MUNICIPAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2841, 7 March 1888, Page 2

MUNICIPAL.

The ordinary fortnightly 1 meeting . ot the M astevton Borougn Council was held in the Council Chambers, last/pp evening, Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Macara, Muir, •, Hessey, Parsons, T. Chamberlain, v--Heron, Gapper, Carman, Cullen, E. Chamberlain, and Perry. The previous.'meetings, minutes . were read and confirmed. Correspondence outward was read. ■ Inwards—From the Treasury, asking amount of Council's indebtedness . by loan and Bank overdraft, —Ordered, that the required return be furnished. The County Engineer's report on the Waipoua Bridge was read, aiid referred to the Works Committee. ■

From County Engineer, -asking for the loan ofa crab winch in connection with repairing the lUiamahunga Bridge-Granted. . From II Phillips, Occidental Hotel, ; complaining.' of the ' weeds: being allowed to grow and remain on Queen Street North. ; Cr Gapper explained that owing to their having no ammonia water, which it had been previously agreed should. be used, in conjunction with tar, only : the latter had'been used to kill the weeds, and with success as far as. th e other end of Queen Street was concerned. 'The same steps could now be taken at the North end of the street. The matter was referred to the Works Committer with power to act, A deputation, with Mr Li J; Hooper as spokesman, waited upon the Council, and represented the necessity of something being done to repair Dixon Street, which had been in a very bad: state indeed, and metalling, etc., was urgently needed. Cr Gapper said that as Chairman of tho Works Committee he had brought t}iis want forward before, but had been told there wero no funds for the work, They had been informed that there would be 110 money for such works at all this year, Cr' Macara thought some debentures should be sold and money raised to do the work, He certainly believed an improvement was needed in Dixon street. The Mayor also agreed that the street was in very bad order, and that something was required. Cr Muir thought the work should be done, and tenders iihonld be called. The Works Committee had already some time l ack put plans and specifications of the needed repairs before the Council.

Cr Perry said that the thing had, when formerly discussed been settled. It had been decided that the improvements should b3 done, therefore the only question was funds, Cr E. Chamberlain, moved that the. matter be referred to the Works Committee who should lay tJio plans and specifications, and an estimate of cost before the Council at next meeting. This was seconded and carried. The Gas Committee's report was read. Cr Gapper: It appears to me that the i eporfc shows that lleardon during his tempora:y management has conducted the gasworks with better results by far, than when there was a manager, If it had been a question of granting a bonus, I would have been in favor of it.

Or Cullen asked if the new gas foreman could not be requested to • make 'a suggestion regarding repairing tiie gasometer leak, Mv Robinson had told liim that ii the gravel were taken out and puddle substituted the tank could be made watertight, Or Parsons said the gas committee too avraro of that remedy.

The Gas report was then adopted, and it was resolyed, after discussion, that the wages accounts in connection with tho water supply flumingand piping should ho paid forthwith/

The Sanitary Committee's • report was read and adopted. The Works Committee's report was then read.

Or G apperhere began to explain some of the matters referred to in tho repoi t, but His Worship asked him to sit down for a minute, and took exception to the Works Foreman's statement being embodied in it, Ho also thought that tho items should be dealt with seriatim.

Cr Gapper: We are willing to accept Your Worship's ruling on the latter point. With regard to the Foreman of Works' statement, I thought it quite part of our report, The Mayor: Tho Foreman ol Works is- equivalent with us to the County Engineer, and bis report should be separate. Seethe way they do things in the Wellington Council, There the Committee reports are properly brought forward, and not rushed into the Council without anyone having previously seen them, They are printed before-hand in the newspapers. Cr Hessey; I think there is a good deal of humbug being introduced into our busiuess, and- it only retards matters being dealt with. Cr Muir: It was some time ago arranged that tho press should publish the Committee reports, and if they were written out by the Town Clerk and sent to the papers they would no doubt reproduce them now, The Mayor: The Committees, too, should meet earlier, and so give the repoits time to be considered before the Council meeting. Cr T. E. Chamberlain: I think that if the Councillors themselves can see the reports before-hand that is all that is necessary. The public do not need to peruse them before they aro dealt with.

The Mayor: I will give notice of motion on the subject which will como before the next meeting. After more desultory conversation, Cr Muir pointed out that the discussion was becoming very irregular. To expedite matters it was arranged to deal with the report seriatim,

The recommendation to dean out the ditches on the South road, and in Nursery road was agreed to, and it was also decided to enlarge the culvert on the latter road.

