MUNICIPAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2555, 23 March 1887, Page 2

MUNICIPAL.

' The ordinary meeting of the Masterton Borough Counoil was.:held' last evening (Tuesday). Present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr M. Caselberg), Councillors Muir, Hessey, "Parsons,' Papworth, Gapper, Carman, Cullen/; Elkins, and Mason, The minutes of last ordinary and subsequent adjourned meetings were, read and confirmed, • correspondence; From North Wairarapa 'Couhty Council, stating "that they wm' not satisfied with, the demands of, the United District Board, and that they did not intend-to pay mor« than they were legally entitled to.—ThiS'lettet' had been attended to in the'iriteriin.f' From th&^Auditor.Generil 'ielfre engine and accessories proposed to ; be that he would pass tte annual accounts if they were according to theiAct,—' Letter was ordered to be laif,on the table. i V From Treasury, notifying that the sum. of £lB 10s ; 2d for rafes fromCrown Lands had .been paid into the Borougli accounts,From Mr G. Fanip, architect, requesting a modification in tho Conn-

ny cila ruling re the Bank of New Sou' le Wales back premises.—Agreed to. )r- • • v ( " v tx j.'; The Fire Brigade Committee's repc j nt , was read which recommended that tl ; e( j Council'should purchase a steam engine on deferred payment at a cc of £ GOO. b 0 Or Gapper moved and Or Oulli Dg seconded that the report be adopted, hi® ■ Cr Papworth the point as , c jj whether it" was not'necessary und - thp A'ct to define a special district ai ■ ■ ■ strike-a special rate for the ~ payme: : e( j, .of the,engine;;,' He.'togiieflJhat it w esa in direct contravention of the Muf u j_ eipal Corporation Act. He moved an amendment that, the portion of tl report relating to the purchase of tl fire engine be struck oiitjfuritil mo legal meap be adoptedjior: the pu ohaseoftho. i ~ Cr ParsoßS, in Branding pro form de said that iLe-Coun'cil- had obtaim w. legal advice, ;i: and that thi :n- were acting according to the Act. ble Cr Muir aii| Mason spoke in favi ai- of the purees of the engine, at he thought' that : qo delay should tal teg place iii proouring it. C: 11; : ThS Mayor, •.speaking in favor m- tbeftecommehdaiion, dwelt upon tl nd difficulties of Comprehending tl ,ed Municipal" Corporations' Act, ai nd referred to the action the Councillu la- taken in proijuring-ihe, engine, ~;the co v? of which would amount to about l\ w per year interest and sinking: fund, he _ Cr Hessey ask'ed iffit was -the intei of tion of the Council to define an ar< ;ill and strike a rate, or .did they inter as. to pay for it out of th.e geiieral rate ite The Mayor replied tliat it was to a ira appearances intended to pay for it oi ■kg of the general fund, in' . Cr Papworth said it was nevi ,er intended to pay for it out of tl ill general rates, and he should agitai ile that the rashes of the burgesses 1 ht attended to. ch Cr Hessey asked that the resolutio lie be not put, as there were two Coin ■e, cillors absent. ve The amendment was then put an an' lost by three to. seven. Ayes—Cj re Hessey, Papworth and Carman. Noc he —The Mayor, Crs Mason, Muii nt Elkins, Parsons, Gapper, Cullen." It Cr Muir moved that a London Fir ra Brigade hand pump, also couplings b sh to the list of accessories sen be a Cr Papworth, in seconding jir m forma, said that the Council were aci n ingin an illegal manner iu thus -pre curing the engine, and lie did no consider that they were, justified i 0 f making any .burgesses, pay for ai )n engine tliey did not require. If the; , n wanted a steam fire engine they slioul tt . have defined a special area, and givei Q ( Shand, Mason and Co. a guarante for their money, whereas now the ,a might write and write to them ani then liav? to wait two years befor to they got the engine. at The Mayor said that his 'first im pression was that they should strike i special district, but'oh learning fron the Town Clerk that a loan could no be raised in a special district, he hat thought it advisable to make it i