MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1445, 1 August 1883, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual meeting was held last evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Chinchen, Chamberlain,: Gapper;-Heron; Pried, Perry, and Feist, An apology was received from Cr Oaselberg. . The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and correspondence read. WEIGH-BRIDQE.. Cr Gappeiv laid upon the table a letter he had received from Mr T. L. Thompson, f .of providing a.weighbridge for of 'Mastertonj'also enclosing prrce lists, and pattern books..' The.Maypr saidj'nq doubt Crs had seen Mr T.iL.Thoih'psoh's lettdrin the; Daily:on %e 'subject;-■ The f weighbridge was ift necessity; ifcjwas ! simply a question of fundi! ww the Berougb. Cr Gapper moved, TJ}sii committeo consisting of ■Ore Caselbprg, Feist, and fcb.e njover should be appointed to

report on the desirability, or otherwise of the Borough purchasing a weighbridge. He placed the mercantile members on the committee, as they were best qualified to express an opinion on the matter. Gv Price, seconded. Or Heron said that, in his opinion, Masterton,would not be able to-do without a weigh-bridge much longer, though he would prefer to see,some private person go into the matter as-an investment.' He supported the'motion. Motion carried. • LEGAL BEAL. The Clerk was directed to obtain a common seal for the Borough; . GOKPOBATION ACT COMMWTEE. ; y.- : \ The committee's report, as published by us a day or two ago, was read and adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE, , ..; •-., Tho overßuer'B report was read as follows:—Owing to the wet weatherj the Queen street metalling was stoLpc.l for some days, bnt is now resumed, 1 A large box culvert is required at the junofiori of Lincoln road and Perry street, the present' one being too small to carry off storm water. The box culvert at the corner of Queen and Williamß streets should be roraoved, both ends being broken. . It was resolved—That the work reconu mended by the overseer be agreod to. That 'with reference to the matters referred to the committee by tho Council, the qufg'ibn of making a footpath in B..nnistir street stand over until next meeting, as the principal property owner. affeoled was absent from town That the Council be recommended to call for tenders for Villa met in six weeks' lime, ■and that Bentley street be made by day labor ao soon as weather permits. - An application Iro'm Chamberlain Bros for perinißsion to put in a. gutter crossing in Chapel street was aoceded to, the work to bo subject to the overseer's approval. The following correspondence was read: —From the Wellington Gai Company, I quoting price of larus follows: (1) Delivered at the railway station, and including casks, 7d per gallon; (2) at the works, in large quantities, exclusive of casks, 3d per gallon,—From City Surveyor, re oost of laying asphalt and ooncrote in Wellington : Asphalt, in sitre 3s, slabs 4s Gd per yard, superficial. Concrete', in sitre jji, in slabs 8s per yard, superficial. Cr Heron stated tho committee purposed to try the experiment of day labor on Bentley-street. ■ > • The report was adopted, on the motion of Cr Chinclten. NEW COUKT HOUSE. Cr Gapper said he had hoped a reply would have been received from the Colonial Architect re the Courthouse, but none had come to hand, and it was quite plain the architect was relying or. clause 4 of the amended Act, which exempted Government buildings from the by-laws. He chought the, . Borough had been treated with great discourtesy, The, Mayor said the consolidated Act was not yet law, and. in Jiis opinion the Borough by-laws wero jiis"t as binding upon the .Government officers as upon anyone else. The feeling of the Council was that while it felt it had been very shabbily dealt with by the Government hi treating its complaint wit)) contempt, it had no remedy against the oppressor. It was- resolved—That the Minister of Justice be again written to, asking for a reply to the former letter of the Council, and directing bis attention again, in as forcible a manner as possible, to the injustice being done to the Borough by erecting a wooden building in the heart of the town against the wish of the Council, and in defiance of the Borough by-laws, MEDICAL OFFICERS. Cr Price moved that the Council apiPointDrs Beard and Hosking medical officers of the Council, and that those gentlemen be asked to accept the office, He thought it very important that cases of fever and the probable cause of the same should be reported to the Cquncil as they occur, and also the portions of the Borough in which they tqok pljce, Cr Perry asked whotlw there was any particular sickness in the 'town at present. Cr Price said he was not aware of any case, but it was reported there was fever amongst the Maoris and also leprosy, and they were continually about the town sitting in all sorts of' places, which might endanger the'health, of the town. Cr Feist seconded,

Or Gapper strongly supported tho motion, as then on receipt of a complaint from the Inspector of Nuisances it could be referred to tho medical officers, and their decision would be final.

Crs Perry and Heron did not see tho necessity of the appointment, as they had never had any serious ' nuisances in the Borough. The Mayor thought the step a proper one, and a case had already occurred in which Dr Hosking's opinion had to be obtained to settle it. Or Perry would like to know whether the Council would do its duty if it did obtain reports from its medical officers 1 The Mayor thought the Council certainly would. TJje ifjqtjon was parried, Cr Perry called attention to the "vacant chair," which had-been so frequently seen at tho Council. Cr Feist: Do you allude to Cr Caselber& Cr Perry. I allude fo' Cr McCardle. Cr Feist moved that leave of absence be granted to Cr McCardle, Cr Perry: For how long 1 (Laughter.)

Or Gapper seconded pro forma, but would vote against it. If a councillor could not attend two nights out of four, he ought not to retain his seat. Cr McCardle came to ■ that Council after an absence of two or three meetings, then came in ignorance, and caused anything but unanimous discussions through his ignorance of what had taken place. Cr Feist said he only proposed his motion bo, that the expense of a special election might be sayed. ..j. After .spme further discussion the motion was put and lost.' " ' I | ; . ,i Or.Gapper'said he bad noticed a local in oneflf the papers to the- effect that an application wouldcome'before them for asphalting certain portions of the footpath in Queen-street. He pointed, out that veraudahs in front of business'places, where the damp njatje

the footpaths sloppy would answer the purpose, He threw out the hint as .he thought the Works Committee could do little to help tho ratepayers to asphalt the paths, and be should vote against the cost being incurred. Or Heron thought tho committee would be bote able to say whether they could assist when they had the application before them.

Cr Price ridiculed verandahs on the ■■• west side of Queen-street, but thought '■■ the council should give permission and 'assist to; lay the path with concrete and asphalt where asked for.

The Mayoivexprcssed the opinion that when; the-storekeepera knew the cost they would not be so anxious to to have the work done. ! : : '

After some slight further discussion the Council adjourned.