MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4391, 12 April 1893, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ordinary, Meeting.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Masterton Borough Counoil was held laßt evening. Present— Hia Worship the Mayor (Mr 0. A. Pownall), and Ore Heron, Hessey, Dixon, Mutrie, Kates, Cullen, Feist, E. Chamberlain, and W. Perry, Minutes. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. ■ Correspondence was received from A. Hoar, requesting that his nanio be inserted on tlie Burgess 801 l in place of the late Mr B. Hotinalow.—Granted. From P, Hourigan stating that J. Blackwood, Borough Ranger, had refused to release his cows on tender of the driving fee, stating that Mr Yates had told him to impound the cattle.

W. K, Bone wrote requesting permission to hold a pigeon match in Messrs Lowes and lorns' sale yards on April 27th.—Permission granted. The Mayor said it would be advisable to allow the letter from Mr Hourigan to be left over until next meeting to ascertain the legal aspect of the case.

Mr W. Perry wrote, regretting his inability to-accept £3O per acre for the laud required for the Ngamatawa Road. He was, however willing to accept £BS per acre. Cr i'orry retired while the matter was under discussion. .

Or Heron moved that the offer be accepted, The sum offered was perhaps enough, but if they took the matter to Court it might cost more.

Cr U.;ssey snid he would not oppose the matter, but he thought tbat Mr Perry should have been satisfied. £3O was the full value of the land ao farmland.

. Cr Cullen thought taking everytbinf into consideration £3O was ample,

Tho Mayor said tbat as regards the difference tho £ls might be expended in taking the matter before aConv pensation Court. The other side of the question was did the road improve the property or otherwise Cr Feist thought £3O was the full value of the land.

Cr Heron, in reply to the Mayor, said ho should hardly like to express an opinion ao to whether the land waß enhanced in value by the road being taken through the property. Cr Chamberlain said £3O per acre might be enough for the whole property, but 685 was not too much whon a small piece was picked out, Cr Cullen quoted a case of a similar nature in which no compensation had been paid. Or Heron said he should only be too glad, speaking bb a farmer, to hare a road on the uaino terms. He had no intention of opposing tho motion but he did not approve of the matter. A division was taken. Cr Cullen and the Mayor only, voting against it. The motion was therefore carried. REPORTS. The Works and Finance report was read. The Mayor suggested amendments, if any, being made. Cr Dixon said he objected to so much money being spent on the West Bush road, for tho benefit of a few. It was not right that so much money 1 should be spent simply for a few wood carters, at one end of the town, while the other parts suffered, Cr Hessey said he would second the matter pro forma. Cr Dixon was all at sea in his remarks, The road was for the benefit of the people who used the wood, and not for the benefit of a few wood carters. If the carters had to carry the wood two miles further, tho town would suffer by having to pay more for fuel. Cr Feist suid he was glad the matter had come up, because peoplo had told him the work on the West Bush road had been badly done,

Cr Yates denied that a cord of wood had been.brought over the road. The loads were half a cord. He had been using two horses with 8 inch tyres,

Cr Heron said that the road never had a chance, being ÜBed alt tho time the contract was proceeding, Cr Hessey 3aid he was bound to differ with the people who Bpoke to Cr Feist about the work being bad, as in Ilia opinion a very good job bml been made of the work. Cr Chamberlain endorsed the remarks of Cr Hessey. The motion was then put and lost and the report as a whole adopted. ORDINARY. Cr Dixon drew attention to a ditch between Ross and DixonStrcets which required attention. The Town Clerk said that the Oversoer had instructions to see to tbo matter, when ho had time. TUB WATER QUESTION, Tho Mayor said the Committee appointed had visited Messrs 'Williams and Beetharn'B property r.nd had agreed as to the feasibility of proonr. iug a supply from Lansdowne. He would therefore move that "Messrs Williams and Beotbam be asked to grant to the Council tho use. of water for 21 years at a nominal rental, provided the Coun» cil and ratepayers are in favouroi the proposal, and that Messrs Williams and Beetham be also asked if they will contribute one. third of the cost of bringing water from tbo Ruamabanga to the dam," It was lime some decided step were taken.

Cr Feist seconded. It was a Btep in the right direction and, as far as bo could see, the best scheme yet brought forward. Cr Dixon asked if the water would be availablo for domestic purposes, other than cooking and drinking, The Mayor said it was at the present time good enough, It would be a question for after consideration whether they erected .filter beds. Or Heron Bajd-bTdid nUtrfeint would be advisable to spend some" £1,500/ merely for firo purposes, It would have to be pumped as at present and could not be looked on as a high pressure water supply, It would no doubt be handy as'Cr Dixon remarked, to get a bath and all that, but £1,500 was rather . dear to pay for a bath, He should oppose the motion because if tbey got anything at all it sbonld be a high pressure supply. Or Perry asked if it would not be a high pressure supply, Cr HWey agreed with Cr Heron, and thought if they went in for "a. Bcbeme at all it should be a "tiptop 1 ! one.

