County Council.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XX, Issue 6235, 24 October 1888, Page 2

County Council.

The adjourned special meeting of the above Council was held last evening at the County Council Chamber;. The County Chairman, presided, and there were also present—Ors Walton, Dun - lop, Bagnall, Coutts, Steedman,' and Pitkethley. The minutes of the meeting held on Monday morning were read and confirmed. Tp defective mains. The Clerk read the following REPORT OF COMMITEE,

•' In obedience to your instructions we met and considered to-day the question of providing and laying down the 30-inch mains required to complete the full delivery from the water race. After much consideration we decided not to apply to the Bank, as it ivould seriously affect our existing fioanoial arrangements with that institution, which terminate on the 31st March next We then interviewed Messrs Morrin's manager, and the terms upon which this firm will deliver the pipes are set forth in the attached letter. We need not revert to tho urgent character of the work, as it is well known to Councillors how desirable and imperative it is, not only for the^ safety of those employed underground in the vicinity of the present mains, but also in view of the security it will give to our annual reports from the batteries, and the saving of money now wasted in contract and expensive repairs, We also explain that the interest to be charged is the current Bank rates."

Also Messrs T. and S Morrins's letter, as follows

"In reply to your enquiries regarding the terms upon which we arc prepared to indent for the Thames County Council, 2200 feet of 30 inch mains as last supplied by us to thoir order. We. have pleasure in stating that wo will indent the pipes on the same terms as bofore, that is for 5 per cent, on the cost. T(je County Council undertaking to pay us the sum of £1200 cash upon delivery of same at Thauieß, and giving us an undertaking to pay the balance with interest added, within one year from delivery.' 1 Cr Pitkethley moved, and Cr Bagnall seconded, and it was cariied "that the report bo received." Cr Steedman: Do I understand we had have to pay £1200 on delivery of the pipes land £1000 in a year from the time they arrive?

The Chairman : The committee recognise that it is urgent something should be done, and consequently recommend that the pipes be ordered, We think the Council will be able to pay for them, irros pective of Government aid—although weare not altogether without hope that the Council will receive some assistance from the Government.

Cr Walton : What interest will be churged us ? The Chairman: The Bank specifies tho rate of interest.

Cr Walton: It ought to have been Btated in the letter.

Cr Pitkethley . I move" that the Committee's report, us reoeived be adopted." There can be no doubt that the matter iB a most important one and that the laying of the new pipes is urgently required. These defective mams have been a trouble for some time, and lately the breakages have become so numerous, as to be most serious In consequence the matter has been taken up energetically. I consider that the arrangements are as good as could be made —and quite as much so as if we went to Bank to borrow the money. Therefore move the adoption of the report Or Walton • I will second that provided the interest to be paid is stated.

The Chairman; Add the words" interest not to exceed eight per cent," The Clerk: The Council would have to pay £80 to Morriu and Co. for the accommodation. Cr Coutts, Where's the money to come from to pay the debt ? Or Hagnall; Do I understand that Morrin and Co, require not to enter into an undertaking to pay the balance of the account within twelve months ? If so what undertaking will Morrin and 00. require ? The Chairman: A resolution ot tho Council to that effect is all that they require—the same as they had on a former occasion some time ago. Cr Bagnall: But they won't be satisfied with that to my mind. I think they will I require a promissory note. The Uhairman : Then they won't get it j Or Bagnall: They will want some guarantee as to when the money will be paid, 1 should .think. Also that jt will bej paid within the given time specified. We I are not in a position to enter into any such contract, nor can we pay the money within the stipulated period of twelve months, j Can any Councillor say that within a year we shall be able to pay a balance of LI3OD, besides finding the amount charged us for interest, and also to piovide the necessary money for laying the pipes ? Such a thing is impossible The Banket has intimated that we should not increase our overdraft, and we have at the present moment dishonored bills to the amount of L 250 in the Council's safe, they are dishonored bills real y, as they are accounts which we cannot pay. 4°d though we cannot pay this L 250, we are about to increase our debts by involving ourselves with lorrin and Co. to the extent of £1,300, and a further sum of £500 in all probability for laying the pipes. This is a most absurd idea, and if a private individual were to do such a thing with his finances in the same condition as ours, he would be liable to be prosecuted by the law. If we cannot now pay L 250,1 am satisfied we cannot pay L 1,300 iiftvfol'vo months time. We have no evi-

