AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 836, 3 August 1881, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

MARCUS OLAdK DEAD, MELBOUiiNE, Marcus, fllark, the welliknown writer, librarian of the Public Library, is dead. Parliament prorogued on Thursday. ! THE YOUNG PRINCES AGAIN. ■. Sydney. The foundation stone of the Queen's statue was kid by Prince Albert Victor, ENGLISH NEWS. SUSPENDED. JjopQH, August 2. Parnell hfas been suspended for the remainder of tlie sitting for oflensive language, Revival'of obstruction to business by Irish members is feared, RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT FEATgpSTON, MONDAY. L--[Before H. S. Waedeii, Esq., R.M.] Keir v Siggins,-Claim L2 Is 9d. Judgment for amount and costs, Williams v James Hodder.-Debt L§. Judgment for amount and costs. r GREYTOM, TUESDAY. (Before B. S. Wardell, Esq., R.M.) v ft fully,--Breach ol Rabbit Nuisance Act. ' Fined 20s'aM costs. ' : ' Same v MaWjn, 'jun. "Adjourned to next sitting. '' l> » ! :i .■'* ' ~ _ Thera were no civil cases of any public interest. ' •

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The': br|inary meeting of the Council tab heldjfw'tevening. Present—CrsMcCardle, ■Bentiey v ltußsell, Uapper, G. Dixon, .W. ¥ firry■{ J. Yile, and F. Gray. "" In the absence of His Worship the Mayor in Wellington, Or Gapper took the chair, on the motion of Or Bussell,' ;.... The. minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. **. . • Outwards—To County' West Council, having sought/ aiconfererice but expressing the willingness of the Borough Council to meet the County Council if the latter wished ,it.to .the .Churchwardens of St Matthew's Church re license of school building; to secretary Institute, re. same; to Rev .t, Dt)ke3, re kerbing applied for stating, request would be granted; toH. Cole, re Cole-st petition; to G. Beetkm M.11.R.', re licensd fees having been paid'into the Government account, but not yet received' by the Borough, and asking him to inquire iuto the matter; to Couuty West, re share, of maintaining the Waipoua bridge, asking when the account, would be- paid.

Inwards,—Fromiß.'W. jl. Carver re

rates due to Borough and asking if the Council would make j> reduction; from Churchwarden St. Matthew's Church, re ; questing that: the footpath along the Church ground be completed as soon as possible; from Mrs M,. A. Greathead, applying for a remission of part of her rates, as her tonnnta had not paid her, and the rates she.was applied to for should have been paid by them. If the Council : could hot do this, she asked that the rates stand as a charge against the property, which would be realised in four or live

years; from Assistant Under-Seoretary of Public Works,. enclosing a circular letter to Chairmen of County Councils,

Road Boards and other local bodies; re taking land'for public works, under part 11, of the " Pqblic Works Act 1876," &c.; from James Colway, asking if the Borough would contribute towards cleansing the drains on the Lower Manaia, the settlers in the locality having contributed £4los, and the Highway Board, ;£5 towards, and pointing out that part of it formed the Borough boundary; from Rev J. Dukes, thanking Councillor granting the request re footpath: from T. W, Shut©, oomplaining ot flje Overseer's report on Short-street, stating ttyat tjje same was based 011 untruths. The letterasked that justice be accorded to the ratepayers by having the work properly pushed on, more particularly as he had been in communication with the postal authorities to have the mailcwjgd along this road when completed.

MR SHUTE's IEHETI.

The Chairman stated he did not think letters couched in such terras as the present one should be received. Their overaeßr had been deliberately accused of telling lies, and' the Council should protect their servants from complaints couohed in these terms. Cr Russell moved that the letter be not received. Or 13entley seconded,

