BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1758, 19 May 1882, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Town Hall last evening ; present—His Worship the Mayor (J. O'Hagan, E*q.), Councillors Kudkin, Pollock, Home, Campbell, Bulger, Dove, Anderson. Barnett, and Seddon. The minutes of the ordinary meeting held on the Bfch May and a special meeting on the 9th, were read and confirmed. The outward correspondence was read and approved of, and the inward read and received. BURGESS AND DEFAULTERS' LIST'S. In reply to an application to the Colonial Se.eiet=\ry that the time for making out and publicly notifying the Valuation List of the Borough might be extended, in consequence of an unavoidable adjournment of the Assessment Court, a letter w.is read from the Under-Secretary assenting to the request if, in fixing the sequence of dates for tbe various proceeding, en re were taken to allow sufficient time for making the Order-in-Council. The dates proposed were then read over, and, on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Barnett, adopted. DRAINAGE. A letter from Mr L>. tfannan, drawing the attention of the C .uilcil to the state of the unformed portion of Tui street opposite his house, a remedy for which ..\}' d A, some months previously been sanctioned by the Council, was held over pending the consideration of a repurt of the Borough Surveyor. A letter from Mrs Pfaff complaining of the bad state of drainage in Seddon street was for the same reason held over. ROAD TO SEA BEACH. On the motion of the Mayor, seconded 1 by Cr. Home, the Town Clerk was instructed to thank the Hon. Mr Rolleston, Minister of Lands, for his letter re continuation of Seddon street. The letter was in reply to a proposal to construct a road from Kumara to the sea beach. The answer was that "'the proposal will be considered." STATISTICS. The consideration of a letter from the Registrar-General, applying for certain statistical information for the year ending March, 188-2, was, on the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Anderson, held over till next meeting DAY LABOUR. A report from the Borough Surveyor on day labour work was then read as follows ; Report of the Borough Surveyor on Public Works. I have to report that during the last three weeks the streets within the Borough have been interfered with by certain persons without any authority from me On my inquiring by whose authority they were acting, I was informed that they were working under orders from Mr .Burger. On the 27th April the Public Works Oommittee passed a resolution that "No day labour be employed until further instructions to the Engineer." Although I could only consider that resolution as a recommendation to the Council, and of no force until it is adopted by the Council, I have been desirous of meeting the wishes of the Committee as far as possible, and therefore have not employed any day labor except on works necessary to keep the streets safe and open for traffic ; but the work done without my authority has not been of this nature.. In one case, injury, which might have been very serious, has resulted from a culvert grating having been opened and left open by, as I am informed, the orders of some members of the Council.. ; I would respectfully request that the Council will exercise great care i« dealing : with- the recommendations- of the Gom° *

rmtteethat no day labour shall be employed; I must pomt out that, as the responsible officer of the Borough, in the event of an accident occurring owing to the dangerous state of a street, I should be liable to ait action for damages, and in the event of loss of life' I should be liable' to an indictment for manslaughter. IJnder these circumstances' I niust certainly, protect myself by maintaining the streets in a safe condition, and I trust that the Couft'c'ii will not adopt a recommendation which may lead to an unseemly conflict of authority. James Wylde, May 16th, fcftft *^ S ™^ Op. Campbell moved and Or. Pollock Seconded—" That the report be received and considered."—Carried. The Mayor moved and Cr.- Campbell seconded—" That the' report be' considered clause by clause."—Carried. Cr. Pollock drew attention to the fact of a member of the Council employing a day-labour man. Cr. Burger stated that the" road re'ferred to was in a very dangertfu's state/ and, as Chairman of the Public Works Committee, he employed a man. The Mayor moved and Cr. Anderson 1 seconded—" That the action of the* Chairman of the Public Works Committee' in employing a day-labour man be approved of!" Cr. Pollock moved as an amendment—" That no public w'otks be undertaken without the Borough Surveyor" being consulted." And subsequently ask'jd leave to move that the following words be added :—"or, in his absence/ by the Public Works Committee." I Cr. Campbell secouded the stmendI meijt, and, in so" doing denounced the' ; action of the Chairman of the Board of Works in interfering with the duties of' the Borough Surveyor, and employing men without the sanction of the Coun» cil. It was a piece of stupidity in so acting.—[Here' the attention of* the Council was directed to the word made use of by Cr.- Campbell.]:—Cr. Carapj bell continued—" I repeat it, it is an; act of " stupidity;" I can call it nothing nlofe nofr less. After further discitsskra, the' attfercctment was put to a division, which resulted as follows: Ayes, 4: Crs. Pollock, Home, Campbell, Barnett; Noes, 5 i The- Mayor,- Crs. Anderson, , Rudkin, Burger, Dove. At this stage Cr. Seddon entered the* Chamber and took his -seat; and ' the* Mayor read over to-bin* the Borough Surveyor's Report.atari the' substantive; motion and amendment.

Cr. Sheldon said he should vote for neither the motion nor the amendment.Ct\ Barnett then moved—" That sL day-labour man be employed." The motion was seconded by Cr. Campbell, blYt lost on a division, there being only two for the amendment, aud seven against. Cr. Seddon then moved an amendment—" That the attention of the Council having been drawn to tfcfe" fact that day labour had been : employed without the sanction of the Council, the Surveyor's Report be withdrawn/'' This was seconded by Cr. Campbell, and carried. The amendment was then put as the substantive motion and carried, after 8 long and somewhat acrimonious debate. THE ©EIfETERY. The Town Clerk then read a Report concerning the Cemetery : Report' of the Town Clerk kb the* Cemetery. I have to report that the Sexton, Nathan Seddon, has given notice of his resignation^ The ground lately cleared and grubbed requires to be laid out, and the graves pegged off, all the graves laid off bein°- now occupied, It is necessary that immediate arrangements should be made for doing this work and for the appointment of aSexton. James Wylde, Town Clerk, The Mayor moved «That the matter be referred to the Public Works Committee to report to next meetin«." The motion was seconded by Civ Burger. Cr. Seddon moved as an amendment " That the question be referred to the Finance Committee." This was seconded by Cr. Barnett, and carried. On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Home, the Council then adjourned.