BOROUGH COUNCIL.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 358, 6 May 1911, Page 5

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

STATUTORY MEETING. The statutory meeting of Te Kuiti Borough Council was held on Wednesday night at the Council Chambers. The Major, Mr Jas. Boddk\ made i the customary declaration, and was folj lowed by Cra Forsyth, Young, Sims, | Hardy, Tammadge and Finlay. | Cra Hardy and Y'oung extended a j welcome to tha Mayor. ! The Mayor reciprocated the wel- ! come, and said the Council in the past year had worked with a single eye to the public good. The utmost courtesy had been extended from one councillor to another, and to himself, and he had no doubt a similar spirit would be shown by the new Council. He would take a live interest in all that was going on, and i would never attempt to check reaj sonable discussion. He referred to I the want of punctuality displayed by I many public bodies in Te Kuiti, and ! eulogised the past conduct in that | respect of the Borough Council, hoping they would help in being punctual. Cr Sims thanked the Mayor for the kindly remarks he had made in welcoming them, and congratulated him on being returned as Mayor unopposed. Pound Taken Under Public Works Act. —Mr T. F. Martin gave his opinion that the land could be taken for the purpose.—The Mayor said MiMartin was the first authority on Municipal law, and it appeared there was iw obstacle in the way at all. The same position had cropped up in connection with the gravel depot. They had fully considered the matter and come to the conclusion that it would bo best to take the sites under the Public Works Act. Te Kuiti 2B No. I. I.—Messrs Earl | and Kent enclosed a plan of the proposed subdivision of this block.' —Cr Forsyth moved that the matter be J referred to the Finance and Legal j Committee to report. —Cr Sims se- j conded. —Carried. | Chimney Construction. —The Build- ; ing Inspector asked for the Council's j ruling on building by law 25, which j states that no smoke pipe leading j into the open air shall be composed j of other material than brick, stone or j concrete, without special permission. j —Cr Forsyth thought it would be best j to leave each case to be dealt with on : its merits. It would be a hardship in { certain areas, and yet desirable in j others.—The Mayor thought the In- i spector wanted the Council to indicate j whether he had to use discretion. —Cr j Forsyth felt it would be better left to i the Works Committee. —Cr Finlay i moved an amendment that only applications not granted by the In- | spector should be brought before the j committee.— Cr Hardy suggested I that in the inner area only brick chim- I neys be built, but did not press this | amendment. — Cr Forsyth's motion j was that all applications for permis- j sion to erect iron chimneys be re- ; ferred to the Works Committee, and I each individual case be treated on its j merits.—Cr Tammadge seconded. — j The Mayor understood that the mo- : tion meant the Building Inspector had ! no option in the Matter.—Cr Forsyth: Yes, that is so. —Cr Hardy seconded Cr Finlay's amendment. —The amendment was put and carried by four to two, and was carried as a motion on j the voices. I

Site for Municipal Buildings. The President of the Waikato-Maniapoto j District Maori Land Board wrote "that j before withdrawing the sections, he j would be glad to hear it had Mr Albert j Ormsby's sanction as co-owner.- The j Mayor" said that the matter might be j left to the Legal and Finance Corn- j mittee to negotiate and report.—a j motion to this effect was carried. ! Pipes Across Railway Line.—The j District Engineer of the Railway De- j partment wrote dealing with the con- \ ditions for doing this. ■ Cr Finiay said a deputation of j Waiteti settlers had waited on him '' and the Waitomo County had in- ! structed his firm to take action re- ] specting the carting of pipes over the , Waiteti road, which was cutting it up ; at the very worst time of the year. , Cr Hardy said the carting had cut ! the road up very badly. He thought ; that after the work was done the road ought to he repaired. j The Mayor said the Engineer had arranged to take some pipes by rail to ; the extreme end. He quite agreed the Council was liable if it damaged the j roads. The Council would do no injustice to the settlers or the road. Meanwhile the Engineer would cart as much as possible in dry weather. Crs Forsyth and Finiay moved that the District Engineer's conditions be agreed to.—Carried. Refuse Depot.—Mr John Wilson wrote criticising the proposed site, and suggesting another one. The Mayor said the matter had been before them for six months past. Attempts had been made all up and down the river to get a suitable site. The Health Department absolutely refused other sites, and both the Inspector and Dr Makgill said there would be no objection from anyone. —Cr Tarnmadge said a public road ran through the land. Was there not some law forbidding a night soil depot being near a public road?— The Mayor said the land was being taken under the Public Health Act —one of the most drastic Acts on the Statute Book. There was no doubt objections would be made, and if they could have got a site right away back they would have gladly gone there.—lt was decided on the motion of Crs Finiay and Young that a full report be brought up by the Legal and Finance Committee. — The letter was received. Section 3, Block VIII, Orahiri S.D. —The Borough Solicitor gave a lengthy opinion on the question whether a track running through this property wa3 a public road, and stated he was of opinion it was not a public highway, and the present licensee was justified in prohibiting traffic along it. —The matter was left ir the hands of the Mayor and Cr Hardy to see Mr Innes and make arrangements.

