Invercargill Borough Council

Southland Times, Issue 8062, 17 July 1885, Page 2

Invercargill Borough Council

Thursday, 16th July.

The ordinary meeting of the Council was attended by the Mayor and Councillors JStowarfc, , Basstian, Storie, Hannah, Tapper", Fleming, Lewis, Taylor, Blacke, Johnston, and Cleave. Among the outward correspondence was the following letter to the Chairman of the Southland Underwriters' Association : —

Sib, — I have the hononr by direction of the Municipal Council as the New Biver Harbour Board to acknowledge receipt of your letter covering complaints from the masters of the Janet Bamsay, Alpha, and Jane Anderson, and in reply to enclose a copy of the Harbourmaster's .report thereon, whi h the Council, think you will deem satisfactory. I am" desired to ask you to protect the interest of the district by causing the very unfair description of the New River Harbour in the classification of New Zsaland ports to be amended. It must be.patent to the local managers and agents of insurance companies, that classing the New Bivar Har« bour with Catlins Biver, Clutha Biver, Toi Tois, Hokitika, and other similar port 3is so remarkable as to be unaccountable except on the supposition that the Southland Underwriters' Association had no voice in tbe classification, and that it was arranged by some one who did cot know the port. The Council thiak that the attention of the Association has only to be -called to this great in j aatice to the district to induce them at once to cause it to be removed at the earliest possible period,— l have, &c, W. B, £oandbbxt, Town Clerk. . •

Riohard Cocks complained of a nuisanoe being created in Annan street through cows being so tethered that they frequently wandered on the footpath.— Referred to the Inspector of Nuisances.

A number of merchants and others wrote requesting that an asphalt crossing be formed in Esk street, from tfce footpath leading to the Government buildings to the footpath opposite Mr J. L. McDonald's warehouse. — Letter received, on the motion of Councillor Baestian ; an amendment by Councillor Cleave that the request be granted having been negatived. The Dunedin Iron and .Wood ware Company wrote that they had cut no timber on ihe Corporation's endowment in Seaward Bush, and were prepared to resign their right if others were found to take it up.— Referred to the Reserves Committee.

Messrs Macdonald and Russell wrote as follows :— '

We are instructed by the trustees of the estate of the late Mr J, T, Thomson to inform you that they propose at an early date to eubdivideand sell that portion of the late Mr Thomson's property lying between the continuation of Tay and Tweed streets, fronting Klles road, and extending eastward about nine or. ten chains. Before taking any steps in this direction the truitees are desirou? of ascertaining whether the Council would be disposed, in- the spring, to form end gravel Elles io*d from Tay Btreet to Tweed street,. Should the Council do so the trustees would consent to the land above referred to being brought within the. limits of the bordigh. It is scarcely necessary for us to point out that .in stipulating for the immediate canstruction of Elles* road the object of the trustees is to. obrain better prices -for the sectipas oflared,, andxio indnce purchasers to build, a result which would not only benefit the ; estate but also be of advantage to the Corporation in the matter of rates,

Th.c letter was referred to the Works CoriimUtee. .„ .-■

A communication waß received from the Treasury/. Wellington, in reply to"" tha Goanoil's application for a grant in aid of planting trees. It was intimated that the vote for domains bad not been renewed tbiß 3- ear.— Letter received, ;

Q. Hately, eijrveyQr, wrote as follows:—

Sib, — In reference to tie case Bulleid r, Tlol&^Corporation U 6t lavercargUl, I have the hoiiour to inform you tbat h«riag since inspected a field book of the. original surrey of the town, wl^ich at th'&t time I conld not obh&Yibg' no olne whereby it might be dis~ tinguiahed irom the numerous field booVs in the-Qovenusaent Survey Office, I flad that a measurement of a parallel line, «ras made in Tweed street from a point due south of the original peg to the west side of BUeir roadforming the east boundary of the town. Thismeasurement shews that iallowing for all in« tervening streets and sections of their correct linkage, the pubic reserves should have a linliage of 444, instead of 432 link* as shown . in tb,e ; Grown Cfrant, i/The- only map frojm the ds%>of'WbicK'the-G|rp^'Qrant:;^^WeA^ iasaed apparently^i| incoaJpletel a|d btherxwjse|acjqrrficfc,and appea.rs io_^ h^ave3bsen;in-" *tendißd»6ttly aß'^field^a'plbEtne'gMer^inae' .pf;tbe^ißurvey;or :.on '''tiie^gronnd^ and'ibe Qnly v meaßaremantfromwhich^thee^e|nb^oundaryi hsß ;l)een fixed; fj^m/a poiut w^tqh' exists at aMwlJee " streets 'is ia^ixecfr^and Aimpsfc eatiwiy^ Plough, bush, »hqli l^^q ejrw ift ftfeaift.

