QUEENSTOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Lake County Press, Issue 498, 21 April 1892, Page 3

QUEENSTOWN BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The adjourned monthly meeting of the Queenstown Borough Council was held on Tuesday, April 12fch. Present —The Mayor (Mr L. Hotop) and Coun cillors W. J. Thompson, F. T. B. Walker, R. Ross, E. Monson, John O’Meara, and John Cockburn, jun. Messrs Geisow and Boyne (Waterworks Oommissioners of the sinking fund) wrote reporting there was now £274 17s 9d on fixed deposit, and enclosed balance sheet as required by law. —Received.

Mr Warren wrote enclosing copy of correspondence as to his agreement with the Oouncil re printing. After some little conversation, it was resolved, on the motion of Ors Ross and Walker—That Mr Warren’s arrangement re printing with the Oouncil be- referred to the Finance Committee to consider.

Mr 0. 0. Boyes wrote asking the Council’s permission to lay a fin pipe from the main into his garden. Granted.

Mr S. Solomon, solicitor, Dunedin, wrote stating that he had been instructed by Mr W. Hale to write the Council regarding his premises in Rees street, at the back of which was the recreation reserve, and which latter the. Corporation had allowed to be occupied by Messrs F. St. Omer, Monson, Bodkin, and Haines, who had erected fences and gates thereon to the nuisance of the writer’s client ; and, unless the same were at once removed, lie would move in the Supreme Oourt to compel the removal of the obstructions. Each of the parties named in his letter had also been written to on the subject. Some little time was occupied in trying to ~find in the minutes some record of the Oouacil’s action in regard to previous letters, but nothing was found save that a communication from Mr Hale had simply been received, and that some time before this the Oouncil had notified the parties concerned to remove the obstructions, and had given them six months to do so. Or O’Meara suggested that a special committee of the Council he appointed to ascertain the Council’s position. The Mayor : We ought to face the question, and get proper advice on the matter. As far as I can see, our legal standing has never been defined.

Or O’Meara; We have paid for it, though.

The Mayor ; Yes, that may be, but the solicitor’s opinion shoulil have been in writing. ■ I am not biassed either way in the matter. If you are satisfied that we have nothing to do in the matter—well, lot it end at that; but recollect, if it go to the Supreme Court and we lose the case, the ratepayers will have to pay the costs. Or O’Meara ; If I read the Act right, councillors will responsible themselves for any costs—not the ratepayers.

Or Ross complained that -there was nothing recorded in (he minute-book. He would have liked to know what had been done before discussing the matter.

Or Thompson : The matter has never been gone on with straightforwardly, and councillors interested have sat at the table and voted.

Or Monson denied this, as both he and the lato mayor (Mr F. St. Omer) had always refrained from voting and left their seats when the matter was under discussion.

Or Ross maintained that the matter was a Government one. The Council had nothin" to do with it. After some more discussion, it was proposed by Or O’Meara seconded by Or Oockburn—That the Mayor, Or Ross, and Cr Oockburn wait on Mr Turton and ascertain what advice (if any) he gave the lute mayor (Mr St. Quit) and Cr Wing respecting the recreation reserve at the breakwater, and, in the event of his refusing, a second fee be allowed for written advice..—Carried, Cr Monson abstaining from voting.

Cr O’Meara asked the major to get the solicit Jr’s opinion whether a private citizen can, through his solicitor, take out an injunction to compel the local bodies to remove obstructions on recreation reserves, seeing . the Acts distinctly state that the Attorney-general or Solicitor - general is the properparty.

The Secretary of the New Zealand: Municipal Association wrote thanking the Council for joining the Association and asking for amount of subscription £3 3s.

Cr O’Meara explained that this was a society formed for watching municipal allairs in Parliament and was the outcome of a municipal conference held in Wellington, wh’ch he attended as a delsgate from, the Qu *enstow.mGauncil. He thought the £3 3s would bti well spent.

j The account was orlered to be ini eluded with the accounts to bo passed that night. A. Boyne wrote seating that he had paid the Town Clerk’s demand (£3 10s), for speeial water supply and wanted to know why he had to pay that amount while others using ten times the quantity were only charged £2. He asked for a refund of £1 10s and that he be placed on the same footing as others. The Mayor : There seem to be stumbling blocks in the way of charging the special water supply. One seems to think he is paying more for the use of water than others, and the only way would be to adjust tho matter by using meters.

Or Monson : I paid £s] 10? also,' and Ido not use half the water Mr Boyne uses. After further discussion, it was de(C. nti.iued on Page J h j

'(Continued fn m pufff )

.girled, on the motion ef Or O’Meara, second*d by Cr Ross—That (he rna'ter Tv left- in the hands of the \\ aterw.vks Or nnnitf ee. Mi M. O’Meara wn t>>, on behalf of Mr Fulton, for jot mission to transfer lease nf (Jorpmation endowment 1 , Htnd o’’ Lake, from Mr Feiin to Mr Fulton. Resolved, on the im turn of Ci's C<>ckburn ai cl Monson—'l l.fit the request be granted, ail expenses to be p; id by Mr Fultrn. Cr Monson said that, r.n looking over the dog-tax collectors book, he found that he had been charged 20s for dogs, while Mr \V. G. Donne .seemed to have paid only 10s. There j yas also a blank leaf in the I lock. j The Mavor was n stiuct d to see Mr i Bell forexplana i n. t Cr O’M cpi a drew (he Council’s at- i tention to the necessity of having a | tomph te set of statutes under which j the Council woiked. At present there | were only so many leaflets, and, if | Councillors wanted information, they j had to go elsewhere for it. He thought | r he Borough Council should be provided with them, as well as J.P’s. He would propose —That a complete set of bound statutes now in force be procured from the cheapest market.. The Mayor suggested that, first of j all, application be made to the Govern- j ment, to' see if a complete set could be obtainc d without payment. Failing this, a complete set to be proemed in the cheapest market. The Mayoi’s suggestion was agreed to; Accounts were passed for payment amounting to .JE46 2s 4d. | The Mayor pointed ar me iireguaritks in keeping accounts j. viz., the he overdrawing of accounts. The geneial account had a credit balance of £27 12s 9d j the waterworks account had a credit of £69 3s 2d ; while the interest account was overdrawn £l4O 14s IGd. By the Act the only account that could be overdrawn was the genera! account. Proposed by Cr Ross, seconded by Cr ‘ r Orckburn—That in Future the clerk } e instructed not to overdraw on the waterworks and interest accounts, and that any transfers from vaiious ac-' counts must be done on the authority. of (he Council cnly i Seme conversation as to the duties of tieasurer took place, but no order was made. Cr Walktr drew attention to tho fit Ly state of the right-of-way between Rees strei t and Camp street. —Or Thompson drew attention to the state of Haliens-tein st'eet.— Both were referred to the Works Committee to look into. |

A veto of tbanks to the chair closed tho meet fug.