CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 2795, 12 June 1890, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL

A special meeting of the above body was held on Tuesday, at 5.30 p.m., for the purpose of adopting thß balance-sheet, which had been returned, duly certified as correct, by the Auditor-General. There were present : The Mayor (J. H. Priestley, Esq.,) Crs. Hally, Webber, Fawcett, Boyce and Ferguson. The required resolution havjng been passed, the ordiuary monthly meeting of the Council was held, the same members being present and also. Cr. Bond. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and 3onfirmed. .. _ Thk Salvation Army.—The Mayor askea if the Salvation Army had ceased to obstruct the narrow streets as requested.—Cr. Webber said he thought they had, and now turned their attention in another direction, viz., praying for the councillors. Thk Mail Sbuviok.—The Mayor had received the following letter from Mr Biss, the chief postmaster of Auckland, under date 3rd June Your letters with reference to the mail service between Hamilton and Cambridge were handed to me by Mr Grubb on iny return, and I have since enquired carefully into the whole question. I find that under the arrangements made with tho present contractor, Mr Kelly, it was agreed that he should carry out a thnce weekly service by spring van drawn by one horse for the sum of £- r >2 per annum. As you are aware this arrangement was made to replace the service previously carried out by railway velocipede, and the department did not feel justified in arrangingfor a more expensive service under existing circumstances. I will endeavour to shorten the timetable so that the mails may arrive rather earlier, but I am of opinion the early arrival you desire cannot be secured without a much larger expenditure. Adverting to that portion of your letter in which you refer to "my assurance that any alteration should not place you in a worse position," I beg to point out that my statement applied to tho frequency of the service—i.e., that you would still have a daily service by which mails would be received despatched daily, as before. It must, I think, be evident to you that a service by a wheeled conveyance by road could not convey the mails in tho same time as the velocipede travelling on the railway track, and over a shorter distance. I trust when the new contracts are let at the beginning of next year that the time-table will be more in your favour." —The Mayor said he supposed they must be thankful for small mercies; if they could not get a whole loaf they must be content with half. Native Rates.-The Cook County Council wrote, urging the advisability of native lands being brought under the operation of the ordinary Rating Act, as the local bodies do not now receive rates from Crown and Native Lands. —Cr. Hally said it did not affect Cambridge ;to any

extent.—Letter received. = ; Bukgess Roll. —Mr Geo. Kelly wrote, asking to have his name inserted on the burgess roll, as owner of part lot 290, in place of that of Mr J. S. Bond. Mr Bond also wrote, consenting to the alteration. — The amendment was ordered to be made, as (Ijhaiiitable Aid.—An account for £30 3s (id was received from the Hospital and Charitable Aid Hoard.—Cr. Hally said it was less than last year. Finance.—Overdraft on 15th May, £028 15s; accounts paid during month, £39 9s llrl ; amount lodged during month, £18 4s ; present overdraft, £547 Os lid ; accounts to pass, £28 5s 6d; overdraft when accounts are paid, £575 6s sd. Legal limit of overdraft, £091 3s 2d. Works.—The Works Committee reported that during the month the surfaceman had been employed 28 days. 528 yards of gravel had been placed upon the streets. The total cost of carting was £19 lGs. The improvement to Prince's-street had been completed at a cost of 50s; the necessary gravelling will b6 proceeded with at an early date. The committee call the attention of tlio Council to the defective drainage in Duke-street; in rains some of the properties near the Criterion Hotel are quite flooded over the footpath. The committee recommend that a new (i-inch pipe be laid from the sumph near to the hotel, over to the large sumph at the corner of Duke-street West and Victoriantreet, distant about 80 yards.—Cr. Hally said no doubt the drain was necessary, but in the present state of the finance they would have to be careful what work they 1 undertook. Mr Hewitt was a large rata--1 payer and deserved consideration.—Cr. 1 Webber said that during heavy rains Mr ' Hewitt's cellar was flooded. —After con-

siderable discussion the matter was adjourned for a month for the to soo what it would cost. The report, with this exception, was adopted. Lights.—Constable Brennan forwarded a list of individuals who had broken the by-laws by driving vehicles through the borough at night, without having lights attached.—The Mayor said if individuals were to cheerfully acquiese in carrying out the by-laws, he thought the latter should be reasonable. He did not think it reasonable to compel people to carry lights on a moonlight night. In the town in which he had lived in England the lamps were not lit for four nights before and two after the full moon, and he did not think it necessary in New Zealand.—The Clerk said the whole of the individuals, whose names had been forwarded by the constable, pleaded ignorance of the by-law. It was resolved not to take proceedings

against them in this instance, but to in future carry out the by-law. Notice oi' 1 Motion.—The Mayor Rave notice that he would, at the next meeting, move that the by-law regarding lights upon vehicles be amended. The Clerk.—On the motion of Cr. Hally it was unanimously resolved to raine the Clerk's salary to £-"»0, it being an advance of £10. He explained that last year, when the Council were in extremis with an illegal overdraft, the Clerk had consented to a reduction of £20, so the present increase was not a rise, and now there was more work to be done. Estuiatks. —An estimate of the receipts and expenditure for tho ensuing year was | approved and ordered to bo published. The receipts were estimated to be £017, and the expenditure £20 less, which, if correct, will reduco the overdraft to that amount. The Rate. —It was resolved to take the necessary steps to strike a rate of Is in the £ for tho year 1890-1. Ahhkahs.— All defaulters who are two years in arrears of rents are to be sued as soon as tbe mortgagees had been communicated with. —Notices were ordered to be served upon all those who had not eradicated the furze growing on the streets adjoining their properties. Accounts.—The following accounts wero passed for payment: H. Preece, £5 liis ; Jas. Meredith, £20 0s lid ; Jas. McComish, £2 10s. This was all tho business.