Waimate Borough Council.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 158, 28 January 1902, Page 3

Waimate Borough Council.

The Borough Council hold a special meeting last evening, there being present—His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Coltman, Inkster, Cameron, Nicol, Jones, Bitchener, Barclay and Freeman.

The business was to fix the statutory half-holiday, and this was fixed as the Thursday afternoon in each week. MONTHLY MEETING-. - The monthly meeting was then held.

CORRESPONDENCE

Correspondence - was read and dealt with as follows :

From the Fire Brigade Appliance Supply Co. offering to supply appliances at current rates. The letter to be passed on to the Fire Brigade. From J. Tait, asking permission to erect verandahs in front of Motley's shops.—Granted. From the Salvation Army, asking permission to put on a crossing over the footpath near the barracks.— Granted.

From the Sydenham Borough Council, asking:-, the Waimato Council to support the former’s agitation to have the revision and compilation of valuation rolls left to the local bodies concerned. A conference of the local bodies of North Canterbury had agreed to this, or failing that, the cost should be reduced. The Hon. G. H. Mills had replied to a letter urging this matter upon his attention, that the present system of compiling the rolls was working smoothly.

Or. lukster said au account was ia that night for £3 for revaluing the Borough. The valuation was not well done at present. Hie Worship said the Hon. C. 11. Mills’ defence of the present system was absolutely useless. Thera were moat glaring cases of inconsistency ia Waimato. If local valuers were employed the most glaring anomalies would be avoided.

One case was that a quarter acre in John Street paid about three times as much as another of two acres ia lower Shearman Street. Under rating on unimproved values the Government valuations had to be taken.

Or. Coltman said he thought the trouble rose through people ia the past not caring greatly what their unimproved value was whereas now it was all important. It was resol zed to reply to the Sydenham Council that the Waimate Council sympathised with their wishes, aud the Hon. W. J. Steward is to be written to to try and give effect to the council’s wishes.

From Mr T. McConnell, Park caretaker, reporting that a post was wanted for the gate. The publican at the recent sports had left a quantity of rubbish, whioh he declined to remove.

It wag resolved to make the publican remove the rubbish, the repairs asked for to be done. The surfaceman reported on the work done during the! month. Shingle had been spread on Rhodes, Harris and Belt streets, 4 and crossings on High street had been cleaned out. The contract for Michael street bad not been let owing to a misunderstanding of the drawings. Soma asphalt required doing hut it would ha better left over till after the buildings in the town wore finished. Metal was mquired to fill up the aides of Steward street and parts- of Queen street, and holes in lower High street.

It was resolved to hold over Michael street road works till after the harvest.

The chairman said the County Engineer suggested to him that as tho County Co uncil wereabout to do work on the end of High street, that tho County Council should do all the work and charge the Borough Council their share.. This would obviate the necessity of carting over the County Council’s newly 'metalled road. About 260 yards of metal would be required at about 2s 6d a yard. Councillors asked where tho metal was coming from, and it was understood that it would be taken from the Waimate Creek, on the Domain Board’s property. It was resolvedfon the motion of Crs. Coltman and Inkster, ithat the matter should be left to the Works Committee to confer with Mr Bremner.

The committee appointed to conskier the Ravonhall-Smith dispute recommended that Ravenhall should be refunded £3 paid by him for lend he never leased and to pay him £1 for re-erecting tho fence on its proper boundary. The report was adopted. Tho chairman brought matter of a quarter acre section in John street, which was valued at £l2O. He was of opinion that something should be done to relieve the owner of some of his rates. Cr. Inkster said that tbore weie many cases of excessive values being put on and if one case was relieved they would have lots of others asking for relief. Cr. Nicol agreed with this. lie said that such cases were very numerous.

Other councillors, while agreeing as to the injustice of the ca§e, were of opinion that the case would be establishing a very dangerous precedent. There was a time and place to object to valuations and the ratepayer had not availed himself of his opportunity. It was decided, on the motion of Crs. Oolfcman and Cameron, to refer the matter to a committee consisting of the Mayor and Ora. Inkster and the mover.

A formal resolution, inflicting a penalty of ten per cent on all rates

'outstanding after February 22, was passed on the motion of Ora. Bitchener and Freeman. Mr 11. Sauneers waited on the council with reference to a gorge, fence which he wa? ordered to out under a heavy penalty. _Hc said ha had some valuable horses in the paddock and if the fence were cut they might get out and do damage for which he would be responsible. He was greatly troubled with loose horses outside the paddock. Something should be dona with the Belt as it was a grazing ground for all kinds of stock by day and night. The fence was out inside one year and outside the next. Last spring he had cut the inside. A fence half a chain wide would not ha in the road there.

Or. Bitchener said stray horses and cattle wore very common ia the town and his attention had been called to it. He thought there was something in Mr Saunders’ complaint on this score.

On the motion of Cca. Coltman and Inkster it was resolved that haying heard Mr Saunders’ complaint, the inspector of nuisances should be instructed to arrange with Mr Saunders for a reasonable compliance with the by-law. The attention of the inspector of nuisances ia to be called to the number of horses aud cattle straying in the Borough, Crs. Bitchener and Freeman moving in that direction.

Accounts amounting to £7l 0s 9d were passed for payment.

The clerk was instructed to write to the Valuation Department urging the early completion of the Borough rolls.

The water-supply question was referred to.

Cr Barclay read a newspaper cutting which declared that the Borough of Carterton had raised a loan of £l-3,000 from the Government Loans to Local Bodies Department. This had at first been declined but the M.H.R. for the district had used his influence and the loan was ultimately obtained. The population was 1205. The utmost the Waimate Borough Council could borrow was stated to be £9OOO, if complying with the Loans to Local Bodies Act, only £2OOO of this to be raised in any one year.

It was decided that the Finance Committee should go into this matter and report.

DOMAIN BOARD

The caretaker reported the Work done during the month. Mr Broadbent wrote thanking the Board for allowing him to give up his lease. The crop of oats would require seeing to shortly.

It was resolved to offer the lease for sale at auction, with or without the crop, which would be offered separately if necessary. Messrs Manchester and Cameron were appointed 1 6' " watch the council's interests at the sale.

Accounts, .D-d 12s 4d ware passed