THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81875, 27 October 1906, Page 3

THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY.

FURTHER COUNCIL FIASCO. The Mayor and Councillors Monteath, Beiliinger. Wilson, Ci.llis llutehen, Browne, and Webster attended a special meeting of the jjulough Council on Friday to consider the upon 01 the Carnegie Library Committee recommending thai the litepayers be asked to sanction tlnraising of a loan of ,£2500 to purchase Mr Holdsworth's property on the corner of Liardet and Courtenay streets as a site for the erection of a public library out of Mr Carnegie's grant of .62500. Cr Bellringer, chairman of the committee, moved the adoption of the report and made a reference to toe tin lortunatc position m which the Council was placed by the withdrawal of Mr W. F. Brooking's pro petty from sale after its selection by the Council. The committee was fully convened that it would be tin absurd mistake to erect a ,£2500 building on ihe small section adjoining the Town Hall, though the scheme would have been feasible and possible had the other sections not lbecn_lea-<:d to Mr E Griffiths. He considered the price of ihe property offered was reasonable, and asked that the mailer be dealt with by a referendum of the ratepayers. Cr. Monteath, without seconding, questioned if the Carnegie committee including the oldest member of the Council, had ever read section 35S of the Council's by-laws?

Cr. Bellringer said he was not ' quite familiar with all the forms. Cr. Monteath said it was provided by this by-law that no such motion as this could be dealt with by the Council unless five days' clear notice in writing had been given. lie did not think this meeting was legal-

ly called. The Town Clerk read the clauses of the Act dealing with this point, and stated that this meeting needed two days' clear notice, which had not been given, owing to the date of the meeting having been altered from Monday to Friday. Cr. Monteath said he did not in-

tended to press the point, bui was forced to the opinion' that the notice of motion should have been given. It was also necessary before this motion could come on, that the two previous I resolutions (one of them rejecting this very proposal, should be rescinded. The Council's rejection of Mr Holdsworth's place, and the acceptance of Mr Brooking's, must effectually kill this business. Cr. Collis made a personal explanation, that, though a member of the committee he declined to support the present site. The Mayor: You mean the Town Hall site. Cr. Collis: No, Mr Holdsworth's. Cr. Wilson: We're discussing a point of order. Cr. Collis: That doesn't prevent my making a personal explanation.

Tho Town Clerk stated he had informed the chairman of the committee that if objection was raised the meeting could not bo held. Cr. Bellringer admitted it. The Mayor ruled the objection was fatal, and the business could not be proceeded with. , Cr. Bcllringer considered the difficulty could easily be surmounted—The Council could meet on Saturday. (Laughter.) Further irrelevant discussion followed, Cr. Monteath stating he did not raise any objection tp the manner of calling the meeting.

The matter was referred to later on, when Cr. Bellringer referred to the difficult position. The Mayor would be away from his place at next meeting, and Cr. Brooking had resigned so there would be a small meeting. He thought the Carnegie committee might leave the question of site to the Council. The Mayor >aid the next regular meeting would be a full one, on Monday fortnight. Cr. Bellringer: That's too late. It'll kill the thing. The loan proposals will be out ihen.

Cr. Collis said the Town Clerk could not go on with the loan proposals, for the scheme provided tor the purchase of a property that was not for sale.

Cr. Monteath: Cr. Collis surprises mo. He says tho Town Clerk can't obey the inductions given him. Do you mean lie can't do it?

Cr. Collis: What's the use, if the property is not lor -'ale! Cr. Monteath could see no objection. The Town Celrk had been u>lcl to advertise the proposals. "Why can't he go on and do as lie's told ?'' Cr. Collis: And make fools of the whole Council. I don't like being made a fool of. If you don't object, 1 do. The Mayor thought it would be folly to go ahead with the whole scheme. Cr. Hutchen was of a different opinion. The Town Clerk should carry out the instructions of the Council. The Mayor commented on the anomalous position. Cr. Monteath: Any anomaly is due to the Carnegie committee. One thing I object to, and that is for us to sit hero from 7.30 till a quarter to t2 o'clock at night deciding a "Tning. and then find out our instructions are not given effect to. Whoever advised the clerk not to go on was very wrong, and the Council had a right to know why the. work was not done. The Town Clerk said that one reason was that the Loans to LocaHindies Act had been amended on Thursday, and he had telegraphed for the amendments to see, how they affected the position. The Municipal Corporations Act was also undergoing amendment, and he wanted to see the effect of that. And, besides there had not been time to finish the heavv work entailed. Cr. Monteath explained that he had taken objection to Cr. Collis' state merit that the Town Clerk could not proceed. Cr. Collis retorted: I said that, considering the Town Clerk had more sense than some other people. This shot ended the meeting.