BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 2819, 3 October 1885, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Borough Council was held in the Town Hall on Thursday evening; present —His Worship the Mayor (H. Burger, Esq.), and all the Councillors, viz., Messrs Maloney, Kroener, Anderson, Davies, Fitzsimons, Killeen, Olden, Mulvihill, and Ziegler. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The outward correspondence was read and approved of. The inward correspondence was read and received, and considered. A letter was read from Mr Slade calling she attention, of the Council to the state of the culvert in Cashman street, as in wet weather it overflows and floods all his garden. —On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Cr. Maloney, Mr Slade's letter was referred to the Public Works Committee, with power to act. PUBLIC WORKS. The Town Clerk read the Public Works Committee's Report, which was as follows : " Present—Cr. Ziegler (Chairman), Crs. Fitzsimons and Killeen, and the Mayor. " The Committee resolved to recommend— " 1. That the Committee be authorised to procure an amalgamated tool for the use of the day-labour man (rake, scraper and pick combined). " 2. That the contractor be instructed to prepare 25 yards of broken metal for the use of the borough in Seddon street west. " 3. That the Council be recommended to call for applications for a permanent day-labour man ; and that Mr Keenan be appointed temporarily ixnti' such applications had been dealt with by thtf Council. "L. Ziegler, Chairman." The report was received and considered. Clauses 1 and 2 were adopted. With reference to clause 3, The Mayor said the question was one which certainly required consideration. Cr. Mulvihill wished to know if it was proposed to employ labour by the six months or the twelve months. The Mayor thought the Council should call for applications. It was open for Cr. Mulvihill to move an amendment on the recommendation ; it was a matter for the Council to deal with. Cr. Mulvihill then moved—" That clause 3 be amended by striking out the word "permanent," and that the words "at the rate of ten shillings petday " be added. Cr. Davies considered that it was not required to keep a day-labour man constantly. Cr. Maloney would prefer that the day-labour man be engaged for two months only ; however, ho would second the amendment. The clause as amended was then put and carried. LITERARY SOCIETY. The Town Clerk read a report from the Finance Committee, to whom had been referred from the previous meeting of the Council a letter from the Hon. Secretary Literary Institute, reminding the Council of its promise some months ago to grunt the sum of ,£lO. The Committee recommended that the amount be passed for payment to the Institute. Tlio report was received and ndopted, and the amount passed for payment. BOROUGH RESERVE. Tim Town Clerk brought up the amended specifications which he had

prepared for clearing the Borough Reserve; which were read and adopter l , and the Town Clerk instructed to call for tenders by next meeting of Council. [His Worship the Mayor here retired from the hall, and asked Cr. Anderson to take the chair.] PROPOSED MAYORAL SALARY. Cr. Olden, by notice given at the last meeting of the Council, now moved—" That in accordance with the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, section 58, the Mayor of the Borough of Kumara be paid a salary out of the borough fund ; that the amount of such salary be £SO per annum ; and that the salary for the present year be now passed for payment." Cr. Ziegler seconded the motion. Cr. Maloney did not approve of thi<=, nor was he in favour of the shilling rate. It wou'd he open for the public to say that the shilling rate recently passed was for this purpose. He considered the honour of holding the pos ; - tion of Mayor was quite sufficient. Cr. Killeen agreed with Cr. Maloney ; he thought the honour was sufficient. The little fund they had at, their disposal, should be applied to the I'enefit of the ratepayers. Cr. Davies endorsed the remarks of the last two speakers. The motiou had been moved and seconded without one word in support of it. He disapproved of such a vote. Cr. Mulvihill said he would follow suit. The Council should ease the ratepayers. He had opposed the shilling rate, because he did not think it necessary. He did not believe in the racecourse either ; he thought that was an unnecessary expenditure. There were any number of competitors for the office of Mayor. True no one had done more for the borough than the present Mayor; he had done very well. But he would certainly oppose the granting of this salary. Cr. said the present Mayor was quite entitled to the salary, and deserving of it. He had been foremost at meetings of the Council, and committee meetings. Cr. Olden said this was the second time this matter had been brought before the Council lately. Mr Burger had been elected by a large majority over Mr Hannan, who proposed the reduction of the rate. The present Mayor had done a good deal for the borough. The Hokitika borough, which had a less revenue than the Kutnara, gave its Mayor £IOO per annum; and the Ross Mayor received £SO a year. A good man well paid is better than an indifferent one not paid at all. Cr. Mulvihill : Do you propose to pass £SO for the present year? Cr. Olden : Yes. The motion was again l'ead, and a division called for which resulted as follows:—Ayes, 3—Crs. Olden, Ziegler, Anderson ; Noes, 6—Crs. Kroener, Killeen, Mulvihill, Fitzsimons, Davies, Maloney. The motion was therefore declared lost. This concluded the business of the meeting.