MILTON TOWN COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1341, 11 August 1877, Page 7

MILTON TOWN COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Milton Town Council was held on Wednesday evening Present— The Mayor, and Messrs Reid, Dyer, Stewart, M'Laren, and Gilbert. The Town Clerk reported that the newly elected Mayor and Councillors had signed the necessary declarations as required by the Ordinance. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The following tenders for gravelling footpaths were accepted : J. C. Gordon, High street, 213 per chain ; Pope street, 25i 6d per chain ; Mill street, 21s 6d per chain • Elderlee street, 20.3 Gd per chain ; District roa.i^ 15s 6d per chain. Formation of footpath in Elderlee street, J. Reid and Co., los per chain. Formation of footpath in Pope street, r! Thomson, 13s per chain. The Mayor said that he had received a telegram during the day from Mr W. A. Murray, stating that the Conference of Mayors and delegates was now sitting at Wellington, and intimating his willingness of attending the Con ference on the behalf of the Milton Town Council, if the Council thought it would be desirable for him to do so.

Mr Dyer thought that such a tiling would be desirable. There were matters which might be discussed by the Conference of more importance than the one tor which it had been ' called — the lawless deductions which tho General Government had been taking from the j subsidies of Town Councils, Road Boards, &c. ' The matters he referred to were Municipal Reserves. There are two of these reserve? at Kaitangata and Waihola from which the Cor - poration of Dunedin was obtaining the rents. He would like to know by whit right Dunedin got the rents from those reserves. If the Act | setting aside these reserves distinctly stated i that they, should be for the benefit of the Muni- j cipality of Dunedin, he would then be able to ! understand why they should receive the rents of all tho=te lands. These lands were first set aside in 1852. The Corporation of Duuedin came into existence in ISGS, and that of Milton one year afterwards. He was onbr speaking from fancy when he said thai; these lands were set a^ide for the benefit' of the nearest municipalities. If by- spending 10s on a telegram the Council might obtain IjIOO, he thought that it would be money well spent, and it was a matter which could very well be brought up by Mr Murray at the Conference, as delegates from the various municipalities would be present tit it. He would move that Mr W. A. Murray's offer should be accepted, and that tho Council should recom- j mend him to make enquiries so as to ascertain j by what right Dunedin obtiins the rents irom the municipal reserves at Waihola ana Kaitan- !

gata, and to see whether it is not possible for Milton to obtain a share of them.

Mr Stewart, in seconding the motion, thought that Dunedin in all conscience re ceived more than its fair share of what waa going.

The" motion was agreed to. The appointment of Works and Finance •Committees was postponed till next meeting, and the meeting adjourned.