HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1756, 6 October 1883, Page 2

HA MILTON BORO UGH COUNCIL.

Tiik adjourned monthly meeting of the council was held at the chambers on Wednesday night. Present : His Worship the Mayor, Cm. Gnudin, Bradley, McDonald, Peat and Yon Sturmei ■ The newly elected councillors, Meisis Coclnane, Davy and Tippcn made the usual declaration and took their places at the table. The Bohouck Pound.— Mr Hanlcin wrote resigning the post of keeper of the Hamilton West Pound. — The Mayor said the question of the pound was becoming .1 senous one, and involved considerable expense. The West pound was badly out of 01 dei and he thought it worth their while to consider whether one pound would not meet all the requirements of the Borough — Cr. Biadley couciurod and said his opinion had always been that there should be one pound near the bridge.— Ci. Yon Htuttner said the present pounds were so much out of the way that cattle often lenianied theie for days before they were missed 01 seen. He thought a good ccntial Mte could be got near the AVaikato County Chambers. — The resignation of Mr Hankin was accepted, and on the motion of Cr Peat, it was resolved to close the Hamilton West Pound and to constitute that on the .East side of the 1 her the Borough pound until better arrangements •>liall be made. Bokouuh Awviks ix Paiujamkn'T.— The Mayor repoited that he had that d.iy waited on Mr F. A. Wlutakei, M.H.R., with reference to matters entm.sted to him prior to Ins departme foi Wellington. With respect to the £llo awaid. Mi Whitaker said the mattei had been refened to the Solicitor-General for his opinion, and his decision would be foiwaided without delay. Concerning the lands gazetted as borough reserves in ISOS, both member* had interviewed Mr Rolleston, who, on then representations, introduced a clause into" his Land Bill dealing with the land in the manner requned. As they were aware, the bill was at the last moment thrown out in the Upper House. Mr Whitaker, however, had Mr Rolleston's assurance that he would hi ing the measuie 011 again ne\t session, and that in the meantime care would be taken that the reset ves wei c not touched. In jogard to the question of 1 ating Crown land** in the boiough, Mr Whitaker .said that the Crown and Native Lands Piating Act being law, the rates due would be paid on demand. — In connection with this, the Town Clerk read a letter f 10111 Mr Hpeirey, stating that as soon a-, the necessary -rolls had been coinpiWl, the rates would be paid by the Treasury. — The Mayor thought they ought to turn their attention seriously to the furze which was fast assuming the proportions of a public nuisance on the Crown lands, especially on those allotment which would come to the borough. If they intended to make a test case, he thought they could not do better than go at the Government— The Town Clerk said he had,iepeatedly wiitten to the Government on the subject, but his lettei s had been consistently ignored. — The Mayoi's report was received. Tin: Hooikstheki' Footpath.— A letter was iea,d fiom Ci. Peat, chairman of the Woiks Committee, bringing under the notice of the council the action of the mayoi in stopping the work of improving the Hood-street pathway, and asking for an opinion thereon. — The Mayor said it was quite true that he had stopped the work, .is it was a wilful expendituie of public money. — On the motion of Cr. Peat, the council went into committee to consider the subject. — Ci. Peat said the question was : Was the mayor entitled to stop woiks ordered by the council 7— Cr. Bradley asked if the work had beenoideied. — The Town Cleik read a leport of the Works Committee presented in December last, recommending a number of works includiug re- \ pahs to the Hood-street footpath, which the council theu decided should be held over for a time. The icfeience to Hoodstreet was to the effect that the edges of the footpath should be pared off and thrown into the middle of the road.— -The Mayor was convinced that the council never intended that the grass should be removed from the path. — Crs. Peat and Bradley said the mayor was fighting shadows.— Ci. Tippen said the centie of the footpath was lower than the sides, and it was necessary to pate the edge to let , the water off.— Cr. Davy said he frequently walked along the street, and he never saw the water lying on the path.— Cr. Bradley said the Works Committee could not be responsible for what Cr, Davy did or did not see. It was quite evident that there was a minute on the books authorising the work, and if it was not necessary then the whole council was to blame for not rescinding the motion. — After some further remaiks. Cr. Peat was proceeding to say that I the conduct of the mayor was unconstitutional, when he was colled to order. I Taking no notice of this, the Mayor again j called aim to order, whereupon Cr. Peat said he would not be called to orcjeir,— =T.he Mayor moved that tha words be taken down.