BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Independent, Volume I, Issue 53, 24 September 1885, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council took place on Tuesday evening last. Present: His Worship (C. A. DeLautour, Esq.) in the chair, and Councillors Townley, Tucker, Lewis, Joyce, Wilson, Graham, and Smith.

Messrs Townley and Tucker, after taking the usual oath, took their seats and were welcomed by the Chairman. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed the correspondence was approved of.

Cr Graham presented a petition signed by several ratepayers asking the Council to take Berry street under its control. The question was referred to the Public Works Committee. Engineer's Report.

“ Nothing but day work has been done for the last fortnight. The Lowe Street crossing has been finished at a cost of £8 ios, or about 7J<d per square foot of pitching, and some work has been done in clearing drains and water channels. Details are given in the vouchers (labor L 8 ns and carting L 8 45.) Several drains in the Borough having become partially choked by slips during the wet weather, I intend now to have them cleared. I also suggest that the wattle fence at the foot of the bank of Read’s Quay be continued to meet the wing of the Turanganui Bridge, so that it would be possible by tipping any road scrapings or suitable rubbish behind the water trough to gradually widen Read’s Quay at this point and improve the bridge approach.” On the motion of Cr Lewis, seconded by Cr Wilson, it was resolved that the recommendation as to Read’s Quay be carried out, the Engineer stating that the cost would not exceed £2 or Payments.

Tenders for Watering the Stbef.ts, On the question of opening the tenders for watering the streets, Cr Joyce thought that as the storekeepers derived the largest benefit they should be asked to contribute specially towards the expense. He could scarcely see the justice of malting outside resident ratepayers pay for watering the Gladstone Road when they derived no benefit whatever from it.

Cr Tucker agreed with Cr Joyce, and although the question should have been decided before passing the report, it was never too late to mend. It was not right to make the outside residents pay for what only benefitted the lower end of the town.

Cr Joyce had been surprised when he saw that tenders were called for, as there Jiad not been anything in the report to authorise it, and tho question had never been before the Board.

Cr Smith differed with the last two speakers. Every one would benefit by watering the main road, as people had to come into town to shop. It would tend largely to the comfort and health of all alike. It was only proposed to try one cart for the present, and if the thing was found to answer they could then resort to future discussion as to whether it was desirable to increase the number of carts.

Cr Joyce did not object to the thing being tried, but he though that those who benefitted most by it should bear a like proportion of the expense.

Cr Lewis said the Gladstone Road paid the heaviest rates. Cr Joyce : Yes, but they derive the benefit of lhe position in a like ratio.

Cr Graham thought that the tenders should be opened in order to see what the real cost would be, and they could then see what the residents on the Gladstone Road were willing to contribute.

Cr Tucker would like to know the residents in the by streets wooer-

benefit. Was the Engineer to call the Council together every windy day so as to decide what particular streets were to be watered.

The Chairman having called attention that there was no motion before the Board,

Cr Joyce moved and Cr Tucker seconded that the opening of the tenders be held over until the storekeepers and others had been communicated with, as to bearing the expense. Cr Townley hoped that the tenders would be opened, so that the cost might be knotvn. The thing had been talked over for years, and now they had got it before them, it was again sought to put the thing off. '1 he thing was for the general comfort and benefit of aU. It was only proposed to make the trial with one cart, and the Gladstone Road was certainly entitled to some consideration as it payed fully 3-Bths of all the rates. He moved as an amendment that the tenders be opened. Cr Smith having seconded the amendment was carried. The following tenders were then opened : M. Moore, 3s per hour; O’Neil, is gdper load ; Morgan, is gd per load; Burch, is 6d per load or 3s per hour. After the Council had been in committee on the subject Mr Burch’s tender I was accepted, subject to certain coneditions.

The Water Scheme. Cr Graham withdrew his motion re the Artesian well scheme, as the Engineers estimate was so much in excess of what he (the speaker) anticipated. It was not his intention to let the matter drop altogether, but he would withdraw it for the present. Special Loan. Cr Townley then moved " That the Council take a vote of the ratepayers to give lhe Council power to borrow £lO,OOO, to pay the balance on the present loan when due, to metal Palmerston Road and Cobden Street North, and the balance to be expended on such streets as the Council shall decide to metal. The loan to extend over 15 years, with a sinking fund of X3OO per year.” As Councillor Graham had withdrawn his motion there was now no immediate necessity for borrowing more than £'lo,ooo, which would enable them to meit the balance due on the old loan in 1886, besides leaving a balance for metalling the proposed streets. If this plan was adopted it would not in any way alter the present rate of 6d in the £. He did not think it necessary to say anything further at present, as the whole thing must be discussed fully by-and-bye. He could ' not see any other better way of paying off the old loan than that which he proposed. It had originally been proposed to extend the old loan over a period of thirteen years, but Sir Julius Vogel had advised that it be extended for only seven years, and hence the present deficiency. His present scheme the Borough Reser.-es entirely free, they could always be utilised for any emergency. He had little doubt but what they could get money now on easier terms than before.

Cr Graham would ask Cr Townley to reduce the sinking fund from £"300 to £"200 a year. Cr Townley had no objection. If that was done they would at the end of the time only find themselves in the same difficulty as that now being experienced about the balance of the old loan.

Cr Joyce thought as there was plenty of time the question should be held over until the Harbor Board loan was floated, when the Borough could borrow from them at a cheap rate, and thus assist the Harbor Board. This would be far better for the Harbor Board than letting the money lay in the bank at a very low rate of interest.

Cr Tucker thought that £lO,OOO would not leave much over for public works, and the more they had for that purpose the belter. Cr Smith would like lhe matter to be held over for another month. He could not see why they should be saddled with a sinking fund at 7 per cent, which, with 6 per cent for the loan, made 13 per cent. He believed the money could be got for 5 per cent now. They should leave the question of a f sinking fund to a future generation. They could get £T5,000 for Zi.soo a year, and at present they were paying £■1,300 a year for £ to, ooo. Cr Joyce seconded the amendment. Cr Tucker seconded Cr Townley's motion.

Cr Townley would be very willing to agree to any plan which could bo shown to he better than that proposed by himself, but they must go to the ratepayers.

Cr Smith certainly thought they wanted £1 5,333 — least. They could raise that without any increase of the present rates, as it could easily be got now on five per cent. At any rate they could get it at say 5J per cent. They ■were already upwards of in debt, and were paying 9 per cent, for an overdraft, and it would be much better to go in for £ 15,000 at say 5 per cent., than keep on as they were. Cr Graham had gone thoroughly into the question, and was at first of Cr Smith's opinion, but now he was convinced that Cr Townley's proposal was the best. Cr Townley said they had to go to the ratepayers, and perhaps the loan would not be sanctioned. If so they would have to get the money by some other means. Cr Lewis thought that if they went to the rateppyers for /T 5,000, they would not sanction it, as the money was not all wanted just now. What were they with the balance of after wiped off their presesnt liabilities. Cr Joyce : Build another bridge with it, (Laughter.) After some further discussion the amendment was lost, and Cr Townley’s motion was carried—Crs Smith, Joyce and Wilson voting against it.

z s d Rent of offices 0 o Rating Officer.,. 4 4 0 Burrett ... I II 0 Rice 8 II 6 McDeavitt 8 4 o Patutahi Road Board 3 I 8