Borough Council.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 3751, 21 January 1898, Page 2

Borough Council.

» A spe*ciai meeting of the Council was held on Thursday evening. Present — the Mayor, and Councillors Paterson, Whittington, Davidson, Fake, Fairhall, Adamson, and Bartlett. HALF HOLIDAY. The first business was to fix the statutory half-holiday for the ensuing year. The Clerk read a petition from 26 tradespeople asking that Thursday be observed as the half-holiday. A telegram was also read from the Eltham Chamber of Commerce urging that Thursday be made the half-holiday, making it uniform from New Plymouth to Wanganui. The Mayor said if that was the feeling of the burgesses they should fall in with it. He was in favor, however, of making Saturday the universal holiday throughout the colony. Crs. Fake and Paterson explained that since the requisition had been sent in some of those who had signed said they had done so under a misapprehension and had struck their names off, whilst several other townspeople believed that the same day would be adhered to or otherwise they were confident that they could have had far more signatures to a counter petition. Cr Paterson said no valid reason had been given why the half-holiday should be altered. Cr. Davidson said there was no reason whatever to change the day, and that the statement that other towns in the vicinity had chosen Thursday was wrong. He had told the Patea people that if they made the day Friday he felt sure Hawera would do the same. He moved that Friday be adhered to. ' Cr. Fake seconded. Cr. Bartlett said he was in favor of Friday for the reason that other townships about had taken Friday. Personally, however, he was in favor of Saturday. The motion was then put and carried unanimously. AUCKLAND-TARANAKI RAILWAY LBAGDE. A letter was read from Mr S. J. Binning, hon. secretary of AucklandTaranaki Baiiway League, asking the Mayor to call a public meeting in Hawera in conjunction with the league with a view to furthering the movement. The Mayor proposed and Cr Bartlett seconded that a public meeting be convened for Monday, 31st inst., for the purpose of giving the delegates from Eltham of the Auckland-Taranaki Railway an opportunity of explaining their views on the question. He explained that Mr C. Marchant had called upon him in reference to the matter, and he (the Mayor) had expressed the opinion that it would probably be a good thing if the delegates could place their views on the railway matters before the Hawera people. He thought it would be to Hawera's interest to throw in its weight of influence with the Eltbam people and get the junction of the railway to Auckland as near to Hawera as possible. But the Hawera people could not decide until they knew the views of the delegates. Cr Bartlett seconded. Hb agreed with the remarks of the Mayor. If Hawera did not keep up with the times Stratford would step in and by throwing in its lot with Eltham would thus secure the benefits of the establishment of through railway communication with Auckland. It would never do to allow Stratford, which was a commercial rival of no mean order, to outdo Hawera in the race for commercial supremacy. The motion was then put and carried. ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIP MEETING. A letter, endorsed by Mr Hatrick, Mayor of Wanganui, was read from the secretary Amateur Wanganui Athletic and Cycling Club stating that the championship meeting of Australasia would be held in Wanganui on 10th and 11th February, and nskpil that public holidays bo procliiiiued on fchbse dates. He dwelt at length on the importance of the meeting. The Mayor said as tho date fell on one of the Eginont race days and as there would of courae be a half-holiday, a reply to the secretary to that effect would meet the cise. The clerk said he had received a letter previously from the same source suggesting, owing to the importance of the championship meeting, that the racus ought tobe postponed. (Laughter.) After a short discussion. The Mayor moved that the Athl.>:ic and Cycling Club bo asked to postpouo their meeting or auto-datH thu sanm as their date clashes with that of the Egmont Jockey Club fixture— a fixture that has held for the past 10 years.

Cr Davidson seconded, but in doing so regretted exceedingly that the dates ! clashed. He strongly commented on the faot that F. R. Jackson Co .'s Ram Fair had been fixed for the Egmont race days. Cr Paterson thought the did not go far enough. Any outside club had no right to expect tradespeople to close up their shops because of some running and jumping competitions. For his part he strongly objected. The Mayor said the letter was franked by the Mayor of Wanganui, and therefore should be treated with a certain amount of respect. The motion was carried. WATEB AND DRAINAGE. The Mayor said that after going into water and drainage matters the committee had decided that it would be necessary to obtain a further report from some competent engineer, and he had therefore instructed the Town Clerk to send a telegram of a non-committal nature to Mr Reynolds to the effect that •' If the council chose to employ him would he be prepared to come on tbe terms mentioned in a letter of bis written some time ago. A reply had been received as follows : — " My time i 3 too valuable to renew the offer which was made during holiday trips. My terms are three guineas per day and travelling and hotel expenses. Will endeavor to limit the time and expense as much as possible." The Mayor said he purposed sending a reply asking if in the event of any scheme he proposed being adopted by reason of receiving a commission for tbe work would he make a rebate of the three guineas a day. PUBLIC WORKS. The Mayor mentioned that the Public Works Committee had gone from one end of the town to the other and made memoranda of all the works required and estimate of cost which would be submitted to the council for its approval and assent. The country grader would cost 37s a day, and they would do about 20 chains of work per diem. He had also made enquiries as to the County Council's steam roller, but he was sprry to say there would be a delay in procuring it, and therefore they would not be able to have the use of it as early as he expected. The meeting then adjourned.