CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2354, 11 August 1887, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The above council met at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. Present: The Mayor (Mr Gwynneth), Crs. H. Gillett, J. Hally and T. B. Lewis. The minutes having been confirmed the following letters were read : From Mr G. S. Cooper, Colonial Secretary’s office, Wellington, under date of 2Gth July;—“l have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, asking for an opinion of the Crown Solicitor as to which of the members of the Borough Council, of Cambridge, should go out of office next September, and, in reply, I am directed by the Colonial Secretary to inform you that he is not prepared to supply the opinion asked for, as the question is one upon which the borough council should consult their own legal adviser.” Received. The Dispute Between the County and Borough Councils. —From J. E. Fitzgerald Esq., Auditor General, to the Mayor, dated Star Hotel, Auckland, July 19th, saying the County Council of Waikato had applied to him to arbitrate between them and the Cambridge Borough Council, under the provisions of the counties and Municipal Corporations Acts, in respect of the assets and liabilities on the separation of the Borough from the County. He appointed the following Monday as the day, and Hamilton as the place, for the examination of the books etc., and requested his Worship to attend with all necessary papers and information. —The Mayor also read a series of telegrams that he had received from Air Fitzgerald, which resulted in Major Tisdall being deputed to examine the books, etc., in consequence of Air Fitzgerald being unwell. The inquiry was appointed to bo hold at Hamilton on Tuesday, 2Gth July. The Alayor said he attended at the Hamilton Council Chambers at 11 a.m., as per arrangement, and found no one there, so he telegraphed to Air Fitzgerald to that effect, and received a telegram that the meeting was at 2 p.m. He afterwards found that Alajor Tisdall had been there, but that he had gone to Captain AlcPherson’s at Kirikiriroa. At 2 p.m. Captain AlcPherson, clerk of the Waikato Council, Air Primrose, chairman of the council, and Alajor Tisdal arrived. From the way in which Alajor Tisdall expressed himself, it was evident that the books had been examined and the whole of the business discussed, and he had no doubt that the verdict, so far as Alajor Tisdall was concerned, would be in favour of the CountyCouncil. Feeling this, he had forwarded the following protest Cambridge, AVaikato, 27th July, 1887. Alajor Tisdall, Sin, —Referring to the inquiry held by you yesterday into the accounts of the AVaikato Council and the Cambridge North Town District Riding, and to your remaiks thereat, to the effect that the books of accounts between the separate ridings having been produced to you by the Waikato County Council, you would take it for granted that they were regularly kept, and correctly showed the accounts between the county and the ridings, and that the council had a right, according to law, to allocate their expenditure to any riding as they may see fit; and that it appeared to you from the books that they had allocated _ the several .sums therein charged to the Cambridge North Town District Riding, notwithstanding that I had pointed out to you

tli;it tin.; hook (mi page llfl, 1 think> in which the entries were mMe of the ''■p-calleri ---parate .iccuots far the rilling since 18*3 t„ Is-sr, j s all written on one page in on- handwriting, apparently at one time with the same pmi ami tin* same ink, which app-irs tn have been a blue lilack ink, ami t-■ have been written in, ■*" recently, that the ink has not had time to turn black vet, but .-till retains the hlneish tinge. Ami iiMwithstanding that the chairman of (he Waikato County Council admitted P, yon in reply to a question from me, that im solutions had ever been passed by the Waikato County Council, allocating them sums to the Cambridge \i Till Tow n I district Hiding, nor had any resolution been passed by them approving of the accounts as shewn in the hook produced to you. also that those hooks had never been submitted tu the auditor or approved of by him, yet yon seem to have determined to accept them .all as bona tide, and correct. I theiefore on behalf of the Cambridge Borough Council beg to enter my protest against any decision being arrived at (on such data) that may be adverse to the said council a« the successors to the liabilities of the Cambridge North Town District Hiding on the following grounds. Ist. That the riding accounts were not regularly kept, but have been compiled from the items of general accounts, and have the appearance of having been written up at one time from the year Inß3 to ]SMj u ith th“ one pen and the same ink at a very recent date. L’nd. That the charges therein made against the Cambridge North Town District Hiding were never allocated against that riding by any resolution of the Waikato County Council, and that, supposing the.v had the right to so allocate their debts against the riding, it must be done by a resolution of the council appearing on their minutes, ami that, as they have not done so, they cannot make such allocation by merely entering the figures in a book (as they have done), which is not even shown to the auditor. And I have to request that yon will kindly lay this protest before the Auditor General, along with your report.— I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,