general expense, especially as East an< • North Ward contributed about. £BS( of the £I2OO raised for ratei 1(1 during the year. Cr Hessey said it was unjust ani ir unfair to tax the outside people for thi 16 benefit of Queen-street;, He though' d the centre of tlio town got all the creair 18 of the money spent. , . Cr Mason: So they ought to.. Cr Hessey asked His Worship tc fl call Cr Mason to order, otherwise he should have to take steps to' put - him 0 in order himself. The amendment and original motion e , were then jut and carried on division, r the voting being the same as in the 1 previous division. ' FINANCE, t The finance committee's report was read recommending several accounts r for payment; and also containing the s following recommendation: t Sin.—l have the honor to report that the Treasurers of the South and North WairarI apa Counties met this day in tho Council Chambers, re the demand from tho United District Board, Wellington. Upon comparing . the demands and explanations of the said , Board villi tho Acts under which tho Board , works, we found that the demand mado was illegal, and it was decided to recommend our • respective Council to appeal against: the ; assessments. Beforo proceeding to poiiit I out the unwarrantable manner in whichUthe assessment has been made, I beg to remind the Counoil that a sum of £'2s was cbjitriI buted* to the North Wairarapa BenoVoleiit Society to be expended in Charitable''-Aid in this district. This amount, ought. to be . refunded to the Council, and included in the amount upon which the assessment is made by the Board, and I would further suggest the the local Benevolent Mety should make' the usual demand ..on-the United Distfiot for 'its required expenses. . ifhe demand of the Board appears to be based upoa'the system of representation', There ■ are nihe members of the Board, therefore ■ the amount required is divided into nine equal parts, and demands made accordingly, apparontly on the basis of representation. Suppose ing'thia method to be correct, the Board has overlooked the. fact that the Boroughs of ■ Qreytown and Masterfon are represented by oho. member between them, arid it has demamMa ninth from each, instead offrom .the two together. But the method adopted by the Board is in direot contra'lHntion of the • . Act, Seotion 23—1885, and 20—1886, which clearly direot that the rateable.values of the Local Bodies" shall be the basis of their con- ' 'tributiohSi In my opinion there; ir a question also of the liability of the Wairarapa Local Bodies to contribute to the support of tho. children committed, to tho Industrial Schools frpm places; outside the ! Wairarapa Counties. ; .£4§i 5s is the-ainount set-down in the the United Distriot Board under this bead,' for, I believe,, over sixty ihildfefl-rjpislitwp olipdren being contributed •from the'two .Counties. Even, however, if •the' 1 estimate Expenditure stated.' by the , ?o»rd is legally c'onect, the projioxtioji to be contributed bythe Masterton -Borough cannot ■be-more thatf' about -£37 v 12a witH "-arefund of nearly £25. • The-Mayor,;ir) moving the adoption of the report,-stated that, the action of the 'Tota': Clerk; war in accordance, with, a ot the Council, • and referredv tq the. gating power, given in the kdfoi charitable purposes, wliich. was'a h|l]f-p|enny iii' the pound. Pr Gafeseconded the adoptioiiof the.repoi"D. ; i' : % •' . Cr Paptf|th called attentiojr to the fact that the Board in making their ' papulations had neglected to lake 1 into ' consideration the sbsidy to be'received from tho. Government; He considered. that all- contribmifi'g bodies Should ■thfiAot. Tho report was then' adopted' on the ; voices, ' .. : ■ f, :. -j , WQRgS, . * -y., The Works Committee's report was i

read recommending that permission be ] given to Mr Feist to lay off his new streets requested; also to give Mr Renall notice to-cut the gorge off his property abutting on Lincoln road, and to MrK McKenzie to clear out the creek'running through his'property near the Columba road, '' .