Cr I)ixon showed that tlje wprlf was in was in the hands of a man \yhq had kept others from getting it who would liavo done it long ago as it should have been. Or Bentley thought the contractor had not tried to go on with it, und shonld be made to do so by the Council. He' deprecated always accepting the lowest tender, as work was sometimes let at a price that could not pay, Or Vile expressed his. surprise that no lime had been specified. He did not think that as the Council had neglected to bind the contractor down to time they could make him do the work any faßter than he liked, The Chairman stated he was under the impression that the contractor was bound to time. [The Town Clerk stated he was suro he was.] The Council could not find fault with the contractor for utilising the timber, The contractor pleaded poverty, and what could they do 7 He was still doing the work, and aB Cr; Ruasell said, the weather prevented the work being (jonpfastgr. Cr McOardle thought that It wa§ not fair to other contractors to allow one to take his own time, They should' insist on all work being done to time. Cr Russell did not see why Or McOardle should complain of the Works Committee. He wag one of them, and should have attended their meeting. Cr McOardle did not allude to the Works Committee in the matter. The motion as to the receipt of Mr Shutes! letter was then carried, the letter boing not received, 1 LOWER ITANAIA DITCHES. Cr Yile moved that the application be not received a the letter came from an outsider, Mr Colway not being a ratepayes in the Borough. Or fprry segopded,' Mrßpejl moved as anjendipnt that the overseer be instructed to inspect the spot spoken of. Though not seconded the motion was carried. MM GREATHBAP'S APPLICATION, v Or McOardle proposed that it be referred to the Finance Oommitiee. Cr Yile seconded.—Carried. Mr carver's application, Cr McOardle said he presumed the Park Trustees were liable. It was resolved to leave this matter also in the hands of Finance Committee. THE CHURCH-STREET FOOTPATH, The Chairman explained that the weather had been 60 bad that the work could not be gone on with. 4s soon as the Committee could inspect it and make the estimate of the extras claimed by the contractor, it would be done. Or Bish said the work Had been left in the bands of the Works Committee a fortnight ago, and they bad done nothing to it. The street was noting but a mud puddle, and people living along the street were justified in complaining. He hoped if left in the hands of the Works Com mittee again they would do some good to it. '

Or Russell said, councillors seemed to think tliafc work could be done let the weather be what it would. If the contractors tried to move the earth now they would find it like hasty pudding, Tho Works Committee were not to blame, nor the men who worked for them; it was simply the weather, The Chairman said he could promise that it be left in t}ie hands of the Works Committee, they would take the necessary steps to ascertain the amount of extra work the contractor would have to perform and gtart them to work again, The motion was then carried. PUBLIC WORKS.

The Works Committee and Overseer's report were then read, The Overseer, reported that Messrs Bentley's contract in ffall-st. waß progressing satisfactorily, but in Church-st. it was suspended by bad weather. The Short-st. contract was proceeding unsatisfactorily. The minutes ef the Works Committee recbrded the absence of Or McOardle, who explained tjiat hjs private business obliged him to sacrifice some' of his public dijtips, He had thought of resigning thom generally, but aB far as his seat on the, Obmmlttee went, he had decided to. give it up for the.reaSon whioh he had stated.. The Committee reoommended a new oujvert in Bannister-st,, and some gravelling in Albert-st,, and tho CouhoilTauthbriaed the Committee,to, proceed with these works. The Committee also drew attenthe - . : ; j BABBED WIRE FENCING, in arid yiotoria-streets, The Oft'airjjjan'thought fencing pf this character on tv pub!io' etr«ei' ' obj'eq-

tionable, and stated that complaints were made of it, , Or Bussell said;the, barbs were dangerout at night-time, and moved that notice $ be given to the persons who had erected f the feooinf; that it was daagerous and a | nuisance. He drew a sanguinary piotnre il ot delicate females;impaled on it—losing s| blood—with lacerated limbs. Oi? Diiph / oeoonded Or Ruisell'i motion'.' ..

" Of MoOal'dleTiiggested that they Bhould first ascertain'what power they possessed to.deal with,the complaint, as-thejMud not brought fenoing by-laws into, opera-

lion in the Borough,; Cr Vile thought,,a remonstrance from the Counoii would-be sufficient to cause the removal of the barbed wire witho.iit any fornial noticai. .Wthought tti^barbs being about:, the iheigW of a oMUtbm/' the ground might bedangerous tolling children. i;' 5 - .; . On the suggestion oi the Chairman the. discussion; was deferred |lor the Inspector of Nuisances rep'ortj jrfaioh he stated made a reference to it.; v REPORT ON BENTIBT-SXREET, i The committee (consisting of Ors Yile, Bish, ; Qray, and Perry); appointed to enquire into; the. above question, reported tliat they. considered the swamp a nuisance, and stated' that Mr Pickett had consented 'to; allow a drain to be dug through, his land to -relieve the same of the water. . The .report recommended that the Works Committee at once under-

take the work, and apportion the cost to

those, benefitted.; ,' • •Cr ,Yile .did not think they-could recover the cost of draining unless they gave formal notice yndsr the Act. ; Or Bussell proposed noticg be given. .

