MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 885, 28 September 1881, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of the Council was held at the Council Chambers last evening. An apology was received for non-atten-dance from the Mayor (Mr A.. \V. Renall), there being present Cra tocCardle, Bentley, Dixon, Gapper, Price, Kussell, Perry, Vila, and Bish.

Cr Gapper took the Chair, on tho motion of Cr Perry, seconded by Cr McCardle. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. MESSAGE OF SYMPATHY. The Chairman moved in some well chosen, sympathetic remarks— I That a .message o f condolence be sent to His Worship the Mayor for his late sad bereavement.

Or Russell seconded the motion, which was carried in the spirit in which it was proposed CORHRSPOJIBENCH. Inwards,—From Dawson & Co., re order for goods, and enclosing account.— From W. Rapp, asking permission to erect a house with wooden roof and walls instead of iron, the said building being.iu No. 1 district, in which all buildings are to he constructed of the latter material.— From E. Bezar, asking that the loss incurred by impounding the old mare referred to in his letter of the 12th inst, be deducted from the rent of the pound | also explaining that he wrote to the Council in order that the fate of th« animal might be found among its records. —FromT. P, Girdwood, complaining that Hope-street had not been completed in a satisfactory manner, nor according to plan and specifications; also forwarding a specimen of the metal used on the lootpaths, and Btatiug that others were forthcoming if necessary,—From G. Beethara, M.H.R., stating that having already explained his action in reference to the matter referred to in the letter of the Town Clerk dated 12vh inst., he failed to see what further explanation could be demanded of him.—FromT, W. Shute, complaining of the very unsafe and unfinished state nf the culverts recently ereoted.over the Kuripuni creek. Outwards.—To J. Clayson. giving permission to erect a bakehouse.—To E. Bezar, referring letter back to him re antiquated horseflesh,—To J. Vile, giving permission to erect horse-posts.— I To G. Russell, accepting resignation of office of Berough Surveyor, and requesting him to continue in his position till his successor is appointed. -To G, Hutton, overseer, directing his attention to the disgraceful state of the roads, and instructing him tn give notice lo the contractor to repair them forthwith.-To Manager Bank Australasia, informing him of the Councillors authorised to sign cheques on behalf of the Borough.—To Messrs Dawson & Co., ordering bolts and washirt.-To Mn McKenzie, Burnside, giving notice under the terms of ihe agreement for thi sale of the gravel pit, and enclosing cheque of £lolos for interest due.—To 47 defaulting ratepayers, asking settlement, and stating proceedings would be taken for the recovery of arroars if not settled promptly, —To D, Walton, niving him notice to erect his fence along High-street, by the culvert newly erected, so that the public safety may not be endangered, MRS MCKENZIE'S GRAVEL FIT. The Town Clerk reported that the cheque forwarded to Mrs McKenzie to pay interest due on balance of purchase money for the pit, had been returned, declined.

MR BEZAR'S LETTEH, The Chairman said ho didn't think the letter was hardly couched in respectful terms. Thi Council did not want to know anything about the destructiveneas of a two-year-old child, and he thought that an officer of the Council should comport himself with respect towards it. He moved that the matter he referrid back. Cr Bentley seconded. Cr MeCardle moved as an amendment that the application he considered. Cr Vila leconded.

Cr Dixon supported this view. Cr Russell said the poundkeeper had his rules, and the Council had no right to occupy its time in reading the sarcasm of the poundkeeper. Of Bentley thought the poundkeeper knew he hid power to impound any animal he saw in the street, and the loss he sustained in impounding useless animals ho should set against the profits. He did not consider the letter courteoui. Cr MeCardle called attention to the fict that they had no need to discuss th* letter at this Kige, as if the resolution were carried it would do away with the necessity for discussion. The amendment was then pat and lost, and the original resolution carried, The Olirk was instructed to refer the letter back.

MR GIRDWOOD'S LBTIKR,

The specimen (a 161b stone) mentioned by Mr Girdwood an being found among the firarel on the footpath, was placed on the table amid the laughter of Councillor!. Or Vile moved that the letter and stene be referred baok to Mr Girdwood. The Works Committee had parsed the work and it would not ba a correct thing to discufi their decision now.

Cr Dixon soconded. He thought the stone must hare been placed on the path for the purpose of creating a discussion on the contract. Cr McCardle said it was staled in the letter that a Councillor had seen the stone taken from the path, and he thought thaf Mr Girdwood being a ratepayer should be treated with courtesy. He would like to hear the opinion of the Ohairmaa.of the Works Committee on the matter, as it was .only at the last meeting of the Council that gentleman had admitted that theri works were passed in a very bad state,. ( If the Chairman of the 'Works Committee said this much, was it any wonder that outsiders should take up the mutter ?, He held that the present'being, the first information that had come before the Council from an outsider it Bhould not be treated with discourtesv.' ' Cr Price stated that he had seen the stone taken iip, and could vouch for the 'faoVthatther# were many more there of the same size,.as well as thousands which* would not go through a six inch ring, Hp recoioßwadid 'tw tko Woiki Com* V ; "''".V , \ <

