BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1013, 26 March 1883, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The special meeting of the Borough Council, which was adjourned from last Monday evening for want, of a .quorum, was held on Wednesday night at 7-30 p.m. Present ; His Worship the .Mayor, Crs Gibson, Adams, " McCarthy, Haywood, Barton, Mahony, and Aitchison. The-business bbfbro the; meeting was to consider the tdi-jiVS" of-, the Engineer’s engagement, recbiveYeriders for a supply of pipes, and cb'ftage of gravel, and to consider the offer of the Harbour Board with regard to gravel. _ The Council went into committee to consider tenders, and upon.resuming the following resolutions 1 were announced as Imving bc-cu passed ; . Proposed by Cr Gibson and Seconded by Cr Adanis '•* That,’f he'tender of Mr G. F. Sherwood for supply of drain pipes ac- : cording to specifications be accepted. That i» the event of the pipes not being

delivered according to time and specifications the Council to he at liberty to procure pipes elsewhere,” Proposed by Cr Aitchlson “That the lender of Messrs Prendcrgaat and Butler for No 9 contract bo accepted.” Seconded by Cr McCarthy. ( Proposed by Cr Haywood and seconded by the Mayor “That extension of time for gravelling Bedford street bo granted to Monday, April 2n I at 4 p.m.” Tine ENGINE Kit’B ENGAGEMENT. The Clerk read the following clause in the Engiii'-cr’s report of' March 3 ■ ‘• In compliance with the instructions of the Council at last meeting to reply to a resolution passed last September. I take (he liberty of attaching copies of my appointment and the resolution referred to ; also stati-mimt, made July 24th in Council, previous to commenting thereon, It will bo, I think, apparent to the Conm oil (fiat no professional man would accept a similar appointment for one year unly, and I accepted (ho appointment believing it would be permanent as long as I gave satisfaction. After my arrival in Patea I heard the matter debated upon, in consequence of wliieh I wrote (clause appended) in my report for August which raised the qnesiion io Council, and it was unanimously remarked then that the Engineer would bo required for at least three years, or until the wo: ks then being:sanctioned by the Council were carried put. With regard to the other part of your resolution relating to private work, it is scarcely necessary to make any remark, as you have had, I might say, almost rny entire time. Had the Council not; expressed itself so plainly on several occasions on the matter of the Engineer’s appointment, I certainly should not have brought my family to Patea.- And I would remind you that the wording of the appointment does not say a temporary engagement as is always contained in an appointment under Govorina ml.” The Mayor. Tins is a reply to a letter from the Council some months previous, asking the Engineer to come to terras with the Council about his engagement, there being-no fixed time. Ho has been receiving jus salary monthly, from the date of his appointment. , Cr Gibson ; Cr Aitchison is reported to have : said, '.ho engineer’s appointment would last 3 years, Cr Aitchison :‘I referred, to the providing of the salary for the engineer for 3 years, merely as a remark about the possible time it.would'take to spend the loan. Moved by Ci Aitchison, and seconded by Cr Barton, “ That it be a condition between this Council and the engineer, that 3 months notice, on either side, be sufficient to terminate the present engagement.” Tbe mover said that it might be necessary for The engineer to give an immediate reply, but if he made iio answer, the Council could take that as consent to the resolution.

Or Gibson said he failed to see what Cr Aitchison had said wilhrhjgard to the reply, as no notice had been given in the resolution (hat any answer was wanted. The motion was put and carried. Cr Gibson moved “ That the Engineer be requested to state in writing his acceptance or otherwise of the three months’ notice ('of termination of his engagement. Reply to be sent in by the next meeting of the Council, Monday April 2.” Seconded by Cr Mahony.

Cr Aitchison said he did not see the use of the resolution, as the one just passed fixed the Council to a! certain course. The Council had stated what they would do, and it remained with.the engineer to say what he would do. Cr McCarthy : It would be a bad thing to quarrel with our officer, ae there are a large'dumber of contracts now in hand. Cr Adams said he did not agree with Cr Aitchison’s "remarks,: as the Council ought to know if'the engineer accepisThe terms or not. The resolution, if the engineer does not inform the Council that he accepts.it, is not binding on.bim.J Cr . Aitchison ; I should presume that an agreement would be .prepared, and then ic would, simply be a question of the engineer signing it. ‘ Resolution carried. :: - DRAINAGE. ; After,a.long discussion with regard to the drainage map , before the Council Civ Gibson n)oved-T-“That|a plan of drainage in accordance with the Act be prepared for approval by the Council.” Seconded by Cr Adams. The; Mayor moved as an amendment and Cr McCarthy seconded “ Tuat the* Engineer ..be .informed that the drainage map prepared by him is incomplete in terms of the Act, and that he be instructed to have the levels of all drains shown thereon in time for next ordinary meeting.” A division was taken and the amendment was carried. GRAVEL. After a short discussion the question of gravel was allowed to stand over. .LEASES. The Mayor said I hat Block No 32 which had been leased to T. Haywood sehr.j had again fallen into the Council's hands on account of the bankruptcy of the lessee. The term of umxpired lease was about 4 years. He would suggest to the Council that it be re-leased for a lonig period. ■ Cr Gibson moved “ That block No. 32. be leased for a number pf years as a paddock,” Seconded by. Cr Mahony and carried. : ~s ... ' EXPENDITURE. : •’ “ The Mayor, moved “ That the, proportion of expenditure on Public work from the Loan up to Ist February ultimo, be referred to the finance 1 committee ; and to report their decision, to the Clerk in' time for half-yearly balance.” Seconded by Cr Mahony and carried, This being all the business, the Council then adjpurnpd.