age owing /to;; the rougbnsss of the ground. jb,e mea«uiemfnt in Tweed street referred^to, being Jon fairly level -srroand, ia likely to have" been /the most accnrate, and accounts fdrthe entire distance betweed .the fixed point at the intersection of Tay and JDee streets and Trig B 'on the East : road. As the case stands fit'presenb 12 links of grpuad between" rthosepoiots ate unalienated, / "

The letter was )>eW over to be sidered .with the Works Commit^^re^t. Inspector o^ Nuiaances applied for' \ one month's leave of absehcetO visit Aos»t tralia, stating tbafc he ha* arranged with the police to procoed against any persons infringipg the bylaAVs during thatperiodi r-Leave granted. . : , ri - . :

, F. W. Burwdl^wrote nsking theXJounHi to put down an asphalt footpatK from^ Dee, street along, the northside ; of Yarrow? street to his new offices ;h being *t preß sent almost impossible to obtain access td; the building. He would bea^^e/Sost ' : p£s the work if the Council would re'fuiid iliibli amount in six months' time.— Request! %ranted,the Work being on the schedule,* 1 the amount to be refunded when the remainder of-the pathway was i asphalted; i A petition ', signed by twenty carters^ was^receiyed setting forth that the^Btand provided by thevCorporation :didr not giva^ suitable accommbdatiofi, and asking that a stand be: granted on the east side of Dee street, extending /froniy the Bank of NovrT South Wales' to the imperial Hotel.-— Re- r ferred to the' Works Committee.

Councillor Hannah presented a petition ; signed by business people in Dee streeiy between Don arid Esk streets, "asking that/ the drain there should be deepened inflft ciently 'to carry off the water which accumulated in their cellars.-— Receiyed.T The Finance Committee reported as C follows r^C^^Pbat thi^ haVe aatborised the Brigade to pump oat thrwater/ia-the cellar of Mr X*. Rodger's^Dee/ street build? ing, on condition that the firm pays L 2 to! wards the Fire Brigade's private funds. (2.)- Recommend that the Council assist in everyway to promote the representation *of- Southland in the Colonial and Indian Exhibition to be held" in London in May next, and that the frame of photographs despatched to Wellington for exhibition be afterwards sent, with any substitution thought desirable, to London to be shown in the Colonial and Indian Exhibition } also that it be notified that the Council is willing to receive any specimens of minerals and Soathland proiductg for the same object. (3.) Racommend that the borsV now stabled at the jetty be kept at the Fire Brigade yard, and, used in drawing the steam fire engine when required; (4.) Siecommend that ; accounts amounting to Lssl 8s 7d be passed for payment. (5.) Report that the committee has under consideration several of the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Consolidation Bill, now before Parliament, and recommend that the member for the town be informed that-tbe Council would like the present law regarding voting for loans, as shown in clause 10 of the Municipal Corporations Amendment Act, 1880, adhered to instead of giving effect to the proposal in clause 182 in'tb© Consolidatioo Bill. (6.) Recommend thai the— law be altered so aa to permit the Mayor to be elected by the Council instead of by the ratepayers as at present. (7.) Recommend that the present provision for the election of auditors be altered, and that the Government auditors examine the accounts, as is done in the County Councils and Harbour Boards ; this would effect a saving to the Corporation of L4O or LSO per annum. -

The first four clauses were adopted without discussion.

Councillor Blacke moved, seconded by Councillor Baastian, the adoption of the fifth clause.

