Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4766, 18 April 1884, Page 2

Borough Council.

BETBENCHMENT COMMITTEE'S EEPORT:

The adjourned meeting of the Council was held last night. Present — The Mayor, and Crs Bawden, Carpenter, Hume, Kilgour, Mennie, Murdoch, McAndrew, McCullough, McGowan, Speight, Veale and Wilson.

Or McGowan moved that the report be adopted. In response to a query by Cr Kilgour, the Mayor read the following letter received from the manager of the Bank in relation to the Borough overdraft:— Dear Sir, —On the 14th of last August your attention was called by letter to the amount of advances on account of the Borough as follows: —Borough Fund Account, £3962; Water Bate Account, £1562 ; Library Kate Account, £277 ; making in all, £5801—and you were asked at the game time to materially reduce the Borough fund advance, and pay off the others at an early date. So far from complying with this request you have con* Biderably increased each account until there is at present a total overdraft of £6736, made up of Borough Fund Account £4703; Water Supply Account, £1732; Library Account, £301 —£6736. The bank must now decline further assistance unless on satisfactory guarantee, and also an arrangement being come to for an early extinction of the existing debt. Cr McGowan understood that some arrangement had been made as to a particular amount guaranteed, and that had better be ascortained before attempting to settle with the bank.—The Mayor said that Councillors need not be alarmed as to the overdraft; as soon as they would give him the necessary instructions he would get another bank to accommodate them. In pursuing the report, Cr Mennie said it made no recommendation, Cr Hume saw no retrenchment in it, and Cr Murdoch formally seconded its adoption. Cr McCuliough said he would move that the report be received. This would give an opportunity of it being discussed; there was very little information in it. Ife would have been better had the £650 set down for salaries been apportioned to the various officers.

Gv McGowan replied that this was left for the Council to do. He said one large item of expenditure was advertising, and this should be reduced; fire prevention should also be cut down, and the Insurance companies assist it more liberally. Cr Speight said the report contained no tangible reduction. The Borough was miserably in debt, and any arrangement temporarily made with any Bank was only staving off the evil day. All the saving suggested a means of simply wiping off the Bank overdraft at the rate of £500 a year. The revenue has been overstated. They had been by circumstances compelled to indulge in a large expenditure. It was necessary that they should not pay £600 per annum for interest on their overdraft. The expenditure for salaries, works, and water sapply was too. large. He proposed—" That in view of the necessity which existed for the Borough considerably reducing its liabilities, and of the fact that this can only be accomplished by a very large reduction in the ordinary official'and works expenditure be it resolved : (1) That the officials be reduced to two; that all work save that of three surface men be suspended, and only one man retained for keeping the water supply in order. (2) This arrangement to remain jn force until the Council agrees by yesp* jujtjon, of which two peeks' notjce stiajl be given, Jo altef or revoke it/ Thjs would prevent persistent applications for expenditure, which could not be granted; oply necpssary works should be 4one,«-

Or Oarfjeatei? briefly seconded the amend* ment moved.

Cr Murdoch moved a further amend* ment—"That all officers be discharged, and that a committee consisting of a member of each ward be appointed to fix the duty of each officer and call for tenders for working of same."—Thia was seconded by Cr Bawden. Or Carpenter thought they should fix on the number of officials and then decide on their duties and remuneration, they should ascertain if the work required could be done by two officials. The Mayor said he had not the least doubt that it could not. Mr Bean held in addition to the position of Town Clerk, the offices of Harbor Board Secretary and Secretary to the Water Supply and Cemetery Committees, and for carrying out the duties of those positions he received no remuneration.

Cr Carpenter considered that a saving might be effected by taking advantage of the property tax valuation, and thus avoid the expense of preparing rolls. He thought that the Town Clerk's salary might be fixed at £250, and that officer be allowed to select an assistant at say £100 a year. Cr McGowan was of opinion that Cr Speight's proposals were inefficient as to the means of carrying them out. It was absurd to suppose that three men could keep the. goldfields' roads in proper repair. The roads in the Borough must be kept in order. There was no necessity existing for a hard and fast line of spending nothing being laid down. Extreme measures were proposed, but he counselled a medium course.

A desultory conversation ensued, and Cr Speight's amendment was put and lost on the casting vote of the Chairman, who said that his reason for voting for its rejection was that be considered it would compel the Council to employ only two officials, and he was confident that they could not do the work required. Cr McGowan, who had not voted on the subject, was called upon by the Mayor to do so, and upon declining was fined one shilling. '■?

Cr McAndrew thought the fine should be the maximum allowed, viz., £5, as he did not believe in any Cr shirking his duty. Upon Cr McGowan demanding a withdrawal or apology in the matter of the word " shirking," the offending Councillor apologised. | Cr Murdoch's amendment was then put and lost.

Cr McCullough's proposal to go through the items of expenditure seriatim was agreed to, and he proposed that the Town Clerk's salary be reduced to £250 per annum, that the collector and valuer do the work now performed by Mr Mason in the matter of Health Officer, Inspector of Nuisances, &c, and that the messenger receive £100 per annum, and be expected to assist the collector and valuer.

Cr Carpenter seconded these proposals. Cr Ealgour considered the valuation roll of the Property Tax Department should be adopted and thus save the cost of valuing. Cr McCullough did not see the advisableness of adopting the valuation mentioned as a loss of revenue would be the result. —Cr Speight did not desire a reduction of the Town Clerk's salary ; he thought he. should receive £300 a year, but have additional duties imposed upon him. Cr McCullough's motion was carried, and he moved that the Collector receive £230 per annum, and perform the increased duties before mentioned by him. As an amendment Cr Hume proposed that the salary be £200; this was carried. The allowance for a messenger was fixed at £50 a year, and the remuneration for auditors at £14 14s. The following votes were passed with little comment—carpenter, £3 per week; £150 for office charges: £50 for endowment fencing; £200, fire brigade expenses ; insurance, £17; and rent of pound, £6. The Works Committee was authorised to employ four men at current wages for street work, and the cost of elections was left an open question. In the matter of pumping assistance, Cr McCullough moved that the sum to be contributed by the Borough be fixed at £40 per month as a maximum. He said that in view of existing circumstances such a reduction was necessary.

Cr Murdoch held that the existing arrangements, viz.: £50 per month, should be adhered to, but Cr McCullough's proposal was agreed to. The item of interest on overdraft was next discussed, and the Mayor suggested that the rate at present paid was too high. H-e thought tenders should be invited from the banks in the matter.

Cr McCuliough moved that one fourth of the Borough revenue yearly be devoted to wiping off the Bank overdraft, and Cr Mennie seconded the proposition. To this Cr McGowan moved an amendment that £1000 per annum be the amount set aside for the purpose.~The original motion was carried. In the matter of water supply it was stated that £650 per year was available for expenditure. It was stated that the revenue from this source last year was £1278 and £526 had been paid into the sinking fund. It was eventually resolved that the Turncock's salary be £175, that his assistant be dispensed with, that £400 be fixed for working expenses, £550 for interest, and sinking fund, and that £350 be taken from the Borough fund to supply the deficiency found.

The Librarian's salary was fixed at £104, charges at £100, and interest at $30. £40 will be taken from Borough funds for a deficiency,

A sum of £1230 was found to be available for works and this it was decided to expend.

With the above amendments the report was adopted and the Council rose after eleven o'clock.