BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 89, 20 June 1902, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary monthly meeting of the Motueka Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening. Present: His Worship the Mayor, (Mr J. S. Wratt) Crs Ryder, Knapp, Satherley, Simpson Moffatt, Grooby and Thorp. Minutes of previous and special meetings read and adopted. The following accounts were passed for payment :--C. Boyes, .£6 13s 3d, G. Chapman <£6 13s 3d, T. Douglas 13s, J. Limmer 13s, W. King .£33 12s 3d, F. Jones .£1 2s, Town Clerk .£5, G. Tarrant 6s 6d, sundries 14s 2d. Cr Thorp drew attention to the quality of gravel now being placed upon the streets, samples of which he placed upon the table. A long discussion ensued, the whole of the members taking part and it was generally agreed that the quality was poor. Or Ryder said more than a third of the material placed on the road from corner to the bridge was rubbish and he also asserted there was no suitable gravel in the Borough. Cr Moftatt agreed. Cr, Grooby moved, seconded by Cr Simpson, That persons be allowed to break stones at 4s per yard, such stones not to be broken within a mile and a half from the stonebreaker. Cr Thorp moved That the stonebreaker be offered for sale. The Council could get a customer in another district, where the people were not so antiquated as we are. He stated that every bit of metal broken by haud cost 7s per yard whereas, when put through the stonebreaker the cost was only 4s 2d. If hand broken metal was cheaper other boroughs in the-colony would not have purchased stonebreakers to do the

Cr Moffatt seconded, giving as a reason the fact that the Council labored under great disadvantages in not having any responsible person in charge of the machine. Neither the overseer nor the councillors understood it and it was utterly impossible to work it to advantage. The reason why he had voted for the purchase of the machine was because the late Mayor and Cr Thorp recommended the purchase and he understood they were to take an interest in the stonebreaker and supervise the working of it. In the interests of the councillors and the ratepayers he could conscientiously vote for the sale of the machine. Cr Thorp had no recollection of having promised to supervise the working of the stonebreaker and they could not in fairness expect him to do work which should be performed by a overseer.

Cr Simpson strongly supported Cr Grooby’s motion, as he was of opinion hand broken metal was the best. He would not, however, advise the sale of the machine at present. His reason for opposing its purchase in the first instance was that he did not think the Borough, newly created, was justified in incurring the expense necessary. His Worship did not advocate the selling of the stonebreaker although he had no sympathy with its purchase. Cr Moffatt said he was surprised to learn the machine had so many friends amongst the councillors and that theie was a unanimous feeling that the machine should not be sold ; the more so as he had been blamed of late for being the cause of the stonebreaker being purchased. After further discussion Cr Thorp withdraw his motion and that of Cr Grooby was carried. A letter was read from Mr Martin, solicitor for the Municipal Corporation’s Association, advising that the Council was liable for the upkeep of certain bridges, and also giving an interpretation of the Act as to payments to Councillors. The following report of the sub,

committee set up to deal with the Wairnea County Council, demand for contributions towards the upkeep of certain bridges was read ; At a meeting of the subcommittee, held on the 13tb Jiame, It was resolved, That the Borough’s contribution to Motueka and J obi lee 1 bridges be on fifth of the cost; that the Borough claim one fifth of the cost of repairs to the main road from tbe bridge to the wharf via Myer’s corner, from Myer’s corner to the boundary of the Borough by Mill road, and that the claim for the other bridges be ignored. The Committee’s report was adopHis Worship the Mayor-stating that £he thought they had come to a wise Cr Moffatt moved, seconded by Cr Satherley and agreed to, That the report be forwarded to the Waimea County Council, as a reply to their demand, and that the Chairman be informed that this Council is willing to appoint two delegates to confer* with that body.

It was also resolved that a copy othe report be sent to the Richmond Borough Council, the Town Clerk of that corporation having written enquiring what action the Motueka Council proposed to take. His Worship reported having conferred with the local health officer on the subject of the proposed new hospital for infectious diseases to he erected at Neleon. Dr Adams was of opinion they should not join with Nelson, as the removal of infectious patients would be inadqisable and attended with danger. Dr Adams suggested adopting a plan which the Mayor explained. Crs generally agreed that it was inadvisable to contribute towards the support of the proposed institution and it was ultimately agreed, on the motion of Cr Thorp, seconded by Cr Simpson, That after consultation with our Health Officer and after due -consideration the Council regrets it cannot see its way to subscribe towards a special hospital at Nelson owing to the difficulty of carriage of patients to the proposed hospital.

It was agreed that a sitting of the Domain Board be held immediately before the next meeting of the council. Resolved, That Mr Bryant’s attention he called to the growth of gorse on the gravel reserve held by him and that he be requested to remove same at once.

It was resolved on the motion of O- Moffrtt seconded by Cr Satherley, That all outstanding rates unpaid on Saturday next be sued for forthwith. Letter received from the Foxton Borough Council asking the Council to join them in approaching the Government with the object of getting the ‘-‘Loans to local “Bodies Act” enlarged so as to admit of Borough with a population of less than two thousand borrowing from the Government for the purpose of making roads. Re olved, on the motion of Cr Satherley, seconded by Cr Moffatt, That the Council approves of the Foxton Borough Council’s suggestion. A letter was received from Mr H. L. Moffatt, asking for the Council’s favorable consideration of a proposal to erect' a memorial to the memory of a trooper who died in South Africa. This letter together with one from Mr Jenkins, asking for an additional sum for coronation celebrations, were discussed A full report will appear in our next issue.. Permission was given to the Celebration Committee to erect poles, etc., and to let off: fireworks on the 26th, no damage, torbe done to the footpaths and the work to he carried out subject to the Mayor’s Mr Moffatt brought«up the question having some,.practical person to look

after the stonebreaker. He suggested they should get Mr Knapp, who was a thoroughly expert mechanic "to attend to the working Of the machine. The Mayor and Cr Simpson agreed. Cr Thorp said he would go up with Mr Knapp and explain what he knew about the stone breaker. It was resolved on the motion of Cr Satherley, seconded by Cr Simpson, That Mr Knapp be asked to take charge of the machine. Cr Knapp agreed and said he would undertake to do his best Permission was given to the con tractors to dig the ditch on the Fearon estate alongside the road It was agreed that one of the daymen be instructed to deliver the poisoned grain, for the destruction of small birds, to the settlers, who are requested to lay the grain on a fixed day. This concluded the business and the Council adjourned shortly after eleven o’clock.