MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1679, 7 May 1884, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of the Council was : held last evening,- : Present—His Worship the Mayor, and • Gapper, Johnston, Perry, Chamberlain. Heron, Williams, Price, arid Oaselberg. _ . . -Q The minutes of the previous ordinary and special meetings were read and confirmed, and correspondence read. . .

INSTITUTE, . , ' A letter was received from the Secretary of the Library Committee, reporting the election of the new Committee. . - : The Council confirmed the election, on the motion ot the Mayor, .CREAKING CREEKS. Mr Renall • wrote re the operations of the Council's workmen in entering on his land and clearing the creek thereon, expressing the opinion that the Council was exceeding its powers .in ordering a drain to be dug on his land, and was taking the action on behalf of a member of the Council' He held the question was one of drainage between himself and another party interested, The Mayor moved that the letter be referred to the Works Committee.

Or Heron protested that the Committee had carried out the instructions of tho Council, and lie now thought fresh authority should bo given to the Committee to support them in their action.

Or Johnston did not see why anyone should be exempted from clearing his portion of a creek. Mr Perry said he was the Councillor referred to by Mr Renall. He only wanted Mr Renall Jto clear his share of tho creek, in order to give an outlet to tho portion running through his (Or Perry's) land; but it., appeared that, as usual, Mr Renall was an obstructionist to any improvements where lie was concerned. He (Cr Perry) hoped the Council would do its duty'. Cr Gapper did not look upon the matter as a drainage question at all. It was a nuisance,;and 1 -the Health Officer, the Inspector: of Nuisances, and the Council had always treated it as a nuisance, and as such it should be abated. No exception should be made,' He looked upon Mr Renall's- assertion that the work was undertaken for the benefit of a member of the Council as a grave charge, •If the nuisance, could not be abated without going to law, litigation should be resorted to. t , Tho Mayor said'he did not think, they had the power to go on to a persons land and dig a drain';; :(Cr Gapper: Hear! hear!) They {could remove the rubbish, however, and clear the course of tho creek, and if turned' off could compel Mr Renall by law to allow the work to be done, ■ The clerk read the clause in the Act empowering the Council to undertake such work on all- private lands, Or Oasolberg tliouglit the; creek should be cleared out without disturbing the land. It was absurd to let one.man block the Council's affairs.

The Mayor: Mr Ronall is quite willing to sue the Council for trespass and thus prove his position. Or Caselberg continued that the best plan would be to sue Mr ; Renall instead of waiting to bo sued by him.

Cr Heron moved as an amendment that the Works Committee be empowered to go on with tho work in the manner best calculated to abate, the nuisance, They were clearing a [course about two feet wide ;: in the ' centre of the water cress, which was about a chain across, If Mr-Renall or any one else could suggest a l 'better way the Committee would be glad to adopt it. Cr Gapper seconded the amendment. The plan adopted by the CoWlmUeo was, in his opinion, the correct (me. Cr Price asked what proof they had that the creek was a nuisance, He had seen Mr Renall on the subject, and he (Mr Renall) was thoroughly of opinion there was no nuisance. • . Tho Clerk in answer to a question stated that several residents in-'the neighborhood had. complained of the nuisanco caused by the creek, and the Medical Officer had reported that the swampy ground would cause, a nuisance in the summer time. Or Casglberg said the Council had no right to interfere between individuals, Mr Renall stated that the question was between himself and Cr Perry; the question to the Council was whether the swamp was a nuisance, The Medical officer had said it would be, and the Council had passed resolutions and given notice about the matter to Mr Renall, who should not be • allowed to ; treat • the Council's notices with contempt, and under these circumstances he, should support the work being gone on with. • Cr Price thought the Council should have the opinion:of the Health Officer on the question. The Mayor again read , the clause of the Act giving the Council power : to prevent anything nuisance, and to keep open drains and watercourses, or remove stagnant water, i ; Cr Johnston thought they should get

the Health Officer's opinion again, and would movo an amendment to that effect,

Or Heron replied stating that further amendments meant shelving the matter, and he thought the work should be gone on with at once.

Or Heron s amendment was then put and declared carried.

Or i Johnston moved, ag another amendment, that the .Medical officer's opinion should be taken, and if it was to wo effect that the swamp was a nuisance, the work be gone on with at once. ''■ ;■ The Mayor said h 6 coiild not take this as an amendment.' - " Or Johnston then moved, that before the motion of Or Heron take effect the opinion of the Health oihcer be taken, , Or Hessey seconded. . The Council divided, Ayes: Crs Price, Hessey, Johnston, Gapper, and Williams. Noes: Ors Caselberg, Heron, Chamberlain, and the Mayor. The motion was declared carried. MRS HACKER'S APPLICATION, Letter read from Mrs Haokerthanking the Council for placing her. street on the. schedule of works, and asking when it would be commenced. The letter was received and laid 6n the table. TOWN CLEKK'S REPORT. The Town Clerk reported that the measures taken for recovering arrears ■of rates were proving effective. In a little over a month £l4B 5s Id of the arrears had been collected, and £37 16s lOd of new rates. £4O was due for auptionees's license. A list of names of those summoned since last meeting was Mnded in. The report was adopted, the Mayor stating the results were very satisfactory. BY-LAWS COMMITTEE,