dence before us tjiat this matter is as urgen as jt is reproaentpcl to (je. Th| last general ingetifig of tlje Council wap" held oijly a ggOj ant} thorp was nothing said to,. " - 'Che letters bearing pn tbp subabout it|tlieu. to tljo Qpdfjoil wjthject have all been sou. •..* in the past fortnight. Whejoai. _ °... the money to pay for the pipes. It is very foolish to ordor them and wait—Mioawbor j like—for something to turn up to enab b us to do so. If it is necessary to provido against danger, it should bo done at onco; and wo should not wait to prevent that danger until the arrival of the pipes, which will be some four monthß bonce. It this danger really exists, we have sufhcieDt pipes lying at Shortland, ,and enough money in the bank, to make su,ch alter--ations as will obviate any danger. If an accident, such as some Councillors say is likely to occur, happens bofore tho balance of tho pipes arrive, cau the Council be held blamoloss in the matter r 1 have

conferred with many people, sinco yesterday on the matter—people who understand the subject fully—and they agreo with |iie in thinking that tho danger is not so great, as it is said to be. The County Engineer informs me that tho amount of water, said to be escaping, has been very much exaggerated. I cannot help thinking that if I wore to suggost that soiuo the letters sent to tho Council had been inspired by someone in the Council, I should not bo far wrong. The wisest plan is to take up the old pipoß in tho wo,rut places, and to replace thorn with tho 30-inch mfio 3 ,?? A l ' ll6

we can, and then complete it afterwards when wo have the money to do it. So far, as I, aB a single member, can do, I shall resist the adoption of die report. Let us first pay our debts, before we incur fresh liabilities. We are really in the position of having to say, " we Councilors can't pay our debts; the Banker won't 'allow hb to increase our overdraft; and we shall have to lake refuge under the Bankruptcy Act. 1 ' Cr Dunlop: It's not the first time we have been in the position.

Cr Bagnall : lam aware of that, but it in none the less contomptible and disgraceful for all that, and I shall oppose this scheme to the utmost. We should not bo justified in doing thin, when we can't meet our present liabilities. Unless far more urgent reasons are brought forward, we should be altogether foolish to adopt such a course aB is now proposed. The Chairman: I would like to ask to whom Councillor Bagnall referred, when he hinted that the letters had been inspired by eomeono in the Council ? Or Bagnall: I refer to yourself, Mr Chairman,

The Chairman : I give the statement a direct and unqualified denial, and the man who says I inspired the letters is a wicked and malicious liar,

Cr Bagnall: lam glad to hear you say so, Mr Chairman,

Cr Dunlop: I know, and so <?o many others, that every word in the letters ia true. Cr Bagnall does not want the work to be done. I feel sure that the Government would give us no assistance on a patched up job. I consider that it ia most blackguardly conduct for any man to say that the letters were inspired by anyone. Tho Chairman : Only base and wicked minds could conceive such a thing, and it is absolutely humiliating to hava to sit at tue Council table with members who can be guilty of such mean and dirty actions, as to suggest that tho lottors were inspired. This work haa been regarded as n.cessary since 1886, and it was only the other day that Mr Clark mat me, and used some very strong language in regard to the defective mains. Then wo have the letter of the Mining Inspector, a man absolutely above suspicion. Is it likely that he would jeopardise his position by permitting himself to be influenced by any member of this Council. Is it likely he would be so unwise as to mix himself up in another man's quarrel ? With regard to Councillor Bagnall's remarks on dishonored bills, they aie a libel on tho Council and on the Bank. The Bank have never dishonored the Council's cheques, and have always upheld our credit. I detest insincerity, and hate to hear men prate about the wickedness of grabbing money, and afterwards trying to get all they can for themselves. Or Bagnall: " Physician heal thyself."

