ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXI, Issue 7932, 14 December 1909, Page 4

ASHBURTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING

The fortnightly meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council was held last evening. Present: His Worship, the Mayor, Mr H. Davis (in the chair), and Councillors J. Davisou, D. Wood, W. S G. Hillier, M. J. Burgess, P.. Stewart, o C. W. Nicoll, A. A. Qrr and T. F. Gib- J son. An apology {or absence was put in a for Or Clark. v FINANCE. D The Mayor reported a debtor balance i at the bank of £561 15s 2d, and a. revenue since last meeting of £564 16s 3d, ] the chief items of which were: Rates f (1909) £255 17s 10d, waterworks loan , t refund £180 16s lid, sanitation fees £42, rents of, reserves'32Bo 7s, Domain account £17 "ss, lighting streets refund £9 7s 6d, sale of wood from plantation £6 8s and fees and fines under by-laws £6. The Ashburton County Council notified that it had paid a sum of £25 108 8d for re-insuring • the traffic bridge; and. the Borough Council was asked :to remit its share, £3 18s 9d.—Amo.unt passed for payment. The Paymaster-General notified that a sum of 10s, representing. fees, fines, and penalties collected during the quarter ended September 30 by means of .stamps in the Magistrate's Court had been -aid to the Council's credit at the bank.—Received. The District Traffic Manager for the New Zealand Railways wrot«, stftting that the Council might have the use of available ground, not to exceed half an acre, in the railway yard, Ashburton, for stacking pipes for a period of 6 months at a charge of £10. Or Nicoll said they wanted the ground and even by paying £10 they would save a large amount in carting. He presumed that the figure mentioned was the minimum that would be. accepted and that there would be little use in continuing correspondence on the matter. On the motion of Cr Stewart the offer was accepted. WATER SUPPLY SCHEME. Mr T. B. Williams, engineer for the waterworks, forwarded copies of plans and specifications, together with copies of the advertisements, which are to appear in the Ashburton, Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland and Dunedin papers. The Town Clerk laid the plans and specifications on the table. OVERDRAFT. The manager of the Bank of New Zealand wrote granting the Council an overdraft limit of £4000.—Received. INSPECTION OF STEAM ;ENGINE. Major Dolman, engineer for the Fire Brigade, notified that the Government Inspector bF Machinery would inspect the boiler of the steam fire engine on December 20, on which' date it would also be convenient to fix the new Indiarubber valves and leather washers to the main, pump of the engine, lately imported from England.—On the motion of Cr Stewart, it was decided to have the washers and valves attended to at the time of the inspection. r""" J ~ SEPTIC TANKS. Mr D. Friedlander applied for permission to have a septic tank put in on his property in Tancred street, held under Glasgow lease from the Council. The Mayor said that while he-was a believer m septic tanks it must be borne in mind that Dr Finch was very much onposed to them, and the Council had already refused two similar applications to Mr Friedlander. It was for members to,say whether they were going to continue refusing,those requests. Cr Stewart pointed out that the circumstances in this case were different to those in the cases 'previously considered. The tank asked for in this case was a small one while the others were intended to be large tanks, vOn the motion of Cr Davison, seconded by Or Orr, it was decided to refer the whole matter concerning septic tanks to the Sanitary Committee to bring up a report at the next meeting. A CIVIC RECEPTION. . Miss McKay, the officer in charge of the Salvation Army work at Ashburton, wrote Suggesting that a civic reception be ■given.- to Commissioner and Mrs Hay; officers, in command of Salvation Army- work in Australia and New Zealand, when they visited Ashburton piv Jan. 26.

It was decided to accede to the "rel-' quest.

EPORTS

The Reserves Committee reported that after conferring' with Mr Segers and obtaining advice from the 1 borough solicitor, it had considered Mr Segers's application for compensation for certain improvements that ho desired to make to the premises leased by him from the Council, which he estimated would cost him from £250 to £300, and as the improvements would become the property of the Council at the end of the lease the committee recommended that compensation not exceeding £150 at the maximum be allowed to Mr Segers by the borough for such improvements up to one half of the amount expended by him, and that; such compensation be allowed by a reduction of rent for the remaining term of his lease, namely—l 4 years, such.

amount of reduction to be arrived at by actuarial calculations so that the amount of the reduction of rent per annum will, at compound interest, amount to the sum of compensation allowed when the leaso expires. This course was advised by the Council's solicitor and if adopted must be carried out by passing a special order. Mr Segers had expressed his agreement to the committee's recommendation, and had also consented to pay all legal costs and expenses incurred in passing such special order.