mittee go again over the work and look a little carefully to see if tks statement were not true. The whole work had been complated in the most unsatisfactory manner and not aooording to the specifications, The Chairman explained that he had the pleasure oi belonging to the Works Committee, and was alto one of those who pawed the work in Hope atreet, Thia was one of those caiei which .raj bound to crop up' when 'a : itreet''wM "farmed ... through a gravel-bed.!; He admitted the atu£f'*»i coarser than the'/'would..hare, liked, but there wai no stone an rnnge there when the Works Com- : mittee passed the work. 1 j lf the ruling of' : tho Works Committee was to be oTerridden by anyone who chose to crowbar and raine a large (tone fromi'tliefl bed of a footpath in a locality like Hopeffl street, an outsider had better be appointed 7 to inspect and pass works, and the Com- : mittee be abolished. He weuld be quite willing to give way to a better man, »nid-' fell he was echoing the sentiments of his fellow committee-mem If the individual;; who wrote the letter had not had to pay . his 15s towards the work, the Council!; would have heard nothing about the large ' l ' atone. ■ •. ;. ; j

CrMcCardle moved as an amendment —That the letter be referred to the 1 ; Works Committee, and in doing so he did : not wish it to be thought that he intended; to reiect on the Committee in any way' It had been laid down by the Chairman of' the Works Committee long ago that a.:V man should be at work on all matnlling con-- - traots to break stones and see that the/',': were net covered up, and he did notknow .why thia rule had been departed , from, in 'the present ease.' It appeared':; from what Cr Price had stated that the'-® stone was buried, and they eould not ex-ii. pect the Works Committee.to rake all thes street orer to discover hidden boulders,, but a man should have beep on the work '.O to have prevented any large stones being h covered. ; f:

The Chairman explained that the road" ! wat a bed of.gravel, except one portion '! which had been a mud hole, and which v had baen filled in. T« hart bad the U ; stones all the proper tize it would have % ' been necessary to have removed all the••• ; surface of the it/eei and put fresh stuff ' on for some depth. He explained' thata""* man had baen employed ou the'contraot to break the stones, and that the paths had been raked three times .before-the \t' Committee passed them.' . ''Shjx.l Ji Gr Russell supported the Chairman, and said that during his term of office he had been nearly worn to a shadow by the • attacks he had sustained for faults in road-,: making both from without and .within the Ceuncil.

Cr Prioo seconded the amendment, not,; : j out of any want of respect, to theW'jrks' -' l Committee, but simply because it was desirable that this body should inspect the street and see the way the stones were werking up. Cr Vile said that the carrying of the amendment would be a rote of want of confidence in the Works Committee. He also pointed out that the writer of the letter was an unsuccessful tenderer for the work.

Cr Bentley was very willing'to retire from the Works Committee. He was" of opinion that Mr Gird wood displayed 'a" desire to interfere unduly with the con-' tractor while the work was being on. It was desirable for a new 'WorkMl Committee to be appointed, and then theyf] would see whether they did any,:betteryl than the old one. , Cr Bish asked if the stone was sticking above the gravel in the pathl Cr Price replied that it was. One grievance was that 8 inches of fine gravel had not been put over the path according, to speeifieations,

Cr Bish did not agree with the amendment; at the same time he thought too many big stones were being smothered up in the contracts now going on in Masterton. If the overseer could not check this fault, it would be better to employ further labor.

The resolution was carried—ayes 7, noes 2 (Cra Prioe and McCardle). The Chairman stated that the overseer had been instructed to go over the road again. Some individuals were top impatient iu bringing up a grievance. Cr Price: The instructions given by the Committee shows that we were right as to the state of the street.

BUILDING REGULATIONS. Cr Bentley, referring lo Mr Bapp'a application, said that it should he put on the same footing as Mr Nicol's was on a former occasion, viz., that timber be used for the sides and iron only for the roof. He moved a resolution to that effect.

Cr Dixon seconded the resolution, Cr MeCardle said they had to amend their building regulations in order to meet Mr NiaPj. case, He did not know whether they could grant the present application even if they were disposed to do so.

; Cr Biili proposed amonding the by-law in the _ direction of giving the Council some discretion in deciding applications of a similar eharactor to the one now beforo them.

The Chairman suggested the formation of a third district,

Cr Vile said the by-laws were made after a large fire. On former occasions they had refused similar applications, and it would be unfair to waive the bylaw in favor of Mr Eapp after declining to do so with others, He hoped Mr Bapp would see his way clear to adhere to the prcsdnt by-laws. Cr Dixon said. lie would move later on that a committee be appointed to form a third building district. pv Price thought Mr liapp might be fairly authorised to go on with his building, as the Council contemplated altering the building districts,

Cr MeCardle said they must have a notice of motion before altering a bylaw. • <

Cr Russell held that the by-lawi had been passed by- sages, and should not b? disturbed by new-lieSgei councillors. v - Or Bentley coneidared that a good many of the by-laws required altering. The Chairman pointed out that to put the resolution would simply be knowingly breaking the by-laws, unless thoy first ' agreed to amend them. He would suggest that a, by-law be made 1 oreatiriga I third district upder the building regula- I tions. I Cr Dixon then moved "That it ii /■ desirable to amend the by-law relating to the building regulations." And would / mora later on " That a Committee,be ap-1 pointed to draft amendments." ' j. • Cr Bentley seconded, and after further' aiscuMicin the motion was carried; 1 ' j