LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XI, Issue 751, 27 February 1878, Page 2

LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tho ordinary meeting of the above body wa3 held in the Council Chambers on Monday evening. There were present His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Tolcher, Hayes, Gascoigne, Anderson, Storry, and Harrop. MINUTES. Tho minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The outward was read and approved ; and the inward was received and adopted. Tho latter correspondence was unimportant. From the Colonial Secretary's Office, the following was received : — ".I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 2nd February relative to prisoners from up-country districts, sentenced to short terms of imprisonment, being sent to Lawrence gaol. . Your letter has been referred to the department of justice.— Yours, &c, G. S. Cooper." INFORMATION RB LEVYING WATER RATE. At the former meeting, a sub-com-mittee was appointed to prepare a report on the best method to be adopted for levying a water-rate. The Clerk was instructed to procure information from the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Councils for the assistance and guidance of the Committee in the preparation of their report. From the Port Chalmers Borough Council no reply was received by Mr King, and the Committee considered it inadvisable to proceed with their report until they had obtained all necessary information. The Clerk of the Dunedin City Council (Mr Massey) forwarded the following :— " I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 18th February, requesting information as to water-rates levied in this city, and in reply I have to inform you that for ' ordinary ' supplies the rates imposed are those laid down in section 253 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876. I enclose a schedule of the charges at present made tor 'special* supplies." — The following is the schedule referred to : — Water closets : In hotels, . per annum each, £4 ; in private houses, £1. Baths : In hotels, for the first, per annum £2 ; for each other, £1. Hydraulic lifts, per 1000 gallons, Is 6d ; meter rent, per quarter, 53. Steam boilers, breweries, &c, per 1000 gallons, Is ; meter rent, per quarter, ss. Water for motive power, per week as per agreement, £2 to ss. PUBLIC WORKS REPORT. ; , The Works Committee's report, which was received and adopted, referred to several works that were a m course of completion. UNWISE TO REMIT RATES. „ Cr Gascoigne informed the Council that he had interviewed Mrs Smith relative to the application made by her at a previous meeting for the remission of rates on certain sections in the town belonging to her children, and which were vested mc three trustees, two of whom had since resigned. — It was decided that the remaining trustee (Rev. Father Larkin) be written ■to requesting him to pay the rates in full without delay. — The Council was unanimously of opinion that it was unwise to remit rates in any case. A WARNING. " Cr Tolcher drew attention to a matter that came under his notice at the Assessment Court held that day. A person named William Fergusson, he remarked* had been allowed the privilege of residing' for some time past en a street within the town boundary without paying .rates f ancTsimplyJbecause the valuer had assessed the property at £20 —in other words, charged him £1 for the privilege enjoyed—he objected. The judge of the Assessment Court sustained the objection, and assessed the property at £5. - He (Cr.' Tolcher) considered that Fergusson had over-stepped the mark, and after such conduct could only be rgarded as a trespasser. — Several Councillors supportedthe view taken by Cr. Tolcher. It was unanimously agreed " That the ratecollector call upon Fergusson immediately . and demand £1 ; and in the event of an objection, that he be requested to quit the street within one month." ACCOUNTS. The following accounts were referred to the Finance and Public Works Committees for investigation : — R. Tuckey, L4.3s 2d ; Anderson, Brunton, and Co., LI 6s ; J. Ellis, 7s 6d ; Tuapeka Tim-s, Ll2 13s. TENDERS. The folio wing, tenders were received for supplying gravel for Lancaster-street : — J. Cooper, L 2 12s 6d per chain ; A. Loudon, 11s per chain. — The latter, tender was accepted. - As there was only one tender received for supplying 200 yards of metal for Ross Place, it was decided that it be not opened. — It was resolved that the Works Committee obtain Mr Smaille's .opinion.in respect to the quality of local metal for traffic purposes compared with that procured from Glenore.