The Chairman : Unfortunately we have often been pushed for money, and it is no wonder considering that the County extends from tho .Waikawa to Te Aroha. But for all that we have done the best we could with the means at our disposal. We have made roads and tracks, and have tried to do our best to open up the district to the miner. If we are to take eucb a pessimist view of matters as Or Bugnailj we might as well throw up our hands at once. The report is now before tho Council for its approval or rejection, and we certainly cannot allow men to work in danger without attempting to do something to remedy it. ■ •

Cr Coutts: I shall vote against tho adoption of the report—as it has been shown by the Engineer that the matter can be remedied by patching the worßt places. Cr Steedman : With regard to paying the money; suppose we can't pay it at the end of twelve months ? What will Morrin and Co do then ? The Chairman: Extend the time, Or Steedman; Then would it not be better to ask them if they will givo us two years' credit ? I would move that the words "provided that Morrin and Co alloiv us two years in which to pay the balance" be added to the report. The Choirman : I fancy there would be some difficulty in obtaining their consent.

Cr Dunlop; If we could not pay, I feel sure that Morrin and Co would extend the time,

The Chairman, The matter really rests with the Bank.

Or Bagnall: It was from the fact that so many letters had come iu together about the water mains, that I consider the circumstances auspicious: and that someone in the Council had inspired them. If I have said anything wrong, I beg to apologise. The report was then adopted, Ors Dunlop, Walton, Pitkethjey, and the Chairman voting for its adoption, afid Ors Ijagnall Coutts and Steedman against it. Cr Bagnall: Pleaße take the names down.

The Chairman; I would now move " that the Chairman of the Finance Committee, and the Chairman of the Council be appointed to carry out ilje provisions of the Report." Or Bagnall : I would again urge that this matter f iiould not be settled in such a hurried manner. I shall ceitainly take such steps as I think proper to prevent its being done, ai)d I shall inform Morrin and Co. tb§t the Council is not in a position to undertake to pay the mopey in the timo specified. The Chairman: Do not let us bandy words.

Cr Bagnall: lam not in any humour lo do so, and can assure you that I was never more earnest in my life. Cr Dunlop may laugh, and poke fun at me, and sneer, but I shall express my firm convictions for all that,

Or Dunlop : lam not sneering at you, but at the past, Cr Bagnalll do pt wish to drag up t|ie miserable past, Bi|t I 'am pt afraid to fyue anything that I did in the pfist. I say that while you Bay you have no iflpney for the Otunuj, yet you have' inonoy to buy water uiaius that ardnotjmmodiiUely required. Ask for two years in to pay the money? better asjf fpr five. The rat? of wyrertoight percepf-W pxhorbitant to charg6 a local body, when private persons can borrow money for six per cent. Ibuj wijl show 11x3 WtepajW l' ow . a njiHstoDp is being liungabout their ooolf< T'jP CouDOil were uow paying 9 per M f^ 11 ' pV0l fl " draft; and now it was proposed to pay o per pent ° a lll i ß now ' oaD - Any caudid .Copcjlior will admit, that there ib not the slightest possibility qf paying the money, oven in two years, I shay take such steps as I can to provoat this proposal f/ejng carried into effect.

Or Pitkethley: In two years if we choso we could wipe off tho whole O.E oii f liabilities—so tlmt tliero is nbsolutoly no reason (9 bo '• scared " with our financial position. Tfl patch t|io pipes would be more expensive than gat prescrnt proposal, 38 qo gooner did wp patch one part,' thafi in ail others would need to be dono also. There j.B ro need for a scare as to our financial position, if Or P<ignaJl makos propor enquiries ho will find that those breakages in tho mains have been of Very froquent occurronco. The arrange-

ment is a very reasonable one. and eigl/ per cent interest is not-out-of-the-way, The Chairman : Hiilierto the funds received from the water-race, and from gold duty have been expended in maintaining and repairing UD-coimtry roads. In the future, Cr Bagnall will understand, that the ratepayers will have to find the money in their own district, for road repairing and maintenance.

It was moved, _ seconded, and carried ' that Messrs Morriu and Co be requested to allow t#o years in which to pay the balance, instead of one."

Or Bagnall voted against this proposal. Cr Dunlop moved « that the Chairman and the Chairman of the Finance Committee, be appointed to carry out the provisions o£ the resolution.

Gr Steeaman seconded, and said that he would move that Cr Baguall's name be added. Cr Bagnall declined to act. The motion was then carried, and the Council rose.