MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1212, 25 October 1882, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The'usual meeting of the, Counoil was held last evening! Present: His Worship the ' Mayor, and Org /Feist, Heron, Gapper,' Chamberlain, Caselberg, Perry, and Price, The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and the correspondence read. THE LOAN. The Returning Officer • reported that the reault of the poll for the loan was adverse to the proposal. ' PLAIT OF,MR WRIOLRt's SECTIONS. '" Mr James Brown, as agent for MrT" H. Wrigley, wrote submitting a plan of sub-sections of sections Nos. 5 and 6, Dixon's estate, through which had bow laid off a chain road, and asking the Counoil to ai?opt the same. The writer pointed out that by the sale of these sections the Counoil would derivo a greater amount of revenue than when tho land was inoneblook. Cr Gapper moved that the matter stand over till next meeting, when there might he a further attendance of Councillors. The Mayor pointed out that the] Counoil must be careful, in the present state, of their finances, not to saddle themselves with work which they would be unable to carry out, . Cr Chamberlain seconded the resolution, Cr Heron saw no reason why the matter could not be dealt with at once. He would move that the plan be not received till the road had been formed and metalled, The Council must draw the line some time, and they might as well draw it now. The road would cost some £l5O. It was true- the rateable value of the property would be increased, but the Borough would be no. richer, as what they gained here they would lose somewhere else. Or Caselberg seconded. It was time they acted according to the law, which was very explicit in this matter. Cr Feist supported the amendment, though he felt some hesitation in doing no, ns every plan that had been submitted hitherto had been passed, as long as the roads shown were the required width. He thought however the Council should make a stand now. The amendment was put and carried, POHNBKEEPBR's SALARY. A letter was vead from tho Masterton Highway Board stating that the Borough ooundkeeper, finding hja duties increased by the Highway ranger using the pound, had applied for an increase of salary, and the Board recommended that the salary he increased, as the pound fees had been enhanced by the appointment of the Board'o ranger. Cr Caselborg said ho could hardly understand the communication, j be thought it must, bo a joke, Gr Feist said it seemed rather stnmge, it was like a business firm recommending another firm to increase one of its servant's wages. Cr Heron did not suppose the Council would object, to the Highway Board adding to Mr Betitloy's salary, Cr Caselberg moved that the letter be acknowledged and tho rioard informed that the application of Mr Bentley to the Council for an increase or 1 ' Balary had already been dealt with. Or Heron seconded—Onrrifld. HORTICULTURAL BHOW.

The Secretary of the Masterton Horticultural Society asked the permission of the Council to use either the old school or the Empire store for the purposes of their forthcoming show, It was resolved that a license be issued on the satisfactory report of the Surveyor. SEW REUANCE, The Rev, Father Halbwachs wrote stating that as the loan had fallen through he did not suppose funds would be available for gravelling in Dixon street in his neighborhood, and''asking that ho might have leave to gravel the footpath nqurluß premises frqrn the bprnngh gravel pit, Leave was granted provided hp cleared up the debris as he took the gravel out, WORp COMMBT.EE, The Works Committee submitted its report which included fhe overseep's report!-! The overseer's report was read and dealt with as follows:—Bentloy Br,os. were getting on satisfactorily with their contracts on Railway Road and Shortstreet, He would recommend that a grating be placed in tbe culvert near the Royal Hotel; that about 15 chains of railway road bo re-metalled; and that the footpath near Kuripuni Creek be raked and repaired. He had re-metalled about 1Q chains qf f opt path in Church-street. 'lt was resolved that the qverseer be instructed to put in the grating as recommended. ' IU-mefaliing 'Bailway/' goad was ordered to stand over. Th,e' repairs to the footpath at Kuripuni weij igreed to and the overseer instructed tq asp to the lire sluicos immediately. Tho overseer stated that tho Eev. Father Halbwachs had been removing stun! from the Borouah gravel pit. It was resolved to ask by whose authority he did so. It was recommended that the engineer he instructed to prenare plans and specifications for Villa-street and Chapelstreet. It was resolved (hat faking info account the low slato of tho' Borough' ijnatices,' this committee recoramepd the Council Co give the engineer throe mnnf.hs.' notice of the termination qf his engagement. Gr Heron mqved the adoptjon of tho whole report, There was nothing • which called for special comment except the section referring to the engineer. It had been decided by the committee that as there would onjy be few works in future, engineering work could bo given out at so much per oent. or by agreement. It was imperative that retrenchment should be made, and the committee had commenced in the bast direction they could, Or Chamberlain seconded.

