MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1737, 16 July 1884, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Council took place last night in the Council Chambers. Present—The Mayor, and Cra Caselberg, Perry, Heron, Chamberlain, Gapper, Hessey, Williams, and Price. The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed,

A letter was read from the Secretary of St. Matthew's Vestry, asking', that the license fee paid for the right to use the schoolroom as a place for public meetings etc., be remitted. The Pouudkeeper'a return was handed in amounting to £4 4s fid. The following report was read and adopted ;

WORKS COMMITTEE. The Overseer reported—l Dogherty & Co, are making slow but satisfactory progress with Chapel Street. I recommend a progress payment of £ls. 2, I have made Cross Street passable for foot passengers, 3. Repaired Church Street and made it available for traffic through into Bannister Street. 4. Put a light coat of metal on Boss Street. 5. Metalled Dixon Street where required. 6, Completed gravelling to footpaths in Oule Street. 7. Re-metalled about ten chains Ohuroh Street footpath. 8, Re-metalled the footpath in Dixon Street. 9, I recommend about 18 chains of footpath in Lincoln Road be re-metalled. 10.1 also recommend that Railway Road be re« paired where required, I am now repairing Hall Street,

Resolved—That the recommendations be carried out. That repairs to High Street footpath be attended to and that the hole in Orayne Street be filled up as soon as time permits. The Overseer was instructed to erect a gate at tho gravel pit at his earliest convenience. The wages sheets, amounting to £52 6s Id were examined and signed, FINANCE COMMITTEE. The report was road as follows and adopted:—The overdraft was stated to bo i's3B 10s Id. The following accounts were recommended for payment-Wages &c, £52 Gs Id; Burnett & Yule, £29 8s lid; Toomath, Is 8d; McGregor Bros. 13 15s ; Watt, 10s Gd ; Licensing expenses, £3 sa; Payton & Co., 7s 6d ; J, Sperrey, 18,

With reference to tho list and details of outstanding rates, it was decided to postpone consideration until next rneot» ing.

The next questions on the order paper were : (1) J, O. Ingram's application for salary as Dog Inspector j (2) Property Tax Department's letter re rates on Crown Lands, both postponed till next meeting. (3) J, S. Cundy's application for balance due on horse Bold at pound. It was resolved that the amount be paid,

The tender of the Star for printing 50 by-laws at 50s was accepted, The Town Clerk reported that tho following had paid the fees for renewal of licenses, viz, :-The Masterton Theatre Royal Company, and St. Matthew's Vestry (Schoolroom); and that licenses for the undermentioned had lapsed— Kuripuni Hall Company, and Institute Upper Room. Entertainments or meetings bad been held in these two places, and also in the Salvation Barraoks, in contravention of the statute, and he had been requested to take proceedings for the protection of the others (penalty not exceeding £2O). He begged to have the Councils instructions in the matter.

Re the application from the St, Matthews Yestry Cr Gapper said what had been done on previous occasions should not be made a precedent. He would move that the request be not granted, Cr Horon seconded the motion which was unanimously carried,

With respect to the Town Clerk's report upon unlicensed buildings used for publio Or Caselberu moved " That the Clerk notify these bodies that they must obtain licenses before letting again, or the Council would take immediate action, Or Williams seconded,

Cr Heron was decidedly in favor of summonses being taken out at once, the law having been broken, Ho moved as an amendment that unless tho fees be paid before next meeting of the Council, summonses be taken out.

Or Perry seconded the amendment which was put and carried

HUE BP.IQADE. The Town Clerk reported that as instructed he had searched through the Court record of fines for chimney fires, from the date of Ihe Council's resolution ,n June 1879 to the end of June 1884, and 'ound the Court books did not specify 'what bye-laws the different charges were laid under. This remark applied to 1881 when particulars were first given. Since then there had been received £47 10s of which £l4los was for chimney fines, and £32 15s as the total of which no record was given, and taking the ahovo as a guide, the proportion would be £lO lis for chimney fines, and he would recommend that this sum be accepted as correct, There would then bo £2510s to pay to the Fire Brigade, • Or Gapper moved: That the sum of £3O be paid to the Brigade in payment of all arrears of fines, Or Heron soconded.

Or Caßelberg stated ho had asked for this return. The fact remained that since the resolution was passed in 1879, votin» the fines from chimney fires to the Brigade nothing had been paid, and in justice he considered that if the amount based upon the statement by the Clerk was due to the Brigade, it should be paid them, and he would move as an amend" merit that the Bum of £2510s be paid to the Fire Brigade.

Or Chamberlain seconded the amendment.

Or Heron considered the proportion taken on the number of fires that occurred was a wrong bas'iß, It should be upon the number of houses not fires.

Cr Williams supported the amendment. The resolution had been passed by the Council to pay the Brigade this money, and it was the fault of the Council that it was not paid, He considered it should be paid, The Mayor-There was no doubt that the Council was willing to pay,'but the question under discussion was the basis upon which they should pay. Or

Oaselberg bad evidently grasped the idea and thought the basis correct. There appeared the same proportion in the MlO3 fortlhree years and the 137 -10s for two years/.iin the fines paid to the Court whether for fines or otherwise. The motion was then put and carried. The Olerk also 'recommended the Council to take steps in conjunction with other Municipalities for the purpose of altering the mode of fines, ! &c',, to the Borough Fund account. At. present theße fines were collected by the Clerk of the Court by means. of stamps. He sent returns to Wellington, and from there the money,waßforwarded to the local bodies. The reaultwasdelay and confusion there being no particulars given, The Mayor moved that the Olerk write to the Secretary of the Treasury, asking him to state the number of the bylaw under which the fines acorued when sending up the statement to the Council. Or Caselberg seconded the motion which was carried.

Or Gapper drew attention to Williamsstreet, next Rapp & Hare's store as being unsightly and having a pool of stagnant water therein. He asked that the Works Committee might be authorised to attend to it and put a few loads of metal there, The request was granted. :■■ "11RB INSPEUIOR,

Or Caselberg asked the Council to let the motion standing in his name, re Fire Brigade Inspector, stand over until all the replies were i in. from the parties written to, He had great respect for the Fire Inspector. He had had thehonor of moving bis appointment, but he had heard complaints that the officers could noto work amiably with him, aud he thought it would be better to avoid clashing in the event of future emergencies,

Or Gapper objected to the motion being adjourned, A personal reflection wan hanging over bis bead and it had been repealed that night. He had never interfered with the Fire Brigade except upon one occasion.

The Mayor quite sympathised with the position of Cr Gapper, and the permission of the Council having been obtained for the withdrawal of the motion standing in Or Caselberg's name, it was resolved on the motion of tho Mayor, seconded by Cr Caselberg, that the whole question and correspondence bo referred to a Committee consisting oi Ors Heron, Perry, Williams, and tho mover and seconder, to enquire into the whole 'matter and report at next meeting, Or Oaselberg explained that there was no personal motive in his action, He only wished for an efficient brigade, There being no fun her business, the meeting was adjourned on the motion of Cr Gapper,