Annual meeting of the Borough. Council.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3549, 11 May 1880, Page 2

Annual meeting of the Borough. Council.

la accordance with section 133 of 40 Victoria, a special meeting was held this morning for the purpose of signing the audited accounts. His Worship the Mayor presided. ' THE KAUAEBANGA BECREATION GBOtTND. Mr MeGowan said he wished to draw the attention of the Council to the fact that the recreation ground at Kauaevanga was not set down as an asset, neither was the sum expended on it in improving it. He thought that the money spent on it should be shbwed to the ratepayers, as now there was no account of the money spent on it at all. The Mayor said he did not understand the question altogether, but he believed that some value should be placed'-upon the land held in trust. The Town Clerk had valued it at £900 but he did not consider that a fair valuation. The Borough have no more claim on the land than have the outsiders, and in consequence we are spending our money on a piece of ground that will not repay the amount expended oa it, as the amount derived from the

recreation ground can only be used iv improving that ground. The cemetery or library were parallel cases, and the money coming out of the pockets of the ratepayers, and used to benefit the gr.ound is as good as thrown away, as it is impossible to recover it. Mr McGowan said that the sooner they left off spending money on property held iv trust the better it would be for them. The Mayor asked, -whether at a time when they had no money in the bank, and wanted it for the proper maintenance of roads and other necessary works, it was right of the Borough Council to expend money on properties in which they had only a partial, interest. Mr Marshall said that there was no getting out of the matter. They had accepted the trust and they were bound to hold it. The Mayor thought that the Council should be very chary in spending money on charitable or public institutions. The Orphanage had cost much more than they had expected, and out of the £1300 only £525 had been contributed by Government. £775 had been spent out of the Borough funds. The prevailing impression as to taking all control of the charitable institutions was that they did not pay. They would do, however, he had no doubt, in time to come. Mr McGowan said that he understood that the recreation ground was a small endowment. As however it was only held in trust, the Council were not doing right by spending even Is on it, and he maintained that it would be illegally spending the money of the ratepayers to apply it for the purpose of improving a property held in trust. The Town Clerk said that there had been a good deal of talk about the Charitable Institutions being taken under the control of the Borough. As a matter of fact the Borough had not been losers by taking the charge, but had saved £200 by the transaction. ' The Mayor said that when people living outside the Borough, took part in the enjoyments or benefits provided, by the Borough, they should subscribe to the institutions by which they were benefitted. He did not see why the Borough should have to pay all the money. The amount spent on the recreation ground was £40 0s Id. He moved the following resolution, " That the Mayor sign the balance sheet, as passed and audited." This was carried.

THE DELAPIDATED HOUSES.

The Mayor remarked that it only remained for the concluding steps to be taken in regard to the removal of the delapidated buildings. Mr Marshall said there were several houses which were dangerous, and should in consequence be removed. Mr McGrowan saidjbeforethe resolution was put he wished to say a few words. He [wished to save the Works Committee from committing further blunders on the subject. They had already made themselves look foolish by sticking up notices on the doors of the houses referred to. He was assured that the Council had no right to interfere with houses standing on a freehold, and had only power over those which were contiguous and dangerous to neighbouring property. He wished to prevent the Council from doing anything illegal. He quite agreed as to the advisability of. pulling the eyesores down, but he was quite sure the Council had no power to do so. He thought that the engineer should report on the houses, and if they were considered dangerous by him they could then pull them down. .His Worship remarked that it had always been his idea that architects and engineers were only wanted in building up houses. What on earth they wanted them for pulling; down buildings he failed to see! He thought that the unanimous opinion of the Council was better than the opinion of an engineer or Foreman of Works, If the Council were in fear of litigation, he would be willing to pay the cost of the trial himself. Mr Marshall moved " That the necessary concluding steps be taken to compel the owners of such habitations as are dangerous to remove them." Mr McGrowan said that as the meeting was a special one they could not deal with the question. He objected to the resolution. The Mayor said he was surprised Mr McGowan had not made the objection before they had entered so thoroughly on the question. He hoped that Mr McGowan would withdraw his objection. Mr McGowan intimated that he should not do so. His Worship: Then the matter must stand adjourned. ' This concluded the business.