MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4669, 14 March 1894, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ordinary Meeting.) The usual fortnightly meeting of the Masterton Borough Council was held last evening, -Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Ore flessey, Hornblow,-Mutrie, Yates, Culled, Feist, and Dixon, "', MINUTES, - ]■/ ' ;: The minutes, of the last meeting were read and confirmed, ; * -, COKE. Mr T. F. Brenohley wrote offering to take all the coke the Gas Works can supply at 17s 6d per ton—The offer was accepted. ■ FIRE LADDERS. ■ . : I

0, H, Jfayne, .Secretary' of the Maeterton Volnnteet Fire Brigade, wrote drawing attention to the unsafe 'condition of tbgJSireladders, placed about the town. , The'letter was referred to the Fire i Brigades Committee,' : ['„■■-': . .subsidy, : ;..:":..■.

The Treasury Department wrote' informing the Council that £14012s 6d subsidy had been paid to the Council's" account. ■'' ACCOUNTS. _ Accoun's amounting to £lßßl7a 10s werepjssed for payment. . RAILWAY BOAD.

; Cr Yates asked if anything was to be.done to Railway Road before the winter. Or Hessey thought the road should be levelled downand properly widened. It woold always be a source of expense as at present, KURIPUM FOOTPATH.

Cr Horublow moved that the WorksCommiitee take into consideration tbe'formation of the footpath on the eastern side of the road at Kuripuni, At present in winter it was often under water, Cr flesaoy aaid half the cost would be chargeable on the property owners. If they were agreeable to pay their portion he should be glad to support Or Hoinblow's motion. The Mayor explained tbat the cost would be about 16s per chain. THEBY-UWS.

In,reply toCr Feist it waa explained that the Work of revising the By-laws was now being carried oat by Mr 0, A. Pownall. Cr Feist said he asked the question because ,a oomuiittee had been, appointed to deal with the By-laws and be wished to know who authorised the appointment of MtPowliall, ins Md the Borough Solicitor, Mr Bunny,',* The Major replied that he tinderstood that the matter had, been left with himself and the.Town Clerk, Or Hornblow rose'to apeak, when ho Mayor stopped him, stating that he should' require a motion if the matter was to be further discussed. Or Hornblow then moved that the J Borough Solicitor be employed to revise the By-laws/ He did not approve of the Counoil appointing a Committee and then the work being taken out of their bands as it apipeared had been done. He was rpot going to say that Mr Bunny was a better wan than Mr Pownall or vice versa, hut in his opinion, it waß a slight to their own solicitor, who was regularly employed to do other work, and whether the gain was large or small he should have the advantage of it. With all due vespeot to Hi'b Worship the Mayor he might state that he did not think he (the Mayor) had. taken a proper course in acting without consulting the members of the By-laws l Committee, He had no bins in the master and merely drew attention to It on the principle of the thing. By taking the action they had done the Council slighted their solicitor, and they must not consider what the Council thought, but how outsiders would look at the matter. Cr Hessey seconded the motion Wo forma. He thought thai it had been pretty clearly stated that Mr Pownall would he the most suitable person to employ for the work, as owing to his three years' experience in the Council 1 he was familiar with the subject, It was not as if they were taking the whole of'too Borough work from Mr Bunny, and lie did not think there were the slightest grounds for soreijeas on the part of anybody, He should certainlyjoppo.se & Horablow's rao» tion. I Ifhe Mayor said his opinion was pretty will known on thismatter, Mr Pownalljwas thoroughly acquainted with the By-laws, and the work would hive cost the Counoil more had it been ldft to Mr Bunny. If ho had slighted jtho Committee in any way he waaveryj sorry, but he certainly un derstood that the appointment of a revising solicitor had been left to him. Such a thing should not occur again in connection with any committee to which Cr Hornblow and him.seif were appointed. He thanked Qr Hornblow i for drawing his attention' to the faor, I •slid hoped he would now withdraw bis motion,

Ur Hornblow expressed, bjmsolf as quite satisfied with His Worship's explanation, He merely wished to [express that wheu a Committee was appointed to attend to any work it ought to be consulted, He was quite willirig-to withdraw bis motion,

I ..'■,'■ APOLOGIES, Apologies for non-attendanoe were | received and accepted from Ore W, Perry and E. E, Chamberlain. ■ ' On; the motion of Cr Oullen the meeting thm adjourned, , •"'