The Committee reported-baying met and arranged the conditions of contract re night soil, the term being fixed at three years. It was resolved that a special meeting be held on the 13thV, inst., to consider by-laws for chimney v' sweeping and nightsoil contract, The report was adopted. , WORKS . COMMITTEE, ' The Works Commiteee reported they had received the Overseer's usual statement of works for . the past'fortnight. He had metalled the approaches to Chamberlain road, repaired Kibblewhite road and portions of Upper Plain road, had removed the earth that had fallen from the sides of Short-st. cutting, and had removed tlie fence in Chapel-st, to Mr Renall's boundary. Ho was now repairing Soulh-st',, and recommended that about seven or eight chains of footpath be metalled in Queen-st., and a portion of, Oliapel-st. repaired. (Resolved: That these. suggestions be carried out,) The Overseer also repotted that he had waited upon ■Mr E. Chamberlain, who offered to let the Council a gravel pit at 5s per year. (It was resolved that the offer be accepted.) He had commenced to clear out Renall's creek, but had been ordered off the ground. The cost of tho work in Chamberlain street and Railway road were respectively £24 16s and £23 13s. The report was adopted., , ■ MORGUE. -

The Committee reported receipt of plans and specifications from Mr King for above building, and ordered them to be sent to the Cemetery Trustees and than to the Road Board and County Council asking them to contribute to the cost of its erection. The Committee recorded a vote of thanks to MiKing for preparing the plan. The action of tho Committee was en'dorsed by'the Council.

' INSPECTOR OP. NUISANCES. ' The [inspector reported on tLe old matter of Bentley-sfcreet creek, stating thatit was nuisance tliat required abating in thfr/intereets of the public health, also that the sanitary arrangements on certdin .premises: requiring immediate attention. Also re crock on Messrs Renall and Perry's lands, stating that it was a nuisance and injurious to public health, and that he had when passing it noticed a very disagresble smell, Cr Caselberg moved that the residents in Bentley-sfcreet receive notice to abate the nuisance complained of by the Inspector.—Carried. Notices were also ordered to be given to the other residents complained of by the Inspector.

t The Mayor thought the Inspector 'should sue the persons, complained of, without waiting to report to the Council,

Notice was also ordered to be given to the owner of the property occupied by Mr Hill to remove the branches of the tree now ovorhanging the road.

. STREET WIDENING,. . The Mayor suggested that as the estate of the late Mr Michael Dixon would j shortly be placed in the market, tjio Council should endeavor to obtain, sufficient laud to continue the widening of Chapel-street. a X Cr Gapper moved that the Trustees $ of the estate be asked on what terms they would give the Council 16\ feot of '' land on the east side of Chapel-street. Cr Heron pointed out that this would be of small advantage as three other properties intervened between Mr Dixon's land and the wide part of the road. Cr Gapper added to his motion that all the owners interested he' interviewed on the matter.—Carried. NEW SAFE. The Mayor stated the Town Lands" Trustees were willing to give £2O for the Council's present Bafe, which, was 1 too small, for storing the Borough's books and archives in safety, The Finance •' Committee were authorised to sell.the safe and purchase a larger! one for the Borough, TENDERS. The: following tenders were Opened for Chapel and Russell-street Accepted, Dougherty <fc ; Co, £220 declined, Kavanagh & Wood; .£248 P. Can', 1300 j A. Tinsley, £330 ; R. ■MoKenzie; 1378 j Tait Bros;&l75. .FINANCE COMMITTEE. It was resolved that for the future the meeting of the Committee be held on Friday evenings at 7.30. The Council then adjourned.

One of the noveltios introduced at a country race raeoting in Victoria lately was a three-mile bareback hurdle race, The dinner was ridden by the youngest Watson, a son of the Y.R.O. starter, The Southern Pacific •Railway was much damaged and ' traffic, stopped There have been also liea\y floods in •in tlio South Valley of the Sari Joaquin Valloy. . ' Mother Swan's vokm svnijp. —Infallible tasteless, harmless, c&tliaric; for foveriahneai, restlessness, worms, constipation, Is Moses, Moss & Co,, druggists, 1 Sydney, General Agents, ■■ ■ r It is stated that a now journal, the Railway Express, is to he published in tho .interests of tlie railway employes of "Victoria. Don't die in the iiouse,—'.'Hough an Rats" clears out rats, mice, beetles, roaches, bed-bugs, flios, ants, insects, molos, jackrabbits, gophers, 7Jd—N.Z, Drug Company, The discovery of a valuablo lin mine, tho first found in the United States is reported at King's Mountain, North Carolina. An assay showed 73 per cent of pure tin.