BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2452, 14 February 1882, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

! SYDENHAM. The usual fortnightly meeting of this Council was held last evening in the Borough Council Chamber. Present—His Worship the 'Mayor, Crs. Andrew, Hall, Brown, Forrester, Pavitt, and Webber. Or. White wrote, apologising for hi* absence from the Council's meeting on the score of ill health. The Council, in accepting the apology, expressed its regret at the cause of absence. Mr George Leslie Lee, Returning Officer, wrote, asking for the use of the Borough Council offices on Friday, February 24th, for the purposes of the election of the licensing' committee of the Sydenham district on that date.

The Town Clerk said that,with the Mayor's concurrence, he had replied, giving the necessary permission, subject to cleaning up the offices and removing the hustings. The action was approved. The committee appointed to superintend Class A for the forthoomiDg Ohristchurch International Exhibition in Hagley Park wrote asking the co-operation of the Council. The letter was received.

Mr Wm. George Walker, clerk to the Ohristohurch B.M. Oourt, wrote, asking permission to use the Council's offices for all meetings of the licensing committee under the Licensing Committees Act, 1881, and stating that, anticipating a favorable reply, and to enable him to comply with the provisions of the statute, he had advertised the first meeting to be held at the Borough Council's office. The request was acceded to. Mr Alfred Oppenheim wrote, referring the Oouncil to its letter of the 26th of May last, in which it was stated that if the formation, &0., of Talfourd street was not oompleted by the parties interested within a month frost that date, tho Ccuncil would cause the work to be done. The work had not been completed, and the writer called attention to the street being nearly impassable in wet weather, and that having property there he was a loser, concluding by asking that the work be done. Some discussion ensued as to the drainage of the street in question, and ultimately it was resolved to refer the matter to the works committee, with power to act. The Colonial Treasurer wrote, stating that the amount due t? the borough on account of subsidy, for the nine months ended 31st Deoember, 1881, was £772 53 3d. Off this the amount to be deduoted for Hospital and charitable aid, due by the borough of Sydenham for that period, was £761, leaving ■> balance due to the Council of £ll 5s 3d, which had been passed through the Bank to the Council's credit. The letter was ordered to be received.

The statement of receipts and expenditure of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for the Biz months ended December 31st, 1881, were laid on the table.

This matter was postponed from last meeting, and after discussion, it was resolved, on the motion of Or. Forrester, seconded by Or. Pavitt —" That a conference of the various local bodies be held in Christchurch to consider the question of Hospital and charitable aid as at present provided." Letters from the City Council re the South, belt formation charges and the Canterbury Tramway Company were considered in connection with the works committee's report. The works committee reported : That the Council's offer of the 13th June, 1879, re the erection of a bridge over the Heathcote, is still open. That the Tramway Company's application for permission to construct a> siding on the Ferry road be recommended, con« tingent upon the Heathcote Kosd Board offering no objection. That the Heathcote Eocd Board, having stated that Humboldt and Campbell streets had been partly formed aiid metalled*, and recognised as public streets, the Council make them public streets and put them in proper repair. That the City Council's offer of J 2379 12s 41, as its share of the cost of the recent works on the South belt, being unsatisfactory, that body be requested to reconsider the matter, and that this committee be authorised to make such arrangements as may be considered desirable in the matter. That the unpaid portion of the Sandridge streets shingling due by residents be sued for at the end of the month. That the committee be authorised to procure a supply of stone similar to that now used on the footpaths of the Heathcote district.

The report was reoeived and adopted.

The finance committee reported the receipts and expenditure of the past fortnight to be— Beceipts, £442 Os Id ; expenditure, £39 9* lid ; credit balance at Bank, £llß7 14s 6d. The report recommended that Mr Boyle's notice, giving up possession of the Council's endowment reserve, be accepted, and that his offer to rent a portion of flame be declined. Also, that the reserve be placed in the charge of a resident of the locality till dealt with by the Council. The report was reoeived and adopted. The question havinf arisen as to the delay in the Council's obtaining the title to its reserve from the Government, it was resolved, on the motion of Or. Brown, seconded by Or. Forrester, " That the town clerk be instructed to write to the Government re the Council's reserve." The Council then went into committee to consider various matters, and on resuming adjourned.

ST. ALBANS. An ordinary meeting of the above Council was held last evening at half-past seven o'clock. Present—His Worship the Mayor and all the Councillors. A letter irom Mr W. A. Brown and several other ratepayers in the district, asking for certain repairs to McFaddin's road, May's road, and the bridges over Dudley's creek and Harris' creek, wsb referred to the works committee for its report. Cr. Turner brought up a report from, the by-law committee. It was their intention to recommend that a modification of the by-laws of the Harbor Board should be adopted for the guidance of the Council's ordinary meetings, and that, with regard to the management of slaughter houses, the by-laws of the Selwyn County Council should be adopted. The committee would formally recommend these by-laws at next meeting. In the meantime, it would perhaps be desirable to act upon the by-laws recommended as if they had been passed. Tbis was agreed to. The report of the works committee was read and discussed. Most of the recommendations, including a proposal to call for tenders for a large quantity of metal, were adopted.— Cr. Turner, while agreeing that all the works recommended by the committee were desirable, and ought to be carried out, wished to point out that they would involve an expenditure which, together with the Council's ordinary expenses, would amount to nearly £2OOO, and absorb the whole of the Council's revenue for the year.—The Mayor said a new rate would be struck in May, and besides the Council expected to receive a considerable sum from the Avon Road Board.—Cr. Turner remarked that if all the works proposed by the committee were undertaken the Counoil would have to be deaf to all future demands for some time to come. He thought it would be better to refer the report back to the works committee, with an instruction that they should re-consider the question of calling for tenders for road metal. This suggestion was agreed to. —With regard to a proposal by the works committee that five new gas lamps should be erected in different parts of the district, Cr. Matson moved—" That on one-half the cost of a lamp being paid in to the Borough's account the lamp be erected and maintained at the cost of the Council." —Cr. Blakistonseconded the motion, which was opposed by Cr. Turner and the Chairman, and after some discussion negatived on the voices. The recommendation of the works committee was then adopted.

Acoounts to the amount of £77 3s 3d were passed for payment. It was agreed that the use of the Council's offices should be granted for the purpose of the election of the Licensing Committee and for the meetings of the committee. A letter was read from the Hospital and, Charitable Aid Board, forwarding a statement of accounts for the six months ending 31st December, 1881. The Chairman reported that he had waited upon the Drainage Board in reference to the matter brought under the notice of the Council by a deputation at last meeting, and that tho Board bad instructed its surveyor to visit the locality in question. Mr Spooner waited upon the Council and complained that tho drainage from Orescent road flooded his land. The matter was referred to the works committee, and it was decided to write to the Drainage Board on the subject. This was all the business, and the Council adjourned.