MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 533, 4 August 1880, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the above took place last evening in the Council Chambers, Worship the Mayor, and Crs Gapper, Perry, Russell, Renall, Woodroofe, Vile, Biah, and MoOardle. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. COMtESPONDBNOE. Outward—To Bentley & Co,, notice of acceptance of tender for removal and reerecting a fence in Chapel-st. Inward—From G. Beetham, stating that he had forwarded copies of bills asked for, and that he could hot yet ascertain whether a fund would be available for Waipoua River encroachment. From Minister of Justice, covering letter from H. S. Wardell, re petition for new Courthouse at Masterton. INSfEOTOR OF NUISANCES* iEPOET. August 3rd, 1880. 1 To His Worship the Mayor and Masterton Borough Council. Gjentlemkh,—l have the honor of reporting that the footpaths and the kerb is receiving some damage in Queen-street and other places. There are many of the inhabitants requiring access thereto, and have not the proper crossing according to the laws of this Borough, clauses 73 to 81: it may be noticed almost every day, Horses and drays cross the footpaths to people's premises with pieces of wood thrown into the channel of the watertable to raise the dray. The consequence is the water-table channel is blocked up, which often causes a nuisance.. If people requiring access to their premises with horses and drays were compelled to put a proper bridge over the channel—level with the footpath—the kerb would not be damaged as it is at the present time The following are the names which frequently require horses and venicles to their premises, crossing and damaging the footpath Messrs Bragging, Richards, Walter Perry, Bish, Thompson, Police and Telegraph Offices, Palmer, Coker, and Jag#. ' I have, &«., J. 0. INQRIM. - Cr Gapper moved, seconded ..by Or Renall , that the Town Clerk be instructed to write to all parties concerned,) and request them to make: proper approaches to their premises, in default of their doing so to take legal proceedings against them After considerable discussion, the resolution was put and carried, the Mayor stating that any information as to what, were termed proper approaches weuld be given by the Works Committee. WOKN COMMITTEE REPORT, Tour Committee hare the satisfaction to inform the Council that the contract to remove fenoe and hedge in Chapel-street by Bentley Bros., has been completed,; and also that a survey of the land to W transferred to the Borough has been made in accordance with the - Land ■ Transfer Act, and that the transfer 'fill! be com-' pleted as soon as the map'showihg tlie same is received and duly deposited in the land transfer office by Mr Renall. Mr Cowan, surveyor under the Act, has been employed in this matter. Several persons wishing to tender! for ; the maintenance of roads in 'accordance with the tenders requested this evening, are most anxious for further time to complete their calculations; your committee see no objection to this course should the Council feel'disposed to comply with; their wishes.. The works authorised in .Hallstreet will be Bhewn with plans andispeci-' ficationi,' at the next meeting of the Council. These works require considerable elaboration, but ypur [; committee hope th'e whele will be' r c6riipleted-by the time mentioned,:

The Major «aid they had only received tl one tender for repairs and maintenance l< of certain streets within the Borough, and t< that several: persons wo«ld tender, but wished for an extension of d time..' a Or Russell. moved, Or Biih—That the th* tender received be tl returned, and the time extended up I to next m«etiDg. t Or Gapper pointed out that this further b extemion would mean an increased cost h foradvertising - He believed that the "plans and 'ipeoificatibns for this work had t not been laid upon the table until Friday "\ last, _ 0 ,■ Or Renall made an explanation to the t effect that he had the plans and specifications in his possession, and if anyone s wished to fee them the Town Clerk would 1 hare sent thera to him. He did not be- : lieve in cheeseparing, as by the saving' of t a shilling in advertising they might lose a a pound. Some discussion ensued as to whether 1 tenders should pe called for the whole or t in separate portions, Or Renall giving a 1 short history of making the road' over the c Rimutaka, and said letting it in separate f portions had worked very well in that \ instance. ! The resolution was put and carried. OHAPEL-ITRMT. Or Renall drew attention to the stumps 1 in Chapel-street. j Or Gapper moved, seconded by Or i Russell—That tenders be called for re- ( moving the stumps in Ohapel-street up to ] Friday evening next, the. Works Committee to accept the lowest tender, the i successful tenderer to have the privilege of removing the firewood from said ( stumps to his own residence. j Or Renall pointed out that it would be i advisable to open up the louth end of | Ohapel-street, by bridging the creek at i the back of the Railway Hotel. It would i make some work for the unemployed, and i he thought the Council was bow in sufficient funds to do the work. When the i railway was opened there would be a considerable traffic on this road. i Or Russell moved, seconded by Or Woodroofe—That plans and specifications i for the work be laid on the table next .i meeting. i Or Gapper moved a3 an amendment, seconded by Cr Biah—That the matter | stand over for three months. In Or i dapper's opinion there were no funds available. Or Bish, in seconding the amendment, said in his opinion the work was not of such pressing importance as others which might be brought forward. Or Bish believed that the work would not