Patea Borough Council.

Patea Mail, 7 December 1881, Page 2

Patea Borough Council.

The first business meeting of the new Council was heli! on Monday evening, and lasted nearly four hours. Present, the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Taplin Milro}', Aitehison, Dixon, Howitt, Gibson, Adams, Mahony, and A. Black. FINANCE. A statement of accounts of the old Board showed a credit balance of £l9B 18s 2d. Councillors Taplin, Black, Gibson, Ma' bony, and the Mayor were appointed a Finance Committee. TRANSFER. Council granted a transfer of section 23> block 8, from H. Chadwick to W. Dixon. BYE-LAWS. The Mayor laid on the table a series of bye-laws which he had put together mainly from the bye-laws of other Councils, and said they were submitted as suggestions. The necessary formality was to give seven days’ public notice before adopting any bye-laws. Resolved, on the motion of the Mayor, that a special meeting of the Council be hold on the 19lh for making and adopting bye-laws. Resolved, on the motion of Councillor Black, that Councillors Milroy, Gibson, Aitehison, and Taplin be a committee to revise bye-1 aws ; the Mayor to be chairman , The committee will meet to revise the bye-laws before they are advertised for adoption on the 19th. SEAL FOR THE BOROUGH. Resolved, on the motion of Councillor Milroy, that a medium-sized seal be procured, having around the centre edge the worns Patea Borough Council , and in the centre a fertile scene with Mount Egmon* as a background. REFUND OF COUNTY RATE. Councillor Milroy suggested that the Borough might be entitled to a refund of the Count}' rate for the current six months, as the County Council had spent very little on the main road during the past six months. Councillr Taplin ; We should take the main road off their hands for the six months, and that would save them more than the refunded rates. Mayor suggested that he should make proper application to the Commissioner of Audit, who might have power to interfere. This was agreed to. NUISANCES AND DOG TAX. The Mayor moved that applications be invited for the combined offices of in* spector of nuisances and collector of dogtax. Councillor Aitehison seconded. Councillor Milroy objected to the offices being combined, there being no connection betw'een the duties. Councillor Aitehison thought dogs are cue of the greatest nuisances, and in hunting up one nuisance the inspector might find another. Councillor Black : It is not the dogs that are a nuisance, but the people who keep them. Councillor Aitehison : It is not the people who rush out and bark. Councillors Adams and Taplin thought the offices should be combined for economy. Councillor Gibson suggested that tenders be called separately, with the option of holding both. Councillor Milroy moved that those officers be appointed separately. Councillor Black seconded, but the amendment was lost. Motion carried, and Councillor Black called for division, when he and Councillor Milroy voted against the motion, the other 8 for it. CONSULTING SOLICITOR. Mr Hainerton was appointed to this position for two months. A NUISANCE. Councillor Dixon said his attention had been called to a serious nuisance on the premises of an auctioneer, through decayed potatoes. Other members must be aware of it. Mayor: I am well aware of it, and we have ample power to deal with that now. Resolved that Mr Barker be written to, and requested to remove existing nuisance at once. CLERK &c. Councillor Adams moved that applications be called for the combined offices of treasurer, clerk, collector, and returning officer ; salary £l2O per annum ; applications to be in by next meeting. Councillor Milro}' seconded. Office accomodation is to bo left an open question for the present.

Salary of Town Clerk has been about £6O for various offices filled by him. Mayor said the work will be treble previously required. Motion agreed to. POUND-KEEPER. liesolved that H. I. Davis be appointed pound-keeper for the borough, and that his pound be the public pound for the preseut ; this and other offices to be terminable at a month’s notice. STREET NAMES. Resolved, on the motion of Councillor Black, that steps be taken to have Egmont street and Victoria street properly named. Councillor Milroy thought the footpaths also need to be legally proclaimed. The Mayor thought not. PAYMENTS. Councillors Taplin and Milroy were appointed to sign cheques. officers’ security. Councillor Milroy moved that the clerk or dog-tax collector find security. VALUATOR AND AUDITORS. Mr Harris was appointed valuator for the current year, at a salary of £lO. The salary of auditors was fixed at 3 guineas each per annum. WORKS COMMITTEE. liesolved that the Works Committee consist of Councillors Milroy, Adams, Aitchison, Gibson, and Dixon ; Councillor Milroy to be chairman. accounts. Passed for payment : Keys carting gravel £1 17s 6d, labor (two men) £3 13s 6d, fees to returning officers for elections (each 3 guineas) £9 9s, A. Black printing £3, Evening News advertising £4 4s, Mail do. £3 16s 6d. Agreed that the Clerk’s pay temporarily be at rate of £l2O per annum. GENERAL. The question of appointing an Engineer was, after discussion, adjourned to next meeting. Councillor Dixon was appointed Fire Inspector for the Borough. The selection of a place for depositing rubbish was left to the Mayor. Permission was given for Mr D. M. Warren to erect verandah to his new shop, Mr Taplin’s motion as to erecting new offices suitable for the Council was postponed, pending the appointment of clerk. FINE. The Mayor had occasion, during a warm exchange of compliments, to threaten that any improper or insulting remarks would have to be strictly suppressed, and the power to inflict a fine of £5 might have to be exercised. The Mayor gave notice of motion : d That at the next ordinary meeting the Council go into committee to consider the matter of a special loan of £5,000 for the purpose of (1) street formation, (2) drainage, (3) securing a water-right, (4) tree planting ; said loan to be secured by rents from endowments, and upon the ordinary rate or such portion of the said rate as may be necessary, as collateral security for repayment of the loan.”