MELROSE BOROUGH COUNCIL

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 60

MELROSE BOROUGH COUNCIL

At the adjourned meeting of the Melrose Borough Council last week there were present his Worship the Mayor and Councillors Clark, Jorgensen, Newell, Keene, Nicol, Walter, Brown and Fullford.

A deputation from Island Bay waited upon the Council re the removal of the fishermen’s huts from that locality. It was ultimately decided, on the motion of Councillor Walter, that the resolution formerly passed by the Council calling upon the owners of the huts to remove the huts be given effect to. The motion was carried by 5 to 4.

It was decided to continue to pay the salary of an employee of the Council who was incapacitated owing to an accident which occurred to him while he was doing work for the Council. The office boy applied for a rise of salary from. 11s 6d to £1 weekly, and, after a quarter of ail hour’s argument, it was resolved to refer the matter to the Finance Committee for a report. The Streets Committee report recom. mended that a legal opinion be obtained as to the Council’s position under the Municipal Corporations Act. 1900—(1) With regard to the construction and the taking over of private streets; (2) as to compelling the owners of private streets anu rights-of-way previously laid out to properly construct and maintain them, etc. The report expressed the unpreparedness of the committee to express an opinion upon the subject of works in hand until the Council’s legal position was defined. The report was adopted. The committee set up some time back to report upon the advisableness of the erection of pounds for the various wards brought down a report recommending that a central pound; be erected at Vogeltown, at an estimated; cost of £6O. A lengthy discussion ensued on the report, the opinion being expressed by several Councillors that it was preferable a pound should be erected and the Council thereby have the benefit of the poundage fees instead of the fines going to swell the consolidated revenue. The report was referred back to the committee to be elaborated.

It was resolved that proceedings b© taken in the Magistrate’s Court against all persons who were twice in one month guilty of allowing stock to wander on the road. An amendment moved by Councillor Jorgensen was carried, specifying that in cases where cattle had been pounded, and driving fees charged, no prosecutions in the Magistrate’s Court should follow, such having been the practice. The engineer reported that a sum of £482 was required for the widening of certain streets in Island Bay. The matter was referred to the Finance Committee for consideration. It was decided that an approach he made in Shannon street provided the owners of the frontages contribute a third of the cost.

Councillor Keene touched upon the necessity of insuring the employees of the Borough Council. The Mayor said he had made some inquiries on the matter, and had ascertained that for a cost of about 25s yearly the wages of the Avorking men of the Council could be assured for six months- in the case of accident, with a payment of £so(h or so in the event of death. The matter was referred to the Finance Committee of the Council.

Councillors Keene, Jorgensen and Brown Avere appointed a committee to report on the matter of baths, recreation grounds and similar matters at Brooklyn and Island Bay. It was resolved to call upon Mr Chatfield to abate a nuisance on his property. Accounts totalling £4O Is 2d were passed for payment.