HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

Waikato Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 2879, 25 December 1890, Page 2

HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL

An adjourned special meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council was held in the I Council Chambers on Tuesday evening, at 8 o'clock. There were present: Crs. Dey, Bell, Wood, Reid, Parr and Scott. Cr. Dey was voted to the chair. The Returning Officer reported that Mr Isaac Coates had been duly elected to the position of Mayor for the Borough of Hamilton. The Mayor-elect being in attendance, was introduced by Crs. Bell and Scott, and having signed the usual declaration, he was welcomed to the chair by tho chairman on this Ins third re-election. On taking his seat, Mr Coates said he thanked the burgesses heartily for electing him to the mayoral chair for the fourth time, and he hoped that they would have no cause to regret their action in so doing. He thought that when his time had expired one of the councillors should be chosen to till the office. He would say a few words with relation to the position of the Borough. The finances were in a much healthier state than a year bick, the great incubus in the shape of the overdraft having been removed. By this the interest was reduced to £02, whereas last year they paid in interest £114, so that there is a saving of £02 per year, or £1 per week, which amount is availahle for the roads and the streets of the borough. They were now saving in town clerk's salary and valuation roll another £50 per annum, and as far as he could see they were getting their work done quite as well, in fact he thought better, than under the old regime. They were also saving £23 8s in tho wages of tho foreman of works, without resulting in any loss He now came to the saleyards; the receipts for which have gradually increased during the year, so much so that the last few months they have averaged £1 per week. The total receipts for the year are £33 3s Gd, being S per cent on the cost, which, with extras, amounted to £400. Tho valuation of the borough remains much the same—the prosent year it stands at £Glo2—and he did not expect it could bo less during tho next year. Although he had shown that they had been saving money wherever they could, ho hoped that the Council would seo that it is to thair interest to nurse their resources ns mush as they could, as the Government subsidy, he thought, would soon be a thing of the past; in fact it has; been materially reduced already. During the year they had done a great deal wf good in bringing the Public Works Act into force, and although the resident ratepayers have done their portion in clearing their properties of gorse, etc., many absentees have done nothing, and it remained with the Council to say whit course they would take towards carrying out tho provisions of tho Act. Two courses wore open, to advance the money for the work and so make a charge upon the land, or to sue the owners or such of them as can bo found. During the year the (jovarnment had granted the borough as an endowment Lot s!)a containing 2 acres adjoining S. Peter's Church, which they would admit was a very valuable gift, as tho earth would be required at some future time for the land span of the bridge.—Cr. Parr replied briefly on behalf of the Council.