Normanby Town Board.

Patea Mail, 24 April 1882, Page 3

Normanby Town Board.

(FROM OUR CORRE SV O NDENT.)

A meeting of the Town Commissioners was held on Friday evening. Presept, Messrs Gibson (in the chair), Quinn; Millar, ; Rowe, and ; Trevveek. : Street Levels. A letter was read from Mr E. Hunger requesting permission to erect a verandah.;. It was - agreed that Mr Hnnger be informed that street levels will have to be taken, and that the, Board has not adopted bye-laws in respect to footpaths. Any verandah put up would be at the owner’s risk, and subject to alteration should., future engineering plans reqnire'it. Liable for Rates. Mr Stewart applied to have bis name erased from the valuation list, be having disposed of his town' sections and. cottage to another party. The Board 'decided that the roll having passed the; Assessment Court, it had, no power, to grant the petition Mr Stewart must pay the present, year’s ratespbut might afterwards recover s - from . the . new ’OCpUpant.. 'j ; ■ , TownMapWanted. Correspondence read as to preparation of a town map. ;Mr Quin pointed out i that such a : map was absolutely; indispensable. No time should be lost in procuring it. One of the simplest kind would answer all necessary purposes. : .Should the cost exceed .a certain sum, be for pnejwonld object to it. in the present financial; position of. the Board.: The Chairman and other members , Concurring’, 'if: was resolved to, call a for a map by tender.' 1 New Officers. There were; two applications for the office, of Foreman iof Works. The; Chairman proposed Mr Twigg. ,Mr Quin had known Mr Twigg for some time. He was thoroughly straightforward and honest, and a man in whom he had the greatest confidence. A better officer could not be got. He had much pleasure in secianding .(he motion. ’ . ; Carried unanimously. - ; Clerk’s Salary—Board’s Income. : Two tenders for the office of Clerk, Treasurer! (feel,; were received -Mr Nicholas . Muir, Ngaire, £3B; Mr Wanklyn, Hawera, £36. ; Mr Quin: Are those all the applicants ? . r

; Chairman; No others.have-been re-, ceived.

Mr. Quin thought it strange, thatno local man had come forward. He had understood a member Would do sP, The clerk would require to-be resident in the tPwn, and easily accessible at all times. But before 1 proceeding lo an election it should' be borne in mind that the office could neither -be made permanent nor legal till the Board iVad acquired its official seal. There were other considerations of still greater importance. The Board’s financial position must be carefully studied. The rateable .value of property JiMdj'been erroneously stated at £,21% whereas ii was £2.211, The highest rate which could be struck would be ; Is, and the income of the Board for the year could not therefore exceed £llO. The probability is it would fall

considerably short of that amount; and he did not think more that £9O could be depended upon. This for the present year at least was a mere trifle, and the Board would have to exercise the greatest caution and frugality. They must be honest, and pay their way like any private individual; and as they had no other resources of any consequence, it would be apparent that the payment of a clerk at the salaries demanded would amount in itself to nearly one-half their whole income. Chairman : We have the licenses ? Mr Quin : No ; wo will get nothing whatever from that source. The licensing fees belong wholly to the County Council. Chairman : Major Atkinson has given it as his opinion that Town Boards can claim these licenses. Mr Quin: Major Atkinson’s opinion is no more than that of any ordinary person. Chairman : An opinion from a member of bis position is surely of more than common consideration ?

Mr Quin: None whatever. The Major is entirely in error. That has since ’been proven elsewhere. Section 35 rerers to the management, and not the apportioning of licenses. All the members of the Board having demurred to Mr Quin’s opinion on this point, the different acts were critically examined. Eventually, grave doubts were expressed whether Mr Qiiiu might not be correct.

- Mr Quin, resuming, further pointed, out that before striking a special rate, the consent of ratepayers must first be obtained; and this special rate, be it remembered, could not be applied to road-making, but to such specific works as drainage, water supply and the like. •The only moneys to which the Board were clearly, entitled were the fees derived from hawkers’ licenses, dog-taxes, and the, rates upon property. The two first would'be next to nothing, and as to 'the.ilat.ter-, the 'Board had not even the power of making a valuation. The rate could, only be derived from the; County Valuation: List. 1 !

, Mr Rowe: We seem then to be possessed ol . little or no power from the Towii 1 Districts Act.

Mr Qhiri ; Not inuch'certai illy.; . t but I would suggest a method by which (what the law 1 has not given ns) we coiild go behind the law and help ourselves. The Board.conld make a private valuation of its own prior to the County Assessment. . Chairman,: But a valuation, by the Board would not be private ?

Mr Quin T it would be for this purpose, and I have no doubt it would be adopted by the County Council; but ‘should it be, otherwise,, we -cpuld,: as a corporate body, by the Rating Act, enforce its adoption, By- means of the Rating Act we have only to object , to the County, Council’s valuation in toto, oh* the ground of its being either too high'or too low:. ; i j The Chairman thought! they should construe the Act to suit their own phrposes. Mr Qnirr failed to see how, that 'could be done. What he had adduced was, simply; facts which he thought it his: duty to lay before the Board, before they entered into any’ resolutions .which would involve an expenditure they might not be able to affprid. As some doubt existed as to the correctness Of his views, be stfbiigly counselled .the payment of, a sraall fee to obtain the decisive opinion of a . solicitor., It would bo. of .great importance*ever after, and would remove all doubt;,oh uncertain and debateahb of law. ; ■ | The suggestion . .was adopted, and a further resolution proposed by Mr Mdbr, carried ; viz ; “ That the appointment of. Clerk-and Treasurer &Cvj- stand over for the present, the tenders received being considered too,high,. ..., , ; : ; i i - Bye-Laws. A special meeting'to be called shortly for the adoption of bye-laws, was agreed to. ■ ■ : ■- * • v 1 •' ■ * : ; - ■' 1! ' Keeping the Cold Out. Mr Rowe intimated that he should

willingly vote for a cord of firewood for the use of the Board at their sittings during these cold nights; or failing! that, a few bottles of Ilennessy’s best. Much general laughter followed, when the meeting separated.