TOWN BOARD.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 516, 6 May 1880, Page 3

TOWN BOARD.

The monthly meeting of the Carlyle Town Board was held on Monday night. Present: Messrs Milroy (in the chair), Taplin, Adams, Aitchison, and Howitt. The meeting lasted until nearly eleven o’clock.

PROPOSED BORROWING POWERS. The following letter was read : Sir, —As the time has arrived when your Board should take into consideration the desirability of undertaking many important works for the farther advancement of the town, but which, owing to the limited means at your disposal you arc debarred from undertaking, I venture to suggest that you convene a public meeting for the purpose of taking into consideration the following propositions : 1. Water supply 2. Drainage 3. Street and pathway formation 4. Tree planting 5. Present position of town leases, with a view to their modification G. The raising of a loan for the purpose of executing the lirst 5 mentioned objects. Should your Board decide to bold the public meeting,! shall have groat pleasure i in attending and explaining the details of the foregoing propositions. My object in addressing you is a sincero desire to see the interests of the town farther advanced, and also to offer such assistance as I may be able to render. I have no doubt that the Board will recognise the fact that the propositions are of considerable importance; and that the public should have an opportunity of considering them before the final decision thereon is arrived at. Mr Taplin—l do not sse that anything can he done just now, with that letter. He is coming here to address the meeting at eight o’clock. The Chairman —No, not on this subject. He is coining about a road. I think we had better let that letter lie on the table. Mr Adams—There is a great deal in that letter that we ought to take into consideration. A scheme like that is worth considering ; especially the drainage. As for water-supply, that ought to bo an after consideration. The Chairman —I move that the letter lie on the table. Mr Adams —I was going to move that il he reported on by the Works Committee. Mr Taplin—lt is a big general scheme. The question we have to consider is whether we should go in for a bill to get borrowing powers. Mr Adams—When a borrowng scheme was previously before the hoard I went dead against it, bat I have been converted since. The Chairman—l move that the letter lie on the table. Tin’s was seconded, and carried.

NEW ROAD TO THE HOSPITAL. Mr Sherwood, who entered the boardroom just as the other conversation had dropped, obtained leave to bring under lioticc the necessity for opening a road to the hospital by continuing the present town road a short distance. Ho said—-I. wisli. to bring before yon tbc desirability of opening the road past the Hospital. It is within the town boundary, -and there will have to le a road past the Hospital. From the Hospital to my own property is about H- chains ; and what I would ask the board to do is to take the action necessary under the Public Works Act to give effect to that. The; practical position is this. If the board should favorably consider tins application, a survey would have to be made of tbc land past the Hospital, and «:plan would have to be deposited in the in the office, and notice advertised in the newspaper; so that if objections were raised they would hare to be received bnd considered. The land affected is rested in the Town Board, and by them leased to the County Council. I have already;made application to the County Council, and they have agreed to allow mo the right of the road, subject to their lease, and a month’s notice; so that practically there is no difficulty with the County Council, and it rests entirely with the Board as to whether they will raise any objections or not. I have recently sold sonic portion of my land conditionally/ and since then I have had an offer for another portion, on condition that I give a road. This I cannot do unless the Town Board will carry out the provisions of the Act. ! Mr Aitchison — ; Will the County Council want any compensation for that road?;; *. . - Mr Adams—They cannot. They are only paying a nominal rent of one shilling a year. . The Chairman—There is a provision in the Act that where a road is given for some special benefit, the party benefitted lias to "pay the costs. . Mr Sherwood—Tlict is in case of deviation,' under another heading entirely. This town street ends in a blank at present. ‘No one lias a public right at present to go fo the Hospital, and cannot have until the road I refer to is continued up to the Hospital. From that point to my land is a straight continuation of that proposed road, and only chains boj-ond, the HospitaK Any of the public going to the Hospital at present might be prosecuted for trespass. Unless the Board have questions to put, I will leave you to move as you think fit. ; TOWN IMPROVEMENT AGAIN.

