CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 339, 10 September 1898, Page 4

CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual monthly meeting of the above Council was held on Thursday evening at 7.30 p.m. There weie present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr Bach), Crs. Clark, Davies, Ferguson, Howe, Wells, Arnold and Rich.mison.—The two lastmentioned had been re-elected ami mane the usual declaration before any business was done—Cr Arnold apologised for the absence of Cr Kerr, who was indisposed. —The Mayor congratulated the re-elected Councillors on again joiuing the Council, and said he trusted they would all work with that harmony that had previously existed amongst them. Endowment Leases. Mr James Webber wrote the Council as follows : On belnlf of the widow of the late James Meredith, 1 beg the Council to cancel the lease of seven acres of town endowments that were held by him. Her husband being dead she caunot make any use of them, and it would be very hard for her to get the money to pay the rent. 1 will pay up all rents to date, and I trust your Council will take this matter into your favourable consideration.— The consideration of this matter was deferred. Cement.—A circular letter was received referring to Wilson's cement, from the Road'Overseer of the Hasting? Borough. It stated that it was in every respect equal to the best Portland cement. —Received. Financial Statement.—Overdraft at ] IthAugust, £llO 8s 4d ; accounts since paid, £32 & 7d : amount lodged, £27 Os 6d; present overdraft, £lls H« stl ; accounts to pass, £ls 0s 2d when accounts are paid, £l3O lis 7d. The following was the list of accounts passed : H. Preecc. £6 12s ; W. Souter and Co., £5 10s lid; B. Lockley. os ; H. Turnbull, 12s 3d; audit fees, £2.The report was approved and adopted. Works.—The works report stated that since last meeting of- Council the surfaceman hail been employed 24 days. The cutting of Riley's hill had been carried out under the supervision of the South Ward members, at a cost to the Borough of £1 16s 6d. The Special Committee appointed to attend to Albertstreet had called tenders for the work, but only ons was received, viz., Chas. Crouch at £4 7s fid. His tender was considered reasonable and was accepted, but the work had not yet been doue.— Adopted. The Jubilee.—The. balance of • the Record Reign Committee's Jubilee Improvement Fund was laid on the table. It was as follows :—Receipts : Public subscriptions, £67 8s 6d ; forfeited deposit, £5 : donated by Borough Council, £Bl 14s 9d ; total. £154 3s 3d. Expenditure : Paid for entertaining children on Jubilee Day, £8 9s 4d ; expenses connected with the flagstaff and ilag—flagstaff, £l3, freight, £1 9s 2d ; puint and labour, £1 18s 6d ; material, £1 0s lid ; flag and inscription plate, £4 15s 6d ; total, £22 4s 1. Jubilee Garden : Contract for laying out ground, £2O ; contract for fencing, £lO 10s; painting fence, £2 7s 6d ; total, £32 17s Cd. Victoria Square: Surveying and levelling, £5 7s 6d ; paid on account of first contract, £33 ; extra labour, £2 17s 3d ; drain, 14s ; seeds and manures, £l2 3a 7d ; contract to complete the work, £36 10s ; total, £9O 12s 4d ; grand total, £154 3s 3d. —After reading the balance sheet the Mayor said the first vote of the Council was for £SO, and he believed the work would have been done tor that money but for Mr Purdie, who undertook the work. Then the Council voted a further sum of £3O, and that sum had been exceeded by £1 14s 9d. It was a most unfortunate business for the Council, and was the most unpleasant that he had ever been connected with, for he considered it was a clear loss of £4o.—Cr. Howe said it had not been thrown away.—Cr. Wells said he did not find fault with the work, and he agreed with Cr. Howe that it had not been thrown away, for it was undoubtedly a great addition to the township. He wished to be clearly understood that the remarks he was about to make were not made in a fault-finding spirit, but were merely to justify the action he had taken when the work was commenced. They would remember that he dis-associated himself from the scheme at the commencement, and he did so because he considered it wrong from its very inception; the reason was, because he thought it was a job that the town should undertake wheu it could afford it. He had prepared a few figures in support of. his contention, taken from the balance sheet before them, which would place the matter in a different light. The public subscriptions were £67 83 6d, and the forfeited deposit £5, making a total of £72 8s 6d. Take from that the cost of entertaining the children, £8 9s 4d, and that left £63 19s 2d. The flagstaff aud flag cost £22 4s Id, and the Jubilee garden £32 17s 6d, a total of £55 Is 7d, and that left £S 7s 7d to be expended on Victoria Square. That work had cost £9O 12s 4d, towards which thelpublie had given £8 17s 6d, so the Borough fund had been depleted to the extent of £Bl 14s 9d. In face of that he would ask if the position he took up at the commencement had not been correct. Their overdraft that day stood at £lls, and but for the exceptionally fine winter it would doubtless have been much greater, for the roads would have required more spending on them ; but as it was they would feel the shortness of money for a considerable time to come. They often squabbled over spending £4 or £5 on necessary road works ; but at the same time they had handed over £BO to an irresponsible committee to spend. That was the part he objected to. At the same, time he did not wish to find fault and only wanted to vindicate his action. However, the money had been spent—he believed to the best advantage under the circumstances—and there was no doubt the improvements were a great addition to the town, and in the future lie should feel a pleasure in helping to maintain them in a creditable manner.