HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 2989, 10 September 1891, Page 2

HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

THE usual urmthlv Mini" nig of the above Council was held in the ' mrtril Cli-iuibi-i - on Tuesday evening. There were present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr Isaac Coates), Crs. lJey, Slade, Tippin, Jones. Parr, mid Reid. Endowments.—Tho Mayor ivad :i te'ograin received fruin the Hon. .lolm Bryce, stating that Lots 43, 4 t and 4• > had been granted tho borough.— It was resolved to uiilise the lots in the meantime for grazing purposes. Band Instruments.—lt, was re-olved to accept Mr Geo. S. Pearson n~< r.iusteo for I,ho band instruments in place of Mr Sdmltze, who hail left tin- t own. Gravel Contract.—Mr T. .rimes, the contractor for supplying Ihe Council with travel, wrote, enclosing an account for £!) ]« 3d, being amount claimed for 150 yards of gravel used oil the Clarence-street form.ilion, Mr Jones held that as contractor he tiad to supply the crave! needed by the Council, and if other persons supplied it_he had the right to charge as if lie had supplied it, —Cr. Jones left his seat during the discussion.—Cr. Parr asked that the specifications be read, lie said the contractor would lose money when the gravel was oarted to a longdistance, and ho considered the contractor had been very unfairly treated over this. The material that had been used on Clarenco-street was good, and answered as woll as gravel, and he thought that in all fairness to the contractor for gravel ha should have been allowed to do this work. He had the interests of the borough at heart, and was speaking for himself, not for Mr Jones.—Cr. Raid said he could not Bee how the contractor had been badly treated, as the tender was for gravel, not sand. —After further discussion, on the motion of tho Mayor the letter was received. —Cr. .Tones now resumed his seat. Repokts.—The Foreman of .Works' re-, port was received and adopted. The poundkeeper reported having impounded two horses and two cows since last meeting. The dog registrar reported that three dogs had been registered since last meeting. Hamilton East Baths. —In accordance with notice of motion given, the Mayor moved that the Hamilton East baths be put up for sale for removal. He said that since he had given the above notice lie had thought it would be better if tho baths were taken down and stored until the sheep pens wore about to be put up, when tho timber could be used in putting up the pens under the supervision of the l 1 oreman of Works.— Cr. Jones agreed with the Mayor, anil lie seconded the motion pro forma.—Cr. Tippin then moved as an amendment that the Hamilton East baths be taken up under the supervision of the Foreman of Works and stored tor future use.—This was seconded by Cr. Reid and carried. Names <>t' Streets.— In accordance with notice given, the Mayor moved the renaming of Grey-street and Cook-street, Hamilton West, to Bryce and Billancestreets, respectively. — Seconded by Cr. Stade and carried unanimously. Town Clerk's Salauy.— In accordance with notice given, Cr. Tippen moved that the Town Clerk's salary be fixed at £1.85 in olace of £1.10 per annum. Mr Barton left i lie chambers during the discussion. Cr, Tippiu said many peoplu imagined that the increase proposed was over and above that given to Mr (Jelling, but that was not so. When Mr Barton was appointed the salary was £1.10, and since then several new dutips had been added, and it was his opinion that the Council could bo made to pay for them. It was due to Mr Barton's energy that the rates wore collected, and soma £20 had been saved tho Council in audit fees. He was quite aware that people could he got to do it for less, but they had soen the foolishness of this, when so many defalcations hud taken place in some boroughs, and Mr Barton found security for £700, which was as good as could be got in New Zealand. —Cr. Dev agreed with Cr. Tippin'.s remarks.—Cr. Parr said, seeing that three councillors were about to retire, he thought it wise to adjourn the debate till the new Council met. If tho burgesses sympathised with the movement they would return those men who were in favour of it, and he would move that the matter uo deferred.—Cr. Jones, as one of the retiring councillors, would second the amendment pro forma. He had no doubt about. Mr Barton's capabilities, but he said ho did not think tho finances of tho Borough warranted the rise of salary. If the finances were stronger, lie would be the last to opposo it. However, he would not vote on tho question.—The Mayor said he was rather behind the scenes, and the auditor told him that Mr Barton's accounts wore really a pleasure to audit, and that they were the best kept in the district. The valuations spoke for themselves. They had been increased some £200 and there had not been a single ol.ijoction.-Cr. Parr said no one was mora desirous of paying a proper remuneration than lie was. In Cambridge the Town Clerk worked two days a week, and received £00 per annum, and he was of opinion that the work of this Council could be done in perhaps the same time. The finances were low, and the streets wore in a delapidated condition. —Or. Tippin said that in addition to tho £00 paid to tho Cambridge Town Clerk, he was paid so much per cent for collecting rates. They had tried in Hamilton before to have the office open only three times a week, but it did not work, As one of the retiring councillors, he was willing to stand and face the question, even if his election rested upon it, and he thought Cr. Jones should vote one way or the other.— The amendment was then put and lost, only Or. Parr votiug for it.—The motion was then put, when there voted for it the Mayor, Crs. Dey, Tippin, Reid and Slado. A-gainst: Crs. Jones and Parr. — The motion making the salary £135 was therefore carried. This was all the business.