BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1549, 14 September 1881, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Town Hall last evening for the purpose of considering a letter received from Dr. Giles (the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands) relative to the Kumara Cemetery Reserve. Prior to the commencement of business, Mr G-. R. Rudkin, a new member, was sworn in. The following were present—His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Anderson, Burger, Dove, and Rudkin.

After a full explanation had been given by the Mayor of the position of the Council with regard to the Kumara Cemetery Reserve, and the reading of the somewhat lengthy correspondence on the subject between the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands and the Town Cleik of Kumara, his Worship said the question seemed to be—Did the Council or the Borough Surveyor know, at the time of the application, that the ground required was actually included in the Cemetery Reserve ? The Government having most of the correspondence.before them, he thought the l>est course Was to leave tlie matter in the hands of the Government. Cr. Burger concurred. The Town Clerk stated that he had numbered-the paragraphs (commencing from the third), in Dr. Giles' letter of the 30th August, 1881,—[which letter appeared in the West Coast Times on Saturday last]—and had written some remarks thereon, which, with the consent of the Council, he would lay before them. Permission being granted, the Town Clerk proceeded" as follows : 1. It is true that Mr Murray asked

me where the Council wished the Cemetery to be laid off, and that I told; him they wished it to include the fenced' gtdund. But this in no way affects the question at issue j and it is strange that Mr Murray should be referred to me for instructions on or about the 2Sth, April, 1880,'when on the 21st of the' same month the Land Board had passed a resolution distinctly refusing to make the alteration requested by the Council, and when, moreover, the Chief Surveyor; was in possession of a plan promised by the Council, as see letter from the ' Borough Surveyor of 21st November, 1877. . "

2. The boundary of the fenced ground unquestionably varies from the j Gazette description four chains» If the Land Board maps make it only three | chains, the maps, ate wrong. The Chesterfield road was laid out and formed 12 years ago, and sections sold, surveyed and occupied, fronting on it. It also forms one boundary of the Kumava mining district, as proclaimed about six years ago> How then can Dr. Giles say that it was not laid out until after the Cenletery Reserve) which he says was not laid out till April, 1880. 3. Surely a difference of four chains in a measurement of 26 chains along a formed high road, is, to use Dr. Giles' words, a " serious and glaring error," and ought to be corrected. 4. The Land Act provides that " where there has been any error of description made in the notification of any intended reserve " the same shall be amended by " issuing fresh notifications in respect thereof;" and I cannot see how the Board can consider it " quite unnecessary to do this." 5. Dr.. Giles is again wrong in saying that '■" the only requests from the Borough are to be found in letters of 16th April, 1880, and 28th May, 1881. The requests of Borough were announced iu their letter of August 31st, 1877, and have been renewed continually, a deputation from the Borough Council having on one occasion travelled 36 miles to urge their claims on the Board. Moreover the. Council never asked for tf a new-reserve of double the size of that gazetted," the ground fenced in by them having only 5 acres, whereas that gazetted is 10 acres. 6. Dr. Giles says that " the Government" ia of opinion that the proper mode of dealing with the Reserve is to bring it under the Cemeteries Management Act, 1877. 1 don't know what authdrity Dr. Giles has to write in the name of the Governmentj but I do know that the Board, in their letter of Sept. isth, 1877, distinctly promised to vest the Reserve in the Borough Council, and thus led the Council to expeud over £3OO in fencing, draining, and otherwise improving the ground; 7. Dr. Giles' persistence in charging the Council with allowing themselves to be misled and misinformed, in the face of their assurance' that they have written "from their own intiinato knowledge of the facts" is a want of courtesy which could hardly have been expected from one holding Dr. Giles' official position. 8. I can see no use in continuing the correspondence with Dr. Giles, and would suggest that the complete correspondence and these remarks be fori warded to Mr Seddon, M.H.R., with a request that he will lay them before the Government. As the Reserve stands at present I have no doubt that in the event of the Borough Council finding it necessary to proceed against nny persons for trespass, they would be met by the plea that the ground occupied is not that proclaimed as a reserve. Gr. Rndkin proposed—" That the who'e correspondence be forwarded to Mr Seddonj to lay before the Government." Cr. Anderson seconded the motion. . Cr. Burger moved—" That a letter be sent to Dn Giles informing him that the whole correspondence would be referred to the Government. *' Cr. Itudkin seconded the motion. The Council theu adjourned.