BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1396, 11 May 1915, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES. At last night's Council meeting the iMayor tabled a motion setting up the various committees lor the ensuing two years aud iu doing so said that he had as far as possible kept the old Councillors on the committees they had previously acted on. He had provided for six committees and each Councillor was on two. He held fairlydecided views on the question ol small committees, contending that better work was done where the committees were small. No com mlttee should consist of a majority of the Council, because il it did that committee could do thing-) without reference to the rest of the Council. He was suggesting two new committees —a cemetery committee, as he considered the ceme tery required a more thorough supervision than had obtained in the past. Each committee should meet once a month and the Finance Committee on the Friday evening preceding the ordinary meeting to go through the various accounts and thus be in a position to answer any questions on finance that might come up at the meetings. Cr McColl said he would move that Crs. Coley and Whibley be appointed to the Finance Committee in place of Crs. Bryant and Simmons. The two last named were like himself “young colts’’ as far as municipal matters were concerned and consequently did not have the necessary municipal experience to fit them lor a position on the main committee. Willi due respect to these geutlemeu iu his opinion it was far better that the older Councillors should be on the committee in question. Cr Bryant said he would like to correct Cr McColl in one statement. He (Cr Bryant) bad bad several years experience iu municipal matters as a member of the Bulls Town Board. At the same time he was not particular what committees he was on as be was there to do his best in the interests oi the borough as a whole. Cr Freeman thought that the Cemetery aud Reserves Committees could be merged into one. Cr Henderson said he would favour Crs. Coley and Whibley replacing Crs. Bryant and Shu mons on the Finance Committee. In doing so he was not questioning the two Councillors’ ability but he thought the two older Councillors, one of whom was ‘‘the father of the Council,” should be on this important committee. Cr Whibley considered the Reserves and Cemetery Committees could well be put iuto one. Of course, as the Mayor was aware, the committees in the past had never doue much work, but he was confident that better results would be obtained now the committees were to be smaller. He didn’t want to shirk his responsibilities, but if be were to remain on the Cemetery and Reserves Committees it would mean that he would have to lose two half days work per month as his experience of the old Council taught him that they were opposed to meetings on Saturday afternoons, although they knew that day suited bun i best, and they could meet on ! practically any day of the week I without any great inconvenience to themselves. The work ol the Cemetery and Reserves could easily be done by one committee, Cr Coley also considered these two committees could well be merged into one. He did not con ■ sider there would be much work tor a Cemetery Committee. He. also favoured large committees as they had experience iu the past that even with large committees at times only two out of five or six had been present. The Mayor said the reason was because the committees were so large. One or two would say, “Oh well, the others will be there, so there’s no need for me to go,” and the consequence was several stayed away. With small committees they would know they would have to be there and would consequently attend. Cr Freeman said that iu the past no committee meetings had lapsed for the want of a quorum. The Mayor said that it had taken him quite au hour in arranging committees. He had put Cr Bryant on the Finance Committee as he was a business man and was consequently conversant with financial matters. Cr Simmons also, he thought would be more useful on that committee than some of the others. Cr Whibley suggested that as Cr Bryant did not mind which committee he was on he should change with him (Cr Whibley) from the Finance to the Cemetery Committee. Cr Bryant agreed and the motion, with this one alteration, was passed. The following are the committees ; Public Works.-—The Mayor and Crs. Coley, Henderson and Thompson. Gas.—The Mayor and Crs. McColl, Coley and Henderson. Library.—The Mayor and Crs. Freeman, Bryant aud Stevenson. Reserves. —The Mayor and Crs. Whibley, Stevenson and Simmons. Cemetery.—The Mayor aud Crs. Thompson, Bryant and McColl. Finance. —The Mayor and Crs. Freeman, Whibley aud Simmons. | TENDERS. The following tenders aud applications were dealt with at last night’s meeting Town Hall Fire Escapes.—A. Speirs senr., Z 29 (accepted). The only tender. , Lease ot Cemetery Reserve. — G. C. Coley per annum (ac-