MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 977, 18 January 1882, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary' fortnightly meeting . was, Jieldjast'eveiiing,— Present—ips,Worship ' 'fhe ' : Mayior,,and .Crs McCardle, .Bentley, yilp,..Price, Caselberg, Heron, and having repotted that Messra ; Caselberg, Chamber.lain)' and Heron had'.bekn take •<lib •seate and. BisHj-the- usual-depla^ipti-ffßa..made by. . Crs 'Caselberg and Heron.—The minutes of the previous meeting werQ_then read and'confirmed. - " i » CORRESPONDENCE, ' Inwwds-From W. R. Willi®, quoting 31s per ton for coal; fro,m Aahburton Gas (jiimpany, giving annual consumption (two millions of feet) and other statistics; from J. W. Lang, declining to pay a charge for formation of footpath in Hallstreet, and stating that, the .Oo&ncil, if it wanted the money, would have to go for liimfrom E.Bezar, giving one months' netioe of resigning as Poundkeeper; from same, pointing out that the Council had no power to appoint him ranger to the borough; and presuming that the Council would indemnify him for any loss ho might sustain through the irregular 'position in. which he had been placed. Outwards—To iho Minister for. Public Works, calling attention to the state, of the Waipoua river protootive works; to Mr D}ilryihple, re broken pipes. Mr Lang's Refusal. The Mayor said they- must take the• usual proceedings to recuv'pvnot that the amount—seven shillings—jjjs vpry. large, but as a matter of resolution was carried, on the motion of Cr PriceThat the necessary proceedings should be taken.—pfs Perry, McOardle, and Heron advopated seeing Ifr tang before taking action, and Or McCardje questioned the legal position of the Oijifncil for recovering .the debt, .; The Pound. The Mayor supposedjthey must receive Mr Bezar's resignation; They might, he. thought, meet him on thp question of compensation ,-Cr Mcfardle moved that the resignation of be accepted, and that a committee consisting of Crs Perry, Caselberg, Price, and the mover be appointed to report upon the application for compensation by Mr Bazar,-Cr Caselberg advised that; the opinion of their solicitor should be taken,—Cr McCardle said their solicitor was dead.—Cr Bentley hoped that recourse wohld not be had to Mr Bunny for legal advice. / ' i Gas. The correspondence on this subject was, at the suggestion of the Mayor, referred to .the committee.—Cr MoCardle proposed that. Cr Huron's name bo added to the committee in the. place of Cr Dixon,—Cr. Heron objected, as it was a subjeot he knew nothing'about.-Or McCardlo persisted, and the name was added, % ; Another Extra. . ' . . An application was received from Mr S, Hounslow.for 410 for extra in metal the Perry-street; contract.—The application was referred' to the Works Committee .... \. Engineer's Report, , ■ i-irhfr report of the Engineer was read. Itstated that he had prepared plans and specifications for the work in Cole<atroet; that yhe had chained Short-street, and it there was an encroachment of three or'four links.' Plant afcd Bpecificatione ofMakora road would be prepared at once.—Cr McGardle •. thought that the reportshould be submit; ted to the Works Committee prior to being laid before the Council,—Or" Bentley pointed out that owing to. the non-atten-dance of the: Engineer the Works Committee, when it met the previous evening . oould do no business,—The Mayor sugges- . ted referring the report to the Works Committee on aooount of the double diffi- - culty in Short-street,—lt was resolved on the motion of Cr Vile—That the report be , ao referred, and that the Engineer be re- < quested to attend every meeting of the Works Committee. Surveyor's Report, The Borough Surveyor reported that the new block of building at the corner of Perry and Queen-streets, projeoted at the base three inohes —The Mayor asked if they should refer tbo matter to their : Engineer I—Or MoCardle: No, "tothe man in the moon ICr ; Perry would i have liked to have aden the report given ' in before the buildings were bo. far: advanced : It was resolved 'on the motion of Or ■ Vile that the., report be received.—Cr Price pointed out that the Surveyor had only done his duty in calling their attention to the enoroachme'nt. , . : Wanted a Lawyer. • Ail application was read from Mr R. ! {Brown the Borough Collector, asking for : authority to .obtain, legal assistance for: i recoveringfartain- outstanding : Mt eould uitaagt

