MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1760, 13 August 1884, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

There was a full attendance of« membersat the Council meeting last night, the Mayor presiding.

A letter was read from Mr Coleman Phillips recommending a motto for the Borough seal, wifli design of a "golden fleece." The letter was received and laid.on the table.

Mr Bunny wrote on behalf of. the committee of St Patrick's Catholic school re the breach of building regulations "by erecting a school within fifty feet of other buildings and constructing it of inflamalle material." The committee were not aware of the regulations until the school had beeii completed. The building was 49ft llin from the church, 44ft 7in from the cottage, and 95ft from the nearest building on'the adjoining land. The Council expressed regret that the Borough surveyor had allowed the building to go on so far before notifying the Council, and it was resolved no further action should be taken in the matter.

FIRE BRIGADE COMMITTEE REPORT. The Committee appointed to negotiate with the Fire Brigade met on August sth in the Council Chambers. Present—The Mayor and Crs Caselberg aud J. Williams. The following officers of the Fire Brigade attended by invitation:-Captain Muir, Lieut, Keester, Forcmau Dixon, and Secretary Easthope, It was stated that the engines were the property of the Insurance Company but we lent to the' Fire Brigade as loug as it existed. The rest of the plant belonged to the Brigade as a whole, The shed was leasehold property. It was ascertained that tho Fire Brigade had no wish to change their present standing in relation to the Corporation except so far as receiving a fixed annual Rrant, and having the privilege of recommending suitable persons to the Council for appointment as fire inspectors. The Committee resolved to recommend, "That the Council agree to the wishes of the Fire Brigade, and in order to e;ive them effect, vote the sum of £3O per annum, and ask the present Fire Inspectors to send in their resignations. Cr Caselberg moved the adoption of the report, and Cr Williams seconded the same.

Cr Perry could not go with the report. He did not see that the Brigade should dictate to the Council who should be appointed Fire Inspector,

Cr Heron considered it better that the Fire Inspector should be appointed by the Council. Or Price went with the last two speakers. No one had the vitality of the i'ire Brigade more at heart than he, but so long as the Council voted them funds they shonld have the appointing of the Fire Inspector, The Mayor said before the discussion went on any further he would point out to some of the Councillors who appeared to think it was tliß wish of the fire brigade to appoint firo inspectors, that the tire brigade only asked to be allowed to recommend to the Council who should be appointed, and, he would ask, who was so able as the brigade to know who lo recommend 1 Cr Price said if the Committee's report was carried as read, the Brigade would virtually appoint the inspector, and all the Council would have to do would be to confirm the same. Cr Heron said it was only right the brigade as a volunteer body should have a say in the matter. They appeared thoroughly dissatisfied with the present inspector. The Mayor said that at the conference several verbal reasons wore given why the dissatisfaction existed against the present inspector, and unless the Council would appoint an inspector who would be accepted by the brigade it meant the collapse of of that body, to the detriment of tha whole district.

. . Cr Gapper said that when Cr Oaselberg tabled the motion resulting in this report he insinuated the fault lay upon his (Cr Gapper's) side. He had repeated the same that night that certain charges had beeii made, He demanded these charges should be made before the Council that he might have the opportunity of replying to them. His Worship had said that the complaint was that he interfered and tried to take charge of the Brigade. This he denied. He had never done so, except in the case of the fire at the back of Blkins' Hotel, when he stopped the unnecessary destruction of part of the building, otherwise he had never interfered with the brigade in any way whatever. He believed himself to be on friendly terms with the individual members of the brigade, and until the charges were brought before the Council he should not resign his appointment of Fire Inspector. The Mayor said the complaint by the Brigade was the Inspector's constant interference, cutting oil' the water, Ac, and general want of harmony. Cr Price objected to these charges. He would move as an amendment that the report be taken seriatim. Cr Heron seconded.

Cr Caselberg was sorry trie discussion hid taken the departure it had. His sole object in moving in the matter was to benefit the whole district. The Brigade was a volunteer body efficient in preventing fires and saving property, and the question resolved itself simply into this whether for the sake of ono gentleman the services of such a body should be lost or whether they were to wound the feelings of one gentleman and conserve the interest of such a useful body.

The Mayor said the members of the brigade felt that they did not receive that countenance and support from the Council that they felt they deserved, In their inspector they looked for a man who would interest himself in the working of the Brigade and in the members. They distinctly state they did not find this quality in the present inspector, Cr Gapper, and they would cease to give their services to the brigade if he' were retained. The Council would therefore see the position in which it was placed, remembering at the same time that the greater part of the reports from the various boroughs shewed the inspectors to be members of the brigades. The motion to deal with the committee's report seriatim was, on division, carried by the casting vote of the Mayor. On the motion of Cr Price the first clause recommending that an annual grant of £3O be voted to the brigade was carried.

