FOXTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 838, 12 May 1910, Page 2

FOXTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The following matters were also dealt with at Monday night’s Council meeting:— WATER SUPPLY. A letter was read from Mr B. R. Gardener, Mayor of Levin, advising that he was obtaining all information in reference to supplying the Foxton Borough with water, and the matter would be discussed at a meeting to be held on May end, after which he would advise the Foxton Council of their decision. The Mayor stated that he had since received a private letter from Mr Gardener, advising that on account of the importance of the matter, the Council was holding a special meeting on the 17th instant to further discuss it. Mr Gardener said, however, that they could guarantee an unlimited supply of the best water, and that his council were very favourably disposed towards the request. In view of the above, the petition from a number ot ratepayers in the sanitary area, asking that a report and estimate be obtained for a water supply from the Shannon hills, was held over. TREE PLANTING. The Mayor stated that he had inspected the trees in Clyde Street, and found that they weie all dead. These would require replacing. The trees in Park Street were very small, and he was of opinion that t would be better to replace them with larger ones.—lt was decided that the Mayor and Town Clerk be authorised to replace all dead trees, and that Park Street be planted with plane or approved trees. REEVE STREET. The Town Clerk reported that in accordance with a resolution of the Council, he had interviewed Mrs Howe and Mr Brewer, in order to get an offer for the sale of laud for the purpose of providing an outlet for residents in Reeve Street, and had received offers as follows: Mrs Howe’s previous offer of a piece of land 66 feet wide at £25 was still open. If this was accepted it would still be necessary to purchase a section from Mr Brewer, on which a three-roomed cottage was erected, which he offered for /too. Mr Brewer also offered a piece of land 66 feet wide from Reeve to Johnston Street, alongside his private residence, for the sum of or a piece 66 feet wide to Johnston Street in a direct line from Reeve Street for /15c. All fencing to be done by the Council. Mr Brewer’s offer was open for 14 days only. The matter was discussed at some length, and it was eventually decided to accept Mrs Howe’s offer, and the Town Clerk was authorised to purchase Mr Brewer’s section with cottage erected thereon. On account of having made the above arrangements, no action was taken in the matter of the petition asking that a cutting be made through the hill in Brown Street, Since the meeting, the Town Clerk has completed the purchase of Mr Brewer’s section at £go. SANITATION CHARGE. When the motion giving notice of intention to strike rates for the ensuing year was brought forward, Cr Robinson asked whether the Council could legally impose a charge of 16s per pan for sanitation. He said that according to the Municipal Corporations Act the maximum rate that could be charged was sixpence in the £ on the annual rateable value, and the annual rateable value was six per cent, on the capital value. Therefore if 16s per pan were charged it would be illegal in the majority of cases.

The Town Clerk said that although the Municipal Corporations Act laid down a maximum charge for sanitation the Government Auditor had informed him that he would pass any charge that the Council found it necessary to impose to carry out the work. He instanced several cases where the sanitation fee exceeded £1 per annum, and said that in one instance where the matter had been tested the Magistrate upheld the Council.

Crs Speirs, Coley and Gibbs said that the account should be self-supporting and expressed the opinion that the charge for the v ensuing year should be 17s 6d instead of 16s. Cr Robinson said that if a sanitation charge of 16s was imposed he was certain the matter would be tested in the Magistrate’s Court.

The matter was then allowed to drop. LEVIN-MARTON RAILWAY. The Chamber of Commerce wrote asking the Council to grant, out of unauthorised expenditure! £5 for the purpose of defraying the Chamber’s share in the expense of preparing a map of the proposed route of the LevinMarton Railway. Several of the Councillors spoke * in favour of doing all that was possible in an endeavour to get this matter pushed forward. Cr Speirs expressed the opinion that Foxton would be looking more after their own interests by advocating a connection from Foxton with the line at Levin instead of wasting time over the Levin-Marton connection which they had been advocating for the last twenty years and were now no further advanced. He wished it to be clearly i understood that he was not opposed to the Levin-Marton line, but considered that the Government would look with more favour on a Foxton-Levin branch than upon the Levin-Marton connection. Decided on the

motion of Cr. Robinson, seconded by Cr. Gibbs that the Council grant the £5 asked for by the Chamber of Commerce on condition that a map be supplied to the Council, and urge that the matter be pushed on with all possible speed. GENERALIt was decided on the motion of Cr Gibbs seconded by Cr Levett that tenders be invited for constructing in concrete the kerbiug and channelling of footpaths in Clyde Street. The poundkeeper reported that during last month 9 head of cattle, 54 horses, and 2 donkeys had been impounded by the ranger, and driving fees amounting to £1 7s collected. One pony had also been impounded by a settler. It was decided to have Futter Street blinded with clay, and also to remove the tool shed from the yard at the old Council Chamber to the yard behind the present Council Chamber. Accounts amounting to £162 15s yd were passed for payment. It was decided that the request of the librarian for a small gas stove and re-papering of bedroom be granted. A petition was presented by Cr Coley from property holders on the east side of Johnston Street, asking for an outlet, by means of a culvert under Johnston Street to reach the drain on the west side of the street, which, in accordance with the standing orders, was allowed to He on the table. The formal motion giving notice to strike rates as follows : General, in the £ ; library, onesixth of a penny in the £; and a sanitation charge of 16s per annum was passed. The Council rose at 10.45 p-tn.