MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Southland Times, Issue 3324, 14 February 1879, Page 2

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

TThe usual fortnightly meeting- !> 6£ the .Municipal Council- was held last evening in the;:Gouncil .HalL. : Present: Councillors 'Gropdwilliei Johnson, Froggatt, D'unjop, Kingsland, Jaggers, and Roche. v The Mayor being >jabse,ntv- in ,Dunedin } : ,Coun-*" cillor Goodwillie was elected to the chair. T;.T • A AAA. :'';■':.; A. T .■ The minutes] of 'the": previous: meeting •vvere read* and- confirmed, after: which :. copies : J df letters sent - " and those; received ''since 'last meeting were laid' before the meeting.. „;:.. ,-;.-*..• '-. I '•■: A .letter -yyas received f rpui the' 'Council's SoficiM in 'reference to the debentures for the water loan. It was referred "tb the Finance Committee to report tq the Council. ' ._._._' 'A petition froni residents,; in Ettrick sti-eet was read, praying for the construction; pf; apassable rpad. there,. the; road>vay and footpath at present being in a" most deplorable condition. The petitiph was cibrdered to lie -on the table for further consideration. . . :- , The Finance Committee's : report was then brought up. It was to the effect that the. committee, acting. on the wjsh of the Council, had . waited on the Bank Manager relative to the extent of the advance the Bank Would be disposed tolmake, which the committeej had to -report would be sufficient to meet ordinary expenses till tlie end. of the financial "term. Ch Jaggers explained that ihe committee had calculated what they would require for ordinary purposes till June 'next, estimating it at £6000. Atthe end of that term the rates would be available, and they reckoned that the overdraft could then be reduced to £40.00. He moved that the report be adopted. Councillor Dunlop complained that "ordinary purposes" was an indefinite term, inasmuch as the Finance Committee might hold opinions at variance with other Councillors as to what should be placed in the category of ordinary expenditure. -' Councillor Kingsland followed in the same strain, and said a good deal more, -with the object of showing that the committee had wrongly estimated their position. He contended that they had no right to incur, debts for which their . successors would have to pay. A good deal, of i desultory discussion ensued. .:;.■• Ultimately the report was adopted. The Harbor Committee reported as folt l ows : __ « That Mr Clare be appointed Harbor Master and Pilot, in addition to Signalman, and that the salary be increased to £156 per annum, and that in future the - usual fees be charged for pilotage, and that the amount be paid into the Corporation funds.— Having, had the question of- the berthage accommodation .of . the jetty under consideration, recommend* that MiClare be requested to report what, in his opinion, would be the best mode of extension, keeping in view the requirements of the shipping so as to. afford easy facility of arrival and departure of vessels.— That the Engineer be instructed to extend the excavation on the south side pf the T, so as to enable vessels to berth alongside the- jetty there, and to employ what labor may be necessary over and above the ordinary staff of workmen." In moving the adoption of the report Councillor Johnson adverted to the present inadequate salary paid to the gentleman upon whom it was proposed to confer the additional offices of Harbor-master and Pilot,, and remarked upon the- necessity of making the appointment in view of the increasing importance of the port trade. He also said a'tfew words in explanation of the proposal to extend the wharf :accom-j modation, pointing out that at present the. shipping was greatly inconvenienced owing to the want of sufficient room at the "jetty- - .":'.. . .77 , -.''■-' '. The ; repprt was adopted, with the amendment that the work* proposed to be done,, should be carried out by.contracf, f or which tenders should be called. ..-■•• i The report of the Gas Committee was read as follows: — "In reference to the letter from '■■ the East Invercargill Council, we recommend that the Corporation be informed that the Council cannot, at present, entertain the proposal to supply them e with gas plant, but the Council will be prepared jfco supply gas 7 if the East Invereargill Corporation will ' lay their own mains,. The committee recommend that tenders be invited to excavate trenches, for main laying , extensions in Nith street, Conon street, ancl Ythan street, to Biggar street,, and the completion of Gala street and Tweed street, from Clyde street to Nith street on the north rise, and onr the south-side from Nith street to Conon street, and in any other blocks where' residents signify their willingness to take the gas. " Cr Johnson moved the adoption of the report. Some discussion ensued, Cr Kingsland disagreeing , with the report on the ground that the Corporation .would in a short time be in a position to supply more gas than there was at present a demand for, and the duty of, the Council therefore was to extend the means of supplying the gas. It was pointed out on the other hand, that when the Council „had^ the money at their disposal to lay down mains, they ought' in justice to provide those within tlie- town, rather than the suburban t municipalities; as it was, they proposed to give them better terms than -private consumers. The report was ultimately adopted. The following accounts were passed for payment — £245, due to Messrs "Waddel and Co ; £300, first progress payment on account of asphalting; and £25, second progress > payment on account of Earn street. A letter from Captain ' Clare, respecting certain requirements in connection with his office as Signalman, was referred to the Harbor Committee. * * "" ""-- ' '* The report of the "Inspector of Nuisances was referred to the ' Public Works Committee. A lengthy statement of a statistical character "from the pound-keeper -was ordered to be laid on the table. The tender of Mr Flannigan for the construction of the Park drain- (£62) was accepted Several small matters of a general character, coming under the head of extraordinary busipess, were deaitwith, ' Th.c CQujacj} then. p*te,