Masterton Borough Council.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3066, 28 November 1888, Page 2

Masterton Borough Council.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the ■Council 1 was.' held on Tuesday night'.' Present-The Mayor, and Ova Perry, Culleu, Carman, Gappor, Chamberlain, Parsons and Fittou. The minutes of the lust meeting were confirmed. THIS I'AIIK(HUNT. Tho Auditor General, in reply to the. Town- Clerk's enquiry as to whether it was legal to vote to the Park Trustees corlain grants of money out. of tho Borough funds, said ho thought not; when - the property was not .vested in the Coun-' oil. ■' ' '

Tho Mayor said although the money had been voted by the Council to the Park oval, the Council were not committed to anything beyond having passed the vote. The only thing at tho presout time was to let matters stand as thoy were. Or Gapper moved, aud Cr Fittou seconded "That the Town Clerk write to the Park Trustees, and state that the Auditor-Ceneral has advised them that it was not legal to vote grants of money to the Park Trust out of the Borough funds, and they could not therefore pay them the sum voted,—Carried.

THE DISTRICT Aip.IIOAKD. Correspondence in connection with' tho eleotion of members for tho above Board was read. -

Cr Capper was appointed to vote on behalf of the Council at tho election for a member of the Board, A letter w'as road from Mr John* son, .secretary of the Wellington Benevolent Society, slating that tho Council could elect it member to sit on tha] Board, and that the election would take place on November 28.

The letter was. postponed for further consideration, . THE I'OUND. Tho Poundkeeper reported the fees received amounted to ,£1 5s (id for the month. WOHKS COMMITTEB, Tho Works Committee's report, which dealt with a few trifling works was read and adopted, ■FINANCE COMMITTEE, ■ '.' The Committee recommended that an extra £5 be allowed tho Inspector of Nuisances for attending the Police Court, aud that accounts • amounting to £25 Is Id be paid. Tho report was adopted and accounts'passed for payment, ' \ BY-LAW COMJIITTJJE.

'Hie report .of tho.. By-laws Committee was read: and approved, and the Council resolved itself hip a special meeting to further consider the by-laws, The Committee recommended a by-law in reference to looking tho wheels of vehicles when left, unattended.' This was .considered,; arnendedr'and finally, adopted. Another by-kv: dealing with the cost of malting footpaths was carried, and it \yas resolved that the Works' Committee bo authorised to asplialte the footpath.from Mr Caselberg's- to Temple's corner inclusive if the pro-perty-owners would agree to pay twothirds of tho cost..; .The oohsidera- ■: tiorioftheby-law're footpath charges was deferred for one month, 1 ' ' :

A by-law _irirefei*ence to./ licensing hackney', carriages. and .feea was' adopted and tup' oMpy business resumed,, ' ■■.:'..".•' ; '.;siiuiii6ite.''."'"-' ■>H— Permission wasgive^to.UriJ'.iW. Leahy to .eject a siguboarc!,acro3S the

footjiatbj/subject to the supervision of the AVoi-ka Ooiuiiiittee. :■;. SNAGS.. '.'■ : ;'.. '' ; :\oi' Gapper di'dw attention to snags in ! the riyer,'uud siiggested■: they shouldbei'bniovedas they impeded the stream of water in going towards the new bridge. They wquld require tobo erosseut and blasted. He had strenuouslyopposed spendiug. money on the.Waipoua, bill unless these impediments were removed the course :of the stream would he interfered with.; He moved. that' the -Works Comuiitto bo oiiipowered to wraove the snags at acostnot exceeding 80si The Mayor said it was a hundred td ( one but what tlio'next flood would remove them. Ho .'did not? like interferingwith rivers; They had been : put to considerable, cost-\vilh : ',tlie. ; Huttriyer without avail- .., .Ci\Gapper said the shags were on' lie Corporate'property, and they ought to be removed.. The. cost would-be about thirty shillings. The Mayor said he.had not seon the ; ; jmpq'diments- referred.' to,, but they ■ mighl: be ..injuring ' someone lower • down the. stream. if they : removed them, ...j CrFitton seconded the motion. He , knew of one instance in which • the Waipoua Eiver had been 'turned by a log, and the .water brought 'right through; Mr Tuck's property oil the Op&ki. .. . : :•,, >,,-;'.' ~„: „ ..

