MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 886, 29 September 1881, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

(Comludd)

IOOTPAIH OHAROBB.

The Committee appointed to prepareJ| by-law to regulate the charges fnp"coßg atructinc footpaths (viz., Cra Gappm Price, Vile, and Bentley), reported |m| ihey had drafted a by-law as- inatrucSl which would, if adopted, have to"be nfln by a special order, as''provided bvßßi Act. The by-law is as follows for all streets constructed of this- by-law, tho charges for footpaths be, and theaHH hereby fixed and appointed to beflH the owners or occupiers nf propfiD| On the footpaths of all streets fordSH metalled' at the request of tgn-thiWBM the residents on such aWt,if/«ah'weeP is one chain wide, or for 5fF footpaths, 20s per chain; if f-chain wide,..or''Bffe paths, 17s 6d per chain ; if j-chain wide, er 7ft paths, 15s per chain. For kerbing, in addition to the above charges, 30a par chain: provided always that the Council, may where it considers necessary, in any exceptional case, make such reduction* iu or addition to the above charges as it shall from tittle to time think fit. • "isr:

The Chairman explained that this scale had been drafted to do away witli the necessity for the disputes and trouble they had had lately in dealing with the question settled in the recommended bylaw, and he hoped the Council would adopt it. ; ■ Cr 13ish moved that the report; b» adopted. ' ■ Cr Dixon ' seconded pro forma, but considered that the rate was too liigK a sum to fix. . ; The Chairman pointed out that -the latter clause gave the power to reduce the amount if the Council saw fit. "v Cr McCardle said he had opposed the contribution pystem, hut had found it had worked very well. He would support the adoption of the report, but hoped the Council would bear in mind that there might be some works which they ought to do themselves. He had intended to have brought forward a motion to raise » loan for forming and kerbing all footpaths required, but finding they, would only cost £2OOO, lie thought'that with the Government subsidy they did not need to borrow, ■ and .he would, support the report. ( •- ' Cr Russell supported the scale proposed, as it was a reasonable one. • The Chairman explained that the matter would have to be discussed again st the spi cial meeting which would have to he ccjwened to adopt this and other amencwd by-laws, and he would therefore pi\t the resolution, which was carried. !

; FOOTPATH CROSSINGS. The by-law prepared by the Mayor, giving t'qe Council power to construct crossings and charge property owneri with the'ioostwaa then dismissed. _ Crs Bisli and Russell supported it. Cr Vile opposed on the ground tliet it simply meant the same thing in the long run as the present by-law—they woiild' have to sue.' 1 The report was finally rejected,HP on# council:' volin?, for voting against it, ' 'jJM WORKS COMMITTEE. Tho Works' Committee reported * jit'it was advisable allow the work in Shortstreet to stand o\er till dryer;weather seta in, and that the limbing ill Queen-street stand over till nexMeering. Mr Wyllie, on behalf of the Masrcrton Club, attended the meeting of the Works Committee and offered to secure from MryCole the piece of.land between the Club and Perry-street and hand it over to the Borough for widening the street, provided tlie Couricil would kerb and finish the footpath, in front of the Club building in Chan Istreet. The Committee "decided to reV r the matter to the Council, ta recommend that the Town Lands Trustel's be called upon to fence their land abut-| ting on Ruisell, Chapel, and Queens streets.

SHORT-BTRKET. . . I In answer to Or Bisli, the Chairman I said fresh tenders would he called for j work in this street as soon as the grounil | was fit to work on. .a Or Bisli stated he had heard upon goodl authority that the Borough Engineer bau removed the Government pegs along tlujj line of road, and that an action would iJj brought against the Borough shortly. BH considered if the pegs had been it was a very serious tiling. The CoUiffl| should also be sure that they were onthe correct line with their road work in; that, street, Cr Russell denied that lie had shiftedany pegs, and said it was " very funny" to hear Cr Bisli relating hearsay at the Council table. ■ ?Vj "Cr Vile stated that no Government ] pegs existed on the property. They were placed thero by Mr W. H. Donald when lie laid off his land in sections. • The matter then dropped at the ruling of the Chairman. MR WYUIE'S OFFER. Cr McCardle stated that the piece of rond offered already belonged to the Borough, as it was shown as a street upon the plan of the ground when sold. Ho however, advocated making the paths as asked for.