(Signed) Jons Gwvnneth, Mayor. The Mayor continuing said the entries in the books had been made in a most extraordinary manner. There were several entries for ISSh, and then further on in the book would be another entry commencing 1883, and extending to ISB.I, and yet clearly written at one time. He drew Major Tisdall’s attention to the fact that be merely said “ what of that,” although he afterwards admitted that he had not noticed the 1883 entry. —The Chairman, Mr Primrose, said there were no minutes relating to the business.—The clerk, however, found one that was only entered last March. This showed the way in which the business had been done. No stone had been left unturned in the endeavour to make the Borough Council liable.—The protest of the Mayor was unanimously approved. Thf. PitixciI 1 vi. Poi.i.int, Place kor Waikato. —The Mayor having written to the Under-Secretary, saying that it was rumoured that the principal polling station for Waikato was to be at Hamilton, had received a reply stating that it would be at Cambridge as heretofore. The Uncompleted Contract.— From Air A. ,T. Forrest to the Mayor, dated July 18th “On the streets that I have undertaken to clear, plough, and harrow, the gorse is of a heavy character, and requires some tune to properly dry before burning, and the late wet weather is very unfavourable. On this account I beg to make, application to defer the ploughing and finishing of the work for a few weeks, say September, which is tile most favourable month to sow grass. The goisc and other scrub is already cut.” The Mayor said on receipt of the above letter be thought it bett or t ■ defer calling for tenders, as be was instructed to do at the last meeting of the council, until the matter bad been before them again. Mr Forrest had done a portion of the work, and he asked that it be taken in lieu of the deposit. The Clerk having made a statement on Mr Forrests behalf, it was decided to accede to bis request. The Camuridce Court.— The Minister of Justice wrote saying the duties of clerk to the Resident Magistrate’s Court would not be placed upon Constable Brennan, but would be performed by Mr Kirk who would visit Cambridge periodically. The Rate Roll.— From .Mr .T. L. Sautter, Auckland :— ‘‘ I will thank yon to -substitute Mr R. W. Dyer’s name fur mine on the rate roll, in respect of my house, which he now occupies.” Cr. Hally : It is for Mr Dyer to make the application : that merely shows that Mr Souttcr is willing.

The Tows- Endowment Leases.— From Mr U. \V. Dyer, solicitor : —“ I beg tiinform yon that only four lessees liave paid the costs of preparing leases, although accounts have been rendered for them, with, I think, only one exception. Please bring the matter under the notice of the council."—The Clerk ; Mr Keesing undertook to prepare the leases, and bo responsible for collecting the costs. He handed them <ner to Mr Dyer, who takes them the same terms.—Or. Hally: Has Mr Dyer the leases?— The Clerk: Yes.—Cr. Hally : I was afraid he had handed them over, and that we had made ourselves responsible.—Cr. (lillett: I think he only wants us to impress upon the lessees the necessity of their completing. He will look after tiie money.—The clerk undertook to warn those who had not completed to do so at once. The Borough Hoads.—Mr McMillan wrote, calling attention to the bad state of Crosvenor-street.—Cr. Gillett said it was a very bad bit of road, and ought to be done. —Referred to the Works Committee, with power to act. Mr Philip Cooper wrote a letter, and Cr. Gillett presented a numerously signed petition, both of which referred to the unsatisfactory state of the drainage at the junction of Alpha and Bryce-streets.— Referred to the Works Committee, with power to act. Mr Sargent, chairman of the School Committee, wrote, asking the council to have the footpath adjoining the school repaired.—The council decided to have it done. Tenders.— The following tenders were received for a wood water-table down the hill at the bottom of Duke-street:—Harry Lamb, Is 8d per foot, rimn: Hamlin and .Spong, 2s; P. Murphy, 3s 7Ad ; R. Morse, Is '.ld.—Mr Lamb’s tender was accepted. The Ranger. —Mr W. G. Collins was the only tenderer for the office of ranger, his price being £2G per annum. The Mayor: I don’t think wc get £2Gfor the privileges.—The Clerk: There are only 33 animals registered as yet. That only makes £l3 2s (id.—Cr. Gillett: We must keep the streets clear of cattle. —The Clerk: The ranger tells me many have promised to register their cows, but they have not the money at present.—The Mayor; He has the by-laws. He must -summon. It is an excuse for doing nothing. The Clerk: One or two examples will make them roll up. The New Council.— The Mayor moved, and Cr. Hally seconded, that the Town Clerk instruct the returning officer to take the necessary steps for the election of a new council of nine members. Carried. The next meeting was appointed to be held on September <ith. The following accounts were passed for payment, and the meeting terminated : •1- P. Thomson, £23 17s Id; C. Cr.rich, £l7 10s Od; R. .Morse, £23 4s; .1. S. Bond, £0 2s ; 1). Stewart, Soils; W. Bartlett, £3 Ss; Jas. Corcoran, £8; Murray and Spencer, £3 3s ; Government stationer, £3 4s; W. G. Collins, £2; H. Backhand, £1 12s; Houghton and Sons, £1 Is: T. Wells, £1 Os !)d ; W. K. Carter, 12s 7d; J. Ferguson, (is Gd.