The Mayor: said it was a very •strange'thing. ''He had often beard of logs gettiug the credit' of turning a stream,-but 'lie-.'.never '. liiew, ; an engineer who could-'place " ; a- log':in such a position as to turn a river, '." The motion was'put and carried.. -.

BEMOYINO KIVER METAL; ! ;•..:■- Cr Gapper drew, attention to uu-'i authorised persons removing metal from the Waipoua Eiver Bank, in Bentley Street,: He moved that the Works Committeobe empowered..to erect a fence with a pair, of gates at. the entrance to the Borough Gravel Eeserve. .■:-... The Mayor drew attention to the present overdraft, and said they ought not to increase it by any expenditure that could be avoided. Cr Gapper gave notice of motion to consider the. question at the next meetiug., ■ •', ; ''. ;>. ;';-;>!''■'."'■:'■' THE PROPOSED LOAN. . V

Cr Caiman moved iu- accordance with notice -'."That it is desirable to place before: the burgesseß a proposal to raise the sum ol Llß,ooo,for the purpose of paying off and'consolidating the existing loans-library and gas works-paying balance on steam fire engine, and constructing the remaining streetaof the borough.". Iu doing so ho statedthat duringa recent visit: to Wellington he had made enquiries and found there would be no difficulty in getting the required sum at six per cent. Iu another quarter he ascertained he could get a loan of LIB.OOO at percent for a term of years.. The interest at.that rate would amount to L 715 per. annum, A7d rate on the present valuation would return L 785. The total amount of the debts of the Borough was LIO.BOO. The proposed loan would releive all tbetyflebts and give a surplus for streetaof L 220, That could all bo.doucbn a 7d rato". After that a Idrate would do the maintenance and the other penny would give them afui'thor'sumofflOC, Their other sources of income from license fees kn, would cover all office expenditure salaries, :and other,incidentals.'" If, they,'could carry on the affairs of the Borough with a shilling" rate instead ofanoightpeimyoiie as at present, they ought to put it to burgesses whether they would .borrow the sum required to'..emdnY them to do so. There might be certain difficulties iu connection with calling in gas debentures <!ic. but that was but a matter of detail,

The 'Mayor naked what expense there would be in raising 1 the loan, Or Caiman said there would be no commission in connection with the loan. The first thing to be done was to get the consent of tlio ratepayers. : The Mayor said they must.first have everything clear to .lay before thorn or they would not consent. CrCarinan-said nothing.hud beon saidabout providing a sinking fund. Cr Carmansaidit wouldbe optional with the ratepayers to provide a sink ing fund. •

The Magor said if thoy could not put all information before the ralepayers as: to the cost of the re. purchasing, of the debentures and, all other matters they woitld be outvoted. They could insert a notice in the papers to the debenture holders stating they would be prepared to pay off tho debentures and pay a certain premium. If they were in a position to put tho things, fairly before the ratepayers and they agreed to it they would not bo at so much expense in getting a special hill.through the House enabling thein to raise tho loan. ". Or Cullcn seconded the motion. Cr Fitton thought the motion was premature. Thoy should first ascertain the cost of buying up the debentures.

Cr Capper suggested that before the resolution of Cr .Carman's was carried further, information should bo obtained, The fullest data practicable should be laid beforo tho burgesses.'

Cr Fitton thought it would take at least twolve months to get tho mattor through. ■ '

Or Carman amended his motion in accordance with the suggestion of Or Gapper, and the motion as amended was carried, Tho Clerk'was instructed to procure the information, required, and tho meeting adjourned,