THE CORONATION COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 90, 24 June 1902, Page 4

THE CORONATION COMMITTEE AND THE COUNCIL.

At the last meeting of the Motuekat Borough .Qpuncil a jong discnssioct Took place upon the letter sent in by- Mir Jenkins, the Secretary of the IPea.ce and Coronation Celebrations Committee*. conveying a resolution passed "by the Committee asking.thatan additional sum of money be voted in aid of’the proposed festivities.

Mr H. L. Moffatt also wrote a fetter, re-the proposal initiated by; him some t. me ago to erect a memorial to the memory of a trooper who feftqthis district and died in South Africa while serving the , Empire. Mr Mofiatt stated that the Council had promised their support, but nothing had so far been done and as this appeared to be “an opportune time, in view of damon-r strations of Peace and the Coronation, I again approach your Council and ask your favorable consideration of the original plan, which was to erect a drinking fountain at. the shore end of the wharf for the use of the horses; also to provide a lamp on top of the same for the public benefit on dark nights.” The writer further stated that he harl in hand a sum of money collected by shilling subscriptions for the purpose of fixing a brass tablet ~u tably inscribed on the front of the structure, and gave aD estimate of the cost, of the fountain, complete.

As both- letters dealt with the same question, the Mayor decided to discuss the both letters at one and the same t me.

Ci Moffatt said they could take the letter from the Celebrations Committee as a request- for another - L2O. The C uracil had fully discussed the matter at the last meeting and had decided to vote L2O. He was prepared to vote an additional sum on one condition aud that was that the scheme should embrace something more than festivities wlueh, as Cr Thorp had said, would end in smoke. They had now before them a letter frofn Mr H. L. Moffatt asking f. r favorable consideration of a permanent memorial to one who had died in Forth Africa. If the Council increased the amount already voted a special vote should be struck. They had no r ight to vote the money out of the present funds already allocated for the maintenance of roads, etc. With a special vote of one eighth of a penny, they could devote, say L2O to the proposed memorial, and also have enough money to help to reorganise the Band.. He had heard that a prominent citizen had offered to payoff the debt due on the instruments belonging to the band and it showed public spiritedness on his part to make such an offer ; if it was good enough for a private citizen it was good enough for the Council to take over the Band’s liabilities (about L 22) and assets (said to be about LI 60) and municipalise it. An eighth of a penny rate would not be hard on anyone and under the circumstances it would be perfectly legitimate to ask the ratepayers to sanction the rate. Cr Thorp complained that he had received no offeial notice of the meetings of the Celebrations Committee, at which certain individuals had slated the Councillors for meanness and disloyalty ; some of them, being new to the place, knew nothing of the position of the Borough’s finances. The Council did what they thought right and just and such language as that used was unwarranted. The Committee weie not the. whole of the ratepayers of the district from whom they had received no expression of opinion. He was quite prepared to extend the contribution for something permanent and good and if they voted L 5 for the proposed monument it would carry another L 5 of Government subsidy. He ,was scarcely in favor of municipalising" the

Band ; it ,would be better if proper trusted were appointed and too Band placed on a proper footing. Cr Simpson said it would not be wise to increase the amount already voted without the sanction of the ratepayers, who ought to be consulted as t o whether they were agreeable that an extra rate ’ be struck. His Worship safkl he entirely agreed with the proposed memorial. Cr Thorp said he was not in favor of extra rate, but was prepared to pend LIO on the memoiial. He moved, That this Council regiets that it cannot see its way "to increase the to the Coronation Committee ; that the sum of LI 0 betvotea towards the Tarrant memorial. Seconded by Or Grooby. Cr Simpson said he did not think they should vote any more money without the sanction of the ratepayers. It was rather hard on the Borough to have to provide money for the entertainment of outside children whose parents contributed little or nothing to the funds raised for the festivities. Cr MofFatt agreed with the last speaker that the ratepayers should be consulted, and moved, That a public meeting be held on Thursday evening (19th instant) to consider whether the Council shall strike an eighth of a penny rate to carry out Peace and Coronation celebrations and, if authorised by the meeting to strike a special rate, the Council vote L3O to the celebrations, L2O to the fallen trooper’s memorial, and vote the amount necessary to pay off the debt owing by the Brass Band, conditionally upon the instruments and assets belonging to the Band being rested in the Corpor-

ation. Cr MofFatt in urging the c mse of the Band, said the residents were looking forward to the Band taking part in „the approaching festivities. They should' follow the example of other municipalities in New ZeaLud and take over the Band, which could then be placed on a sound footing. Cr Knapp, as a further amendment moved, That with the consent of the ratepayers the Council levy a special rate of one farthing to be expended as follows: LIO to the Coronation Committee, Ll 5 to the Tarrant memorial, L2O towards erecting six street lamps, and the balance towards the re-organ-isation and municipalisation of the Band. Cr Knapp referred t> the past career of the Band and said he left it disgusted with the treatment they -received from the public. Cr Ryder said some of too public did support and appreciate the Band in the past. Cr Knapp said he had gone through the books and found that during' the years the Band was in existe.ice the public, had subscribed L4B. There being no seconder to Cr Knapp’s amendment, that propo-ed by Cr MofFatt was put to the meeting and lost, the voting being as follows : Ayes, Crs MofFatt and Ryder; Noes, Crs Simpson, Satherley, Knapp, Grooby, Thorp and the Mayor: The motion proposed by Cr Thorp was then put and carried.