Or Gapper in moving the a'doptioi ,n of the report said that the' Work Conunittee were endeavoring to expeni ,0 the money faidy, in eacli ward. U] to-the present 'the 1 had be'eii ; spent jn/.each/ward.:1 North- .426, - East; J2B,Wes 1 £20,-South £l9. • ■ The-Committe 19 Ward, ; .were still in want of raor< l 6;. labor; in ! >that Ward, and after look mg at the ratable value of the severa . Cr%ir ; moved c thatf tHe clausi j relating to the work iii North Wan be struck out, as he considered tha J they had had quite enough spent then during the" past two years. '!: .Or Mason seconded the amendment " and coincided with Cr Mason's views. ;a Cr Cullen, a member of the Nortl ' Ward, said as they paid half the rate " of the-Borough they-tfere- entitled, tl ! e have more expended there. , '? Cr Tarsons hoped : that member, would lose, sight of .ward jealousies 1 and not let the petty local question! affect their deliberations." He said th< I Council was getting : as bad as th< House of Ee and thoughi l * they should set abetter.example. The Amendment was then put ant a carried, and the. report'was adoptee [j minus the clause struck oiit. " II Two offers of land for a right of way into the Borough gravel pit wen > received, one at £45 and orieat £6O. r Cr Mason proposed, and Cr Muii 6 seconded, "That the question be 6 deferred until after the financial year." 6 Cr Papworth moved as an amendment; and:Cr Carman Seconded, " Thai ® the offer be accepted, and the amouni be charged to the North Wardandthat the payment be delayed until after the I financial year." , 8 The amendment'was carried on the 3 casting vote of the Mayor, when Cr i Cullen called attention to the injustice done to his ward, as two members of 3 the North Ward being absent, and he ' did not think it right to shove things II down their throats in that manner. The Mayor called.Cr .Cullen to ' order, and informed him that the Council assembled at stated times, ■ and the members were to blame if ' they were absent. 1 Cr Muir said he should give a notice 1 of motion later on to rescind the reso- ' lution. ' The Mayor informed the Council 1 that it would have no effect, as the ' offer would be accepted at once by the J Town Clerk. | Cr Muir proposed and Cr Cullen ! seconded, that no action betaken with reference to the purchase of the land until next meeting. Carried on divi> 1 siouby6to 4. ' i , ; .BY-LAWS.. i _ The By-laws Committee's report , was read, showing that they had gone through a portion -of. the by-laws, which were received and the report adopted. , STREET LAMP LIGHTING. Four applications were received for' the position of street lamp lighter,-but as the specifications were not such-as some of the Councillors were favorable to. Cr Mason moved-and Cr Parbhs seconded, That the'question bereferred to the Oaa Committee to deal with. : Cr Cullen moved as.au amendment i and Cr Hessey seconded,. That 'the lowest tender accepted ahd.that the Gas Committee be requested to complete the necessary arrangements.— Carried. T. Marsh's offer at 28s per month was then declared carried, subject to. the usual regulations being complied with. ■ t OAS.. Cr Parsons moved the*notice of motion standing in his name, Thattho resolution passed at a previous meeting that the gas tank be repaired be rescinded. Seconded by Cr Cullen and carried. TELEGKAPH, •" The Mayor moved pursuant , to notice,"" That the Superintendent- of Telegraphs be written to requesting the Masterton Telegraph office to open, on Sundays." In doing so he said he was greatly surprised that both papers were against him in this movement. He_ could not say why this was, as he did not think they were church-goers and. suffered from religious scruples.. As the-telegraph'operators had 'to be . in attendance for a certain time 'on Sundays ' for electrical purposes, it , would not entail'any great hardship on them, seeing %t-there ire four, operators able to do the work in the ' Masterton office,.' and' that the office wasi.opened on Sundays when the ■ Borou'gh : 'was not half the size it is I now. •••" ' ■• • Cr 'Mason - seconded the motion,. * which was carried with oiie'djsseritient, , icie Council;then adjourned; •" . j