LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XI, Issue 792, 20 July 1878, Page 2

LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The adjourned meeting of the above body was held in the Council Chambers on Wedriesdny evening. The Mayor and Councillors Jeffery, Tolcher, Hayes, Anderson, and Miller were in attendance. The minutes of the lost ordinary meeting were read and adopted. ' ■ ' OORBBSPONDBNOB. The' inward correspondence comprised the following business :—: — Letter from Mr Gordon asking thai he might be allowed an extension of time for delivering metal from Clarendon for Ross Place. — It was agreed to extend the time for completing the contraot until the 30th September. t - ;, . Mr It. H. Johnston made application for one of the offices on the ground floor of the Town Hall. He offered to give £1 per month .(payable itf advance); if^tha Council would accede to his request.— Granted for three months. ' . ' The Returning Officer mentioned that no candidates were proposed on the advertised date for the vacancy in the auditorship of the Borough.— lt was decided' Wiat the Returning Officer be instructed to proceed with the election under the 46th section of the Municipal Corporation Act,

Mr Pope, rate collector, reported that several parties who were in arr ar for rents of Corporation leases, refused to pay until they obtained their lenses. — It was decided to instruct the collector to proceed against thoso parties in arrear. The Clerk of the Road Board wrote :— " In reply to your letter of the 22nd May last, re road to cemetery, I am directed by the Tunpeka Boad Board to inform you that, whilst recognising the importance of the work referred to, before entering into any works on .. that wwJLthey would be glad to be. furnished - an- estimate of the probable post of making tire *Oftd,t*>gether with a plan of the --work proposed."— As it? was thought that ,y.<kere were plans of the road lying in the Clerk s office, it was decided that a search be j-flWdeJor them,; Jbutin-the went of their nob f being found, the Clerk was instructed to I obtain Mr Johnston's services for the purpose of laying off the road, and giving an estimate of the piobable cost. Mr Maitland, Commissioner of Crown Lands, forwarded the following : — " In Taply to your letter of the 4th instant, regarding a Municipal reserve of sections 17 to 29, block XLIV., town of Lawrence, I have to inform you that a Crown Grant of the above sections has been prepared in favor of the Borough." — Received. TUAPEKA GOLDKBLDS HOSPITAL. The Secretary of the Tuapeka Goltlfields Hospital wrote staling ithat he had appealed to the County Council for aid on behalf of ' the funds of that) institution, and in reply received a copy of a resolution passed, to the effect — "That the' County give a donation to the extent of £150 to the Hospital, contingent on the Borough Council giring a sum of ÜBZS."— Cr Jeffery moved—" That,no. action j^^fen in -thio matter for the present." In H»»kjng to the resolution, Cr Jeffery said the yGouffy Council evidently wished to shelve the Question .of the local bodies taking over the *Tnanagemeufc of the Hospital. thought it was ?an injustice to the Borough to pass such a resolution, for the reason that the residents of the Borough contributed their quota by way of subscription. If the County contributed a similar amount proportionately to the number of inhabitants,- then there would be less occasion to raise complaints. If he_ mistook not, the, Borough with its 70Q or 800 inhabitants contributed some £150 during last year, and the County vitfrv larger population and a larger area of country only contributed about £240. In addition, the Borough Council had one-third of theuvsubsidy deducted for the maintenance of charitable institutions; and then if they added to, that the amount they had to pay djgjng the year for destitute scarlet fever patients^it would be admitted, he considered, that they had done their duty in so far as they were concerned in the management of tt^i Hospital.— CrHajes- seconded the resolutio'n^The "Mayor strongly supported the resolution, and referred to th& action of the Conference composed of members of both the Borough and County Councils held- recently with- the. view of deciding whether these bodies Should undertake the management of the Hospital. Although one meeting had been^held, and it was resolved to communicate with the Borough Councils of Roxburgh and SSpanui in order to ascertain the amount deducted by Government from their subsidy, Jiebrar sorry to say that no further action had apparently been taken. He did not think they were justified in complying with tliejresolution passed at the late meeting of the\ County Council, and he thought it very undignified" for * body like the County __jQojancil to, dictate what they (the Borough) "~ must contribute. He quite agreed with what kad,fajlen^fr,om Cr,Jefferr, and he was of :Ppiuion3that the members of the Borough Council were quite competent to discuss and Y4«pide any question Tipon it* merits that came [ before them, without the interference of the V County Council. As had been remarked, the ' r&iilents- of the Borough were not backward to the funds' of the Hospital, ■ and then. they had- a third of their subsidy deducted for the support of the Hospital, and .^■dGUng likewise the.amount they hadexpended lor, the relief of scarlet fever patients, he considered that the lion's share of the Hospital - .maintenance had been borne by the ratepayers of the Borough. As far as he was concerned, he was quite agreeable to both the Borough and County Councils taking over tike, management of the Hospital, but then he ' thought that the County should contribute a 1 ; sum in proportion to the amount of rates and * ' subsidy they received. If an understanding 1 of that nature were arrived at, greater satis- I faction would be given, and then there would I ,, t be no occasion for dictating in such a high- ' handed manner what the Borough musfr con- 1 tribute. He could conceive no other object in ] ,, view by the County Council in passing their ( ' resolution, unless it was to burke the question. * — The resolution -was then put and carried \ unanimously. i . , • • accounts. Si , ,-The following accounts were referred to ' ' the Committees :— M. Roughnn, LI 1 . _45.; J[. Caskie, LI 16s ; I. Walker, Ll2 12s < .6d j M. O'Gorman, L 10;1 0; F. H. M'Coy, L 7 1 JINANCE BEPOBT. !,, Finance Committee reported that the J t Council's overdraft at the bank now amounted . toLßs7los6d. t bobottoh solioitob. < On the motion of Cr Toicher it was decided !: , that the Finance Committee wait upon Mr I Webb, solicitor, for the purpose of securing ' . his services as Borough Solicitor: - ( LBTTBB CABBIES. ] : Cr Toicher moved : " That the Town Clerk \ be instructed to write to the Poatmaster- * General asking that a letter carrier be apv pointed for the Borough of Lawrence."-*— Carried. - < * - : ' KOTIOB OS MOTIOW. 1 ' Or Toicher gave notice of motion : " That ' the meetings of the Council be held at seven > o'clock instead of eight o'clock during the . winter months."