BOROUGH COUNCIL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 185, 15 November 1910, Page 8

BOROUGH COUNCIL

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of the j New Plymouth Borough Com:i-il was. held last night. Present: His Worship' the Mayor (Mr. G. Ti-eh) and Councillors Dockrili, F. C. Bellringer, F. E. Wil--8071. J. West, A. E. Watkins. J. Clarke, H. J. Gilbert and G. W. Browne. OLD PEOPLE'S HOME. Cr. Bellringer asked whether, in the event of the Hospital Board connecting the Old People's Home, on its new site, with the borough water supply (at r. cost of £175 or £.500. as estimated), and in the event of the Westown district at some future time becoming merged in the borough, would the ownership of the pipes laid by the Board revert to the Council, and would the Board be reimbursed? There was no satisfactory answer, to the question, although about a dozen replies were made. One councillor naivelv suggested that the Board should obtain an opinion from its solicitor. Cr. Wilson said he felt inclined to move, when the proper time' came, that the Council refuse to allow the Board to connect with the munici-l pal system at all. He said that liospi-1 tal boards, as at present constituted,' occupied an anomalous position, and one j that he was surprised should have been j the outcome of the deliberations of a professed Liberal Government. These boards had the right, to spend what money they liked, without being responsible to anybody, and with power to make this a charge on the contributing bodies. It was, he said, one of the worst instances lie knew of taxation without direct representation, and it was wrong that any local body should be allowed this latitude. The reports of the borough engineer and the electrical engineer were receiver and deiilt with. A CROSSING—AND COURTESY. Upon consideration of the Works Committee, reference was made to the following letter from Mr. George Bach: "After me and others paying a former Council 30s-to repair the crossing to the private lane at Mr. White's and my properties, Young street, will you kindly inform me by whose authority it was broken un and left in its present con-, ditioa ? Without proceeding further if the engineer is allowed to cover his petty spite behind his official position in this manner, the sooner I understand my position the better." The Works Committee had recommended the Council to require a courteous application before considering the matter mentioned. The Mayor explained that a crossing had. been put in by the Council and paid for by the people concerned. In course of time the crossing had to be lowered in i order to allow stagnant and stinking water to get clear. The whole matter would be remedied by putting in a cast iron pipe. Cr. Dockrili addressed himself at some length to the question (which he said was raised at the Works Committee meeting) of ratepayers airing their grievances to the Council. He wished to make it clear that he would always be ready to listen to the complaint of every ratepayer, and he would not re.fuse to .listen merely because the complainant happened to be of lowly estate^ Councillors said they had no recollection of the question of differentiation being raised, and there was half-an-hour's discussion upon the matter oi'. crossings.

Nothing was done. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

Cr. Wilson asked a series of questions concerning the settlement of accounts in connection with the Powderham street bridge. He wanted to know what was the amount of the penalties which the Council enforced in regard to the completion of the Powerham street culvert; why those penalties were foregone; and why the executive had paid the amount of the contract monies by the executive committee, without confirmation by the Council, seeing that the executive committee is a minority of the council. The Mayor said there were £4O extras on the Gill street contract, and as the committee was anxious to have the Powderham street culvert opened at the earliest possible moment, they waived the penalties due at Powderham street, j the contractors (who had the two cul-l verts) at the same time waiving their I claim for "extras." I Cr. Wilson: So you set off the extras i on one "account against the penalties on' another? But you haven't told us yetj why the executive took it into their j own hands to pav the contractors in { full. The executive undertakes too' much altogether. . j The Mayor said the executive had been anxious to save time, and to get the streets opened. Correspondence which passed between the contractor and the engineer was read. I

Cr. Wilson: It amounts to this. Boon Brothers say to the council—We haven't finished our work yet, and we have delayed it to meet our own convenience. But you pay us the whole amount 01 the contract money—although you have notified us von are going to enforce the penalties—and we will finish the work some day to the satisfaction of your engineer. Then the executive says—"Yes, we will let you finish when you like, and we will pay you everything, and let you finish when you like." He entered an emphatic protest against the practice of the executive dealing with matters that were not referred to them, and that were not matters of urgency; and, further, when they dealt with these matters they did so in such a way as to result to the detriment of the ratepavers by paying out monies that the contractors were not legally entitled to.

The Mavor said the executive had been authorised by the Council to do what had been done. Cr. Wilson said the executive had been authorised to have Powderlnm street filled, but the executive had confused Powderham and Gill streets. Cr. Dockrill said the muddle would never have occurred if there were a small works committee instead of the present cumbersome committee of the whole.

Cr. Watkins considered the executive should be congratulated upon the course adopted. They had saved the Council about £3O.

Cr. Bellringer: You're patting your self on the back.

Cr. Clarke asked what the penalties amounted to, but could not obtain the information from the engineer.

Comment was made upon this, and the Mayor then vouchsafed the information

that ''there really was 110 penalty. We threatened them with ;i penalty, but there really was none." Cr. licllringer: I suggest the Mayor study for the law immediately, Cr. Wat-kins: Cr. Wilson has found a "mare's nest." Cr. Wilson: It's the principle I object to. GENERAL. The Mayor was granted an extension of time in which to move his motion re providing loans for tramways and electric lighting schemes. It was decided to defer action with regard to the connection of the Daily Xews premises with the sewer, pending alterations to t.he buildings shortly. Cr. Bellringer asked that the engineer prepare a scheme for the drainage of the East Ward.—The Mayor said that this would be dealt with to some extent in his loan proposals by the formation of Leach street. It was decided to communicate witli the Christehurch City engineer, Mr. Dob- ■ son, with reference to the method there of tarring footpaths and nmcada- | mis-ed roads. On the motion of Cr. Gilbert it was | decided to ask the Hospital Board for I details of the lease of the land 011 which ' the Old People's Home, now stands, and I on which, it was stated, the Hospital Board proposed to erect the new hospital. Cr. Gilbert said this matter was I one of considerable interest to the rate- , payers.