Mr W. G, Beard's application for a right-of-way, on property off t-lin South road, belonging to Mr Ccckbtim was discussed at some length, tho Works Committee having. reconv

mended that it should not be granted, as tlioy had no authority to give it. The Mayor conquered that, us the proposed private road was of a good Vi'idtlWj), should bo granted, us tin owneiWshould !;ave aceoss to their properly, After further conversation it was decided to confirm the Committee'; decision that the application should lie declined. 'l'lie Vvorl;s C'miinittee's recommendation that no should bo spent on any works unless 'ohms and specifications were first laid before lite Council and approved by thorn jvas then . the subject of debate', The Mayor: You have already £o' all that in (ho Act. You have it by . law, and do not need it by resolution, You should keep tliu Municipal Act. You had better withdraw that portion fif tiie report. It is out of order, and i cannot put the motion. Or Muir: It is meant, I presume, that a plan and specifications shall be peifiAs.of required works, and L think thoj&olutien should be passed. The Mayor: lam not qoin? to put it, It is in the Act, and is not required. Or Alnir: I notice that anything Your Yvprship doss not agree with is alwaysMtritrv to the Act. Cr trapper asked liis Worship to quote the portion of the Act which rendered (he resolution unnecessary, The Mayor: .It is already covered by the law, but if it was not, you connot legislate by adding lo the Act. You can only make by-laws. Go on, Mr Drown, :-ei on with the business, The Town Clerk said the report further recommended the erection of corner posts on Worksop itoad. The provision of posts was agreed to. An account, amounting lo .CIO os ior ci.tra assistance at the Gasworks, during the lime Uhto was no Manager was passed for payment. The Mayor then, with introductory l'ciiiait-i brought forward iris motion That it is desirable for the coin- " fort and safety of the inhabitants of " the Borough of Mastertou lo extern! " the tluming, in order that the water " may bo extended along the East " b jj| o '' Q uetu Street, also to the " -wMi ol the Post Uliice, towards " the Occufcnlal Hotel, and LlinL the " footpaths bo put in '• proper Order at the Post Office, for " the convenience of ik public, and '' that the sum of twon-v-jlvc (i'ij) '• pounds be appropriated andexpundod " for the above purposes." G'r Ctilkni: I will second tlio moLion, Your Worship. The water should bo brought down, is noi a large sum, and the danger from lire is considerable. Or Capper: Your Worship has ruled to-night that plans and specifications of such works as this shouhl be brought !x»uks (lie (Wei!. Xothing at aii comprehensive or dear in tins way lias a! ail been submiiicd of the uuiloi taking now proposed, if liie .225 is io be spent, iiio work must be done by tender, and proper plans are absolutely necessary. Cr Parsons: lam astonished Your

; Worship should ask for a grant of i money so early,after the promises you have givenjjk' ratepayers that the L-__scheme was™) be done at your own I expen£ You, too, have departed ; from-yon!' original project in ccver.il respects and have never brought 1 forward proper plans. You have also acted without, the Council's authority, and although no doubt it an appeal were made to ihe Queen-street ratepayers they would support the project, I still cannot agree with it, Tlio Mayor said according to Parliamentary usage, the proper course is first to vote and appropriate tlio sum estimated, and then plar.s and specifications could follow, lie went into a lengthy explanation, in the midst of which Cr Gappcr got up, and afterwards several others did the same and • begin to interject remarks, hut they were promptly told to keep their seals by His Worship, and a scene of indescribable confusion and disorder ensued. Councillors said they were not going to sit there and be bullied, and words of warmth passed between the Mayor and the Councillors, the Mayor oil: his part bitterly complaining® of the prosecution at court to v/iiich ho had been subjected, which, if they could only pass

the res|luliaii for it, tlioy -would do again ifljkliey lnul tlio clnuico, lie tbc-n v;cut'on to .say that if lie had not been proceeded against at law, the water .scheme would have been carried out and the Council would not have been troubled at all in the matter'. Now, as the/ refused to act, tl.e responsibility must rest with them. Cr Capper pointed out defects in the Mayor's water scheme i« far as it had already gone. The Mayor then put his resolution, and it was lost, only Crs Cullen and Carman and himself voting for it. The meeting I,lien adjourned.