be done under £36. Or Russell said that the tender would ; be accepted at half that amount. | The resolution was put and carried, QUSEN-STREEr. Or Yile moved seconded by Or Bish— That the Works Committee be instructed < to repair the footpaths in Queen-street. Or McOardle said the work was urgently needed. The works were all being done 1 in the suburbs, and not in the centre. [ Cr Bish said the work was only one of a few loads of gravel, and hardly worth talking about. The Mayor was of the same opinion, , but perhaps the mover thought a resolution would have more weight. Cr Yile amended his resolution to ' read that the "overseer," instead of the , " Works Committee," be instructed to repair the footpaths. ' The reselution, as amended, was carried. fc SIBSST LAMPS. Or Renall moved, seconded by Or Woodroofe—That the Inspector of Nuisances be asked to undertake the duty of lighting, etc,, the street lamps. Or Gapper moved as an • seconded by Or Vile—That the Inspector be asked what he would do the work for. 1 The resolution was then put and lost, I the amendment being carried. TOLL-GATE, The discussion was opened by a passage at arms between Or Renall and the: Mayor. The Mayor, in opening the matter, made reference to the letter from' ' West County Works sub-Committee ' which had appeared in the Wairakapa Dailt of that day's date, Or Renall rising to a point of order, as the letter had not officially come before them, but [only " through the columns of a public print, Or Renall held that they were out of order in bringing the matter up again, as the 1 question had been settled at last meeting, by the fact that Or tapper's resolution was lost. He would hold that the present discussion was totally out of order, and unprecedented. They had nothing to do with letters appearing from the outside 1 publio, Or McOardle was surprised at Or : Renall, who was often out of order himi self, but no notice was taken of him. ; Or Renall reiterated that it was a most i gross case of being out of order, and therenpon Crs Renall and Russell left the i meeting, Cr Renall saying as he left that ; neither the Council nor its Mayor knew when they were in or out of order, i It was held by Councillors remaining . that they were perfectly in order in dis- ■ cussing the matter, i The Mayor suggested that the letter of the Masterton Highway Board be referred back tq that body stating that the Copoil had no power to deal in the matter. . Or Woodroofe said he looked upon the , erection of a toll-gate as one of the greatest hardships whioh could be placed upon the township. He thought that it would be the duty of the Council to set their face against such a proceeding. He did not expect to get a seconder to the resolution which he was now about to. move, but he believed it was his duty to move it, and in after years he had no doubt he would find plenty of seconders. He did not care whether Councillors or ■ the public thought him an obstructionist. , If he opposed anything lje did it from his conscience—(Hear, hear), The resolution he would move would be—That this Council depreoates the erection of a tollgate at the Waipoua Bridge. Or McOardle seconded. Or Gapper read clause 102 of the Public Works Act, which provided that no toll gate should be erected within a mile from the boundary of the Borough, ex- ) cept for a bridge or a ferry. To show that the matter was an urgent one, he ; instanced the case of Mr Macara, who ' had a coach damaged by this part of the ' road being out of order, and Or Gapper , said if the Highway Board did not mend ' the road somehow, they would, no doubt, ' ; have actions for damage'laid against it. j He wished Or Woodroofe to go ' away' from that meeting with the understanding - that he (the speaker) had not the slightest 1 personal interest in the'matter. " ' 1 Or Bish said he had it on the best 1 authority—that of the Chairman of the 1 Highway Board—that the toll was to be a permanent one, and to say it was to be ' put there for twenty-five weeks only was a fraud. The Board had no finances to keep the Taueru and other roads in re< , pair without this toll-gate. If we once i had the gate'there, it would stop there. 1 'He would' suggest that a deputation- of '» two or three of the Council wait on the < Board and urge the matter. . • i , The Mayor said, the only thing they ) could do would be to urge the matter, as 1 they had no power to stay it. - 1 Or Yile < moved, leconded, by, Or McOardle—That this Council is of opinion ' that the erection of a toll-gate-at.ths Waipoua Bridge is against the best'inter-

i thatja copy of this resolution be forwarded i to the West'Oounty Council and Master--1 ton Highway Board. I Or Woodroofe was agreeable to withf draw his resolution in favor of this amendment. r Cr Gapper said that ho had understood ) the matter as had been stated by Or Bish. ) If they could oaly depend .upojijayinj ■ the toll-gatefembvedto a railVbeyondtho f boundary, when the bridge was/paid for, t he would-be only too happy toVote for it, i .Or Bljdi i tioii consisting of Ori'Qapper,''Renall, and j Vile be appointed a deputation to wait on the Beard, disouss the matter, and i bring up a'report at next meeting; ..,, . Or BishV amendment finding! no i seconder,it fell through, the resolution 1 tying carried. . v - : The consideration of the letter from f the Minister of Justice was postponed to i a future date. . Mr Cole attended in reference to tome r land in Perry-street for street widening, r but the.Mayor informed him that they i had decided to hold the discussion of this e question over until answers were received e from all parties concerned. The matter t was therefore left over, Mr Cole being asked to reply by letter. The Council then adjourned,