BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1569, 7 October 1881, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held in the Town Hall, last evening; present His Worship the Mayor, J. O’Hagan, Esq. (in the chair), Councillors Barnett, Anderson, Horne, Bmger, Dove, Seddon, Rudkin, and Pollock. The minutes-of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The inward correspondence whs read and received, and ordered to be considered.

A letter from Mr D. Falvey in reference to draining certain sections of land was referred to the Public Works Committee, to report to next meeting. In reference to a telegram from the Under-Secretary to the Minister of Justice, inquiring the population of Borough of Kumara, Cr. Seddon moved that a committee consisting of the Mayor, Crs. Barnett, Dove, and the mover be appointed to draw up a telegram giving fuller particulars than the telegram which had already been sent. This was seconded by Cr. Burger and carried. A letter from Mr John Henderson was considered. It suggested that the Council should adopt the same course with Mr Bell as had been done in his case in the matter of encroachment on the Town Belt Reserve. Cr. Seddon said Mr Henderson’s appeal was just. He proposed the Council deal with the subject fairly. He moved “ That if Mr Henderson's statement be correct, the Council take steps to remove Mr Bell’s fence from the North Town Belt.”

Cr. Horne seconded the motion, which was carried.

Letters from Mr Mulvihill and Messrs Hannan and Gibson, asking for drainage of theirs and adjoining sections, were, on the motion of Cr. Pollock, seconded respectively by Crs. Seddon and Anderson, referred to the Public Works Committee, to report to- next meeting.

An application from Messrs Killeen and Taylor to have a dangerous tree in the vicinity ot their premises cut down was, on the motion of Cr. Seddon, seconded by Cr. Burger, referred to the Public Works Committee to act as they thought tit. Cr. Anderson, presented a petition from residents of Seddon street, praying for r-epaira and the making of footpaths at the upper end of that street. The petition was received, and, on the motion of Cr. Rudkin, held over for consideration till the report of the Public Works Committee had been read. The report of the Public Works Committee, dated 28th September, was then read by the Town Clerk, as follows : Report. (1.) The Public Works Committee recommend that £3 be granted to Miuto, on consideration that his house is removed within one month. (2.) The Committee cannot at present recommend the erection of a lamp at the Post-office. (3.) The Committee recommend that an Inspector of Nuisances and Registrar of Dogs be appointed ; and that steps be taken to ascertain if one of the police will be allowed the appointment, at a salary to be fixed by the Council. (4.) That the whole of the unfinished portion of Seddon street, from Third to to Seddpn’s verandah be improved by cutting out stumps, removing boulders,, levelling and metalling, 33ft. wide ; and the committee recommend that tenders be called for the work, according to specifications to be prepared by the Borough Surveyor before next meeting of Council. (5.) The Committee cannot recommend any further expenditure on Tui street at present. (6.) The Committee recommend that the resolution objecting to granting of half-acre residence areas, passed on the 25th August, be rescinded.

(7.) That the Warden be requested, in granting residence areas, to make provision for a 12-foot right-of-way at the back of all occupied sections.

On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Barnett, the Report was received and considered, the clauses to be dealt with seriatim. Cr. Barnett moved “That clause 1 Vie adopted.” Cr. Horne seconded. The motion was carried. Cr. Dove moved and Cr. Burger seconded “ That clause 2 be adopted.” Cr. Barnett moved an amendment “ That clause 2 be not adopted, hut that a lamp be erected at the Post-office at once.” It would be a great convenience to business people. Cr. Seddon alluded to the fact of there being lights from two publichouses opposite. He thought they might wait till the snorter days came on again. He won d, however, second the motion pro forma. The amendment was lost, and the danse agreed to. In reference to clause 3, Cr. Seddon moved an amendment—" That the portion of the clause reconi mending the

appointment of a Registrar of Dogs be not adopted ; and that the portion recommending the appointment of an Inspector of Nuisances be adopted.” This was seconded by Or. Barnett. On a division there wore Ayes 4 Ors. Barnett, Anderson, Seddon, Pollock ; Noes—The Mayor, Crs. Rudkin, Horne, Burger, Dove. The original clause was then put and carried.

Or, Barnett moved “ That clause 4, recommending the improvement of Seddon street, be referred back to the Public Works Committee, together with the petition presented by Or. Anderson.” Or. Seddon seconded. On a division there were Ayes 3 Crs. Barnett, Seddon, Pollock; Noes 6—The Mayor, Crs. Anderson, Rudkin, Horne, Burger, Dove. Cr. Seddon said it was rather remarkable that the Councillor who presented the petition was now voting against it. The Mayor then moved “ That clause 4 be adopted.” Cr. Burger seconded. Or. Seddon moved an amendment “ That the following words be added to clause 4: ‘That where the majority of the occupiers request it, the footpaths be formed.’” A division was taken : Ayes 4—Crs. Barnett, Horne, Seddon, Pollock ; Noes 5 —The Mayor, Crs. Anderson, Rudkin, Burger, Dove. The original clause was then put and passed uu a division, the names as above being reversed. Clause 5, recommending that no further works be undertaken in Tui street, was ad ipted. In reference to clause 6, the Mayor moved and Cr. Seddon seconded—- “ That clause 6, recommending ‘ that the resolution re not granting half-acre residence areas be rescinded’ be adopted, and that the Warden bo informed of the fact.” The motion was carried.

