BLENHEIM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 224, 21 September 1907, Page 7

BLENHEIM BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the BJenTieim Borough Council was held last. Councillors Ching, B^feftffk,^ 0 Kinley, White, Oarr, Griffith^ Brown. REMISSION OF RATES. be remitted nMi : xjjb grO unds been remitted J^st year x W!, re l" SZnThe owners, and the pub- . schools than tJHMgra^ hVK fwn Clfk said the amount of th?l?ffaPs aa bid UheTad been waited on b? the club officials, .and their representations seemed quite reasonable He moved that half the rates Macey asked whether the club did not charge for admission. The Mayor said the club only charged enough to pay the interest annually on the cost of the ground. Councillor Macey said it was the thin end of the wedge. Other clubs would demand the same concession. Councillor Ching s*aid he was a member of St. George's Society, and he knew that Association was charged a fee for the use of the ground. Me supposed the Hibernian and .other societies were also charged, and mthis way the interest charges were very Tool made up. If they were to begm remitting the rates, let them lather start with the poor people or the commCouncillor Birsh said the question was: Were the school children at liberty to use the ground:' . Councillor White said a.remijjjm of half the amount was the n&*™™& Councillor McKmley said *h^chilthe public Domain for use by tnecnii drln The Council should encourage ?he use of the proper recreation grCouficillor Ching moved an amendment that the matter he deferred. He wished to have a statement from the club as to what extent fre use of the ground would be guaranteed to the public and the children. P Councillor Griffiths urged.that the request be granted. He F»"ted«nt that the rates on the ground we only £2 per year when the place was bought. Now they had more than trc£cillor Carr said he thought they should all have their rates reduced by half. (Laughter). . The motion was carried. LICENSING VEHICLES.

A deputation -representing the carriers of Blenheim waited on the Council in reference to the proposal to regulate and license vehicles plying.for hire. Mr E. Parker, spokesman, said there were many anomalies that required smoothing away. The carriers fiad considered the tentative rules clause by clause. He referred to several clauses specifically. On the motion of the Mayor, it was resolved that the special committee of the Council set up m connection with the matter confer with a committee of carriers. PRIVATE BILLIARD SALOONS. The Methodist Young Men's Christian Association wrote Forwarding the following resolution:—'.While not deprecating the use of billiards purely as a game, this Young Men's institution, as representing a considerable section of the young manhood of Blenheim, strongly protests against i the , introduction of a public billiard saloon j into Blenheim,'as being against the | highest interests and detrimental to the moral welfare of the. youth of the town, giving, as it would, m spite ot the strictest regulations, increased opportunities and added facilities for card playing and other unprofitable forms of amusement, the associations and influence of billiard saloons being admittedly towards other forms of recreation of a still more questionable and unprofitable nature, and at best their tendencies cannot be improving. We therefore respectfully beg the Borough Council, in the interests of the moral welfare of our.young men, to maintain the position heretofore taken up by it, and refuse any application for a public billiard room license that may come before it. ' Mr T. J. Ball applied for a billiardsaloon license under the proposed Borough by-laws. He urged that his application should take precedence m S 'ranting licenses, ho having previousy applied. • Mr E. Priddle again applied for a license. . The Mayor said that it these applications and this resolution had been before him at the last meeting his attitude would have been perhaps better supported. However, it was too late now, the Council having affirmed the principle of granting the licenses. The Spe_cial Committee .reported on the proposed by-laws, submitting draft rules."

Discussion took place on the amount of the fee, suggested at £5 per table. Councillor Carr moved that the fee be £10 per table.—Seconded by Councillor McKinley, and lost, Councillors Carr, White and McKinley voting aye. The clause was then passed. Councillor Brown moved that the time for closing be ten o'clock instead of 10.30, as proposed.—Councillor White seconded.

Councillor Griffiths supported, the recommendation of the Committee. Half-past ten was not a late hour, and ihe counter-attraction Avould keep young men away from the hotels. Councillor Carr strongly argued that "these saloons were worse than hotels. He would far sooner see three new public houses opened than one billiardsaloon. He had had a long talk with "the police about these saloons. At any rate, the Council should insert a clause -reserving the right to cancel a license at pleasure. . The amendment for ten o'clock closing was carried.

