MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3543, 16 November 1882, Page 3

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday, November 15,

The Council met at 8.10 p.m. Present: His Worship the Mayor (chairman,)', Councillors Monteith, Cotton, Price, Graham, and Wall. Cr. Lee attended later on in the eyeniDg and took his seat. FILLING IN SECTIONS. Pursuant to notice Cr. Graham moved, " That section 243 A and B and section 360 be filled in at once." Cr. Cotton seconded the motion. Cr. Graham hoped the Council would adopt the motion. The sections in their present state were a menace to the public health, and so far as the Hon. Mr Johnston's section at the corner ofDaltonstreet was concerned there would be no difficulty in recovering the cost of the work.

Cr. Monteith thought the section (243) at the corner of Dalton and DickensBtreets should be filled in at any risk, it being prejudicial to the health of the residents in that locality in its present state. If Cr. Graham would limit his motion to embrace that one section only he (Cr. Monteith) would support it. In reply to a question the Town Clerk stated that the Council had already ordered these sections, and one other owned by tbe Rev. S. Williams as trustee for Mrs Williams, to be filled in. The last-named had beeD filled in, but not paid for, and the Council had ordered the filling in of the other, two to stand over until it was paid. After some discussion Cr. Wall moved the following amendment to Cr. Graham's motion, " That the tender of Messrs Tait and Mills for filling in sub-sections, 243 A and B for £27 15s be accepted, and should they decline to go on with the work that fresh tenders be called." Cr. Monteith seconded the amendment, which was carried nem. con.

The Mayor, on the suggestion of Cr. Wall, instructed the Town Clerk to write to the Hon. Mr Johnston, informing him tbe s*mount of tender for filling in his section, and enquiring whether he will pay the cost of same on completion of the work. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Public Impounder, complaining that he was unable to recover bis legal fees for some horses impounded by him, the pound keeper alleging that the amount had been paid under protest. It was also stated that tbe pound keeper was in the habit of allowing horses to be released by his little girl without receiving fees or getting the book signed.—lt was decided that the Council had no power to move in the matter until the time allowed by the Act from date of protest had elapsed. From Mr J. Stewart, C.E., Auckland, expressing his willingness to inspect the waterworks plant now landed. He would, however, be unable to visit Napier earlier tban a month hence.

From Messrs Hoadley, Lyon and Co., stating that in ignorance of the existence of a bye-law bearing on the subject they had removed from their upper store in Emerson-street a loose - stall wooden Btable, and had partly re-erected it. with the exception of constructing the outer walls of iroD, upon a detached section on which stood their lower Emerson-street store. As they purposed building shortly on the same site a large warehouse in brick or concrete, the stable was intended only for temporary accommodation. They therefore asked for permission to proceed with the completion of the small alteratiou, which would materially reduce the risk of fire which before existed.—Cr. Wall said there was no possible way under the precent bye-laws affecting building regulation whereby such permission could be granted by the Council. Tbe Public Works Committee was under tbe impression that tbe bye-laws were in some respects too striDgent, and he hoped the Council would see its way to effect some alterations in them. The question was dealt with in one of the clauses of the Public Works Committee's report. STRAYING animals. By peimission of the Council Cr. Wall moved, without notice, tbat tbe police be requested to enforce the bye-laws respecting stray cattle, &c. He said it was notorious that in Napier horses and cattle were allowed to striy about, and no notice appeared to be taken of the fact by the police. Matters in this respect were very little better now than before an impounder was appointed.— The resolution was carried. FINANCE COMMITTEE'S BEPORT. . The following report was presented by the Finance Committee, accompanied by a statement of accounts : — In accordance with fche interim report of 31sfc October last, your committee now beg to forward herewith : —(1.) A statement allowing in detail the total receipts and expenditure and tho balances of each of fche borough accounts np to fche 30th September last, a copy of which has also been forwarded to each councillor. (2.) A statement of the omounts likely to bo required for completing existing contracts and for carrying on the necessary works for the half-year ending 31st March next. (3.) _ A letter from his Worship the Mayor, stating the terms upon which the Union Bank of Australia will grant an overdraft of, say, £6000. After a careful perusal and consideration of the above, your commifctco beg to recommend that a letter be forwarded to the manager of the bank, embodying and authorising fche terms stated in his Worship the Mayor's letter, viz,, that the overdraft allowed by tho bank, should tho Council require ifc, be £6000 ; that the interest payable be 2 per cent, below current rates on the actual overdraft, and that the Council give a lien on the sections on the reclaimed land as collateral security, should tho bank at any time require ifc. The estimates attached to the report

showed the amounts likely to be required to complete existing contracts and to carry on the necessary works of the Council for the half-year ending 31st of March. 1883. To complete existing contracts, £2813 ; interest and sinking fund, £'2875; other services, £2575 ; total, £8563. Probable receipts, £.'5350 ; leaving amount required to complete, £3213 (say £3500). The letter from the Mayor to the Chairman of the Finance Committee, referred to in the report, was as follows : In accordance with the instructions of tho Finance Committee, I hare tho honor to report that on the 10th inst,, accompanied by the Town Clerk, I waited on tho manager of the Union Bank of Australia on tho subject of the overdraft which might bo required by the Council, and tho terms upon which the bank would bo willing to grant it. Mr Terr stated that the bank would allow the Council to overdraw the general account to the extent of £GOOO (should tho Council require such a sum) on tho same terms as those previously arranged Cor former overdrafts, viz., 2 per cent, bolow current rates, but requested that a letter might bo sent him slating tho willingness of the Council to givo the bank a lien over its reclaimed land sections should the bank at any time reqvrivo tho Council to do so, and that all rates and other revenue be paid to the credit of their respective accounts as heretofore. Or Monteith moved the adoption of the report, and that the bank's terms with respect to the overdraft be accepted. The report, on the whole, was, he thought, a very satisfactory one, and showed the borough to be pecuniarly healthy. There was scarcely a municipality in the colony that had not an overdraft at the bank, while here the Council not only did not require to draw up to its legal limits but had a valuable landed asset worth about £6000, should it ever be required. Cr Wall seconded the motion, which was carried.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEES BEPORT. The Public Works Committee recommended the Council in its report as follows *. —

1. That the tender of Messrs Glendinning and Griffin for making the road approach to the Petane bridge for the sum of £125 be accepted. 2. That this Council take into consideration (in committee of the whole) the advisability or otherwise of amending or repealing bye-law No. 19, building regulations, or any other bye-law that may be laid before ifc. 3. That the vouchers for the Jforfcnighfcly wages of laborers (£94 19s 9d) and for freight ex Wave Queen (£l2B 14s sd) be passed and ordered to be paid. The several clauses in the report were adopted without discussion. CONSIDERATION OF BITE-LAWS. Cr. Wall moved that the Council meet in committee on Wednesday evening next at 7.30 for consideration of bye-laws. The motion was seconded by Cr. Monteith and carried.

The Council then adjourned.