BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 9269, 25 November 1890, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

SYDENHAM. Tlie fortnightly meeting of this Council ■was held , last night, all the members except Councillor Gledhill ' being-present. The Mayor, Mr G. T. Booth, presided. SCHOOL CONCERT. Letters were read from the teachers of the Sydenham borough school, asking the Council’s patronage to an entertainment in aid of the prize fund on Dec. 4. The request was acceded to. TEE MAYORALTY, The returning officer announced the re-election of Mr Booth as Mayor. Councillor Smith moved the reception of the letter, and in doing so congratulated his Worship on having allowed himself to be re-elected, a.nd wished him a year of continued success. The Mayor said that after the determination he cameto atthelast meeting, he might explain the reason why he had allowed himself to be nominated, He bad reason to believe, from what he had heard since that meeting, that the remarks then made had not been intended to convey the meaning that he had hurriedly put upon them, and that being the case he had decided to waive his objection. (Hear, hear). Councillor . Langdown seconded the motion, and other Councillors having congratulated Mr Booth on his re-election, the motion was carried. WORKS COMMITTEE. This Committee reported as follows (1) The Drainage Board refuses to put a culvert in its drain across the South end of Longfellow street, and as the Board, some years ago, refused to fence in the drain so as to make it safe, and the drain la a nuisance to the locality, the Committee recommends that Mr Stringer's opinion be taken as to what authority and liabilities the Board and the Conncil respectively have in reference to the drain in question. (2) The Committee recommends that the dedication of part of Carlyle street, as referred to in the Railway Engineer’s letter of Oct. 31, be accepted. (3) The Committee requests authority to accept a tender for the supply of dog-collars for the ensuing year. The report was adopted. financial. The Finance Committee reported receipts for the fortnight • at J22SB 7s sd, and the Property Tax Commissioner advised a subsidy of .£204 14$ lid. The balance of accounts was—Separate account credit ,£305 13$ lOd, interest account credit .£lO7 5s 1, loan account credit .£7338 18s Id, general account debit J 8323 4s Id. They recommended the payment of accounts amounting to .£77 10$, Drainage Board rates JC245 Is 4d and River Board rates ,£33 13s Od. The report was adopted. BURGEES ROLL. The Finance Committee recommended that the applications of the following persons to have their names put upon the Borough burgess roll be granted, viz.: — H. Bailey, Charles Clark, John Coles, Thomas J. Burnett, D. Brock, Margaret Clark, H. Brinkman, Winifred Griffen, John Hart, "William C. Hill, F. W. Francis, Samuel Jones, junr., James M’Kay, junr., A. Morton, Sarah Jane Fellow, William Smart, Matilda Wallis, Hugh Sloane, Ellen Condon and James Wilson ; and that the following names be placed on the roll immediately the rates on the properties referred to in the application are paid:— W. H. Coulter, W. Hyndman and Charles Lafferty. The Committee cannot see its way to recommend the granting of the applications of G. H. Johnston, G. Pengelly, J. K. Scott and Sophia Clark, as they are not in actual occupation of the respective properties, as defined in section 2 of "The Rating Act 1882.” In reference to the application of the Washington Lodge, LO.O.F., x for Mr . D. Gashholt’s name to be put on- the.roll for the Lodge property, the Committee finds that Mr Cashbolt is nob a trustee, and has nob acquired a qualification to comply with the Rating Act. Mr Taylor, who attended the Committee on the subject, stated that steps would be taken to nominate another trustee. The Committee finds that Mr Thomas Barry is not an owner or occupier within the meaning of the statute, and therefore cannot recommend the granting of his application. The- Committee recommends that the three Replications from Messrs Ward and Co. be treated as one, and that the firm be allowed to nominate one of its managers to be entered on the roll. Councillor White asked if the Committee had considered the legal definition of an occupier, because it was an important point whether the lessee of property which was unimproved was a sufficient qualification. He thought it was a point on which a legal opinion might be taken to advantage. The Chairman (Councillor Smith) explained that ’ that qualification was not sufficient. • Councillor Taylor thought the question of trustees of Lodges, &c., was also one on which an opinion should be taken. The Council agreed to the Finance Committee obtaining a legal opinion on the subjects, and adopted the report. FIRE PREVENTION. The Fire Prevention Committee reported as follows : (1) The Fire Prevention Committee has considered the replies bo the Council’s circular respecting the offering of premiums for the best schemes for placing fire insurance under the control of local bodies, and, as the majority of the replies state that the local bodies cannot see their way to incur the proposed expenditure, the Committee cannot see its way to recommend the proceeding with the proposal to offer the premiums. (2) The Committee recommends that Superintendent Turton, of the Christchurch Fire Brigades, and Superintendent Andrews, of the Railway Fire Brigade, be appointed as Fire Inspectors for Sydenham. The Committee suggests that the City Council bo asked if it cannot see its way to reduce the subscription payable by this Council for the services of the chemical fire engine. As Sydenham pays .£2O more per annum than St Albans and Linwood combined for the use of the engine, and only about ten alarms of fires in Sydenham have been given within the last eighteen months, the charge made is at the rate of about ,£ls for each service. The report was adopted. LANGDOWN STREET. The By-laws Committee reported that, being informed that a counter-petition to that of Messrs J. M'Cleary and others respecting the naming of Langdown street was in course of signature, the consideration of the question had consequently been held over. A letter was received from Mr M’Cleary, offering on behalf of the residents of Langdown street to provide the funds for the purpose of having the name of the street changed to Waltham road. A letter was also read from Mr W. M'Keown and others, asking that the street known as Colombo street be named Forrester street after their respected ex-Mayor and Councillor. A counter petition to Mr M'Cleary’s asking that the name of Langdown street be retained, was also read, and it was stated that further names were being procured to another one on the subject. All the petitions were referred back to the By-laws Committee, who were requested to take all the circumstances into consideration. SALE OF MILK, ETC. , The By-laws Committee, also recommended that the Christchurch City Council!, the St Albans Borough Council, and the Linwood Town Board be asked to send representatives to a conference with representatives of this Council, to consider the question of making by-laws of a uniform character to regulate the sale of milk and perishable provisions in Christchurch and suburbs. The suggestion was adopted. THE COLLISION. The Mayor referred to the recent collision between a tramcar and an engine at the Colombo street crossing. There had been no- reduction in the amount of shunting at this crossing, despite the promise made by the Railway Department, and he thought that the Council, or, at any rate, the Works Committee, might take notice of the circumstance, as it seemed that the stables in the railway yard prevented anyone in the street seeing the engines shunt-

ing, and also prevented the engine-drivers from seeing anyone approaching the line, and it might be found necessary to ask the railway authorities to remove the stables from between the cranes and the crossing. It seemed that it was impossible to dispense with, the shunting across the street ‘at present, while the cranes were at work. The Works Committee might see if some arrangements might be made which would prevent any similar casualty. As it was, there seemed to. he' a singular lack of precaution . against' danger at this crossing.. In answer to. Councillor Taylor, the Mayor added that there had been an inquiry. The crossingkeeper had held his flag correctly,"but the' engine-driver had" stated. that, he k did not' see it. .He had taken his signal to proceed from thie signal box, and, stated .that he' could not see two."signals'-once; He' thought an automatic signal bell would be better. Councillor Rudd, for the Committee, promised that the Committee, should see Mr Burnett on the subject, and ! the matter dropped. VITAL STATISTICS. The Mayor congratulated the Boroughj on now having the second best record of > vitality in the Colony. It was a very: honourable position to be in. The Council dealt with some minor: matters, and adjourned.