The Mayor moved “That danse 7, recommending that the Warden be asked to provide for right-of-ways, be adopted.” Cr. Seddon moved an amendment—• “ That the Town Clerk be instructed in all cases of applications for residence areas, to see that the interests of the borongh are protected and that right-of-ways are provided for where necessary. Seconded by Cr. Barnett, and carried. The Town Clerk laid upon the table and read specifications for draining the sections on the north side of Seddon street. The Mayor moved and Cr. Anderson seconded—“ That tenders be called for the work in accordance with the specifications.” The motion was carried. Specifications for the improvement of Seddon street were ordered to lie on the table. A letter from the Minister of Lands re the Cemetery Reserve was considered. Cr. Seddon moved and Cr. Barnett seconded—“ That the Minister of Lands be requested to extend the frontage of the Cemetery Reserve, so as to include all the land fenced ; and that it may be vested in the Borongh Council. Also that he be informed that the Council have ten chains of frontage to the Greenstone road fenced, whereas the Reserve has only five chains.” The motion was carried. Cr. Seddon then moved—“ That the Waste Lands Board be informed that in reply to the Minister for Lands they have requested that all the land fenced may be vested in the Borough Council as a Cemetery Reserve ; and requesting the Board to support the application.” Seconded by the Mayor, and carried. The Mayor then moved—“ That in the opinion of this Council the services of a permanent day-labor man are no longer necessary; therefore that the day-labor man receive one month’s notice to that effect.” He considered che streets could now be repaired and maintained cheaper by tendering than by paying regular wages.

Ci*. Burnett seconded the motion ; and Cr. Burger also spoke in favor of the resolution.

Crs. Seddon and Pollock spoke strongly against the motion! On a division being taken, the motion was carried:—,Ayes,6—The Mayor, Crs. Barnett, Anderson, Rudkin, Burger, Dove ; Noes 3—Crs. Horne, Seddon, Pollock.

The Mayor then moved—“ That in the opinion of this Council the services of the Borough Surveyor are no longer really necessary for the carrying out of works within the borough, and that the Borough Surveyor receive three months’ notice to that effect; and that the Council do proceed to fix the salary for the office of Town Clerk, with other offices held by him with this Council.” As the two principal streets of the town were now formed and made, he

considered it was no longer necessary to maintain the services of a surveyor -tt a fixed sa'ary, but to pay for such services when required. Such a course would, he thought, he a saving to the borough.

Cr. Barnett seconded the motion. He thought the services of the surveydb were ndt now necessary. Cr Seddon opposed the motion ; in doing so, he should bring figures to bear, which, he said, had not been attempted by those who brought the motion forward. In the course of busi* ness in the . House of Representatives, from which he had just returned, he had an opportunity of seeing the ei- ■ penditure of all the boroughs in the colony, and the cost of administration as compared with the total revenue. Kumara stood fifth on the list of boroughs in order whose per centage of administration was least as compared with revenue. Out of a total revenue of nearly £IO,OOO the administrative expenses were only £1498 3s Bd. If the ratepayers agreed to have the waterworks carried out, then the cost of employing a surveyor would be five times as much in a few months as we are now paying. Cr. Burger felt bound to vote with the resolution. Cr. Rudkin agreed with Cr. Seddon. Cr. Seddon then moved as an amendment “ That this question be postponed until the opinion of the ratepayers be taken as to whether they are agreeable to a special loan being raised for water works purposes and that immediate action be taken on the resolution passed last meeting dealing with this matter.” Cr. Pollock seconded the amendment. On a division being taken there were—Ayes 4—Crs. Rudkin, Horne, Seddon, Pollock; Noes s—The Mayor, Crs. Barnett, Anderson, Burger, Dove. Cr. Seddon said he would now vote with the original motion if his Worship the Mayor would consent to omit the words “and that the Council do proceed to fix the salary for the office of Town Clerk, with other offices held by him with this Council,” by substituting the words—“ Tiiat on the expiration of notice given, the Town Clerk and Surveyor’s salary be £2OO per annum.” The Mayor agreed to this. Cr. Biinett proposed that the office of Surveyor be done away with, and the salary of the Town Clerk be £l5O.

A division was taken on Cr. Seddon’s amen ImentAyes 7—The Mayor, Cr*. Birnett, Rudkin, Horne, Seddon, Pollock, Dove ; Noes 2—Crs. Anderson, Burger. The original motion as amended was then put and carried, as follows :r—- ---“ That in the opinion of this Council the services of the Borough Surveyor are no longer really necessary for the carrying out of the works within the boiough, and that the Borough Surveyor receive three months’ notice to that effect; and that on the expiration of the three montns’ notice, the Town Clerk and Surveyor’s salary be £2OO per annum.”

The Mayor moved and Cr. Rudkin seconded—“ That immediate action be taken in accordance with the resolution passed at last meeting re raising a loan for water-works.—Carried. This closed the business of the Council, which lasted till 12.30 a.m.