BOROUGH COUNCILS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 272, 7 April 1911, Page 8

BOROUGH COUNCILS

(From Our Own Correspondents.) WAITARA. i A special meeting of the Borough Council was held on Wednesday evening, when the balance-sheet for. 1910 was adopted. At the ordinary meeting on Wednesday evening, there were present: His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Brabant, Black, Klenner, Spurdle, Birdling, and Rattenbury. An apology was i'eceived for the absence of Cr. Tate, who in his letter expressed a hops that the Mayor would consent to again stand for office. The engineer submitted a scheme for drainage, but owing to the fact that the amount exceeded the loan account it| was held over for next meeting to allow the new Council to discuss it. The engineer also submitted a schedule of works in connection with the street loan account. This was adopted, and several of the works are to be proceeded with at once. The engineer was instructed to take permanent levels of the bor'ough. | The matter of cindering Princes street footpath was referred to the. Works Committee. | The Fire Brigade wrote thanking the. Council for putting in crossing and ask-| ing that the reel house be tarred.—The foreman is to carry out the necessary work. It was resolved to order two water .troughs from Messrs. Booth and McDonald. A motion was carried that the Under-, writers' Association be asked to inspect the water supply and Are equipments, with, a view to reducing insurance premiums. Accounts amounting to £IOO lis 5d were passed for payment.

On the motion of Crs. Klenner and i Rattenbury, a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Mayor for his ablel conduct of the business of the Council. All councillors present expressed their | appreciation of the work done, and! hoped that Mr. Jenkins would allow himself lo be again nominated for the position, so that he could carry out the drainage and street works and re-erec-tion of the bridge. In thanking the councillors for their expressions of appreciation, the Mayor said he had carried out his duties to the best of his abilities, but as the proposed works would take up a very considerable amount of h's time, he would have to consider the question of re-nomina-tion. IXGLrWCCD. The ordinary monthly meeting was held on Tuesday evening, v. ...i His Worship ilu' .uuyor presided over a full attendance of councillors. Messrs. Peroival and Messenger, representing Messrs. Weston and Weston, asked the Council to asphalt footpath in front of their properties in Matai and Kelly streets.—Referred to the Works Committee. I Mr. Eobb wrote calling attention to state of drain in Trimble Park.—Referred to the Works Committee. It was decided to let the question of leasing reserves (with regard to the questions referred to the Municipal Association's solicitor) lie on the table, as it was not deemed advisable to bind the incoming Council. The clerk was instructed to write to Mr. Fisher asking him to effect repairs and alterations necessary to comply with sanitary requirements. Cr. Bennett was appointed as representative to attend the opening of the municipal gas works at Eltham. The clerk was instructed to inform Mr. W. H. Skinner, in answer to his letter, that the Council did not desire to delay the gazetting of Domain sections until Elliot street was closed. The question of a subsidy for bridges to the Taranaki County Council was left in the hands of His Worship the Mayor, and Crs. Gibbs, Surrey and; Young to meet the County Council. j The offer of £lO for a year's tenancy I of "Priest's paddock" was accepted, butij the question of letting Trimble Parki was held in abeyance.

Messrs. Giles and Son's tender for carting (Is 9d per hour) was accepted. Cr. Young (Works Committee) tlien reported that during the year ended very good work had been done, and he! thought the severest critic must give the men credit £,or the way in which the works had bijn done. Cr. Tarplee moved that the Mayor's honorarium of £25 be passed for pay-' ment that night, as His Worship was leaving for the Old Country on Thursday morning. He wished to thank him for the unfailing courtesy he had shown, towards the councillors during his term of office, and to wish him a very pleasant holiday. He hoped, on his (Mr Winfleld's) return, to see him again at the Council table, either as Mayor or councillor. His Worship thanked Cr. Tarplee for his kind wishes, and said it had been a pleasure to him to preside over a body of men who had always shown him the greatest courtesy and consideration. The individual members were outspoken,' and all held opinions of their own, and: were not afraid to voice them, but all had the welfare of the borough at heart and no friction had resulted. The Council was composed of men, not nonentities. He thanked the clerk for the report now before them, which was extremely lucid ami of great value to the members. The year had been commenced with a debit balance of £724 and ended with a debit of £lOl2, anl increase of £3BB, which had resulted' from the work undertaken in Rata and Matai streets just at the end of last' year. The receipts were £BS less than' the estimates, and the expenditure £2OB more. When he first took the chair,! the overdraft was £1403, and accounts' amounting to £251 were passed for pay-! ment, making an overdraft of £1714, The Finance Committee thus had only £BOO at their disposal for the year, and had found they could only keep up necessary repairs. The year had been noted for economical work and necessary 1 work only had been done. Several councillors endorsed the remarks of Cr. Tarplee. Cr. G. Bennett was appointed deputy-, Mayor. Cr. Gibbs was appointed to' sign cheques on the borough account, )