without a solicitor's advice.—Or McOardle considered that the application should be v *' agreed. to.—Cr Gapper considered that > - pressure.had been brought to bear on Mr ' ' "Brown to get the rates in and they must', give him the assistance he requited/Tltsf could truat Mr Brown's discretion,' tliey knew he curtailed all expenses much q> pbssijie, He moved, that permission be giveij/j-Cr Caselberg: "To "whom shall' the Clerk: apply ? "—Or Gapper tObk'it'"" for grafited that the application for advicfl. would be : 'made to. Mr .Bunny who had " hitherto dontf all theirwork.—CrMoCardl#V said it had been reported that Mr Bunny, . after drawing up by-laws for the Counoil, had attacked.,them in the.RM. Court, poiuting out Bently said he was of the same opinion as ....' Gr MoCardle (Or McOardle: I no opinion). Well, the samrsentiraeiits. < He maintained that they should have a solioitor outside Mr Bunny;^Th'e^Mayor, pointed out that the allegation made- J against Mr Bunuy. was only hearsay, and the Counoil could not possibly take ' 1 'any notice of it.—Cr Caselberg said-it was'' very unusual for a solioitor l to'oou'dhiit._ L - a case against a Council with which ha-. " was connected,—The Town Clerk reported . thataome time ago Mr Bunny was solioitor : to the Borough, but that during Mr - ' Renall's term of ; office the appointment . was Caselberg said that thero was nothing unusual in Mr aotion if his appointment- had.terminated \ >■•" as solicitor to the Borongh;' - To . teßt feeling of the Oouiioil hrraoved that Mr ••.£•' ■ ' :Buniiy be retained as solioitor to tha v vN. Counoil by an anuual fee of a nominal Vr-' amount—say . a guinea. Gapper X seconded the motion pro forma, but ex- V plained that Mr Bunny, formerly received , : ten guineas per annum-,as a retaining fee. This expenditure was deemed, to be an unwise one, and was therefore diacontinued. He also pointed out that though ■. .the Olerk desired letjalf.advice ho did not I ask for the appointment of asolicitor to the Borough.—Or McOardle; said Mr Bunny's, fee of ten guineas was intended - to covor the minor advice he might'give from time to time, and' the result of terminating tho arrangement, was that they. ■ paid in the following year. £l7. instead of • £lolos for legal advice. He reminded the Council that a resolution'like the one, ! of Mayor Buggosted that;. they 'should pit bind Mr Brown down to -; : ' any one Solicitor," as possibly the one they'selected might be engaged; on the other: side;— Or. Bentley moved that {he. Olerk employ auy solicitor he thought proper to . .consult.—Cr. Vilo corrected.Cr McCardk, • re Mr •Buhny'si charges./, He;.said' Mr -y . Bunuycharged fees in additionvto the.'' ten guineas, and the reason,; why the Council terminated the arrangement was ~ . becadse it considered that it " was over* ' charged, He should oppose!the re-.. appointment of Mr Bunny.'-Tha Mayor i ruled.the resolution out of order, though. it. wsa h«rd that Mr Brown'could not j obtaih the assistance lie required, It wai: -J: agreed that Mr Brown was empowered to ■ take a legal opinion, when lie found- it necessary to do so. ' VAiiUiToiwßEroKX. ' i The Valuator,-Mr R. Brown, reported . that the valuation roll was'now comThe number ! ot ratepnyera was 453 as against 404 in the preceding; year, and. the valuation tut; against. C 121,879 in 1881, being-an increaae.' of £616. .' . ■;*' : ;; Finance Committee, •: v Or Caselberg was added to the Financial Committeß'bn the motion of CrMcCardle. Works Committee. Cr .McOardle proposed that Or Heron • be added to the Committee.