Crs Vile and Dixon supported thi« view. Cr Gapper stated that Mr Beard had bought a piece of land fronting on Wrigley-street, and that precluded them widening the street unless they recouped Mr Beard and paid him a profit on th» transaction; lie therefore did not seo that it was worth while doing anything in tho matter. Cr Vile advocated making tho piece they had a chain wide as complet# as possible, and moved that the Town > Clerk make enquiries to ascertain if thai piece of land by the Club belongefojM the Council or not. |B Cr Russell seconded, and it was jiH town trust fenobs. jffi That portion of the report referring M the Town Land Trustees was adoptH without discussion. overseers' report. fl| Mr Button submitted his usual re|H on works in progress in the Boroflß Bentley Bros., were proceeding sat™® torily in Church-street. Mr Steven,/ 18 ' commenced his contract for High-//®®') and was proceeding satisfactorily V;h it. Mr Golding had completed hii coni't 'J 1 Hope-street- satisfactorily; and th, work was passed for payment, M), White had completed the forming of W and it was passed for metal/jig. Mr Hounslow had, commenced thefcrmation hf Perry-street but had not.dnne anything there for the past foun days, ana was at present repairing SoutMreet, ana had received notice to repajr Chapel-st, Mr McKenzie was proceeding satisfactorily with his contract, whiih would be completed in the course of a few days, 'and the contractors fori tie kerbing in i Chapel-street'and tho of tht kerbing in Queen-«treet, also under way,, Bennington's lineyas in a worn, state than ever, being in fjet,almost ira-' passable since tho last.hea*y »in. ■•Cr Vile askediwhethff the overseer had power to pass works for payment 1 The. Chairman'explained that both tho : . Works k Committee; and* the Overseer, tassed contracts , 1 3 . BOROUOII Ci'iTTAfIKS. (■The Town'Olerk'r«|i'irted that a En one of-the cottages.'had done work fit?. Bheßoroughto the amount of £2bot owjU

Alio, that another tenant owed £7loa for tint, but her husband was in Hawera, and did hot support her. She had a large family, whioh the could barely supply with the necosiaries of life. The husband had been written to,.and informed that he must pay the rent. The Clerk also wished to, hare instructions in this'ease, He also suggested that four of the oottages.'should be (old for removal, and the rest put in aproper state of repair, and the land fenced. It was resolved to deduct only 21 'from the labor of the first mentioned tenant, and keep the.rest,off.the rent. - Itiwas: also resolved tliat Mrs Pratt .be allowed to remaining cottages for the present. Witli 'regard to selling four of the cottages, the matte was referred to the Cottage Committee. : u !;! 'Albert-street. The Chairman stated that through there. being a mortgage on a property in'Wriglfiy's estate through which Albert-street ran, that Street only went 'as far as the boundary,of Bontley's estate, and did not Connebt-Wtth' Victoria-street, ai it should have done, as the mortgagees claimed the ipaco laid off as the street, under the mortgage.'? The Council were o f opinion that the pliti of the estate had been accepted when the" property was sold, with the road olearly, defined; upon it, and they would hold possession of it.. Mr Wrigley was responsible if. any loss occurred by bo doing. The matter was allowed therefore to drop, i L ; NOTICES OF MOTION, : CHAPEL-STREET,-' ,Ps Copper,: ; Thafc plans and specifications, .be. prepared ' to complete Chapel•tr#et;throughout.' u* : .j!.i Or. Russell seconded, On the motion of Cr Dixon seconded by Or matter wa« held over till next meeting, Vile seconded this, not booauae he wished to get tlia work done, but because he' Considered that Dixun-street had a \ ptiw,.claim' to Chapel-street.: Or B!sh brought forward the claim of Ban-»ister-street and opposed the mutien. . , . ' SPECIFICATIONS. Or Bish : That in future no tender be oal|ed for any contract until the specifications and plains have been approved and signed by the Works Committee, and that a standing committee be appointed to prepare all agreements on behall of the Council, , Seconded by Or Vile and carfied, {■ cohtraoxs, pr Price.—("That in all contracts let by this Gounoil .the contractor whose contract is accepted must find security for the duo oomplqtion of the workiu accordance with' the specification, and to the satisfaction of the Borough Surveyor or such other person as the Council may appoint for the purpose,". , Cr Bentley'seconded, Cr Russell held that this, if curried, would simply preolude a number of good working men, who could not find sureties, from tendering for 'Borough works, The Council already had "security on all contracts by keeping in hand a fair proportion of the money due on the contract till it was satisfactorily completed. Crs Bsntley, Dixon, and Vile approved of lhe resolution, andspoltoin its firor, and Crs Bish, McCardle, and Gapper opposed it,> On being put to a, division the votes were Ayes Bentley, Price, Bish, Dixon, and Vile ; noes—Cra Kussell, McCardlej Perry, and Gapper. The motion was therefore carried, Cr Dixon then gave notice that lie would move at next meeting that Crs Bish, Price, and the mover be appointed a committee to prepare a draft amendment of the building regulations of tho Borough. The Council then adjourned.