— Cr. Yon Stunner seconded. — While the mayor was reducing the motion to writing, Crs. Bradley and Tippen were called to order several times. — On the motion being put there voted for it, Crs. Yon Stunner, Davy, Cochrane and the Mayor ; against, Cra. Gaudin, Bradley, McDonald, Tippen and Peat. The motion was therefore lost;.— Cr, P-eat moved, "That the mayqria not right in interfering with the Wfrcks Committee, except 1 thiough the chairman of 'the Works Com- ■ mittee, regarding works ordered by the council.''— Cr. Bradley, in seconding, said it was time that they showed the mayor that the council was the master there.— On the suggestion of Cr. Gaudin, the motion was altered to read, " That this council regrets the aqtipn^of the mayor in' stopping the works' ' in Hood-street."— Cr. Yon Stunner defended the mayor's aofeiqu. He. charactered, -$£ wojk as, a, jofo, ans i&\s it was the common talk of the town on Monday.—Cr. Bradley said tho mayor, may have been right or he .may' ( have been wrong, but there was a 1 certain' amount* of courtesy due' to the chairman of tho works' .committee. 'The mayor must not suppose 'that they were all 'children.— Cr. Yon Stunner, was amu'sedaivb Budh>; expressions

what a largd inesumre' of courtesy was showii the mayor. — Cr. Davey was of opinion that if', the worics committee went back nine 'months to find an authority for doing work, they mightihad gone back a little further. Works authorised more J than a year ago were still uutouched.— The Mayor said his attention . had been drawn to what was going on in Hood-street by a number of people, and heomtld tell the council that the matter was not going to re'-t where it was. He did not stop the workmen until after an opportunity had beon given the council to meet. The ordinary meeting of the council was called for Monday evening, and it was his intention to lay the matter before it, but when he found that there wad not a quorum present, and that the chairman of the works committee had been the means of keeping several members away, he certainly took step^ to prevent any. further waste of the bniough revenue. Here 'was a useless peice of work going on, while within a few yard-* of tlve place was a street, Gran-tham-street, which was almost impassable and dangerous. It was disgraceful. Cr. Cochrane explained that he had informed the mayor that Cr. Peat had told him that there wa& not likely to be a meeting, and he need not trouble himself to come in. — Cr. Peat said he was not able to go himself, and as he knew of two or throe otheinin a similar position, he thought it right to tell Cr. Cochrane so. — Cr. Davey said Cr. Peat did not let him know. — Cr. Yon Stunner thought Cr. Peat miijht have extended the iame courtesy to him. — Cr. Peat : Oh ! you've got a horse, so it did not matter. — Cr. Yon Stunner said this was a specimen of the chairman of the works committee's courtesy. — Cr. Bradley said he was taken by tho mayor on Monday afternoon to .see what was going on, and Mr Kuox then told him that he had stopped the work. — Cr. Yon Stunner said he was present, and was certain the Mayor had ne\ er ined such an expression. — The Mayor also denied using the words imputed t') Him by Cr. Bradley. — The foreman of works, Avho was iv attendance, was asked by the Mayor to state at what time lie was told to stop tho work, and Mr Peacock replied that it was on Monday night, i) o'clock. —After Mime further desultory convocation tho Mayor ro^e to put the motion, when Crs. Yon Stunner, Gochrano Mid Davy left the chamber. The motion was then nut and cairied unanimously, tho mayor abstaining from voting. — Tho Mayor intimated that he did not intend to be "dictated to by the council, and would continue to act upon his own judgment when he folt the interest 1 ) of the burgesses to be in danger. — The absent councillors then returned. Wohkh CoxrSrrrf ee\s Rrpout. — The usual report of the ommittoe was submitted — The Mayor said the names of those meinbeis of the committee piesent at the meeting did not appear. — The Town Clerk said theie had not been a meeting — The Mayor presumed tliat the report was fiom the chairman of tho committee — Cr. Tippen said the other membeis of the committee had seen and approved of it that day — The Mnyor said one of the members was away and had not seen it. Moreover had a meeting been hold Monday. Cr. Tippen himself would not have seen it, as lie was away. It was a recognized rule that the committee must moet, and the repoit could not be received. — It was resolved to refer the report back to the committee. Appointment ov CoMMirrKKo.