Councillor Tapper supported the motion. Under the old Act it waß necessary that 50 per cent, of the ratepayers should vote in favour of the loan, but under the new Act 60 per cent, would be neceaßary, Many ratepayers were absent from, the town at the time, and others did not vote at all. These voteg_were unjustly counted as against the loan, and so it was always a matter of great difficulty to get the re« quisite majority. r

The motion waß then pat and carried, Councillor Blacke moved the adoption of- the sixth clause, stating .that besides facilitating business, the election of the Mayor by the Council would ba an advan* tage from an economical point of viewi Any gentleman aspiring to the civic chair should be well versed in o©r» poration business, and familiar with what had been done prior to his taking the position. Then it was necessary to print rolls for each Mayoral election, and there were other heavy expenses, snob.' aa Katarning Offioers' fees, &o. A gentleman who had been returned to the Council for three, Bix, or nine years, might be considered a representative man, and one qualified for the position. The motion was ssconded by Councillor Basstian.

i Councillor Tapper supported the motion, In his opinion the election of the Mayor by the Oounoil would mean a saving of nearly L2OO a year, sufficient to pay the .interest on a loan of - LSOOO, la every other city out of. New Zealand this systemwaß followed, and he did not see why this colony should be as exception, ft was not &s if the Mayor-elect had opt been sent to the Council by the people; he wqnld first be sent to that table by the ratepayers. A man who had worked for nine or eleven years for the town was surely entitled to the honour, if honour it were, of occupying the mayoral chair. Councillor Storie moved as an amend* ment -That consideration of the clause be held over for a fortnight. He thought a little more time should be given council" lors to consider the question. ' The amendment was seconded by Councillor Fleming,

On being put, the amendment was negatived, and the motion carried.

Oq the motion of Coancillor Tappef, seconded by Oouncillor Blacke, the seventh clause was adopted. :; The Works Oomaiittee recommended the Corporation to undertake the mabtenanoe of that portion of the roadway which the Tramway Company had ta keep in order, upon co edition that the Gompaoy pay 7a 6d perchaia per annum, payable quaiterly. from Ist September next.-rAdopted. . The aspbalt crossings asked for by owners in the "Urescent bdng on the schedule of work, it was resolved to have the work done as soon as the new loan was sanctioned by the ratepayers. The "Works Cormnittee recommended that the solicitor be instructed to prepare a bill having for its object the addition to EUes road of the twelye links, more or leas, on the ©astern side of the road which had been proved not to belong either to private owners or the town ; the bill to be taken obarge of by Mr Hatch, M.H.B, '■-■■■■ OouncillorjPleming, iri moving the ad!op< turn- of the claiise," said: that : kb; thought this was the easiest way of getting rid of all these., squabbles as to the survey of Ellesirbad. "*' ! ; ■■"• -V- v *"

, The motion seconded by Councillor Taylor../ '' '"Xi^ /', .'; V' ; ' } :^ ■: v , • •' 'CoanciirorTapper mdvea'M^atf-ajmend-mept, seconded by- Gonnoillbr * Basstian that the question be considered at a joint . meeting b£ the Invercargill aid' East fn« Borough Councils., - , . The antendraisnt wajscarried. ■ : - that ■ rnbbisK^be^aHo^i t o deposited in'tbe bld|^ayetpft9^i re* . aerye was adopted. .';.•' ' v^-^ : :^! s: r* ;yv On $£ >&e;&to Oommittes i accoaafe; amounthk "to "14^3 passedlor payment^;? i^ ceivedf from^^^the^member -tße :ftat^h(B iLpansPQngpUdation

The following tenders were accepted: — Ditching in tbe Park, A. Garrick and Co., L 3 9; lamp lighting, B. B. McKay, LlO5. „ . , . Tenders were ordered to be colled for decking the Corporation's new lighter. , On the motion of Councillor Blacko it was resolved to pay a sum not exceeding 125 towards the expenses of a delegate from the district to visit and report on tuo Sooth Sea Islands trade, the committee previously appointed for the purpose to confer with the Chamber of Commerce as to the selection of a delegate. . A number of works were added ,to the new schedule, and the Engineer was instructed to prepare estimates of the cost of all tbe wcrka upon the list. *- Conocillor Blscke moved; according to notice, " That the Town Clerk prepare an estimate of the probable revenuo that -' would accrue to tbe Corporation from the •ale of water, taking as a basis the valuation roll of 1885, and the scale of charges authorised by the Municipal Corporations 1876, or its amendments." He said Pins' object was to show the ratepayer! what rate could be levied in the event of • water supply scheme being carried out. The motion was seconded by Councillor Tapper, and carried. The Council then adjourned..