Mr SherSvood, before withdrawing, said . —Then as to tbe. matter of the letter I 'have written to you I The Chairman—We have decided to let 'it lie on the table. It is rather beyond our means at the present time, and we shall have to take it into consideration some other day. Mr Sherwood—l cannot help regretting that a matter like that should bo -left over for consideration, inasmuch as I had offered to attend a public meeting and explain the scheme in detail. 1 regret it because to let a letter He on the table is the usual way ' of shelving a question. Mr Adams—Where would you, plant trees—-in the Recreation Ground or .in.the town ? Mr Sherwood—l intend to suggest a comprehensive scheme. ‘Mr Adams—l intend to move that the • money deri red from the Recreation Ground ‘ be spent in improving that ground, and not on works elsewhere. ' The Chairman—We have a petition from inhabitants who want even a track made to reach their residences at night, ~~theybcing tip to their middle in water , wet weather. There is a great need . tor improvement of pathways to people’s

dWcllihgs; These are the peoplc ayhp are improving the value of the town reserves, and their comfdrt ought to be a lit tie considered.

Mr Adams—Wo ought to move in that matter to get the borrowing powers. We need not; borrow at once; but we might apply to (bo Assembly to .obtain powers, which would be bettor tbaii leaving them till wo require the money, as wo might then have to wait an inconvenient interval to obtain tin? powers. Mr Sherwood—Permit mo to waive formality in this matter, and say a low words. My letter has not dealt simply with the question of tree planting; but is comprobcusive, and proposes to provide farther means, as the Chairman says the Board arc now in want of money. Tree planting is one important point in that letter. The Chairman wili find that it is proposed that the questions of street and footway formation, the two very points bo has alluded to, arc especially dealt with in that letter ; and the m<?ans of providing a water supply, and for a drainage system, are suggested in the letter.' It farther proposes that the question of raising the. means of carrying out these works now be taken into consideration ; and that they shall bo taken into consideration by a public meeting, being works of very considerable importance. If the Board have decided to lay the letter on the table for farther consideration, generally speaking that means shelving the whole question. If that is to he the answer to the letter, I shall he prepared to take farther action upon it, because I consider the various heads there are of sufficient importance to receive a little more consideration than that. And I wish to say this, that in writing that letter I was actuated.by no feeling whatever in respect of any past or proposed future action of the Board, because generally speaking I believe the Board have done, remarkably well ; hut, as the letter says, the time has now arrived to take action. Would it not be fat better now to reconsider the whole position of the town leases ? This town will soon be in a position very different from what it has been in the past. We arc now about to make a new move ahead, and the town leases should be reconsidered. We have leased nnr town lands without consideration for improvements. The Chairman—l cannot allow yon, Mr Sherwood, to go on like this. . Mr Sherwood—Well, if the Board do not think proper to allow me to make a statement, I will bow to the decision of the chair.

The Chairman—The borrowing' power would bo entirely in the hands of a public meeting ; and it would bo for them to say whether the Board would be justified in going into the money market. Mr Sherwood--Not being a municipality, it is a very different matter. The Chairman—Yes, that makes our position worse. Our securieties arc worth nothing, Mr Sherwood—Yes, but make them worth 'something. I will now retire and leave the Board to its deliberations. Mr Sherwood left the room and the subject dropped. THE NEW ROAD AGAIN. Mr Adams—The road ho asked for seems a necessary work. Ho asks only for what is really required. The Chairman —Have you seen where the road is likely to come ? Mr Adams—No, I have seen it only on the plan. The Chairman —The roads at present lead to the Hospital reserve, but not into the Hospital itself. I quite believe the road would be a public benefit, but then again there is a question of cost, and I don’t suppose that road could bo duly advertised for less than £lO.