—Cr Gapper"', proposed in addition the - namea of Or. .'' Chamberlain and Cr Bentley, moved that Cr Caselberg be also a member of it.—Or McOardle suggested that the Committee should be re constructed. He did n0t,.,. .; know whether Cr Bentley was still a : - member of it.—Cr Bentley said his resignation was uot accepted.—Or McOardle was of the opinion that it had been.—Cr Caselberg asked if there was any limit to the number of the Works Committoe'.—The Mayor pointed out that •- it was undesirable that the Committee Qhquld be a majority of the 'Council.—Cr Bentley sajd he was willing to make room for new;«bWd.—o|) the motion of •. ; Cr Gapper it-Was resolved that the Work# Committee be re-constructed, and that it consist of the Mayor, .and Gib Heron ( Ohat}iber)ain and the mover. . Tender^. • The'tenders postponed from forniev meeting, viz.-:—Baker, £65, Tinsley and •York, £69, Bentley 8r03.,'i74 108, and • ; Phillips, £73 10s, were re-considered.— . Or Gapper censured the Council for not accepting a tender at its previous njeeting. He understood that it waa proposed .' to shelve the contract for six pnths, - ; and protested against, this on sanitary grounds, The last rain they hftd bagk'ed" ; up the -Cole-at., water-table'for -four ohains, and the water by evaporation, He moved that Tinsleyahd'lfork's tender be accepted, as he knew ;the Woife - would be done well by 'these contractors, and the price was a fair one.—Cr Price seconded the'motion. At . the-.former meeting he tjhe : work might ,ba holdover, bnt in-vie.w,rof aspect of .the question he ha.d. now arrived ■ at an opposite conclusion.—Or McOardle ;., moved, that the work stand , over for six . --.v; month's. ,He complained that the work . ' ' ha'd never been authorised,, aud that the Council had not before the i tenders were". ', calledihadan opportunity of deciding ;/ A; upon its advisability. Other works, werfl.';' more urgent, and during the present fine!; : '■ -; weather they should cart nietal over unraettalled.rpadsfwbich "tbey could not"-.' '' f do later in the year. The Chapel-street; , /i work c&uld bo Jone at any season. He .1] alsp held that it was their dutyltolccßbt . ' jthe loyeat tender —Or - T the amendment. Ho' attacked Or-Gapper' d; for being too autibus fpr.lfie cehfte 'orifca. ' : town and neglecting roads. They had always been, the habit :df .■. accepting the lowest tender, .and takincr 1 the CahpeUst., tender jii/Bp.njunotiotfwith... - »„ the Bannißter ; j^,.contrajpt-thjr' tender of Messrs Bentley Brpst& was the, r''' \ S one, and it Was only refped because thers was one a littlp loworr/ ; (A laugh),—Cr' - Vile said he had beep" opposed to 'tiie v Chapel;St.j work,-but jtjie Gouncilhavitig decided to proceedwith ;;-it. he ha| . accepted the niajorityi ; Hp/-. •; held, however, that in' fairneas, to - ratepayera and tenderersithatihe lowest' ; tender ahoald be Gapper iii 'v reply to Or Bentley chsllebged. hiq% to •• • produce facts"to show that he studied the centre of the town at tlie, owt-of tie outskirts. He denied the statement in toto. Their e.xperienco of contractors justified them iii exercising a discretion as to acr cepting the lowest tender.—Cr Heron inquired if there werp proper deposits and sureties in connection with the various tenders, if so, "he should voto for "the • loweßt one. beins accepted.—The. Town ■ Clerk reported that Baker's , tender yar" informal aa no oheque had been deposited with it.—Cr Vile; under these- circumstanocs,; would support the tender of Tinsley and' York being accented.—The ' motion of Cr Gapper waa then; carried, the amendment being lost, Notice op Motion. ;:. Or Price gave notices of ■ motion—lst-, . That the Works .Oommikeeibe.authorised ' > to sink an abysainian well near the Post" Office, the pipe to be aßuitablu 'sfye for • ' Fire. Brigade purpose. 2pd. That a ■ L of all Moneys paid' under the old ; scale oh:the account be prepared ■-" or the li'ext niteting of the.Odunoil. '0 ''" ' Thi Ooimll thtji Adjooroid.' , :•'' j.'V'.