MUNICIPAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2829, 22 February 1888, Page 2

MUNICIPAL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Masterton Borough Council was held in the Council Chambers, Chapel Street, last night. Present—Hia Worship the Mayor, and Crs Elkins, Hessey, T, Chamberlain, B. Chamberlain, Heron, Carman, Cullen and Gapper. The previous meeting's minutes were read. After the minutes had been read, His Worship referred to some remarks which had been admitted into the Works Committee report, and which deferred to him in connection with the water-cart and the Californiau pump, and said: "When any hearsay tales are collected in.tliestreet,you m tin MM

of men that ever I met as-a public .• : body, who would refuse to expunge . such remarks fromareport. • i; : .Cr Heron: No: one would second ;: the resolution to expunge theni if you '. put it, ■ ■■. : '.:'^\ The Mayor: Well, never-flpi; r they cannow remain as far as T am concerned. The minutes were ;then confirmed. , Correspondence, inwards and out- V : wards, was read':— ~ ;•;■ ( Froni Edward Halluni, of Napier, 'withdrawing his amplication for the . . Gas Foremanship, as he found stoking : was required. From Clias. Waglandv; ';■:■ and & Hockley, applyingforslaughter-:v; ; ing licenses.—The letters were held : ::; over for a month, so that: the requisite ' advertised notice could .be . given.. From Duttori, Brown & Thompson, ;,. stating that, the N.Z. Statutes for the two last sessions were now ready.— : . The Council decided to order' one volume. From Treasury Department advising that £lB 10a 2d, .rates on ' Crown Lands, had been paid into the Council's account. : ; ': ' The Poundkeeper's report wftßrd|Si :'-:■ The Library Committee's, report was read and adopted. ' „" , Wages to the amount of £Bll6s 8d , .and various other accounts,; were ' 0 passed for payment, ",. : ;■>> Somedisoußsionensued as-ttLthe, .. wages sheet for'the work in' JJfeec-.'■'■■ tion with'the renewal -of the Gasom- .' eter water-supply between Elkins' creek and the Gasworks. • .; Cr;T. E, Chamberlain: I should like theaccount referred to'the Gas Committee, '

Cr Heron': I also would like it to be v sent into them. The Chairman of the Gas Committee has not seen it yet. '

. The Mayor: Well, that's riot; my fault; when there was a committee meeting there was no one there,' Cr Heron: With regard to a remark made by Your Worship just now that no one ever visited the gasworks water supply-work when it was in progress, I was there several times, and 1 certainly think the job was a very good one.

The Mayor: Well, you needn't break your heart in thanking toe. I wasn't afraid to tackle it without you alii and I worked like a tiger. I 'shaljfr send in my "little bill" yet for Jim trouble I took.

The account, by resolution was ; then referred ~to the Gas Coinfittee. The Mayor: Well, I hope the men' will charge you interest for withholding their wages, They, can sell tho " Moroccos" to recover it.

Cr Hessey: There is an item ef unauthorised expenditure, too, that requires attention. The Mayor: Let me -. point out to you that—— ■

Cr Hessey: Will Your Worship kindly stand up when you are addressing the Council.

The Mayor: All right,/you sit down first, and then I'll get up; and if you are going to be so mighty particular, you ought to put up your hand when you address the chair. His Worship then went on to explain that in the case of urgent necessity the Act' allowed such, action as had been taken. - ' ■

Cr Hessey: I was only pointing out that by Your Worship's own wevious rilling in similar matters thaftpenditure was illegal, v The Inspector of Nuisances repaflS was Here read. It recommend^'/

