MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2293, 12 May 1886, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Council was held last night to consider the estimates and striko a rate for the-- current year Present-The Mayor, and Cm. Cullon, Muir, Hessey, Mason, Gapper, Chamberlain, Perry, and Williams. The fown'Clork read the statement of receipts and expenditure, balance sheet, assets and liabilities, and auditor's report for tho year ended March 3lsfc, 1886 .The Town Clerk said ho had not-taken credit for any of the reserves vested in tho Councilby the Government, as they wore not'av'ailable assoto.

The Mayor moved the-adoption of the report and' balance sheet.' He said ho thought that they could congratulate tho burgesses. : .upon the ateady and solid increase that had been, going on. It struck him, some time ago on seeing so limny liow'builditigs going up, and from the census returns, tho rates would have been increased iri'sympathy with the improvements, But upon enquiry into ;the : matter'.of the Town Clerk he found the reason to bo simplo enough,. Tho Clerk explained.that when the Borough was formed properties-, were at a high Value, and rates were in proportion. Since then the properties have been gradually reduced in the valuation rates. Notwithstanding thUse reductions made in the ratins; values the income from rates was on tbe increase,, and they wore progressing in a satisfactory manner without any undue pressure boing put upon the ratepayers. He would move the adoption of the report and balance: sheet. I

..Ci'Eorry'ifouded the motion which was carried. ■

The Clerk.tlien read the report of tho Fire Brigade Committee, and the proposed now rules, fop the Brigade to work under, CrMuir moved the adoption of the report, and Cr Williams seconded. Thcltayor skid the weakness in tho report was, where did the Borough Coun,eil come in?- .-The Council as far as ho could see were quite ignored. Tfc was an importaiit. I matter.. There was no doubt tho Brigado was in an unsatisfactory

v-Cr Perry said'tliey had nothing, before them (p Bhqwthjt.it-was;. " ' The' Mayor said he only went by - what he had been to]d by Councillors mitside, : • Cr Williams'said the Brigade were not paid by the Council. They were volunteers and ; had'aright to elect their own Captain. The Council might elect a captain in perhaps a better social position, but that might smash up the Brigade. The Mayor.said he did not approve of the report;and'Ko would moveanamendment, That,the Captain be appointed .by the.Borough Council. ■• • ■- _ CrCullen seconded, and said he believed >n Napier tlmOaptain was appointed by the. Council, and that there was a very efficient fire brigade there.'; '. The Mayor said he was ?oing to add that tho Captain should be a paid officer, and the lieutenant and men be appointed by him.

_ Or Perry asked who was going to be >a | judge of the qualifications of a captain. The Mayor said he considered the Council could judge. Cr Muir said the reason of tho Committee wishing the Brigade to be left to elect their own captain .was that they ought to be best judges of his qualification, and if he did not suit they could get rid of him at tho end of the year, wherea'g if tho Council elected a Captain unless he showed some glaring deficiency ho would be practically R fixture. As,far as the 'Brigade was concerned, they object to elect or work under any Captain un)eßs I they knew his oatybilities from oxpari-1

once. Of course, if the mon were paid by the Council then the Council 1 might elect the Captain. . Or Miiaon agreed with the last speaker. He thought things in the Brigade were not satisfactory, but he did not Bee how they could be expected to accept an officer'chosen by thd Council. Cr Williams said if the Council did not think tho present Brigade was satisfactory ask them to resign, and ve-organise afresh.

The Mayor said that was what he understood the Committee would recommend. He certainly thought from what the Committee had said to him that they recommended tho re-organisation of the Brigade.

TheMayorcontinuedfromwhat|heheard outside, and from members of the Council, tho prosent brigade was thoroughly disorganised. He certainly understood tilings were not,in a satisfactory state nor the brigade well officered, and' he asked members of tho Council who had spoken to him to bring in a'report so that they could deal with it iii Council. He did not speak of the Council as a body, but had asked individual members to bring the matter 'up,- and that was what was to be done. Cr Muir: No. ■ .

Tho Mayor: Well, that is what I understood. If I have been mistaken then 1 ought to apoligise, but certainly several councilors spoke to me on the matter. Cr Muir; Name them. . - The Mayor: Well I think' Cr Perry was one,

Cr Perry; I think you spoke to me first. . '•' ■•..•' ■■■'":

... Gr Mason said he was- oiie' who spoke to the Mayor'outside'on'the subject, Cr Muir said that if the Mayor thought tho Brigade was disorganised why did he not table* direct motion that .'tho Council had no confidence in the prosent brigade Tho Mayor said he thought he would move his amendment first, as that was a step in that direction,

Or Williams said that if firemen were not paid they would not consent to be " bossed" about, and if they were giving their services free they ought to have the privilege of electing their own officers; but if they were to be paid he should agree that the Council have the electing of officers.

Cr Gapper said ho was a member of the Fire Brigade Committee, but had not attended- He was certainly of opinion that the Captain should be appointed and paid by the Council. The men should be paid also, say 36s a year, and 2s an hour at fires. He thought they should start <m a new foundation, especially as they were going to have a steam firo engine. If it was carried tlnft they were going to have a steam fire engine, he thought that it should be one of the qualifications that the captain should understand their workings, and he should bo one who had the respect of all the burgesses. The Mayor was quite willing to add to his amendment that the Firemen be paid. The remarks made by Or Gapper had been made to him (the speaker) by different people, He would add to his prppo--sition that the men be paid, The amendment was then' put as follows :—"That the Captain bo appointed by the Council, and that he shall appoint all other officers and members; that members shall be paid 3s per practice (12 practices to the year), and 2s an hour at fires,"

A division was then taken as follows : Aycs-Crs Cullen, Hessey, Gapper, Chamberlain, and tho Mayor; noesCra Muir, Mason, Perry, and Williams. Tho amendment .was declared .carried, The Mayor then moved the adoption of the whole of the report as amended. Cr Cullen seconded the motion, which was carried on a similar division as the former.

Cr Gapper movod that until such time as a firo engino is procured, nil pumpers at fires be paid at, the.'.rato of ; ls b'd per hour. - ,-. '

Cr Cullen seconded.—Carried,

The Mayor said that.to.givo effect to the resolutions passed,-ho would table a motion that they immediately take steps to ro-organise the Eire Brigado by disbanding the present Brigade and calling a public meeting, and taking such other steps as necessary.

Cr Gapper seconded the resolution, The Mayor moved, That Mr Thomas Barker be appointed Captain and be asked to form a Brigade, OrCullen seconded,

•Tho discussion was carried on in com•mittee to give members a better chance of expressing their views, The motion was ultimately carried

IHE £IOOO LOAN PROPOSAL. It was rcsolved-That the proposal to be submitted to the burgesses bo' as follows:—For the purpose of providing a steaip fire-ongine and, a better watersupply that for tho same tho sum of £IOOO be raised by way of special loan secured by a special rate of one penny in tho £'.

TENDERS, ■ _ There were only two tenders for building tho chimney stack at the Gas-works, C.E. Darnells, £150; J. Dawson, £125; the lowest being ftccopfei