Cr Davison in moving the adoption of the report said the committee had gone very carefully into the points involved. The motion having been seconded, the report was adopted. The Finance and Water-supply Committees reported that the loan moneys (£14,625) Laving been handed over by the Bank of -New ■ Zealand,- the sum of £8000, in four sums—one of £5000 and three of £1000 each—had been placed on deposit for six months at 2 per cent, and £3000, in three sums of £1000 each, for 12 months at 3J per cent per annum. The balance of, the loan had been placed to the credit of the current account of the waterworks loan.—Adopted. The Domain and Works Committee reported that it had conferred with the representatives of the Ashburton Swimming Club on the subject" of the erection of a swimming bath for Ashburton, and after discussing the question at some length, it was decided to leave the matter in the hands of those interested to place some definite proposal before the Council.—Adopted. The Town Clerk reported that no cases of infectious diseases had been brought under his notice as having occurred within t.he borough since last meeting. Permits for buildings not exceeding £1500 in value, to be erected in the outer area, had been granted.— Adopted.

The sanitary inspector reported favourably on the sanitary condition of tho town. It was stated that G. Crooks had been driving Thomas Crooks's express without having- a driver's license. Forty notices had, been issued to ratepayers to eradicate docks, etc. It was resolved to give G. Crooks forty-eight hours in which to take out a license, and the report was adopted. The foreman of works reported in detail on the work done during the month, which had been of a miscellaneous character. He complained that newly-formed channelling . had been damaged by boys running "up-and down in it before the concrete had sot. It was decided, on the motion of Cr Davison, seconded by Or Stewart, to offer a reward of £3 3s to anyone giving information which would lead to tho conviction of the offenders. MISCELLANEOUS. The next meeting of the Council was fixed for January 10th, and the Finance Committee was authorised to pay all wages due. The ordinary holidays were granted to the statf.

The Mayor said he had good reason to believe that the Postal Department would consent to the erection of pillarboxes on the west side of the railway lino.

The question of whore the pillar-' boxes should bo erected was referred to a committee consisting of Councillors Stewart Davison and Nicoll. The chairman of tho Works Committee reported that he had purchased a! quantity of chaff at £2 2s 6d per ton. j That offered by the National Mortgage |

and Agenoy Company *r»i not, h© tuid, worth having. Amidst laughter, Cr Gibson movad that the action of Cr Stewart be approved. The motion was carried. THE SUMMER SCHOOL.

The secretary of the Ashburton Sports Association forwarded a copy of a letter from the Presbyterian Young Men's Bible Class Conference executive asking permission; to hold a sports meeting in the Domain, oval on the afternoon of January 1, 1910. • In connection with the application, Messrs W. . Eraser and 1. !VV. Watt waited on the Council. It was pointed out .by v-tne former that, the scheme ,'AVas not a money-making one, and all that (ras desired was to assist sport, which waa, at a very low ebb in Ashburton,; ancl^or ourse, to take sufficient money 1? to meet all liabilities. ■•: j Mr Watt explained the cosmopolitan character of th<9 conference and £ts main object*. . , ... ! The deputation having withdrawn. Or Davison said he thought they should deal much more leniently with' ;I;he Summer School than with picnio; parties. The visitors would be here for a week, and would do a great dealjof good in th© town. He thought that a fee of £2 2s for the pavilion would jbe quite sufficient, and personally \ae would- favour granting it free. i Or Hillier thought that the movement was deserving of support, and that in the present case the oval should be granted free. . ; The Town Clerk stated ' that .the usual fee was £4 4s, with boiling water free. ' ■ ' It was decided to charge £2 2s. -.'■■; ' ■ LICENSES. • ■ Licenses were granted as follows: Auctioneers—D. Friedlander, D * V'-.M.-Thomas, R, F. Cußis, H. A. Lloyd, W. C. Smith, H. S. Lawrence, H. Stephenson, W. M. Matson and Samuel: ;S, Choat. Fish hawkers—F. L, Knowles. ACCOUNTS. ' ) Accounts amounting to £239 16s ipd were passed for payment, and the same gentlemen then sat as a ■' DOMAIN BOARD. | The- Sports Association wrote,' enclosing a request for permission to erect a volleying board on the Ashburton Tennis Club'a-. pavilion.—Left in-the hands of the Domain Committee, wtfh power to act; I The Curator, Mr Readhead, reported on the work done during the pa>t fortnight. Mr Davison reported that about -&12 &r £15 would be required to put >: the cycle track in the oval in repair. The Town Clerk was instructed to get quotations for tar frohi the gas companies. Sitting as a CEMETERY BOARD, the Mayor reported a credit balance at the Dank of £364 12s, and reoeipts since last meeting amounting to £6 16s 3d. ! Accounts amounting to £19 0a ■7d were passed for payment, and the meeting closed. : Before the members of the Council separated, the Mayor wished every councillor a "Merry Christmas and a happy New Year," and expressed the hope that when the Council reassembled any feeling arising out of debate would be quite forgotten. Cr Davison acknowledged the Mayor's good wishes, on behalf of the other councillors and himself;