paddock, to Mr R. Wood. The application of Mr Seaton for money due from I fa le of bone in pound was granted, Messrs

Qarforth and Lee’s application for renewal of slaughtering license for their premises in Cass Bay was granted to December 31st, 1878. Several councillors pointed out the advisableness of informing Messrs Q-arforth and Lee that they had better look out for a new site for a slaughterhouse, farther from the town, Mr Illingworth’s application was referred to the estates committee, with power to act. The following letter from the town clerk, Christchurch, was read :—“ I have the honour, by direction of his Worship the Mayor, to ask you to be good enough to say on what terms your Council will be willing to supply Christchurch with water for the following purposes —Ist. Fire prevention purposes. 2nd. The watering of the streets, to the extent of about 54,000 gallons for 100 days in each year. 3rd. To increase the aforesaid supply to the extent of 75,000 and 100,000 gallons.” The Mayor said the water supply committee had mot the City Council on the matter that day, and had asked them to lay something tangible before them on the matter. This letter had been written after the interview. Cr. Macpherson moved—- “ That the letter be referred to the water supply committee.” Seconded by Cr. Parsons, and carried. Accounts amounting to £B4 15s 4d were passed for payment. The Mayor stated that he had signed the deed of the waterworks and site, the necessaryalterations having been made, and had affixed the seal of the Council. The report of the inspector of nuisances was read : it stated that only one householder in Ripon street had complied with the notice served on them re drainage. The gully on the other side of Ripon street was in a bad state, owing to the refuse from a number of small cottages, and there being no water to carry off the refuse. Also, recommending that the owners o property in the upper end of Dublin street having dm in pipes across the footpaths should be requested to hare down pipes fixed so as to take the drainage direct into the concrete channel. The Inspector of Nuisances was authorised to take what steps he thought fit to abate the nuisances referred to in his report. Or. Chalmers moved—- “ That the Council, while endorsing generally the principle of local administration of charitable aid, is of opinion that local bodies cannot safely to themselves or satisfactorily to the public carry out such administration until their powers and duties shall have been defined by direct legislation on the subject. He said they had been asked offhand to read the great riddle of pauperism. They had not been elected by the people with any idea of having to execute such powers, and for that reason he was against incurring the responsibility till there was some direct legislation on the subject. Cr. McClatchie seconded the resolution, which, on being put, was carried. The Council then adjourned.