— ln accoulance with rule the council proceeded to the annual appointment of committees. The Mayor said their first duty was to appoint a woiks committee. — Cr. Yon Stunner moved " that the whole council be the works committee." On a former occasion he gave his reasons and it was not necessary to recapitutate them. Had the council been the works committee, the unpleasantness which had occurred that night would not have aiisen. The very people who opposed him befoio admitted that his proposal was a leasonable one, their only objection to it being, that if the whole council formed the" committee the mayor would be chairman. This he looked upon as a direct insult to the burgesses. The real question was, Would the committee work better if ennsti acted as proposed ? The mayor might be gone in a month ; if lie was returned it would be a proof that he had the confidence of tho ratepayers, and should have that of the c mucil. Under the pic->ent system the council, as a whole, was ignorant of the nature of the work 1 * going on. — Cr. Davy seconded the motion. — Cr. Peat moved, as an amendment, that tho works committee consist of five members as hitheito, and that Cis. Yon Stunner, Davy, Tippon, Cochraue and the mover bo the committee. Cr. Bradley seconded. — Cr. Yon Stunner ref u >ed to act on tho committee, and the name of Cr. Gauclin was substituted. — The Mayor, in speaking to the motion, said there was a little matter which he intended to biing on at .a later stage of the pioceed ings, which gave them an insight into the working of tho works committee. He referred to the amount of gravel laid on the footpath opposite Mr E. Lewis' property on the Ohaupo road, 01 V yaids over a space of tluee chains. The account of the contractor, Mr T. Jfone^, had been certified by the foreman of works, who had never checked the loads, or had to d • w ith the job in any way. He had asked the foreman for an explanation, and was infouned by him that he had signed the voucher at the particular request of Cr. Peat, the chairman of the works committee. He (the Mayor) was sure the foieman had acted in ignorance, or he would deserve the severest censure of the council — Cr. Yon Stunner said the mayor had u^e/i a strong argument i 1 favour ,of his motion — Crs. Peat and Tippen asked to know whether any unauthorised gravelling had not been done in Knox-stieet ; whether Ci. Yon Stunner had not got icp<iirs done to Galloway-street. — The Mayor produced the resolution of the whole council ordering the woiks in Kno\Street, aud Cr. Yon Stui mcr said the improvements in Galloway-street had been effected lay the council in response to a large petition of the ratepayers in that locality, who weie befoie unable to get to their houses dry-shod. — Cr. Peat acknowledged that he had made a mistake in reference to Knov-sticet. — For the amendment there voted, Crs. Bradley, Gaudin, Peat, Tippen and McDonald, and for the motion, the I Mayor, Crs. Yon Stunner, Davy and Cochrane. The .amendment was therefore carried. — Crs. Cochrane and,Gaudin declined to be nominated for the office of chaiiman of the cominittee,andCr.P?atwa« consequently re-elected, the mayor, Crs. Yon Stunner, Davy and Bradley voting against him. — The mayor and Cis. Gaudin and Yon Stunner were appointed a Furze Committee. — The Mayor moved that the works committee be the finance committee. — Cr, Yon Stunner seconded. — Cr. Gaudm moved as an amendment, that the whole council form the committee. — This was seconded by Cr. Biadley, and carried, only the mover and seconder voting for the motion. — A number of accounts were passed for payment. — The Mayor reported that the overdraft was £759 13s sd. Lavibh GitAVKi,Li.v«. — The Mayor said that at the previous meeting of the council an account had been piesented for laying Gl\ yards of gravel on the footpath (3f chains) on tho Ohaupo Road. He had explained how the, voucher' had been obtained. Now, either the gravel had been spread on much too thickly, or the business of the committee was conducted in a very loose manner. Wo one seemed to know anything about the matter except from hearsay. He had been asked about it by persons outside. It certainly looked like a "job," and the sooner it was sifted, the better. Whoever was guilty should be brought to book. He moved that a committee of enquiry, consisting of Crs. Cochrane, Gaudin and Bradley, be appointed to take evidence and report to. the council. — Cr. Bradley seconded tha motion, and warmly supported the action taken by the mayo*\ If anything was wrong, it should be denounced in the .strongest terms. He thought the name of the iriaydr should be added to the committee.— The Mayor de.* clincd, as it might be thought h.Q was biassed. : — Cr. Peat said he c/wM explain the whole matter in a. fow minutes, but the Mayor said hg was out of order, and the motion was then put and carried unanimously. Thirf was all the business,

The; talloat Princess in the world is said to be the Crown Princess of Denmark. She is 6ffc2in hi^h. ' ' f 1 " Can's you manage to give my son- onei of the prizes at the examination. ?,' asked a mother of a' teacher. <4 ISfo, madam," was the reply ; " your son will stand no chance ; he qi^ina^ely persists in idleness." "Oh, hn| ti\en^" exclaimed the, foi\d mother, '• if thaja, sq, yo^i c>n gjve him a prize for perHevesran.ce, I" , , A TOReioneh, writing an account of his 1 ' travels ,in England, expatiated in eloquent terms on the High respect , shpwn there by young people to their parents. "A son, he alleged, in proof of his assertion, " aever names his father in the familiar terms comtaon to other countries, but is'car§itnl always to speak of him under the dfeotfi&F