Or Bentley commented on the Council first declaring the swamp a nuisance, then rescinding' its 'resolution, and dealing with it as a question of drainage. He thought the parties, interested would not be likely, under such, oircumatancea, to contribute to the cost. The question might be asked by some " What right have the Ooiinail to away any ornamental piece of water on people's property," aqij he thought if the party objecting took tljg matter into Court he would get the Vest of them.' 1 Crßiah said he did not . agree with Oc Bentley. The, swamp..was dangerous to all Masterton. He did not think Mr Pjpjset t wpuld put any bbstaolein the way ol having thework 4pi)g. |t vyoqld 903(1 but little, and it ought tq bp <|qne af; onc.e, ' ; ' ■" ' Or.McCardlesupported Or and thought the Ouuncil should not delay by giving a fortnights notice to Ifr Pickett but praogedjflrith it The Chairman did not think it would be fair to charge Messrs IJasthope and lorns with' the oost of the work, as they had aoted on the notice given by the Council,' and had removed the nuiaanoa from their property.' Or hcOardle moved that the report be received and adopted. Crßiah seconded, "•

Or Bish said if; the sub-committee had been authorised.to .do the work it would have begn douVWorg now.

The Ojiairman th&t they could not spend'the jjbneral rates on thij work, and the delay in giving the necessary nqtice would nqt; bo yefy sarjous at this time of the year. ;; Or VileßooondeaCp Russell's proposition, Or McOardle could not understand the chairman of a committee seconding 4 resolution against his own report. / Cr Yile explained that his' mm for doing this was that he lmd heard since the report was drawn up that several in. terested would not pay anything to have the work done. He thought a verbal permission of Mr Pickett to enter upon his land was not sufficient, and that the notice was necessary. •; .

-Cr Russell's resolution'was then put and oaraed, Cr MoCardle withdrawing bis motion,' 06B?0KATI0N pOnAQEf). ■ The Committee (consisting of Crs Yile, Perry, Dixon, and Gray) appointed to tolle,' It t|at {he oqtiag^ be Jet by publip tender foi a ternf qf years-not less thai] {en,-.and that Hope-street be completed beforo tenders are called. They also recommended .till) leasing of the Corporation reserve in the Mangaona Block.

The report as far as the cottages were concerned was adopted by the Council, but that portion relating to the Maugaone endowment was left over at the Chairman's suggestion, till the Mayor was present, It was the general opinion of theQqunoif tjiat it woahjbe' belt'to'M the cottages for a term' of ? yeari', as by this means they would be probably'improved, add the Council would derive a revenue from them, whioh they did not at present. With regwd to';the Mangaong regervp, it was thought best to keen that 10 thalr own hands at present, as to let it for 21 yearj nW, \pould mean they would go next to nothing for it. &q4 all the best timber picked out'ana re ; moved, and the property deteriorated mstoad of iojprovtd, The same oommittee was appointed to »°t with the Town Olettito lehhe cottages.

TOWN CLERK'S REPORT. * The Town Clerk reported -that Mr Renall had acquired land for whioh interest to the amount of £7 iO4 6d had hitherto been paid, to MrsMcKenzie, and the interest was now due to Mr Renall, and suggosted. that a fresh agreement™ made between the Council and that gentleman re the gravel nit. The Town Clerk also reported that'Mr.Adams had made application for payment for the law} Bold by him to the Council, and threatening to takfl proceedings unless soon paid, AlbOj that the c|elay fas thq fault of Mr Frazi, the surveyor, who had not completed the work. The Clerk also called the attention of the Council to the unsatisfactory state of the gravel pit }n Renall-strept, and the majflteuanofl contract.. .. , v.,-..';"'

With regard to the gravel pit on Mr Eenall's property, the Council consic|ered the state of things unsatisfactory, as w legal agreement existed between thV 1 owner and tlie Council, though it had been resolved that one should'be drawn u{> and signed, Mr Renall having promised to see to it himself. ■ ■

The following committee was appointed to 'inquire into the matter and report fujly at next njeetlni? i-Ors'Bish; ' s Perry, and Dixon, m • MR ADAMS' CLAIM, Cr Bentley said the Mayor took too poll upon himself, and. promised this and that, and did nothing, .He had promised to see to thip, and It was not done. He (Or Bentley) understood the Mayor had paid Mr Frazi'money on account of this work; and now the latter would not complete it. As,-the Mayor had taken so much upon himself, he thought he should pay the whole amount and get the work done bn his own account, : ; .k;:' Cr Bish said that if ft Committee weiA appointed to'report upon this, they should have powejr, if Mij Frazi would not complete the work, to 'get'atiother surveyor who would. j' ■ i ;i i". were appointed to act lix this matter, " ' THE OttAVlli, pit. ' yV- ; The Clerk reported: that: rent on the gravel pit had acorue,d to £7 17s 6d, but before paying the money it was necessary to have a new agreement with Mr Renali, who was now the owner «f it. The existing agreement was valueless. The Chairman eaid they had bs^tfv