Cr Chamberlain said tbey might as well have kept Mr Benall's water if a bath was all that was wanted,

Cr : Gullen said they were only asked to vote for an estimate being taken, ■■: •,.,.■■■

Cr Feist said he understood from Mr Beetham that the water could be thrown over the highest, building in the town.. If this were not bo he would not vote for it.

Cr Heron said he thought the Coun-: ciilo^wudßpe^itemtdeupoai

the matter. It would perhaps save time to teat the feeling of the Counoil. Or Cullen said just to test the feeling of the Council, he would move that the scheme bo dropped. Ten years hence they might be ripe for it, when the population had doubled. Drain- ; age would also then be taken into consideration, Cr Heron seconded Or Cullen's motion.

Cr Perry saw no harm in getting estimates.

Cr Hessey agreed with Cr Perry. The Mayor said he did not think the Councillor's minds were made up. They certainly \rere duly place some scheme before payers with the present elate of things, and it would be for them to cay whether tlioy would have it or not. Cr Dixon said he quite agreed with the Mayor, In his opinion the' scheme would be sufficient for the Borough for the next ten years, Cr Hessey said he had no objection to obtaining a high preesure supply. Hisoiiud tvcs made up'only bo far that he did not think it was a high pressure supply. Cr Cullen said he was quite willing to withdraw bin amendment. GAS Cr Foist said he Gas Committee did not think bfpev ' ing the Council in a difficulty as regarded funds when suggesting the. house for the Gas Manager. He was quite willing to withdraw in favour of the Mayor's suggestion to increase tho Manager's salary. Tho Council went into oommittee to consider the question. It was decided to raise tho Manager's salary from £3 3s to £3los per week, instead • of erecting a house.

GAS BATE, The Mayor moved that the Gas Bate for 1892-94 ba levied only on lion-consumers within a certain radius ot the Gas Works.—No seconder beinpobtaincd tho motionlolltbrough. A lengthy discussion on tbg_subject, was terminated by Cr'Pqßtq ing that the mutter stand adjourned until a reply is received from the Auditor-General, as to whether tha rate can legally be discontinued. The Mayor gave notice that ho would again move that non-consumers only bo rated, within a reasonable radius from the works. He hoped somu of the Councillors would have Eufficient backbone on that ocoasion to support Mm,

BALAHIEB. The Mayor said he had another matter to bring forward and that was that the salaries of tho Town Clerk and Assistant Town Clerk be each raised £?5 per annum, His reason for doing so was that personally he considered they both deserved it. Private individuals raised the salaries of old and tried servants and they should do tbesnme. The Borough was also in a good financial position despite etatemonts to tho contrary, and they could afford to give the increase. The Town Clerk had, years aco, been induced to give up all private work by an offer of a salary of £275 per annum, which was subsequently reduced by £SO per annum on tho ground of economy. The Borough was now in a position to make amends. The Town Clerk was now receiving only £225 and the assiatant £IOO per annum. They should not act on a skinflint principle in the matter. The Olerk had been really induced to give up privotoM^^imleb what, he might call false pii!illy|jj Cr Cullen seconded the mon| Both wero old and tried servants aM had saved the Council a good deal Mr Hathaway was allowed' to do othor work when engaged at first, but his time was now fully occupied with Council work,

Cr Heron said the Town Clerk received £25 from tlio Town Lands Trust, which brought his salary up to £250. It now cost about 20% of tho rates for salaries, He should vote against tho motion. At the same time be recognised the value of the officers. Cr Chamberlain thought that the Town Clerk received os much as they could afford. Mr Hathaway was, however, underpaid. la his opinion, an application should have been made if tho officers desired an increaso of salary. The Mayor did not see any reason why thoy should suffer through modesty. Cr Dixon said he was'sorry, but certainly could not see his way to vote for the proposed increase, Cr Feist regretted having to nftf, : on the matter at all. Mrßrown/Ca , an old and valuablo servanti and : ho should much like to see bisjltary increased, Tho Borough would not, howevor admit it, jSmsM expenses were sufficiently high. The Mayor, in reply, said Master* ton was the least rated Borough in the colony, and they paid their officials a smaller Balary even than Petono. They were always harping on poverty, and yet were only rated at Is in the £. The sooner they raised tho rates and paid their servants moro tho belter. Ho did not beliovo in making fish of ona and flesh of another, but would put the question of the Clerk and the assistant's salaries separately, On the motion that the Town Clerk's salary bo raised £25 per annum, Crs Heron, Hessey, Dixon, Mutrie Foist, Chamberlain and Perry voted against and Crs Yates, Cullen and tbo Mayor for. The motion was therefore lost. On the second question, that the Assistant Town Clerk's salary bo raised £25 per annum Crs Hessey, Dixon, Mutrie, Yates, Cullen, Feist and the Mayor voted for and Crs Heron, Chamberlain and Perry against. This motion was carried, L Cr Chamberlain said he had yoteW A against Mr Hathaway's increase bMH cause he considered an applioaticHß ought to have been made. JlflH