Councillor Carr moved that the reserve the right to cancel a license without giving reasons. Councillor Griffiths seconded pro torma, and opposed. There was already a clause giving all the power necessary. If the new proposal were "™'"iv 'i an-T new set of councillors ™f£ £ ff all without notice, and inflict a hardship. liowS^'ifP* 6 Panted out that -.ml +1 n -^ renewable yearly, tli the A Co »"cil wn id decline "to re?hs ih^ m\ to h6 considered was that the Council could not take cvil.ke a Magistrate's Court, for

"I have tried Chamberlain's Colic, Cholera, ami Diarrhoea Remedy, and speak from experience," says Mr F. Schmaka, Paddtngton, W.A "I h ave never known it to fail in an attack of colic, cramps or diarrhoea, so always recommend it to my friends and customers To my^ mind, no mother «hould be without a bottle of Chamber* lain's Colic. Cholera and Diarrhoea Remedy in the house." Fo rgale by J. Ben.njhf, Plenheim, and W, Syms, Pi G l ion, " 9

the purpose of proving a Misdemeanour. He did not know whether the by-laws provided for the police taking action before the Magistrate. Councillor Carr said that if it was necessary to state exactly what was going on in a badly-conducted saloon, the provision in the by-laws for cancelling licenses was entirely useless. No Councillor was going to state in public what he knew to be going on. He was strongly against these saloons, knowing what they were m other places. He had been asked to guild one for a person, and had refused point blank to have anything to do with it. . ' Councillor China's motion for postponement or consideration of the bylaws was carried. Councillor Carr withdrawing his motion

SINCLAIR STREET

Messrs Dalgety arid Co., Ltd., and the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, Ltd., wrote in reference to the condition of Grove Road and Sinclair Street. On the motion of Councillor Macey, who said D-nclair Street was a disgrace to the town, especially as it was the thoroughfare first used by the visitors to Blenheim, it was resolved that the Councillors visit the locality, with a view to deciding upon improvements, on Monday morning next.

DOMINION DAY

The telegrams between the Premier and the Mayor in reference to Dominion Day were read. Councillor White said the citizens seemed very cool a.bout the matter. Councillor Ching thought it was all bunkum.

Councillor Griffiths rose to a point of order. There was no motion. The Mayor moved that Thursday next be proclaimed a public holiday, and that the citizens be invited to observe it.

Councillor White seconded

Councillor Carr said it simply meant shutting up the shops and standing around doing nothing, like a lot ol mugs—perhaps drinking whisky. It was so much twaddle. The workmen would lose a day's wages. The day should have been fixed for the King's Birthday.; it would have kept till then. Councillor Ching discouraged the idea of a nonsensical observance of a hollow holiday. Councillor Brown said he did not think it was of any use opposing the motion. If he thought it was, he would vote against it. Councillor Macey was surprised at Councillor Carr, who should have been the first to propose running out the big gun and firing a salute. The motion was carried. NELSON STREET BRIDGE.

The Mayor reported for the Committee of the Council arid the Omaka Road Board that Mr Austin had been appointed engineer to supervise the erection of the Nelson Street bridge. The fee would be 5 per cent, on the total cost of the bridge (erected). The five per cent, would cover everything. Mr Combes had not made any offer. Councillor Carr doubted whether the plans for the contractor would be provided out of the 5 per cent. The Mayor said it was quite clear that there would be no extra charge for plans. In reply to another remark, he said it was evident the Council had made a great mistake in going for a steel bridge. There was from 16,000 ft to 20,000 ft of timber to go into the bridge. Not much more would have been needed for a wooden bridge. Councillor Carr said the Council thought they were going to get a bridge, and instead of that they were ordering only two trusses. He had been out-voted at the time.

The report was adopted. It was resolved, that all further matters in connection with the same bridge be referred to the combined Committee with power to act. The question of the kind of timber to be used was discussed. Councillors Brown, Carr and McKinley favoured heart of rimu for the decking.

CO-OPERATIVE DRAIN

Tenders were received for the maintenance of the Co-operative Drain, as follows:— Cornelius O'Leary, £130; IW. J. Barrett, £130. i Councillor Carr moved that the mat- ; ter be deferred, and £hat tne Forei man report on the cost of doing the | work by the day, under the Foreman's ! supervision. | After discussion, the motion was carried. GENERAL. An auctioneer's license was granted to Russell D. Martin. It was decided, in response to a request, that Mr Fryer, butcher at the , abattoir, be granted four weeks' holii day on full pay. An account from H. Chiverson for £■2 12s 6d, in dispute of an amount tendered him by the Borough Forei man fov .services rendered, was re-1

ferred to the Works Committee. A letter from the Wairau Licensing Committee in reference to a public morgue was read, but, on the explanation of Councillor McKinley that the Committee had made the request in ignorance of the provisions of the \ statutes, it was not considered. I Messrs Kelly and Riley were granted a license for a. shooting gallery 111 Charles Street, opposite the Club Stables. J. W. Patehett was granted permission to place a culvert m Main Street. A request from the Kennel Club for permission to erect poles at the ( Drill Shed was granted. _ ! It was resolved, the Foreman being satisfied, that the Land Transfer plan be signed by the Town Clerk for taking over Nosworthy Street. The Council adjourned till Fridaynext.