Mr Taplin—l do not think it would cost anything to have the road proclaimed. He does not ask ns to make the road. The Chairman—Yes, hut it would have to be advertised for a month. Mr Taplin—lf ho wants a right of way into liis place, and we arc in a position to give it, we ought to give it to him or to any other ratepayer. Mr Adams—We cannot look at a paltry month’s advertisement in a question for the public good. Mr Aitchison proposed, and Mr Taplin seconded, that this Board take the necessary steps to open up tlie road referred to by Mr Sherwood in his application, provided the County Council offer no objections thereto; and that notice of the Board’s intention he sent to the County Council. Mr Aitchison—We are anxious to sec more settlers in the place, and see the town enlarge ; and I understand there is one person ready to take up a section there immediately, a man with a largo family, who would he a good acquisition. It is our duty to make that road in the interest of the town. The motion was adopted. TOWN RATING. Mr Aitchison moved that notice he given that it is the intention of this Board to strike a rate of 9d in the pound on all the rateable property in the town of Carlyle, at a meeting to he held on Friday, 28th May.-; and that the same shall be due and payable in one instalment July Ist. Mr Tnpjin—What was the rate last year? The Cliairmaur—Ninepenco. Mr Taplin—How would the ratepayers like 6d ? The motion was agreed to. TREE PLANTING. Mr Adams moved that Messrs Adams, Taplin, and Ilowitt be a Planting Committee, to take into consideration the advisability of moving in the matter of tree planting this year, and to report at next meeting. The Chairman—Where do you intend to plant these trees? Mr Adams—On the Recreation Ground ; perliaps also round; the.Cricket Ground. X have no particular place fixed, but wc can report to the next meeting. We are deriving a revenue from the Recreation Ground, and we do nothing towards making a proper use of the money by spending it Avliere it ought to he spent. We have been using the money derived from that land in making streets and roads ; and now we ought to make a start in planting the ground even if wc spend only a£o note. , Mr Taplin—l quite agree that it is time we began to plant to get a shelter for the town. The Board have borrowed money from the fund derived from the Recreation Ground and spent it on the roads. I bblicvo the Government arc prepared to supply public bodies with, young treesi for town improvement. The . Chairman—lf we commence tree planting, \ye should require to take a por-, tiou of the land now leased, and that would raise a question of compensation. The trees would require fencing, and that is cxp ihive, and takes up space. I would like t ■ si c seeds, purchased, for I find they make greater headway than imported s.r rings. , ‘ !

Mr Taplin—We have power to take any portion.of tjic leased land for tree planting. Tlie Chairman—You'will have , to give compensation] ‘ i! ’ . M r Taplin—\\ r c should require, a map to look* after these trees, and that duty might be coupled' with the inspectorship pf nuisances. , ■ ‘ 1 Mr ‘Adains—There is an experiment in planting the school paddock, and only one tree is destroyed out of: 130 plants, i

Mr Tapi in—l have great faith an Mr Adams as a tree-planter. * ; Mr Howitt—l believe £lO would -bn quite enough to give ns a good belt of trees. : ' - : •

The Chairman—Yon little dream of the difficulty; in taking that’ lease hack. There would be valuators to appoint for the portion yon took back for fencing your trees.

Mr Taplin—We can take any portion : 6f the ground for the purpose, under terms of the lease.

Mr Aitchison—Where is the money to come from ? It is important to have some trees planted, but wo can scarcely meet onr present expenditure, and our subshlywill be gone this year. Several sheets are very bad!}- in need cf repair. I fail to sec where the. money is to come from, unless we go in for borrowing. Mr Adams—You arc going in for repaying the debt duo to the Recreation ground account, and that money will be available for tree-planting.

Mr Aitchison—Our rates are not due until July. Mr Adams—Yon can get credit for trees np till then. Mr Aitchison—Each tree would take 15s worth of fencing to keep off the cattle. .Mr Taplin—The sooner wc face this question the better, I would bewilllngto get the trees on four or six month’s credit if necessary. They should ho got somehow.

Mr Adams—l find £72 is due to the Recreation Ground out of money expended wrongly- on streets. ‘ Messrs Taplin, Howitt, and Adams were appointed a committee to take into consideration the advisability of moving in the matter of tree planting this year, and to report at next meeting. MU ROSS’S UEASE. Mr Ross having applied for power to snb-let portions of the Recreation Ground, it was now resolved that the Board do meet and inspect the ground on the 28th May. . RATEPAYERS’ PETITION'. A petition signed by twelve ratepayers was read respecting the condition of Unthank’s Hoad ; and it was refirred to the Works Committee for immediate attention. CRICKET GROUND. Messrs Milroy, Taplin, and Aitchison were appointed a sub-committce to examine the tenure of block 44, gazetted as “ Cricket Ground and Athletic Sports,” and to report fully‘at a special meeting to he hold on tlu 28* th instant. In the course of di-cu -sion, Mr Taplin quoted documents showing that the Cricket Club had a good and distinct title to the ground from Government grants obtained prior to the Board’s connection with this properly-. Several members of the Board said these grants threw a new light on the matter, and removed an erroneous impression. Th« question of title and prior right of user is to be examined into and reported upon by the sub-comnnttce. SUB-UKASE. Mr P. Larsen was granted permission to sub-lease sections 8 and 9, block 38, to Mr G. Benokio, of Carlyle. The business concluded at a late hour.