ST. ALBANS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2696, 28 November 1882, Page 3

ST. ALBANS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the St. Albans Borough Council was held last evening in the Borough Council Chamber, at 7.30. Present—His Worship the Mayor (in tbo chair), Crs. Money, Mann, Rountree, Turner, Bull, Blakiston, Smith and Dickinson.

The finance committee reported the receipts of the past fortnight to be .£334 6s 7d; accounts passed for payment, £209 11s 4d ; credit balance thereafter, £24 3a 6d. The borough accounts for the past half-year, ended September 30th, dulyaudited, were laid on the table, by which, it appeared that the receipts for that period were £2236 I3s 6d; expenditure, £1944 Is lOd ; credit balance, £292 11s B<L The report was received and adopted. Letters were read: —From the South Waimakariri Board of Conservators, inviting the Mayor to accompany the Board on its annual visit of inspection to the works on the Waimakariri Eiver. The Mayor intimated his intention of accepting, the invitation if possible. From the Colonial Secretary’s Office, in. reply, stating that it is a rule not to hand over fines inflicted for offences to the various local bodies. The letter was received.

Prom the Returning Officer of the Borough of St. Albans notifying the reelection of the Hon. J. T. Peacock as Mayor of the Borough for the year 1832 and 1883. The letter was received.

From the clerk to the Licensing Bench calling the Mayor’s attention to the necessity of appointing a Returning Officer for the conduct of the elections of the St. Albans Licensing Bench. On the motion of Cr. Rountree, seconded by Cr. Money, Mr J. P. Ward was appointed to act in that capacity. The question of accepting the Government valuation, under the Rating Act, of the properties in the Borough for the purposes of local taxation, was next discussed.

Cr. Turner spoke at length, pointing out the various arguments for and against its adoption, one feature being that valuations thus made could not be upset. The chief gain -would he uniformity. At the same time, the rateable value of the Borough of St. Albans would be .£30,000 as against £26,000 at present. The Mayor pointed out that the Act could be adopted on any first day of December, and as a certain Borough Council had decided to adopt it, perhaps it would be as well to defer the consideration of the matter for twelve months, and profit by the experience of others. Consideration deferred accordingly. Cr. Blakiston asked that the wishes of certain residents in Clare road, that the name of the road be affixed at its Springfield road corner be complied with. Cr. Money replied that the matter would be attended to by the works committee.

In reply to Cr. Dickenson, the Mayor stated that all residents whose names are on the ratepayers’ roll can vote on the loan question, whether their rates be paid or not.

Leave of absence was further granted to Cr. Moor for a further period of two months. The town clerk was instructed to write again to the Church Property Trustees respecting the metalling of May’s road. This being all the business, the Council adjourned till December 11th, at 7.30 p.m.