BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 83, 6 March 1884, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

- .A-meetingof-the above Council- was heldtast evening. Present — His Worship the Mayor, Couuoilors Walker, .Ferguson, Perkins,. M'bwlem, Linton, Leary, West, and(McNeil. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read, Or Perkins took exception to the wording of his notice of motion, that the 'word'* with" should 1 read *' without" extra remuneration re Town Clerk being appointed Inspector -of Nuisances. The original motion 'was produced which showed the minutes were correct. r •'" ':■*•• Cr West desired to know why his' ; protest against the sixpenny, rate had not been entered upon the minutes. The reason given was that. his amendment had not been seconded. . «' The minutes were then confirmed as read. . '„.[. ''\ Gr Stewart tendered his resignation. The legal opinion of the Borough solicitor was to the effect the Borough lessees were disqualified from acting as Councillors, but Cr Stewart's acts were not invalid. ' Cr Linton explained why lie had spoken of the matter m the first place, and concluded by stating that he thought Mr Stewart would have made a good Councillor, Resignation ' ac"cepted.. .: J;.-. .. Letter frp.m Town Clerk of Caver-* sham'^ asking this Council to co-ope-rate to urge members ' of House 1 Mof Representatives to obtain endowments' for hospitals throughout the Colony.' It was moved "That this Council endorses the request of ttie T<swn Clerk of' ; Caversham, and will request the representative of the Manawatu electorate' to " supports any Measure for the' endowment of hospitals and other 'charitable . institutions within the Colony? '"'"""_: ' ~" Letter from _ Inspector James re weight and measures. Letter from Government stating that the two sections mentioned by the Council were the property of the , Wellington College having been conveyed to that institution by the Superintendent of Wellington ; the Government were therefore unable to givejtke Borough the sections as an endowment for hospital. , „,;. . His Worship stated that the Town Clerk ,had . been instructed to write again as there Was hd written record that the sections m question had been conveyed as slated,, and further that, they were at present rated/ as Crown property.. -, ' ' ■ ■ Letter from Mr Nathan asking for a remission of back rates on certain propei-fey.{ Crs Linton,,, PerkinSi., and Leary thonght it would be a'b'ad precedent to allow the remission of back , rate 3, and a motion to' that effect was cariitd. ;- ; ;. ■ ; .., y f , i The Engineer's repopt was roady ..Cr McNei| • tnat . wie , report was unsatisfactory stating "that Mr, rArmsfirong did not know what had been done by. the men unless j he got his information from V( them. Mr Armstrong had not given satisfaction nor used his. best energies' "for tho Borough. , -V :; ,' : <>i>.. _^, v . Or Lin toa, moved- that the report be adopted;~stating that Mr Armstrong must have given satisfaction /his services having been retained so long. Report adopted. > ""\ wPoundkeeper's report "ivas read showing the number of cattle im,poinded as 28 ' and the receipts £X1 4s. Inspector of Nuisances : reported tjiat. a drain m the Square had heen unco\ered and a nuisance,* removed. That a dead sheep had been' removed -.from Messrs Stevens and Gor.ton's .yards after notice had been' .served.: That cesspools at the hotels were not property constructed. That he' Had notified the nightman not to commence his rounds before 12, 6*clock. 'That it would be better Hf the oitiaehs m general? were -w* future ;to leave any notices of nuisances with, the Town .Clerk, ,*ov. Inspector.,, instead ol; at the Office, , and. they would receitevpiompt attention.. ;,j "." His Worship considered that the latter part of. the report was objectionable^ and moved that ; it be struck/ out, which was accordingly done. Cr Perkins moved.' and ' (Br. Xeary seconded that all persons be served with notices who have improperly constructed cesspools that they must :be 'constructed m, accordance with the Public Health Acfc : ; V. A resolution passed on Feb. 6th declaring Kingi C^ueen, and David streets public streets was confirmed. --• > ■-, < . ■• Cr Perkins moyed the ; notice of motion standing s m his name, to the effeot that the Borough Engineer receive one. month's notice, remarking tha£ there was no present necessity for retaining an engineer's services. Ho wonldi not go into ..the question jas> to whether Mr Armstrong had given satisfaction, but he; had; ;nc|. doubt Mr Armstrong would have a better chance than any ope else on a future occasion when ttey^Teqiiired .an engineer's ser- . Cr Ferguson seconded the motion pro/oitna. . : '". '"''.''' •*- -■:.: Cr McNeil said that if Mr Armstrong had given satisfaction it was entirely at variance with facts. There hatf been a lot of money wasted by the engineer, the workmen having to do the; work over again. The work generally was done m a slip shop manner. > Cr Ferguson thought it' was a pity, that the discussion had assumed its present shape,. It was more the fault j -of 0 the Public Works Committee if works ha 4 not been t|dne properly. The 1 question was altogether outside whether My Armstrong, was competent or had given satisfaction. The question was whether the Council was m a position .to employ an engineer or not. They had not paid Mr Armstrong as an : engineer should be paid; ;*. -. Or McNeil did not say anything regarding the ability of Mr Armstrong. Cr Leary thought Mr Armstrong would recognise the fact that services coftld not longer be retained undar the circumstanced. He agreed with

Crs Perkius and Ferguson, bat did not like th«t wording of the resolution. ! Cr Linton went into the subject at some length, and concluded by saying that m parting with an old servant it would be well to part m good spirit, and moved as an amendment that the present engagement terminate, but that Mr Armstrong be retained at a nominal fee. Seconded by Or Leary. Cr McNeil again reiterated his remarks, and staked £50 that an independent engineer would say the work done was unsatisfactory. His Worship s.aid^r Armstrong had given, his professional, servicje§_qn an j average of six shillings per Jay. ~ ■ Cv West opposed the amendment [and mentioned several works which ! were defective but would have been : altered if they baajbeen pointed out | before the works were completed. At I present; the 1 "day! workmen' bad no levels tb work byi • • - - > , „ . j After tbe^originaUmoJtiqn had been ; withdrawn and two amendments/ ins [following was carried on the motion of •Cr Linton, Thai the services" of th© Engineer under present ftrrongciuftntsr be ; 'dispensed with, out that heihp asked whether he would aojb as cong^l^] ; ing Engineer until such time as public worksf\?ere revived,, j, Xae, notice of mojtlbn ' 'by Cr Peij- : kins that one of the roadmen . tie dfel^ i charged and a foreman' appointed "re-* suited m Mr Hill being appointed foreman with one shilling per day extra, and the obher workmen to- be kept onV Cr Perkins* notice of motion vi Town Clerk being appointed Inspec-!-tor of Nuisances and present inspector be gitfin notice , resulted, after discussion m the foreman of works receiving. the appointment without extra -remuneration. : ' , c ' The^ Mayor stated that, many commercial travellers were 1 at times %n- --, able to get sample rooms large enough to exhibit their goods, and asked the Council to agree to the letting of the hall at five shillings per day, provided travellers were unable to. get sample rooms Jkrge enough at the hotel? at which they were then stopping, l&is was agreed to. .^ f , Gr West-wished it to; be recorded pn !the minutes that, while he objected "to : the loan, he desired a tenpenny rate m place of the present one pi sixpence, and tabled a notice of motion that the one already given ye; at sistpenny rate W '■■ not .carried, -and a tenpenny rate be ! struck instead to meet debentures on present loan. Special meeting fixed for Fridayj 28th March, at 7 p.m., to consider accounts, ; &a, and the Council adjourned.