BALCLUTHA BOROUGH COUNCIL

Clutha Leader, Volume XVI, Issue 832, 27 June 1890, Page 5

BALCLUTHA BOROUGH COUNCIL

The ordinary meeting of the council was hold in Tuesday evening. There were present — Messrs Thomson (mayor), TUmage, M { Oorley, Bremner, Hutchins, Wright, Bell, Wilkins, Mason, and Wilson. E. R. Ussher, public works office, wrote that the Government lease of the road to the quarry, at the head of the embankment through Mr Harvey's property, had expired and that according to the conditions the Government waa bound to remove the rails, fencing, etc. The department wished the advice of the council on the matter.' Mr Ramage thought a deputation from the council should wait on Mr Harvey and strongly urge on him the necessity of renewing the lease. The Mayor said from what he had heard he doubted very much whether Mr Harvey was inclined to renew the lease. On the motion of Mr Ramage, seconded by Mr Wilkins, the mayor and Messrs M'Corley and Ramage were appointed to interview Mr Harvey on- the subject. K. Wylie wrote asking the council to plant willows in the gap between the traffic bridge and his property, and urging council to make lip the crossings over the embankment which were in one or two | places worn very low. Mr Mason thought these crossings were getting two low, and suggested that a few loads of clay be laid beside each for use jn case of emergency. Matter left in hands of works committee. John Finn wrote asking for a progress payment of L 8 on his contract for lighting the street lamps.— Granted, as also was a similar request from John Walls. Other accounts amounting to L 29 odd were also passed for payment. The Mayor, on behalf of the lighting committee, reported having given effect to instructions received at last meeting, and complied with a requisition to erect a lamp ab the corner of Argyle and Clyde streets. The committee also recommended the ere&tiou of a new lamp at the"corner of Elizabeth and James streets, and reported that several places where trees were hanging over the streets interforinj, with lights, &c. they had had them removed. — The report was adopted, and a new lamp ordered to be erected as above. The Mayor, reporting on behalf of the works committee, recommended that a few loads of gravel be laid in different streets where they were getting low in the middle and cut up ; also that a 4in pipe belaid off Stuart stroot into Barr street. The committee had also got the bridge at the steamer landing repaired. — Report adopted and approved of. Mr Ramage asked by whoso authority the street lamps on the flat were now put out at 10 o'clock. Eleven o'clock waa the hour last year, and he was not aware of any alteration having been nv-ide. The Mayor said it was understood to be 11 o'clock, with which several other councillors agreed. The town clerk said ho undci'stood it wan 10 o'clock last year, find had put that hour in the conditions for this year. If 11 o'clock was the hour last year the mistake was his. Mr Ramage said he had several times noticed a lot of horses in the plantation at the back of the town. After going to the trouble and expense of buying the land and planting thu trees, etc., they should bo protected. —The Mayor said he would attend to the matter. On the suggestion of the Mayor, who said it interfered considerably with the traffl t of the street, and on the motion of Mr J. Ramage, it was agreed to remove the tree and protective fence at the end of Elizabeth street next Renfrew street,, and to sell them if possible, it being understood there wa3 a probability of doing so. Mr Ramage asked if the lease of the athenceum properties had not been drawn out. v The Mayor said there had been somo difficulty in the matter, but he thought they should be ready now. Mr Ramage said he asked the question because he wanted to know how the library funds stood. Mr Hutchins said complaints had been made to him about the way in which the library was kept. Mr Ramago said he would not like to express himself in too s'rong language, but the library was certainly not kept as it ought to be. He had some time ago tried to get a special committee appointed to look after it, but was met with the reply that the whole council was the committee. However, nothing had been done, and though over 12 months ago instructions had been given to get a registerbook it had not been got yet. The Mayor said he thought something should be done in the direction of appointing a special committee to look after it. The revenue.. in the past had only bean some L2o ,'a-year, and they had been J paying the caretaker Lls a-year and some Lls 15s for 1 Homo magazines, etc. Now that thby'had the rents coming in, however ,vthere would bo a credit balance of LlO /or'LlS a-year. He thought if they even, spent LlO a^year on new books it | would be a great. improvement. He was | in favour of a committee, or say three from the council and two outsiders, or four and three, to look after the matter. He thought the council as a body were not the proper persons to see to it, for he did not think the majority of them took much interest in it ; at least that was so as regards himself. Mr Wilson said the mayor had just taken the words "out of his month, and he had great pleasure in emphasizing all that he had said. Ho thought they should stretch a point and get L2O worth of books the first year, seeing the state the library was in. In other places the people made strong efforts to assist the library, and he was sure they would not bo behind in Balclutha if appealed to. As a committee from the council he would propose Messrs Hutchins, Ramage, Bremner, and the mover ; the mayor to be a member ex offi.olo. This was seconded by Mr Mason, and carried. Mr Wilson then proposed that Rev. Mr Currie.and Messrs Gow and Turnbull be also members of committee. Mr'Beirs'econded this. Mr Hutchins thought a few outsiders would popularise., the library. .Mr Mason had all respect for the names.

mentioned, but thought the council should not let the matter out of their own hands. The public did not do much towards the library when they had the chance. Messrs Ramage and Wright agreed with the view ; the former saying the public had handed the matter over to the council, and he thought the council should not have a committee outside of itself. After some further discussion the motion was lost, only Messrs Wilson, Bell, and the mayor voting for it and all tho others against it. Mr Mason gave notice of his intention to move in the direction of striking a rate at next meeting.