MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 222, 12 June 1908, Page 10

MIRAMAR BOROUGH COUNCIL.

THE GATTI.E-STRAYINC NUISANCE. TIIO Miramar Borough Council mot last night. Thero wero present:—The Mayor (Mr. C. J. Crawford), and Councillors Boll,.Bradie, East, M'Lood, and Cooper. Tho Tramways and Electrical Engineer submitted a report relative, to an .accident on tho Seatoun line on June 7, caused through a horse belonging to a Mr. Hamilton, of Mirnmar, wandering on tho track. Tho car was, ho said, considerably delayed and suffered damage to the extent of £2. •A similar accident occurred on November 26 last, when a car was damaged to the extent of £5 through a horse, the property of Mr. Hamilton, wandering oil tho track after dark. Tho motormen-on the Miramar and Seatoun lines were continually complaining of the number of horses and cows roaming on the tracks. Ho pointed out the necessity of taking up the matter of cattle-wandering, as a serious accident might occur through a derailment, as a result of a collision with an animal. R. H. Huntingdon wrote complaining of the number of stray cattlo ill the vicinity of Seatoun Heights. Eventually' it was agreed to leave the mattor in the hands of the Town Clerk.

ESTIMATES, 1908-9. Proposed Expenditure.—Administration expenses (schedule A), £660; roadmen's wages and supply of material for road works (schedule B), £2218; repayment of advance from Loan Account, £220; interest on special loans No. 1, 138, interest on tramways within City, 475,_ £613;' Sinking Fund i>ayments, £350; lighting, £400; sanitation, £340; charitable aid contribution, £226; total, £5027.' . Estimated Receipts.—Government suhsidy oil rates, £187; rents and royalties, £50; license fees, £90; total, £327. Balauco proposed to bo met by a general rate of ljd. in the £ on £645,000 being the total unimproved rating valuo of the property on tho valuation roll for ,the borough, £4700; total, £5027. , . Schedule " A."—Administration Expenses. —Salaries, £300, estimate for 1908-9, £275, actual 1907-8; office rent, £46 (£46); legal expenses, £60 (£65)); surveyor's fees, £40 (£46); advertising, £35 (£34); printing and stationery, £40 (£36); valuation, £20 (£l4 ); audit, £12 (£8); ranger, £70 (£70); miscellaneous, £37 (£42); totals, £660 (£636). Schedule "B."—Roadworks.—Actual, Expenditure; '1907-8, £2308—New .Works, 'King's Road;, £443,;: Miramar Avenuo, :'£297; Seatoun Heights ' Road, £300; Seatoun streets, £200.;. total, £1240. Maintenance of streets and drains, reserves and plantations, £774 ; Triangle Miramar Avenue, . £15; Triangle Old Farm Road, £25; Miramar Avenue, £20; Seatoun Pat-k, £20; Overton Park, .£2O; total, £100. Collection.of rubbish, £104; total; £2218. ' . ■ '

Referring to the estimates, the' Mayor stated that :it_ was necossary to make some little .explanations. .The. Council had' rather led the .ratepayers .to-suppose that the rate would be less than lfd. in the £ this year, owing to the increaso. in the valuations. It would, therefore, be necessary to show why it had been found advisablo not to make a reduction in the rate. The actual amount which would' 1 be brought in by a ljd. rato would amount to £4700. It was chiefly owing to the increases in the estimates with respect to the provision for interest on the tramway : loans that:no reduction in.the rate had been proposed. 1 'As councillors knew; tlie Council had sold tramways costing £10,500, which it had laid ' down within, the city boundaries. At the time that the sale was made it was thought that it would be very advantageous to the borough. He had no complaint 'to make against those who had mado tho deal on behalf of tho borough. It now_ looked, •however,- as if the city ■ Corporation had mado a good bargain. As the money was to be paid over in" .ten yearly instalments, it would be necessary to set aside annually an amount to meet the interest on the outlay. This year the 'amount would be £475, but for each of tho succeeding ten years it would be proportionately less. It would also ho necessary to provide £350 for sinking fund payments .on the. whole ! of the t'rarmVay loan's; "The interest'on tho ordinary tramways within tho district was guaranteed by the guarantors.' It was quite possible that the tramways would be more sue-* cessful during next summer. The other provisions were on similar lines to'those of former years. He would move that tho Council notify its intention Ho strike a general rate of ope penny three farthings in tho .£.on the unimprovod value. . ... Councillor Bell seconded the_ motion. Councillor East was of opinion that some of the amounts on the estimates cruld bo reduced, so as .to.'allow of the .rate, teing reduced' to one';:penny: halfpenny. : 'As .'an amendment, Ho- moved that the rato: I e one penny halfpenny. • Councillor M'Leod, who seconded the amendment; held that the votes fir (he improvement of some of the roads coiild ; be : cut-.down. ... ' Councillor Brodie • thought'•' it-would'"- not be advisable to apply tho pruning Knife. The Mayor said that, no doubt, tl'.o votes in connection some of the roads coulrl ,;he' out down ; but, on, the other hand, it had to be remembered that other ! items—e.g., .inr-eased lighting—were on the low side. • .The'..amendment was'rejected,! only the I.movor .-and seconder' voting in favour: of it. and tlio motion was carried. !