Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4784, 9 May 1884, Page 2

Borough Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting was held last night. Present—Crs McGowan (in the chair), Mennie, Murdoch, McAndrew, Kilgour, Speight, Veale, Wilson, Carpenter, and Bawden.

The usual formal business was transacted.

COBEESPOSTDENCE.

A letter was, read from Ehrenfried Bros., asking that the Sealey street foot> path, in front of the Imperial Hotel, be properly formed and asphalted.—Eesolved that the work be done as soon as the applicant's share ,of -the expense was. lodged with the Council.. ' ; An application from Mr, J. Stone re the water taken from the H&p£i Greek for the sawmill dam was referred to the Works Committee, as also was a complaint from Mr Burra re a choked culvert in Kirkwood street. C. B. Edwards Rare an estimate of the cost of the fence between his property and the Borough' endowment, stating the Borough's share.: would be 18s 6d per chain, or a total of £31 9s 6d.—Some discussion ensued on. the- queetion, it being ultimately resolye&'-Jhat the applicant should erect a-r^alr fence, towards which the Council wat 'willing to contribute £1 per chain. - >.-»/„ J. B. Steedinan .wrote, - asking the Council fco repair the footbridge across Tararu creek, near his house.—The repairs were authorised. P. Maxwell and C. Short asked the Council to take over their contract for clearing the Hape Creek immediately on its completion.—Agreed to. '

It was decided re the £400 loan by Government'for flood damages to lodge one fourth of the money instead of striking a rate. BEPORTS. The Works Committee recommended that thirty loads of shingle be placed on the footpath in front of Messrs Price and Watson's premises. The culvert at the junction of Clarence and Alfred streets, Parawai, should be raised. With respect to the trees in the streets question, when authority was given tO remove a tree it -should be on condition that a blue-gum was planted in its place. Mr Steediuan's offer to restore the.paved crossing under the Tararu tramway bridge for £27 should bo favorably considered.—The report was adopted.

The Foreman of Works reported that during the month most of the dressed stones washed away from the Tararu creek crossing had been gathered up. The worst places «loDg the Rooky Point road, and also several breaks in tjie sea*

wall, had been repaired. Repairs had I been effected to tlie asphalt, and the 1; water-tables and drains had been cleaned , out. The repairs to the Tararu bridge ; had cost £24 4s, which was less than the amount authorised. Kepairs to the boarding of the Karaka creek, at Bull's battery, and to the lower Waiotahi dam, at a cost of £15, were recommended.—-" Adopted, the last two matters being referred to the Works Committee.

The Water Supply Committee's report stated the cost of extending .the Karak?. road main would be £45, while the aunnal revenue would only be £5 10s. —The Council declined to undertake the work.

The Relieving Officer reported having assisted 31 families during the month at a cost of £25 13s; and the Health Officer reported seven deaths. The Finance Committee recommended the payment of accounts to the amount of £468. Be the application of the Cemetery Road Improvement Committee for a subsidy, it was reported that as the Council had transferred the paddocks at Parawai to the Cemetery trustees, and they were the only means by which revenue could be raised for the purpose, no funds were available for the-request.—The report was adopted. OTHEE BUSINESS. Crs Veale, Carpenter, and Kilgour were appointed the Council's representatives on the Hospital Committee, and Cr Speight, and Messrs A. Brodie and T. L. Murray were elected members of the Library Committee for the ensuing three years, j Cr JDlgour's notice of motion, " That the Property Tax valuation be the basis of Borough valuation," then came on for discussion. —The Town Clerk said he had written down to the Commissioner for a list of his valuation, to see how the motion would affect the Council, but he had not i yet received it.—Cr Kilgour agreed that it would be unwise to take any steps till the list was to hand, and asked that his motion be allowed tp stand over.—Agreed

to. Cr Carpenter then moved, in accordance with notice, that £50 compensation should be granted to J. B. Mason, and spoke at length in favor of his motion, expatiating upon the faithful way in which he had carried out hi duties. —As the Councillors did not seem inclined to discuss the matter, the mover asked, and it was resolved, that the matter stand adjourned for two months.

Cr Speight tnovrd the notice standing in his name, to the effect that all present committees be discharged, and in future three committees only, viz; : Works, Water Supply, and Finance, be appointed, with duties.as named! He said his object was the placing of matters of management on a better basis than at present. He proposed to give the Works and Water Supply Committees power to deal with small matters which were constantly being brought before the Council, or else to consider and report to the Council concerning them. This procedure would considerably expedite business. The Finance Committee would check any expenditure which could not be afforded and would monthly bring up a statement showing the Council's position.—Cr Kilgour seconded, considering one of the strongest points of the proposition was that it would give the committees a much better knowledge of their duties.—Cr Murdoch thought it would simply- pass over the Council's work to committees, and Cr Wilson could not ccc any improvement in the proposition.—Cr Carpenter favored tbe proposition as a whole but thought some amendments could be introduced with good effect.—Cr Bawden failed to see the utility of the motion, considering the proposition that the Committees be allowed to spend small sums up to £10 was a bad one. —Cr Murdoch concurred, and proposed that the whole matter be deferred till September.—Cr Wilson seconded.—Cr Speight thought it would be better to do it at once if it was to be done at all.—The Chairman agreed with Cr Bawden, considering that the policy of allowing committees to spend money on their own authority was one which would not work well.—Cr Mennie did not agree with the proposition as a whole, but was decidedly in favor of the reconstruction of the committees, which did not work well together at present.—The amendment was then put and lost, 4 voting for and 5 against.—Cr Veale moved that the consideration of the whole motion stand over till nest meetiag. —Cr Kilgour seconded, and it was carried.

The meeting then adjourned.