ST ALBANS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7227, 29 April 1884, Page 3

ST ALBANS BOROUGH COUNCIL.

. •» The usual monthly meeting of this Council was held at 7.30 o'clock last evening; present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. L. Wilson), Councillors Summerton, Bull, Dickinson, Smith, Turner, Mann, Moor, and Cooper. Leave of absence was granted to Councillor Salter. The Finance Committee reported that the debit balance at the bank was £l4B 10s Id; the receipts for the month had been £6B 13s sd; and the expenditure £IOG 16s lOd. Two or three items of expenditure ■ were included in the bank balance. The report was adopted. The Works Committee recommended the acceptance of the tenders of Mr O'Donoghue and Messrs M'Fadden and Pepper, for screening, hauling, and stacking shingle from the Council's pit at Strowan. The following correspondence was read: — From the Drainage Board, requesting a cheque for rates collected, and that all outstanding should be recovered at once. It was understood that the matter would be attended to.

From Mr James Sharman, stating he had given six feet off his frontage to widen Crescent road, and had since received a notice to cut down his front hedges under penalties. He requested an explanation. Councillor Moor thought it unwise to have sent the notice, seeing Mr Sharman had given his land; and other Councillors admitted that the Council was in fault.

The Clerk 'said a complaint had been made, and he had sent the notice on the spur of the moment. It was resolved that an explanation be sent to Mr Sharraan.

Messrs Eountree and Hart were granted a slaughter-house license, and permission was given to Mr Frowse to erect a sign board in North street.

The Mayor referred to the recent conference re drainage matters. He asked for an expression of opinion as to the resolutions come to by the conference. His own conviction was that there were too many public bodies, and several Boards might be amalgamated with a saving of expense and increased efficiency. Mr Turner hoped that the responsibility would be left where the Government had placed it. He thought it would be a grierous mistake to interfere with the present Drainage Board, and no advantage would come to this Borough by any alteration. There must be a Central Board for drainage matters. He felt certain that if proper returns of the sickness and death rate were obtained it would be shown that the Drainage Board had done an immense amount of good for the district. He had no patience with this perpetual howling down of public bodies. He thought the '. Council should not meddle in the matter I by sending representatives to the deputation to the Board. By doing so they would only burden themselves with an unnecessary responsibility. The Mayor took a vote on the question, and the Council decided not to send any representatives. Councillor Bull gave notice of motion—- " That a by-law be passed to prevent the driving of cattle and horses through any roads in the Borough between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m." It was resolved that a special meeting be held on Tuesday, May 13, to consider the annual balance-sheet, and after transacting some routine business the Council adjourned to that date.