ORDINARY MEETING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8796, 17 February 1914, Page 7

ORDINARY MEETING.

An .ordinary meeting of the Ashburton Borough Council was held last evening. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr H. Davis) and Crs P. Stewart, F. Z. D. Ferriman, J. B. Christian, P. L. Oh;,.■(*•. H. Buchanan, H., A. Lloyd, G. D. H. Hefford, and J. Davison. An apology for absence was I received froni Cr J. T. M. Priest. j The Mayor reported that there was a debit balance to the Temporary Loans | Account of £3300 and a debit at the Bank of New Zealand of; £1598 19s 3d, making an actual overdraft of £4898 19s 3d. Amounts received since last meeting had aggregated .£IOO ss, the principal items being": -—Rates, £36 18s 9d; extension water supplies, £13 14s; rents, £11 15s; rubbish and sanitary fees, £8 2s 3d; fees, and fines under by-laws, £8; bridges and culverts, £6 6s. » Correspondence.

The Ashburton County Council wrote informing the Council that its share of money due on account of the alteration to the Ashburton Traffic Bridge amounted to £35 Is 9d. —The account was passed for payment. Mr William Hircomb wrote asking that the other side of the footpath in front of his property in Cameron Street be channelled.—The letter was referred to the Works Committee to report on at- next meeting. Mr J. M. Wilkie protested by letter against having to pay rates on the pond in front of his residence. No mention, the letter stated, had been ■made of rates when he had tendered for the lease.—The Mayor said the valuer could not see his way clear to alter the valuation. He thought the rates charged were fair. The rental was very cheap, being £1 per year for seven years.—lt was decided not to take any action.

Messrs Booth, Macdonald and Co. wrote asking how the Council's stonecrusher was working now. —Cr Davison said that their machine had never been a success since the time it had been purchased, though it was practically what they had asked for. It was all right in itself, but was weak. It now needed repairing. A letter was received from Messrs Marriner Bros, and Co., of Christchurch, .stating that for the Council's .offer of £12 10s for the pictorial guide, about 12 pages, six or seven illustrations and 250 copies;of the guide, would be allowed. Matter and views were required at once. —Cr Christian referred to the drawing up of the reading matter. That should, he said, be put in the hands of the most capable people procurable. They should write whatever they wished about the town and district and then ask the printers to put it in, whether it filled five pages or 15.: If they could not do that they should withdraw altogether.—The Mayor said that the matter should be about the Borough only, as the Council would be the only contributor to ? the expense.—Cr. .Christian said he did not think they should assume a dog-in-the-manger attitude at all. Fishing was the greatest attraction here. Hundreds visited the County rirrrs, and if they were better known many more, would come. The town benefited as the visitors passed through.—On the Mayor's motion Crs, Christian, Ferriman arid Buchanan were appointed a sub-committee to deal with the readi)ig matter for .the guide.— : ln answer to Cr Davison, the Mayor said that the sub-committee would have power to obtain views.—Cr Davison suggested that the local photographers bo interviewed withy a view to securing.; the best views at the most reasonable cost. The secretary of . the Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade wrote notifying the Council of the appointment of officers for the Brigade.—Received and approved of. The Asliburton Volunteer Fire Brigade's balance-sheet, as certified to by the Town Clerk, was adopted. Reports. The By-LaH's Committee recommended that no immediate action be taken with regard to the taxi-cab drivers' request for amendment of the by-law so that no person shall obtain a hackney carriage driver's license unless he shall : have resided for at least one month within a radius of five miles of the Post Office within the Borough. —Cr Buchanan said the matter of licenses for taxi-cabs had been fully considered and it had been found that only one license had been granted here; therefore they recommended that no action be taken. —'Cr Christian said ihat the small number of applications was due to the fact that it had got abroad that the Ashburton Council would not grant any licenses. He would oppose the adoption of the report.—The. Mayor stated that the Council had only had one such application in three years.— Cr .Davison said that as they had only had one application in three-years it was hardly worth the cost of framing a by-law.—Cr Orr stated that- the cost of the license was evidently sufficient to prevent outside taxi-cab owners coming here. The only license that had been granted was the result of an accident, the man who had taken it out having had to stay in Ashburton.—Cr Hefford said he would oppose the adoption of the report, as the day would come when there .would be a large influx of taxi-cabs on important days.— Cr Lloyd expressed his intention' of voting for the motion after hearing the information given by the Mayor. There did not now seem to be any need to protect the local people.—Cr Buchanan said the Council had power to refuse licenses when applied for, and the applications would'have to come before a meeting of the Council, when he did not think there would be any danger of licenses being granted to outsiders.—The recommendation was then adopted. [The' report of the. Works Commit•tee, and the discussion thereon, is reported, in another column.] i

The Foreman of "Works reported on general work to roads and footpaths, channelling, cutting docks and other noxious weeds and cutting and stacking hay. A new two-stalled stable would be reqiiired for the extra horses before the winter set in:-—The report was adopted. „:•■:■• - The Inspector of Ntiisances reported on various matters. He had caught two I'men and a woman riding bicycles on the footpath.—lt was agreed to prosecute the offending cyclists, and the I report was adopted. Miscellaneous. In answer to Cr Orr, the Mayor said that nothing more had been heard of the person who nad one time commenced the numbering of the houses in Ashburton, and the Town Clerk was instructed to write his address again. Cr Christian referred to the unkempt appearance of some of the reserves in town. Many of them were very ragged and he suggested that they be planted with trees. —Cr Ferriman agreed with

Cr Christian. He thought that if the reserves were planted as they should be the Council would probably benefit by the trees in time to come.— Ine matter was referred to the llesoiwes CommitCr Christian referred to the speed at which motor cars travelled up and down East Street. He stated that there/was a by-law compelling riders of motor cycles to use mufflers on thenmachines. The matron of a private hospital in Ashburton had told him that the patients in the hospital and the staff suffered great inconvenience from the noise made by motor bicycles. Some of the streets were used as a testing course for these cycles.— i lie Mayor said that he would endavour to have the by-law enforced. 'He would see the police and the, Foreman and endeavour to have everyone prosecuted who offended in this direction. A waterworks, plumbers license was granted A. Gates. ; The Mayor moved that the resolution that Mr J. B. Christian-be _ refused permission to withdraw application for Glasgow lease of T.S. 1261 be rescinded. He considered that the Council was doing Cr Christian an injustice by not granting him permission to withdraw the application.—(At this Cr Christian withdrew) —Cr Buchanan_opposed the motion. It was, he said, a matter of principle, not personality! When a man had entered into a tract he should abide by it. Cr Chnstion had said he never entered mto a contract, but the Borough Council's solicitor said he had. Cr Christian had changed his plan; but that, was more his own concern.—Cr Hefford spoke against the rescision of the ! resoltitiou,—Cr Davison disagreed with Cr Buchanan. No matter what business anyone went into, he said, there was always "a change of them needing an alteration of agreement.—Cr Perriman thought the man concerned should take the initiative and state to the Council what he wfas ore pared to give to be relieved of the lpnse.—The Mayor pointed out that Cr Christian had paid £10 rent on the reserve. Ho felt it was OTily fair^and right to allow Cr Christian to retract.—The matter was left in the h^-nds.-of the Reserves Commit+f>f> to discuss the. position with Cr Christian. Accounts n-pinrmtine: to £203 19s 4d were passed for payment.