— The Mayor spoke somewhat warmly on the subject and Baid that although Mr Wells had refused to have anything to do with the committee at the commencement, he now appeared to be willing to take, a baud. He thought it would have looked much better if he had helped all through, and he (the speaker) thought it was bad taste on Mr Wells' part to resign from the committee. When the Council voted the £no they all considered that amount would finish the woik ; and he believed it would have done so if the first contractor had gone about tne work in the right manner. He considered that if the second contractor had had the job at the start that he would have done it for the £SO. He did not consider the committee at all irresponsible, for lie was sure the councillors on the committee had the interest of the borough at heart. He thought such remarks were uncalled for, indeed he felt iucliued to endorse Cr. Eseott's opinion, namely, that the committee were not bound to furnish a statement of the accounts for the Council, but did so as a matter of courtesy.—Cr. Wells said the Mayor was uot taking his remarks in the spirit they were intended ; he buly wanted to point out that it was not right for the Council to part with the control of such a large sum of money.—The Mayor said the Council was unanimous in voting the money, but they had been badly led by the contractor.— Cr. Davies said the ratepayers were thoroughly satisfied with what had been done, and why bring the matter up again.—Cr. Howe thought enough had been said about it on former occasions.—The Mayor " stated many ratepayers had expressed pleasure at what had been done.— Cr. Clark said he was one of the committee, having been put upon it at a late date to take someone's place, and lie considered they were totally irresponsible as far as the Council was concerned.—The Mayor said the committee had been appointed by the vote of the ratepayers, and Cr. Wells was the only one who refused tu

act. Cr. Wells stated there were about SO on the first committee.—The Mayor explained that the working committee was appointed by the large one, ami he took care that a majority oi councillors was upon it. He always I clieved in bowing to the wish of the majority.—Or. Wells: Certainly. —!he Mayor: Then why did you refuse to serve ? -Or. Wells : Because I could see what it would lead to.—His Worship then moved : " That the Jubilee balancesheet as read be approved and adopted.— Cr. Wells : It. would be better to only receive it. If you make it a part of the Council's business—as it will be if your motion is passed—the auditor will want to examine all the accounts.—'l he Mayor : They are all here for anyone to see. I never had anything bother me as much as this matter, and when I once get out of harness I shall be very careful to keep out of any public business._(jr. Ferguson : I think you have little to regret.—Cr. Howe : Who asked for a statement of the accounts.— Cr. Clark : I did, a member of the committee for I knew very ii ttie about the matter. We never had a properly called meeting, so far as I am aware, and I thought the Council should be furnished with all the details. -Cr. Howe : If I had been upon the committee and was to'd it was an irresponsible body. I should have taken it as an insult.—The Mayor said Crs. Clark and Davies were put upon the committee by the vote of the Council in April last.—Cr. Clark admitted that : but said they were the only two that were appointed by the Council.—Matters then cooled down considerably, and eventually it was moved by Cr._ Wells, seconded by the Mayor and unanimously agreed to : That the Jubilee balancesheet be received. ArroixTMKST of Committees. The followiogwereelected a Legal and Finance Committee : The Mayor, Crs. Clark, Ferguson, Richardson and Wells. Works Committee : The Mayor, Crs. Davies, Escott, Clark and Wells. Cemetery Committee : The Mayor, Crs. Escott, Davies. Howe and Ferguson. Public Hall Committee : The Mayor, Crs. Davies and Wells. Voukl-stkeet. spend about £5 on this street in rouodiug it up, preparatory to its being gravellpd. Clare-stkeet.—lt was resolved to postpone the work in this street. Queen-street.—The Mayor undertook to have the ruts in the footpath of this street filled up. Duke-street Kerbixu. Cr. Howe asked how long the disgraceful state_ of the kerbing in this street was to exist. —lt was explaiued that it was waiting for Mr Wilson to inspect it, and see if concrete would be most suitable for it. Tue Cemetery.—Cr. Ferguson called attention to the bad state of the footpath in Victoria-street, leading to the cemetery. —The Mayor would like the footpath to be formed all the way to the cemetery ; but more than the half of it was in the Cambridge Road District ; however, he did not see why they should not subsidise the Road Board if that body would made the footpath. The .Hospital Board.—The Mayor reported that at the Hospital Board meeting that day, Dr. Kenny had come out " very much on top."