MELROSE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

New Zealand Mail, 21 February 1901, Page 61

MELROSE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

THE TRAMWAYS QUESTION. A special general meeting of the Melrose Borough Council was held, on the 12th to deal with tramway affairs. There were present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr Frost) and Councillors Highet, Jorgensen, Keetne, Nicol, Walter, Brown and Fullford. After two resolutions passed by the Council on June 26th, 1900, and on January 29th, 1901 —setting up committees to deal with tramway matters—had been rescinded, Councillor Walter moved, and Councillor Jorgensen seconded, “That the names of Councillors Nicol, Highet and Brown be added to those of his Woi’ship the Mayor and Councillors Keene, Walter and Jorgensen—to form the Council’s delegation to the committee to be set up to deal with tramway matters in conjunction with six burgesses appointed at the public meeting held at Brooklyn recently.” Councillor Fullford moved as an

amendment, “That the- members of the! Ohiro and Island Bay Wards Jbe constituted a committee to deal with the subject.” Their wards were vitally interested, and the mover thought it desirable that they should be elected. Councillor Brown seconded the; motion pro forma. After a verbal set-to between Councillor Fullford and the rest of the Council, a discussion ensued on the subject of committees.

The Mayor said he considered it would be'advisable to make the committee representative of the whole of the wards. The expenditure necessary to institute the tramway would probably be nearer £60,000 than £30,000, and he thought the more comprehensive the committee in that case the better it would be. Councillor Keene favoured a committee of about five.

Councillor Brown pointed out that the Council was not bound to accept the nominations to the committee made by thei public meeting.

Councillor Fullford’s amendment- was lost on the voices, and Councillor Walter’s motion was carried.

Councillor Nicol then pointed out that a split might occur between the Council members and the burgesses’ representatives. He would like to see something done to meet such a possibility. Councillor Jorgensen said he would like to see a motion passed constituting the whole a special committee of the Council. He would also like to see it specified that the committee’s spending power be limited to £zu, apart from special authorisation by the Council. Councillor Brown said the question was, “Did the Council wish the committee to be a legal committee or not ?” It was a serious matter, and he would like to see it made clear. He himself favoured a legal committeeThe Mayor said he recognised that the burgesses concerned bad gone to a lot of trouble over the matter. He bad no objection to constituting them a legal committee.

Councillor Fullford objected to- the cheeseparing which attempted to keep the expenditure down to He asked what was £75 if that sum should be required ? The matter of tramway conduction had to be faced, and it was no use trying to run the affair on the lines of a stern parent who gave his child sixpence to spend, a penny at a time. Expert advice could not be obtained for £2o—the idea was ridiculous.

Councillor Keene was of a similar opinion. Ha would like to see authority given to spend £IOO, and to see the Council leave to the common sense of the committee the keeping of the expenditure within bounds'.

Councillors Nicol and Jorgensen objected to placing power in the committed’s hands to spend unlimited money. Eventually the following motion, moved by the Mayor and seconded by Councillor Keene, was carried:—“That the Tramway Committee be instructed to consult and act with the committee appointed by the residents of Brooklyn and Island Bay (consisting of Messrs C. Burton, Wm. Brunskill, J. Rose, F. Jennings, J. Reid and F. Loudon), with power to obtain expert evidence, such evidence to he presented to the Council as early as possible; and that the committee be instructed to wait upon the City Council and obtain definite information from thelm re their tramway proposals.” On the motion of Councillor Keene, seconded by Councillor Highet, the committete was given power to 1 expend up to £IOO in obtaining expert evidence. A proviso was added, on the suggestion of Councillor Highet, that interest on the money be charged to the two wards specially interested. The Mayor was appointed permanent chairman of the committee.