GORE TOWN B0ARD.

Mataura Ensign, Volume 7, Issue 420, 23 December 1884, Page 5

GORE TOWN BOARD.

The adjourned meeting o£ the Boarc was J h'el d' on Friday , e vening, ! whei there, were present — M^siars Beatth (ch;|irman|^reen, Roy, Turnbull, anc He&ejfr« •'.'.'. '»'.•'.: • - ,''.■■■ • . • . 3?he» in v?ar 5 d , correspondence was read. •■-.,•■: The 'Gore Swimming Club wrote asking 'for a 'subsidy in aid of their funds-^-XJpon the motion of Mr Green, seconded by Mr Turnbull, consideration, p^ ; ,tbe letter was held over. Theo General Manager of railways wrote 'in reply to the petition for statibnacebmuiodation. The matter was under consideration. The letter was received. Mr.; Th sui wrote statiug that he had paid the license fee on his dogs to the .Town Board and had after-wards-be*-n: compelled to \my the County collector. He therefore asked for W. refund. The inspector, who was present,' stated' that ' Mr Thorn' had paid.no fees t6* him. A man named O'Connor, whb lived with him, had done vso.v-It *vas .r; -solved on the motion of Mr Green, seconded by Mr Boy* that* thei Chairman make enquiries into ; the matter, and if found needful refund the sum named to Mr Thorn.— ln connection with the matter a letter was read from the clerk of the County Council, which slated that the Council was.no.t proceeding against ] the Bo'ird, for the recovery of dog taxos.— The inspector upon being questioned said h« could prove that at. least, four dog tnxes were col- ' lected l>y the county which should belong to the town. The chairman expUiin^.that the dogs ostensibly; belonged to a man who lived in the town but whose emp oyment was out- : side of it. — The" inspector said that in j that case he could collect hardly any ' rate& at all.: — Mr Green thought the County bad (shown no disposition to , adjust accounts, and the clerk said that the. position the County took was that they had no accounts to adjust. --Asbmewhatlorigconversational discussion ensued, in which the recent case of Jenkins, who now claimed a I refund of Ll 13s which he had incius ■' rod by being sued, and fined by the County, was referred to. It was gen* rally thought that Jenkins, havingjpaid his license to the Board should have notified them of his summons and pro* bably they would have defended it,— The matter was, ultimately left in the hands of the chairman, who was requested to bring the matter up at next meeting if not adjusted before. The secretary Of. the Invercargill Benevolent Institution asked by letter (addressed to the Gordon Town Board) for a renewal of last y tar's donation. — Beceived. The leseee of the Town Ha.l wrote asking to be allowed time to pay his arrears of rent, L2O 6s Bd. Mr Green said that. rumor stated that the hall Tfas not conducted in such a manner as to make it a place of popular resort. He concluded by moving that the lessee be allowed till the 25th inst to settle up. The lease to be cancelled on that date if this was not done. Mr Turnbull seconded the motion which was carried..! The architect, Mr P. W. Burwell wrote enclosing his account, LSO 6s od, his fee upon the erection of the hall. In connection with this matter the claim of Eldred and Johnston was brought up. They 'offered.to finish the entablature if the Board would contribute Lls tow^rks the cost, which would be L22. After a long explanation as to the history of the affair, it was moved by Mr. Green, and seconded by Mr Beattie that the original contract be carried out.. The motion was carried. Consequent, upon, this a motion proposed by Mr Green and seconded by Mr Heherr was carried that the architect be informed that, payment will be held over till the- completion of the contract and that ; his attention be drawn to the fact that it is still.uncompleted.—A similar , letter was. 'ordered to be ! written to, Eldred and Johnston. Mt ' ■■Simeon's notice of motion re ditch in Brpughton street Was allowed to gtand over till the ordinary meeting. The Chairman stated that he and Mr Simsbn bad inspected the section wbicn Mr Qooney; complained of being flooded. Tne Board could, at present, do nothing, as the ground was too low to be drained without a special drain being made. The matter was held over,— ln ; this ..connection Mr Beattie adverted to > the nuisance created by numbers of horses, at large >about the township, They .were. destroying the footpaths and table drains. He thought the" inspector should be empowered to proaeeute owners. He suggested that public notice be given in theMATiUEA Ejisign, and after that the law be enforced^ The Police Offences Act bearing upon the matter was read, and alapparfcof the Public Woiks AcfcThe motion was carried, Mr Turnbull dissenting. ,It was moved by Mr Turnbull, but not seconded, that the registration fee, ior the ensuing year be- the same as last, year, viz., 5s- After some discussion it was moved by Mr Gretn, seconded by Mr Roy, and carried, that the fee be 7s6d. The chairman stated that the valution would require to be made before January J5/ The cost would not be so great this year, as it could bebasedupon the Property Tax valuation of the year before last.— Upon the motion of Mr Heherr, seconded Mr Green, the appointment was offered to Mr Bree. The chairman directed the attention oi jjbhe Board to the manner in which the drains were being put down in rirwell street, and aaked if any cominunication from the engineer had been submitted- The drains, he said, were so crooked that they would not pass in -an ordinary field. This was a. serious matter when the drain was on flat ■ A' desultory discussion' enBued8 ued and the matter of flushing the ; drai^ came up. The reservoir, was generally condemned by members, and uUiinately a committee was appointed to confer with the engineer on his Portly expected visit. , . ' . the^ inspector r ;asUed:.tor ■ authority, j io provide wooden '"frame^ ior pom** of the gratmgs ur the

.street. The matter was held ove till the visit of the engineer. He als< * mentioned that some gravel wa 1 urgently required in Mersey street b He thought about 20 loads would bi i enough to fill up all the ruts, whicl should be done before bad weather se J in. The chairman was authorised t< call for and accent tenders for 2( 5 j loads more or less, and get the worl % done. Mr Green under the head of extra ordinary business adverted to tinletter from the Benevolent Institution He thought the district was under more obligations to the Hospital, wbich always willingly received and ', carefully treated cases. He- moved I that LlO be voted asihe Board's donatiou to its funds — Mr Hoy seconded the motion, which was carried. i Thw lon- wing accounts were passed for i>aytn. •i : YV. A. Bews, L3O ; B. k.m^. i • ; \v, H. Palmer, LI Is ; ; Turnbull, Ll 6* 9d ; H, Scott, LI 4s ; i and A. Middlemiss, Lll 10s. ; The clerk mentioned, in connection j with a conversation as to the funds J of the Board, that all arrears of rates • were now in the hands of the O.erk of the Court. M> He h err drew attention to a complaint which had been made to , him that a number of section pegs j.had been ploughed out by a ropd i contractor. No action was taken, but 1 it was. incidentally mentioned that a heavy penalty was fixed by the law for such offences- ( The inspector having stated that he required a few more dog collars, the chairman was authorised to procure same and the meeting then adjourned.