improvements to the creek which . ran through the Church property between Chapel-street and Bannisterstreet as it was at present objectionable, • The Mayor: Well I'll admit that at times the effluvia has been rather better than aromatic. The report was ultimately referred to the Works Committee; The Town Clerk mentioned that the foreman had reported that the first Waipoua bridge was in very bad condition and needed repairs. CrGapper: I think replanking and re-sheathing could stand over until uext wool season, but a few planks, certainly are required now. • Or Heron: I move that that the County Council, who are also interested, be asked to get their Engineer to report on the bridge. This was seconded by Cr Cullen and carried. Cr Heron: lam deputed to explain that Mr Tankersley wishesj|) cut bush on the Westbush road.Mald's' Estate, and provided he properly and thoroughly, removes it, I think it might be granted. . ' '%* The request was acceeded'to. g'j Cr T. E. Chamberlain moveoT " That a vote of thanks be accorded to. Mr R. M. Galloway for permission to enter on the Trustee's property (Wesleyan Church), to piit a box in the Creek for Fire Brigade purposes." The Mayor: The Council can deal with this as it thinks proper. Cr Hessey: I'll second it Your. Worship, : ' The Mayor: As for as the vote of thanks goes the thing is right enough, but when the work is to be done the matter will require further consideration. ;

Cr Heron:, I must compliment your Worship 011 coming round to our views. I know you are going to support us all you can. The Mayor j My action myakeii more on Mr Galloway's accous'who, in granting the leave, went beyond his legal power. I have no objection to the thanks, but in similar cases you 1 have gone and incurred a lot of expenditure on lees authority. Now don't you do it again. ACiv Cullen ;■ Will your Worshi? allow the whole subject inoluding |ho necessity of the hose box to be discussed now. .

The Mayor; Where a question of expenditure comes in, notice of motion should certainly be given, •, Cr Cullen: Danger exists, and action is absolutely necessary. Alluding to Hall-street.-—■ The Mayor: Now, look hero, that matter in not before the Council, we must keep to the business, in hand. Cr Chamberlain's motion was then put and carried. '■';.■•■' •' ';■- The Mayor then moved That the pnof twenty be fqrthwith appropriated for the'turther extension of the water supply in the borough," and explained that when the Jubilee was bought Against th e wish of the ratepayers ho saw that it niight be of use if he provided abater supply, solie Ws

Bohemo and put in one lioso box oh tho station road which was very successful. Ho therefore brought the water-course further along, anticipating that tho councillors would go down on their knees' and thank him, but TOfey didn't. ■ In foot, when he was Thinking of looking for a pedestal to erect a monument in honor of himself and his success, he found himself in the Police Court. When tho fire occurred at Temple's shop, he carried on his supply right along Queen-street and past that store. He was prepared to double all that the Council was willing to expend. What he proposed to do was to put a fluming across Queen-street at the Post Office corner so that the supply could be carried along the street as far as Phillips' hotel. The service could also be carried on towards Dr Hosking's. He thought too, that the fluming from liis wator channel could be utilised instead of the hose' box on Mr Galloway's - church property. He proposed carrying the water along both sides of , J Queen-street, on the one side past the 'Sp Prince of Wales Hotel, and on the other past Denison House. In the meantime he thought that £2O might • be voted to commence the work. He ■ anticipated that afterwards tenders if invited would show that the street «tering by his scheme would only 180s a week instead of about £8 as at present. Street irrigation he might mention required a particularly delicate and able manipulation of "the scoop," and the water should not be flopped on anyhow. He had no doubt too that the shop keepers,would them- ■ selves contribute to the expense of watering the streets. He would now movo that the sum of 120 be expended meanwhile, in carrying out his plans, The work could either be done by day labor or by tenders. Or Cullen: I will second the motion, and if a committee—say a special one —is appointed to work with your . . Worship I do not think the Council will object. With regard to your Worship's remark that tenders could be called if Councillors thought it desirable, I think that under tho circumstances the undertaking would be best done otherwise. £r. Cr E. Chamberlain: I shall vote T» against the motion. I think the expenditure illegal. In any case we Atfe not the water right. ™'r Heron: 1, too, shall oppose it. Where has your Worship's grand scheme for providing everything at your own expense gone? Why the Post Office corner is in such a mess that all the money would go in putting it right! CrT.E. Chamberlain: I shall also object. ' Some agreement ought to lie given by your Worship in any case for a permanent supply of water. Cr Gapper: Your Worship has altogether ignored the Council in your action so far. We are asked to grant a sum of money: what for ? i' For a work this Council was never consulted in; and if ever an application for illegal expenditure was made it is the one of to-night. Cr Carman: I shall support the motion, for as long as your Worship v has the water right Ido not think it Swill be refused to the Borough. \Cr Elkins: Ido not see that the Cjgfccil is right in voting the money, buTwfe can raise the cash among us. JL I'll give £3 myself, ' W The Mayor: You're out of order, sir.