Cr Caselberg said it had been moved aqd seconded by members of the Works Cimmittfio that the report be adopted, and this rather put otjrer' Councillors out of it, as the committee were 'supposed r'o know whit they were "dome and he hardly liked to criticise. He would like' to be sure, however. tha| fhe Borough wnijld not suffer through the' tho engineer. ' Though they had notgot tbe loan, and many important work's could not be gone on with, still he would like to'know whether it would be profitable to do without a man who conld cjfaw qp plans and specifications. Of course it was'nice to save l? 5 a year, hilt he would Ijko to hear a little a little irjqra sajd on the subject before he would vote qne way or the othe)?. The Mayor said ho quite agreed with the report. They already had plants and specifications prepared for more works than thpy wouM be prepared to go on with in their present financial condition, and the Works Committee and tho overseercouldoarry on whatever was required, There was really nothing for the engineer to do.

Cr Caselberg: He has worked himself out of his job. Cr Perry said it had not been shown how the'jr were 14 going to do about plans pd specification's in future'.' ; ;srlf&ps'j)ne of thpWflrks.Committee would do the WOrk,.. ;'.";"".. .'.'•■,

. _ Cr Chamberlain said the teal reason for* dismissing tb> engineer was that there woold be nothing for him to do for the next twelve months. The report as a whole waß then adopted, Or Perry voting against it. :'\ ... -.'/!■ HBRART. MAN. v''■' : .. \' 'The Olerk;reported tbat tbb;Li£ra^jr

loan debentures had been placed in Masterton at 7 percent.;.'f Or Oaselberg moved j that the Finance Committee see to thii appointment of commissioners to.,,eii required by the Act. He suggested that the Bank of Australasia be appointed. !; Cr Perry'Beoonded.-Carried. ' HALF-YEARLY BALANCE SHEET,, . The treasurer submitted .'the half -yearly balance sheet, which iras oiFdered to fee, pablished. .. 1' . .. . "■•

RATEPAYERS TO BE SUED. ( The Mayor said the' outstanding rates . , amounted to about M) and he thought; ': ' it time a move was made to get them in, Cr Caselberg said it no doubt unpopular to propose that! harsh meataresjj, be taken, but he wodd move "jfcF* Town Clerk be authoriiied to sue«jjjirrt rates outstanding. It seemed to hißat the willing bones did all the pulling. - Cr Ferry seconded, though he thought it would have looked better if this step had been taken before the loan was proposed, •;■■'.:• Cr Caselberg: Why (lid you not mow it then 1 Cr Ferry; Well, I did suggest it. INSPECTOR OP NCIgANOEB REPORT. The Inspector reported that the portion of the creek through Mr Wwdroofe's property and the adjoining sectionj required oleaning as the cattle trampled in weeds, &c, which created a nuisance. Or Gapper failed to use that there wat any nuisance, Cr Caselberg always thought watercress a luxury. ..."