j Infectious Diseases.—The Town Clerk reported a case of scarlet fever, | and one of tuberculosis in the borough. I (The former case was removed to the I Waikato Hospital on Thursday morn- ', ing, and every precaution taken to prevent the disease spreading.) i Gun Club. —The Secretary of Te i Kuiti Gun Club applied for permission j to shoot on the Club's grounds in Te i Kuiti East. The section was well | away from population.—Permission j granted. I Deputation to Council,—The Mayor said it was against all order or precedent for a deputation to be received without stating in advance what the j business was. However, he moved i that Mr Travers be admitted.—Mr j Travers said he wanted to subdivide j certain lands and put a road on the i top of the hill. He asked what he had | to do. —The Mayor said as soon as the j Committees were set up the matter i would be dealt with at an early date. I—A motion to this effect was moved by Crs Finlay and Forsyth and carried. * Works Committee. —The Committee i recommended that the Engineer imi prove the entrance at the rear of Chil- | cott's in Matai street, at a cost of j £2; that with reference to the supply |of a crusher and roller, there was a probability of a private person installing a crusher at a cheap rate, and the Committee thought it advisable to wait for a definite offer from the said person; and that the Council bear part of the expense of the improvements in Rora street, opposite the school grounds, to give an entrance to the infant school, and that the Engineer ascertain the cost of the work and report to the Council. —The Engineer reported that the cost of constructing a culvert would be about £2O. , The work to be done would be partly on the public road and partly on the school grounds—that was, if the pres- j ent line was the proper boundary.— ; Cr Finlay and Sims moved the adop- I tion of the report with the exception j of the last named matter —'Carried. | Accounts —A number of accounts J were passed for payment, subject to j approval by the Finance Committee. j The following Committees were appointed:—Finance and Legal: The Mayor and Crs Sims, Finlay arid Hardy. Borough Works, Water and Drainage: Crs Forsyth, Lusk, Julian, Young and Sims. Fire Prevention and Sanitation: Crs Tammadge, Hardy, Somerville and Young. Loan Proposals.—The formal resolution was carried. 1 A resolution was carried that the j special meeting be not held, as in j view of the urgent necessity of meet- j ing for dealing with public works the j meeting had been now held. j Special Rate.—The Mayor said at their next meeting they would have to \ strike a special rate. It might be ! left to the Legal and Finance Committee to find out what their prospective expenditure would be. He moved | that the matter be referred to the ! Committee for report.—Carried. ; Overdraft. —A resolution was car- ; ried authorising the Council to borrow j on overdraft sums from the Union j Bank of Australia not exceeding j £9OO, on the- motion of Crs Finlay and \ Hardy. I Outstanding Rates.—Cr Finlay said | his experience was that the longer j these rates were allowed to run the i more ratepayers felt they were pay- j ing for something they were not | getting value for. He moved that after a week from date all outstanding rates be sued for. Cr Forsyth seconded.—Carried. Balance Sheet.—The Town Clerk presented the balance sheet up to j March 31st, as audited by the Go- j vernment Auditor. I Safe.—Crs Finlay and Forsyth j moved that a suitable safe be pro- j cured.—Carried. J