BRIGHTON BOROUGH.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 700, 9 May 1916, Page 12

BRIGHTON BOROUGH.

MEETING OF COUNCIL. The New Brighton Borough Council met last evening, when there were present: —The Mayor (Mr J. A. Flesher) and Crs J. Ashley, T. Cox, F. Christian, F. Holland, J. Buxton, M. Leaver, J. Ainger, and F. Kibblewhite. The following recommendations of the committee were adopted:—That a grant of £lO to the funds of the local library be made, and that the Library Committee be recommended to increase the annual subscription. That tenders be called for the supply of horse feed for 12 months. The committee reported that the following resolution had been adopted at its last meeting: —"That the committee work of the council continue to be done by a committee of the whole, which shall have power to appoint sub-com-mittees from time to time to deal with special matters, such sub-committees to report to the main committee." This report of the committee raised a question which the council has not been able to agree upon for some time, the Mayor and certain councillors being in favour of a committee consisting of the whole council doing the committee work, and other councillors wishing for several small committees to he appointed. Cr Kibblewhite said that he did not know why the Mayor did not gWe the small committee scheme i. trial. The Mayor said that he had had experience of both systems, and he had no doubt as to the superiority of the scheme now in operation—that of one big committee. The motion before the council was that the committee's resolution be adopted, with an amendment by Cr Ainger that the matter be referred back to the committee for further consideration. After other councillors had given their views the Mayor put the amendment, and declared it lost on the voices. Cr Ainger dissented sfroni that ruling, and the Mayor took each name and the vote of each councillor, which resulted in a deadlock, until the Mayor gave his casting vote against the amendment, which was consequently lost. Cr Kibblewhite made a remark which the Mayor at once stated to be most objectionable. Cr Kibblewhite spoke heatedly for a few moments, and the matter was then allowed to drop. Correspondence was read from the secretary of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board stating that the board's levy on the council for the year 1916-17 was £303 15/3. It was decided to make payments every two months. A request from the Linwood Corps of the Salvation Army to hold open-air meetings near the entrance to the pier on Sundays was referred to the committee. A request for an extra £5 in next year's estimate for band concerts was referred to the committee. Cr Ashley was appointed the delegate to attend a meeting of council representatives to consider the small bird nuisance. The Mayor and Cr Winny were appointed the council's delegates to a meeting of representatives of local authorities to consider the removal of the Canterbury Saleyards. A request from the Labourers' Union that all employees earning less than £3 per week be granted a war bonus of 10 per cent, was referred to the committee for consideration and report. The Hon. W. F. Massey, chairman of the Recruiting Board, wrote in acknowledgment of the council's resolution regarding compulsion. The letter stated that the Recruiting Board did not agree that the present voluntary system had failed, and it was confident that if the new recruiting scheme was given a full and fair trial it would provide all the recruits necessary to keep our Expeditionary Force at full strength for many months to come. He asked that the personal canvass be continued until every man in the district of military age was accounted for. This request did not necessarily mean that every man who had been approached had enlisted or

had offered to do so, because the board quite recognised that there were many men with family and other obligations who could not offer their services at the present time. But it was in the interests of those men themselves that the board should have.full information re-" garding them, so that in the event of compulsion having to be introduced every man migjit be classified according to his circumstances, and only be called up in his proper turn. It was decided to reply informing the chairman of what had already been done in the borough. The following motion, notice of which had been previously given by Cr Leaver, was carried after some discussion:—• "That notice be given to the present returning officer terminating his appointment, with a view to appointing the Town Clerk as returning officer." Cr Leaver then moved that the Town Clerk be appointed returning officer, the matter of remunerate n to be arranged by the committee. The motion was carried. Cr Leaver moved that tenders be called for the removal by contract of night soil in the North Brighton special area. The motion was carried. The treasurer's report showed receipts £1670 16/6, expenditure £302 17/4, building permits £205,- bank balance cr. £6B 9/3, deposits dr. £1035.