CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 369, 19 November 1898, Page 4

CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A SPECIAL meeting of the above Council was held on Thursday evening, at which the ordinary monthly business that should have been transacted at the meeting which was allowed to lapse on the 10th instant, was taken, . There were present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr A. Bach), Councillors Wells, Davies, Clark, Howe, Ferguson, Richardson, Kerr, Arnold and Escott, the full complement. Bicycles on Footpaths.—The Town Clerk reported that he had proceeded against a young man for riding a bicycle on the footpath, but had asked the magistrate to be as lenient as possible, and a fice of only 2s 6d was enforced. That was the only breach of the by-law he had witnessed, but he had been told several were still in the habit of riding on the footpaths in the outer parts of the Borough. Cambridge West Sports.—Mr W. T. Wallace, the Secretary of the Cambridge West Amateur Athletic Club, wrote, asking the Mayor to endeavour to get the storekeepers of the town to close their shops at noon on the 30th inst. instead of at 1 p.m., to allow their assistants to attend the sports.—lt was pointed out that the 30th was the day on which the Mayoral election would be held. It was suggested that the proper course for Mr Wallace was to get the storekeepers to sign a " round robin agreeing to close at the time mentioned. Municipal Franchise Reform Act, 1890 —The legal opinions which we have printed with regard to this question were considered. Borough Endowment Leases.—l he Special Committee set up to report upon the conditions upon which future endowments should be leased reported that the usual conditions, with right of renewal added, should be used ; but that the ninth clause should be altered to read as follows :—All buildings erected or ornamental improvements made with the approval of the lessor shall be the property of the lessee and shall be so considered in fixing the renewal rental at the expiration of the lease. The renewal reutalshall be fixed by arbitration and failing the renewal being accepted by the lessee the property shall be offered to public competition subject to the incoming tenant taking the old lessee's improvements at their then value," It was also suggested that the land should be laid down in grass within four years of the termination of the lease, 2cwt. of manure being put upon each acre when ' the grass seed is sown. The tenant will also have to put 2cwt. of manure per acre upon the land for each crop that he takes off it.—The report was approved and adopted. ALBERT'street.—lt was decided to call upon Mr Croush to fill up a few holes in this street before settling up for the contract. Victoria Square.—Cr. Clark was appointed to attend to the matter of grazing this square with sheep. # A Cool Request. The following letter was received from the Cambridge Postmaster on 3rd November, addressed to the Mayor and Councillors :—" Re gravelpit on Government lands, Sections 21, 22,28,29: When your Council was given permission to remove gravel from this land a portion was marked out and fenced off. This fence has been removed and fully double quantity of land taken —in fact, sections almost cut in half. I am directed to request you not to remove any more gravel, but close the pit, carry out conditions as to levelling strippings, etc., andereot a fence round portion which is dangerous to stock." By direction of the Mayor, the Town Clerk acknowledged the receipt of the above communication, and stated that as the whole of the negotiations re the matter had been with the Police Department, who have charge of the sections referred to, he was directed to ask how it was that che matter was now being taken up by the Postal Department, and upon whose authority the above demand was mada. Mr Empson replied : " Yours of the 4th instant duly received, and in reply to your question • as occupiers,' but the Couucil now being alleged tres- . passers, your right to ask the question is not admitted."—The Mayor said the Council were desirous of obtaining a good supply of gravel, and went to headquarters and obtained permission to take what they required from certain parts of the sections. The Inspector viewed the ground and marked out to what extent the Council could go. The Clerk subsequently wrote thanking the Inspector and enclosed a plan show - ing the land from which gravel should be taken. A few days afterwards the Minister for Justice wired ratifying the arrangement. He (the Mayor) when in Paeroa recently, had asked Sergeant Brennan about the matter, and learned that Mr Empson was allowed to put his horse and cow in the paddock, but the land »vas not in any way transferred to the Postal Department. As to the Council trespassing, that was absurd. He considered the second memo, from Mr Empson very discourteous. —On the motion of the Mayor, seconded by Mr Wells, the following resolution was unanimously agreed to : "That the possession of the gravel pit be'mg of the utmost importance to the town, the Clerk ask the landlords to maintain the Council in its position with regard to it, and with that object in view send copies of the whole of the correspondence to the Police Department in Auckland. —The Mayor said he should be in Auckland at an early date and would then have a word with Mr Biss re the matter. Furze. —The Mayor said he had not yet quite completed inspecting the streets to see what furze was growing upon them, but as soon as he had finished the work the notices to clear should be Berved upon all defaulters in that direction.

Rioht-of-Way. —The common seal of the Council was attached to a deed granting a right-of-way to Mr Davies' property in Duke-street. Tejsders.—On the motion of Cr. Escott, seconded by the Mayor, it was decided to call tenders for the lease for a term of 21 years of several endowments that are now vacant, such tenders to be returnable at next meeting of Council. Teout.—The Mayor rtported how he had secured a number of trout fry that he met with at Fraukton station and had liberated them in the Karapiro stream.—On the motion of Cr. Wells, seconded by Cr. Clark, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the Mayor for the action he had taken. Financial Statement.—Overdraft at 13th October, £llO 19s 9d ; accounts since paid, £49 lis 8d ; amount lodged, £27 0s 7d ; present overdraft, £133 10s lOd. Accounts to pass lor payment: 11. Preece, £8 5s ; B. Mullins, 10s; J. Burrows, ss; R. Brockelsby, 18s Id ;W. Dodd, £1 15s; H. Turubull, 8s 7d ; J. S. Bond, £1 12s; W. Souter and Co., £2 2s 8d ; H. Armer, £3 15s ;. W. S. Laurie and Co., 9s 5d ; P. Fogerty, £1 9s 3d ; total, £2l 10s. Works Committee's Report.—This committee reported that the double gate 3 had been re-erected on the eastern side oi Victoria Square, with the kissing gate from the western side alongside them. In future there would only be the one entrance to the Square. Wherever the live fence had been destroyed by fungus a good substantial wire fence had been erected.—The report was approved and adopted.—lt was resolved to put a few more loads of gravel upon Vogcl-street to fill up the ruts. _