BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 983, 12 January 1883, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The adjourned meeting was held on Wednesday evening. Present, His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Barton, Haywood, Aitchison, Adams, Dixon, Mahony, and McCarthy. DOG REGISTRATION. The Mayor moved “ That the fee for registration of dogs within the Borough for the ensuing year be ten shillings'.” ■ . Seconded by Or Haywood; and-carried. The Clerk was instructed to procure tlu necssary collars. Mr Jacomb was called in, and expressed his willingness to ad as Dog Registrar for another year on the same terms as before. The Mayor said that he wished to draw the .Council’s attention to the bond for the dog tax collector. The document he had in his hand ought to have been executed when Mr Jacomb was appointed but, as a matter of fact, it was only signed a month ago, although it was dated Jan. 15, 1882. Mr Coworn was one; of the bondsmen, and as he had received an appointment under the Council, he did not think it would be wise to have one officer giving surety for another. There wore some clerical and other errors in the bond, and it would bo necessary to have a new one. Mr Adams asked whose fault it was that the bond had been made after the work had been done and not before ? Whose duty was it to have seer to it ? : ; The Mayor presumed it was the head of the local body. Cr Adams : Not the Secretary. The Mayor : No. We could not expect him to get the bond unless instructed by the head of (he department. The matter then dropped it being understood that a fresh bond would be drawn up. FINANCIAL. On the motion of Cr Mahony the Mayor was appointed to sign cheques, the appointment to date from December 20. COMMITTEES, With regard to the appointment of the Public Works Committee Or Adams said that ho would like to see the number of members reduced from five to three. The latter would be more workable. ■ Cr Dixon agreed and said that it was very difficult to get five together owing to their business taking so many of them out of town. Cr Mahony moved, Cr Dixon seconded the following who wore elected : The Mayor, Crs Aitchison and Adams, the Mayor to be chairman and two to form a quorum ; their office to terminate on December 31,1883.

The election of a member of the finance committee was next taken. Cr Aitchison said the’finance committee was a farce and might as well be allowed to fall through. The Mayor thought they had work before then in connection with the loan.. It was necessary to push that on and the committee might do what was necessaiy towards amending the rate instead of hanging it up for three weeks.

Cr Aitchison considered tliat it would not be advisable to saddle the committee with the responsibility of altering the rate. It would be better to face that matter at once. He asked who the members of the committee were ? The Mayor replied Crs Taplin, Gribson^ Mahony and McCarthy,

On Cr Adams’ motion Cr Barton’s name was added to the above.

Cr Mahony moved—“ That Cr Barton bo appointed Chairman.” Seconded by the Mayor. Cr Aitchison moved, as an amendment —“ That Cr Gibson’s name be substituted in place of Cr Barton’s. He said that Cr Gibson had been a member of the Committee for the last 12 months and ho ought to understand the work better than Cr Barton possibly could through being a new member. Cr Barton seconded the amendment, and on being put to the meeting the voting was equal. The Mayor gave his casting vote against it and the motion having been put was declared carried, THE LOAN. The Mayor said they should empower the Finance Committee to take*the necessary steps with regard to amending the rate. Or Aitchison intended to move that the Council do it at once. He could not see why they should not do so as the Act was very clear upon the point. Cr Mahony -moved that a special meeting be held on Wednesday, January 17, to amend the special rate from sixpence to one shilling in the £, as securitj' for the loan of £IO,OOO. He said that it was a pity to keep the affair back. They were considerably overdrawn at the bank, contracts were going on and they should hasten to get the matter put straight.

Cr Dixon seconded tlie motion which •was carried. Cr Adams then moved “That the Finance Committee obtain a written legal opinion upon the matter of changing the loan rate from sixpence to a shilling in the £, in time for the special meeting. Cr Aitchison seconded. . Cr Barton thought that a legal opinion should bo taken. The danse in the Act might be looked at in this way : if the rate proposed would not pay the interest on the loan, then they might raise it to such an amount as would suffice, but after having promised to raise the loan on a sixpenny rate, it was questionable whether they could go in for a shilling one. It would bo wise to take a legal opinion. Cr Aitchison seconded the motion, which was carried. GRAVELLING THE STREETS. Referring to the question of gravelling the roads, the Mayor said the matter was so urgent as to require immediate attention. The Engineer stated that ho had visited the pit at the Hoads, besides Prouso’s and

Nathan’s, but had not had time to make a report. There was plenty of material at the heads at low water ; Prouse’s pit was very good, but there would be fully 20ft of stripping ; while the gravel from Nathan’s pit was of no use for road work whatever, it being too fine. Before next meeting he would inspect another pit, find make a report thereon. THE NEW OFFICE. A letter from Mr Wright, offering to superintend the erection of the new Borough Council offices was read and a discussion ensued, which resulted in the following motion, proposed by Cr Aitcluson and seconded by Cr Dixon, being carried—“ That Mr Wright’s offer to superintend the erection of the Borough offices be accepted in terms of his letter, and that tenders be called for the work in time for next meeting—if possible. Ten-' ders to be advertised in Patea and Wanganui papers. Plans, or copies of plans and specifications, to be shown in Patea or Wanganui. The engagement of Mr Wright to be subject to the Council accepting a tender for the work.” THE MAIN ROAD. Cr Barton brought up the question of the road to Hawera. He said that if the road as far as the Manawapou were not metalled before the winter came on the traffic would be entirely obstructed ; and, as that would divert most of the trade to Waitara it would be a heavy blow to Patea. He understood that the portion of the road in Hawera comity was in’fairly good condition. .The Mayor said that in the face of the resolution passed at Kakaramea the other evening it was extremely difficult to decide what to do ; besides it was the duty of the County Council to see to the state of the roads, but still the, matter was of such vital importance to Patea that the Borough Council 'should see that communication with other parts of the coast was kept up. It was ultimately resolved to allow the question to stand over to see what action the County Council would take in the matter. The Council then adjourned.