MAYOR BILLS COUNCIL FOR TWO DEAD HORSES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27576, 5 February 1955, Page 6

MAYOR BILLS COUNCIL FOR TWO DEAD HORSES

“The Press” Special Service

AUCKLAND, February 4. The Mayor of Birkenhead (Mr C. J. Utting) has asked his council to pay up for another horse killed on his property—the second in a few months —and the council has again disclaimed responsibility. The amount of the claims is now £6O. Like the first, the second horse, a few days ago, fell into one of the holes caused on Mr Utting’s property by Mokoia road stormwater, which the council pipes on to his land. The horses were owned by J. J. Craig, Ltd., which used them to pull sugar trucks from the Chelsea sugar

works. Mr Utting grazes the team bv contract. When the first animal died, Mr Utting got a bill for £2O. This was sent on to his council, with a claim for £25 as well for expenses. Now Mr Utting has received a £l5 bill for the second horse. This, too, has been passed on to the council. i t x£ he council meeting, Mr Utting left the chair when the claims were discussed. He said later that the old council, of which he was not a memoer, accepted liability for possible damage to stock caused by stormwater, and when the matter was referred to Cr. R. y. Shepherd, the chairman of the works committee, he concurred in this and said the council had gone back on its word. The Town Clerk (Mr A. G. Strahan) denies that the council accented responsibility. «.? r ' Shepherd asked the council to ffil in the remaining holes and fence them on, but the council declined in case its action was taken to mean that it accepted responsibility. “I have another paddock with tons of feed I can put them in, but the fences were broken down when the i\- ar^?. morlal par . k was laid out,” said Mr Utting. will have to repair the ’ences at my own expense and put the horses there for safety.”