Borough Council.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 247, 26 August 1902, Page 3

Borough Council.

The usual monthly meeting of Ihe above was held last evening ; present— His Worship the Mayor (Mr John Manchester) and Ors. Bitchener, Sinclair, Jones, Nicol, Cameron, Inkster, Ooltman, and Freeman. An apology was received from Or. Barclay. The minutes of previous meeting were read and adopted without discussion. SPECIAL MEETING. CORRESPONDENCE.

A letter was received from the Audit Office, Wellington, returning the borough balance-sheet duiy certified. Proposed by Cr. Bitchener and seconded by Cr. Sinclair—" That the balancesheet for the year ending 31st Maroh, 1902, as approved by the Audit Department and now laid on the table, be approved and adopted, and that the Mayor sign the same on behalf of the Council, and that the Clerk be instructed to advertise the same in accordance with the Act.”—Carried. It was proposed that the new street i n Batcher’s property be ealied Coronation street.—Carried. . ""This concluded the business of the special meeting, and the ordinary mealing was goos on with. An application for lenrasion of rates was granted.

An application was receive I from dr B. E. Boyd fur transfer of right of way to Mr Cameron.—-Granted. It was decided, on the motion of CK Bitchene”, seconded by Cr. Sinclair, that the road starting at the corner of borough freehold, theuce south-west to north-east corner of County Council reserve, thence south-east to John street ‘ and north-east to Victoria Terrace an 1 to corner of library section be closed. Propose! by Cr Sinclair and i-eomded by Cr Freeman, “ That the application of Mr Graham,'on behalf of the Library, to bo exempt from paying for kerbing, channelling and asphalting in fr n- of the Library be granted.” —Carried. Mr Butcher wrote asking the‘C v unoil to remit rates on his laud now used as a road.—Declined. Two residents wrote asking the council to level footpath in Hughes street. —Held over. A letter was received asking the council to put a lamp in Hughes strict.—Decided ■•n the motion of Cr Cullman seconded by Cr Cam“ron, that the question be eferred to the Works Committee. Mr J. Costello wrote asking ■f lease for 21 years from thin da e. It was decided that nothing could be

lone till the leases fell in, when there wool t need to be a revaluation of the laods.

Major Steward wrote forwarding letters from the Valuation Department in regard to appointing local assessors, these stated that i his would be difficult on account of the great number of small boroughs. Als» they were not aware that there was at present any cause for complaint as to the assessors employed. As an instance th it the revaluations objected to wore groundless the sec ions recently sold by Mr Geo. Manchester, one (f the trustees of the We leyan Church, were instanced as being held for speculating purp ses These had been reduced to £167 in 1902, on the sworn evidence of Mr (4. Manchester that the pactions were not worth £100; yet they were sold at £166. The chairman said these were a conglomeration of inaccuracies and misstatements. The land was held by the Wesleyan Church as a gift from Mrs Rhodes and not for speculative purposes. It wis sold because the unimproved values brought th# rates up to the rent they received. —The letters were received. The surfaceman’s report was read. The clerk stated that during the month Mr Hiorna had engaged a man for ten days, his son for 28 days, and an extra horse for five days at 4s without any notice. ,

A good deal of discussion took place, councillors generally finding no fault with Hiorns, but considering he had no right to put on extia l abour without being authorised. Cr. Coltman saw nothing wrong. He hod been directed to do certain work and he could not do it without extra assistance.

It was decided that in future Mr Hiorns notify the Clerk before employing any extra labour. Tenders were received for twenty steel crossing*. J. Maindonald 80s (accepted) and W. J. Wills 355.

An off r was received from the New Zealand Acetylene Gas Co , Dunedin, mentioning the benefits of that light and offering to supply the town. Cr. Inkster thought the question of a better light should not be lost sight of, but they should go in for no more patents but something real, something they knew something about. People were erecting electric light on their own, and if this cou’d be done individually it could be done belter by a body. It was decided to write to Marton, a borough which had recently put in gas, and get particulars, also to write to the New Zealand Acetylene Gas Co. for full particulars.

•i Ho," screamed the park orator, “ who puts his hand to the plough must not turn back." “ What’s he to do when he gets to the end of the furrer asked the man in tha crowd.