Cr Elldns: Well,' at any rate, I cannot favor the resolution. The Mayor: Some of you have said I have not the Council to deal with, Well, I think I have. I worked with the ratepayers until you served me with a notice and took me into Court. You did not succeed, but I suppose you'll not deny what you did. Well, then it became a matter between the Council and myself, To refer to the cost of the water supply, I do not think it should be charged to the whole of the Borough. What I propose to do would be to charge the £2O to Queen-street, and to effect this we could make improvements to a similar value in the other wards. I wish, in Cr Elkins' case, I had given him more explanation, as I am sure then he would have voted with me, and his conscience must be pricking him now. . Jtohow, the general comfort of the ssple and the state of our streets and footpaths demands action. What does the opposition from Councillors - come from, servility or what ? Will \ they explain? ■;/ Cr Heron: Well Your Worship, the expression senility is rather a peculiar one to apply to us, but I wish to say with regard to the Post Office— The Mayor: Now sit down please Mr Heron, you're quite out of order. If you wanted to object to auy expression you should keep to that point, ■ • and not go all round the shop. Cr Heron : Your Worship asked my opinion generally. The Mayor: You are making a mistake. When you get more experience you won't do it. At present you are like an unruly child that wants the rod. However, I don't want to import foreign matter into the discussion, and I will return to tho scheme. If tho wet weather continues iU|ll not require so much money to be sp. If a fire occurred now that creek tough the town would not even keep the water cart going, Why, I sfn catch the whole stream in my 'Hat! Cr Heron: It will supply the enjz. gine right enough. $£ The Mayor: I'll stake £SO it won't. However we must' not say that or we'll be taken up for gambling. To again revert to our subject, I may say' that all I want is an efficient water service to prevent a catastrophe similar to the Carterton fire occurring here. I leave it to your consciences • as to whether in going against me you are carrying out the wishes of the ratepayers. I think at the next election you will find you are not. As you have taken action and stopped me, any further extension of the water is in your own hands, Now you have s&ul I employed Mr Druinmond. To iflBH will state that I did not, " 'Cr Heron: Your Worship is under a misapprehension in. that respect. _ The Mayor continued, and explained his ideas at sorno length, concluding with hoping, he had not said anything that would "rest heavily on the i

CrHessey; I think the £2O will by no means carry out the plan, and expenditure in the long run might go into hundreds. It would.be a different matter if the £2O covered all costs, and could be legally granted; but for a large sum to come out of thegeneral fund, I shall certainly object. The Mayor; Well, you need not vote more than the £2O; you are not obliged to vote for the " hundreds" you speak of. The Council need only expend what it considers will return good value for the outlay. Cr Cullen: I should like to enquire as to the water-right. Is the Council entitled to it ? How about the woolworks, which are also drawing a supply from the Waipoua ? The Mayor: I think that any claim that will be set up from people of that kind will be harmless. In the summer-time, the water sinks into the gravel, and does not reach them at all, and in the winter they get a great deal too much of it. It does seem, however, to me, that a Council which begrudges £2O, is a curious anomaly, compared with Councils, who for a similar advantage, are spending their thousands.

Cr Heron: If the £2O is all that is wanted, why.! we can raise it' in the room, as Your Worship has promised to double all gifts. The Mayor: Well, I don't know whom you wish to collect it. I suppose you want me. However, I'll now put the motion, and I think £2O will carry tho water along the other side of Queen-street, and also up past the Empire Hotel towards Wyeth's store.

The Mayor then put the motion, and he admitted on tho voices that the "Noes" had it. He, however,proceeded to divide the Council on the question.

Cr Heron: Your Worship cannot challenge your own ruling. You have said that the Noes have it,

The Mayor: You don't understand the affair, Cr Heron. The thing is as clear as mud in a wineglass, and the standing orders, which you havo read and have never understood, quite allow the Mayor to put the motion and then to challenge it. Why! what does Sir Maurice O'Rorke do ?

The motion was then put, and elicited six noes and three ayes, those voting in favor of the motion being the Mayor and Crs Cullen and Carman. The Council then adjourned,