The Mayor said it had been decided to be a nuisance in Christchurcb. r~ The report was ordernd to be received. CR OAPPER IN :DEPENCE. Cr Gapper said he considered the time had arrived when the Wprks Committee should be reorganised, The old Committee had worked hard in the past, and all it had received was abuse; the papera abused them most unfairly.' One of the most scurrillous articles had appeared about him during his absence at Christchurcb, which was a mean attempt to blacken and vilify his character. He oonsidsrei} thp attnok most cowardly and slanderous, and this conduct he imputed to the editor of the' •!' Star.'' Hp wb§ charged wjth supporting the loan from selfish motives, accused of being a torncoat, and acting in an underhand maimer. Ho would assert, however, that he had acted on principle, and no man could say with truth that he had act* d unfairly or improperly, He was accused of acting from a personal-motiVe; |f. : MIfIPPW wish to assist hjs fellow men was a selfish, motive, he had done so. He had been accused of many things, but the last s>aw was the assertion I hat he suppprtei the loan because he owned property 00 Worksop road. The streets of the borough were visited by the councillors is a body before the lnt,n schedule was drafted, the schedule was passed by the council as a body, and. yet beocuse the hulk of the works were in the centre, and be owned six acres in the Dixcn's estate he was virulently attacked and'accused of acting from a personal motive in''advocatng the luan. Hedenied this. Headed on principle, and on principle when the plan of Dixon's was submitted to [he, Council jio had opposed it, fhougji be intended to purcbasp a section on'it, .Hp felt it particularly jianl thaf tjjDiigli he was villified and untruths about him wp,rp published none of his colleagues took thp trouble to defend him. He had jnangu- jA rated the subsidy system to supplement Aj their funds, hut this failed because those yU who could afford best to contribute would not unless sued, He had brought up the separate rate Bystem which had also failed from the difficulty of collection, and he had concluded the time had arrived when to perform the work necessary & loan should be floated. Ho did not support this view till all else had failed, He had, not Ijaulpi dmyn his flag nor. tnmed his coat! U voted wjtfii fog rest. had failed a'rfd he was not prepared to Bit on the Works Committee' any jonger, While a member of that copjrpiltcj) he no{ negleotnd " any of' the duties attached to ill, but liad dpis his best. He would now propose that the committee bo. reorganised qnd cptisjsj of Crs Pprjff Price, find Ghambprjain, These eantlegipn had opposgej a loan, while "Cbramlirep supposed % and the loan had failed. Thpy, should therefore be prepared to take the place of the old Committee, He held, however, that a loan of £SOOO was needed.. Hi wished Or MoCardlo wo present, Cr McCardle advocated a small sura, and wished to cut the working men's wages down to 4s a day; at toast that was what it was in effect—if contracts were let at unprofitable rates, ii a day was as much as they could make, A loan of ; SOQO, £SOQ,. or ;EsodO'wpnld have \ been hoth'ing'fqr'the Bi|roliigbj'«nd w'oif|j would' havp been jjpnf in a perrpapent, thorough tnanner, He Goniludpd, by moving his resolution Cr Caselberg seconded, pro forma. He thought Cr Gapper had a right to feel . somewhat aggrieved, but if he was the best-abused man in Masterton he wag only on a parallel with Bismark, Disraeli, ka. He had missed Cr Gapper's support greatly during the contest for the loan, and boljpyei) if he ta/I been in tb,e Borough' itlie-resulti'womid have been dif: timf'Tii '(Or Uselberg) t}Me : d. % child's plajjr i)f the Council in'vnfing'tlu't all work's brought before it should,' be done, when thoy haij no money fp dp thpm witjj.'auff hpld that a joap hftd h?oorae a necessity, ljut bq the' built gesses had rejected 'tfee proposal "to raise one, thoy were simply "as they were l ' —no better and no worse, Ho therefore could see no reason why the Works Com* mittee should resign. Or Gapper should remembev that those who knew him best —hie colleagues—had not abused him, but simply an outsider who took opposite views, and no doubt honestly expressed his sentiments. Cr Gnpper should remain on tho Committee and do the best he cpuld for the Poroqjjh,. -i Cr-Heron'wdald-Tftte against the motion/not that he' had any great, wish to remain on the Work Committee, but because he 'considered any'public man should be prepared to receive criticise without allowing it (o: compel hitf'i'r? throw up his offlbv ' '• ;: " ' ' 'Or Pricesp'oß'e'to the same effeot, and, hoped Or Gapper would not'resijjn,' • : \' Cr Feist'agreed with'the speakers'. "Ho bad no) attack referred to by saw no reason why the Coram WsflmjuT i be reorganised 'simply became the loan proDosal had' not been I'ccepfec], ,'.''.. ~';■'" Tip' Ijaynr' tpok th,i)'?ap view, and sajc} itwpp;)d.bßdi|cHlt'fprip.lß(!e.Gi Gapper if he resigned. He held that tjj'e. Borough was in a yery.|?o6d poaitipn, aid pointed out that they kd many goo| roarjt), apd wera in a sound financial dition, thpughtha hrge Qofernraent subsidies had oeased, The loan simply prevented them going.oa with new wor«s, ✓ The motion that the Committee fat re- " organised was then put and lost, MR RENAIXV f 200. Cr Caselborg drew | attention to Mr KenaH's £2OO, and asked if that arrangecojjjp) now be carried piit. . Tli.e'Cleft'«taM'lire pouncjl .pas pledged to carry it oi}£ as'goon aj.ijje necessary doonments wore prepared. ' Or Heron reminded the Council that be had suggested that the matter should stand over till the loan was obtained. This coune would now hare proved the safest, After a few more remarks the OobdqU adjourned,