Cr Caselberg moved the next clause

- "That the present fire inspectors bo asked to resign their appointments." Or Heron seconded,* ■_ Cr Price could not see his way to b support that motion. Party feeling had ' been introduced, and Crs appeared to be looking upon the matter in that light. Jf there were any charges against the present inspector theyi should be brought before the Council. He remembered the fire at Elkins, and that proved:to his satisfaction the necessity of having an inspector out- _ side of the brigade. ' Cr Gapper would like Councillors to k _ express their opinions freely. He would it retire during the discussion if his jitoencewasanimpediroent to that freSSu, The position of lire inspector at the time of a conflagration was one demanding the utmost coolness. The powers given , t him by the' Act were very great, even the police being subservient to him. lt He had felt up to the present time, [fl whether rightly or wrongly/Jfefc he had done his duty, arid if forcibycom[o pellet! to give up his position he should |e do so with regret, Had Cr Caselberg, in a gentlemanly manner, suggested that the two inspectors should resign for the purpose of reorganising the t e brigade system he would willingly have in placed his resignation in their hands. >r Replying to' Or Perry, the Mayor |° explained that the; members of j' Brigade received no pecuniary benefit y from any grant to the brigade. The » grant was simply to get things together y for the saving of life and salvage of ld property in the Borough.—(Cr Caselis berg: Hear! hear!) [t Cr Caselberg, replying to the re- * marks that had fallen ftora'Cr Gapper, jj said it was news to him to hear there i. was animus on his part. (Cr Gapper: 'f Hear! hear!) He was sorry to hear £ his friend say that. They had sat a re long time on the Council together, and t, never, to his knowledge, had a disaie greement before—in, fact, ho had lr moved the appointment of Cr Gapper as Fire. Inspector, and nafcuralfi&ip. 3f posed it would come more graMilly ld from him than any other Councillor to propose his resignation be requested. Ie In this matter, however, he would >8 state, as it would probably be his last " chance, his term of office having nealfr. Q - expired, that he had been actuated'' solely with a desire to promote the ie general good, and he regretted Cr V Gapper had taken the matter personally. '° The motion was carried, his Worship >' stating he considered it nothing but n perfectly right and just that the Fire " Brigade should have the hearty support ?* of the Council. FINANCE COMMITTEE IMPORT, t An application of J. C. Ingram for payment for services in connexion with the 0 dog registration for the past two years and if future payment was considered and it was y resolved to reccominend that Mr Ingram be . paid 10 per cent on (lie fees for tho past two years and 10 per cent on the dog fees for • e future services. The lietof latea outstanding I, up to 31st of March 1881, was examined and e the Town Clerk was authorised to attain' legal advice in cases where requisitJwid instructed to proceed continuously untOie s arrears wore collected, reporting progress e to the Committee from tiino to time, It • ( was resolved: That the Town Clerk be Q iustrueted to take tho necessary collect current rates within the meaning «Jr the Eating Act 187 C, and failing to recover 3 from the occupiers of property to proceed J againsfcthe owners, notice to. this effect to . be published for one week. j The report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE. 3 The Overseer's report was read and dealt r with as Jollows:—1. Dougherty & Co. are , proceeding satisfactorily with Chapel-street contract, and are entitled to a progress payment of £4O. The amount was passed, 2. ) I have completed repairs to High-st. foott path. 3. Removed spare earth from Chapelj street, and filled in tho hole in Crayno street, I Bcmotalled footpath oppasllo Institute. a. Re-metalled part of Lincoln road foot- [ path. 6. Put small box culvert at junction i Russell aud Chapel streets, and am now j repairing Railway road, which is very bad, 7.1 recommend that the ruts in Mukora street be raked in, and 8. that RenalLarcet i and Upper Plain road be repaired, (ffircd 1 to be done, With reference to tlieraxon , street petition, the Overseer having broken [ the metal to a inch guage, the difficulty ' is obviated. Tho wages sheets were signed i amounting to £43 6s sd. The report was adopted on tha 1 motion of Cr Perry, seconded by 1 Price. ( SANITARI REPonT. The Sanitary Committee reported that they inspected the creek' complained of by St. Matthew's Vestry and found that the sluice gate erected by Mr Elkins for damming up the water to supply his hydraulic ram, rests ipon a Bill plate 8 a 10 inches above the water level. Your committee consider this very objectionable as it prevents flushing tho stream. They suggest that Mr Elkins be asked to erect a gate 3 feet wide, the bottom of which shall be on a level with the water below the present gate and that he will give instructions to havo the gate lifted when the pumping is done If this suggestion is adopted the sluice gate would become beneficial as the daily lifting would well flush the creek. Your committee also recommend that persons through whose property the creek runs, be requested to clean out all timber, twigs, rubbish, &o„ as these tend to choke the culverts in Bannister and Dixon streets. Cr Gapper moved the adoption of the report, which was carried., Cr Gapper recommended the appointment of Mr Croat], the works, to the office of poundkeeper until the next meeting of Council, Mr Bowser, who was on sick leave. Plans of a proposed hotel, being- the extension of and alterations to the buildings known as "James" Furniture Warehouse" were laid on the table, but were not dealt with, as.no letter accompanied them, - This concluded the business,