LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XIII, Issue 643, 23 June 1880, Page 2

LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of Council was held in the Council Chambers, Town Hall on Monday evening. Present — His Worship the Mayor, (R. Williams, Esq.), in the chair ; and Crs. Crow, Gooday, Harris, Miller, Monaghan, Roughan, Sutherland, and Thompson.

MINUTES.

The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed, on the motion of Cr Roughan, seconded by Or Monaghan.

CORRESPONDENCE.

The outward correspondence was read and approved, on the motion of Or Miller, seconded by Or Thompson. (1). To Mr Brown M.H.R., requesting his assistance in getting subsidies continued.

(2.) To Town Clerk, Dunedin, re subsidies, that the matter is being looked after.

(3.) To Manager of Railways, Dunedin, re road at Lawrence Railway Station, asking the Department to repair same.

(i.) To Mr Brown, M.H.R., 1* valida? tion of by-laws, and enclosing proposed validating clause.

The following inward correspondence was read and received on the motion of Cr Gooday, seconded by Cr Crow. (I.) From Mr T. Brunton asking permission to lease block xlvt., Town of Lawrence. (2.) From Mr G. B. King, on Jjeljalf of Lodge St. Lgwrence, 1.0. G.T., for use. of Council Chamber at a rent of £12 12s a year, and for use of the hall on l'4th July.—Granted.

(3.) Prom Mr A. M/Nicol re breakage of chair at Orange Lodge meeting, and complaining of language used to him by the Janitor ("Bromley ). (4.) From Mr Grant Railway Manager, that the application of the Council had been handed to the Engineer. (5.) From Mr G. Grant, Secretary of Melbourne Exhibition re exhibits fr^|fc Lawrence. ' Ti

(6.) From Avern and G.E., Dunedin, asking employment. — Received. Be MvM'Nicol's letter, CrMonaghau objected to certain language used in the, letter., and inoyed that go action b,e tak,eq. in the matter. (Not seconded. )-,Op Miller moved that the matter be referred to the Public Works Committee. — Cr Crow seconded the motion, and said the Society in question is a very respectable one, and their complaint should be respectfully treated.— Cr Thompson moved as an amendment— " That His Worship and Crs Monaghan and Sutherland be named a Special Committee to inquire into this matter ana report.'' — Cr Gooday seconded the amendment. — Or Miljey failed to see what benefit is to arige fgoin this proposed Oommitiieel — Qr Qooilay concurred with the views expressed' by Cr Miller, but thought this was a proper case for a Special Committee. — The amend ment was then put aqd carried.

Re Mr Bruntoh's application ; Or Gooday said the application was iricom :

petent ; the Council have no power to lease except by public tender. — After some conversation, Cr Thompson moved — "That the matter be referred to the Reserves Committee." — Cr Harris suggested that a plan should be laid before the Council before anything is done. — His Worship said the Reserves Committee could bring up a tracing with their report. — Cr Crow : It would be well that the Committee Bhould bring up a report, at the same time, about a clause for improvement, regarding which several inquiries have recently been made. — The motion was then put and carried. Mr Jeffery wrote complaining of the stagnant water at the west end of Ross Place.— Or Gooday moved— "That the Public Works Committee take immediate steps to have this and other matters of a similar nature done."— Or Crow seconded the motion, which was carried. Be Mr G. Grant's letter, Cr Crow thought as Gabriels Gully district is .known all over the world, a Special Committee, consisting of His Worship, and Ore Thompson, Roughan, and Crow, be appointed to deal with the matter." — j Seconded by Or Gooday, and carried. CEMETERY REPORT. The following report of the Cemetery Committee was read and received, on the motion of Cr Thompson seconded by Cr Monaghan : — We recommend that the fence between the Cemetery and Mr Darton's property be at once put into a good Btate of repair by trimming off the old burnt gorse, and placing two rows of wire on the top of the sods — the wire to be fastened to posts or slabs. Mr Darton met the 1 Cemetery Committee on the ground, and approved of our proposal. Mr Darton also agreed to pay half the expense of doing the proposed repairs. We would also recommend that the northern end, on the Cemetery ground adjoining Mr \ Darton's fence, be trenched 24ft. wide from that fence, and planted with suitable evergreen trees. This should also be done at once, as the season for planting will soon be over. It would be unadvisable to trench beyond the centre crosspath for the present. The border on the west side of the centre path has been trenched and planted, but a considerable number of the trees were destroyed last season, and should be re-planted without delay. The portion of the Cemetery used for pauper burials is in a very disgraceful state ; and the recommendation of this Committee, which was adopted at the last meeting, should be carried out without delay. ( The Sexton requires about one hundred pegs for marking the graves, and we recommend that the same be at once procured, so that he can use them where required. Cr Gooday wished to know whether this Cemetery business is to continue to be jumbled up with the ordinary business. It is no part of the Municipal business. He moved — " That hereafter the Cemetery business be conducted after the ordinary business and that separate minutes be kept." — Cr Crow seconded the motion. — Cr Thompson thought there was a separate minute-book. (Cries of "Not now.") — It would be well to have the minutes kept separate for convenience of reference. — Cr Harris, as a member of the Committee, objected to Cr Gooday's phrase jumbled «p.v. (A laugh.)— Cr Monaghan understood' that an opinion had been obtained. It might be produced. — Cr Miller thought the matter had been sufficiently discussed, and he would vote for the motion. — Cr Monaghan reminded the Council that under Mayor Harrop the Cemetery business was always conducted after the ordinary business. —Cr Roughan concurred. — (His Worship : Not at all,)— Cr Sutherland agreed with the motion, when, after some further discussion, Cr Gooday replied, and His Worship said Mr Webb had advised that so long as separate accounts were kept, the order of business was immaterial. The difficulty of finding out the Cemetery business referred to by Cr Gooday had no foundation. —The motion was carried. TEE FINANCIAL STATEMENT was received and adopted, shewing the ' balance due to bank at this date L9l 4s 4d. — His Worship said the Council's banker had allowed the overdraft tiJl the end of the month, as a good many heavy payments would come in daring the month. His Worship remarked that it was a pity all the auctioneers' licenses will not be renewed. — Cr Thompson said they are to be reduced. (A laugh.) ACCOUNTS. A number of accounts, amounting to L 74 6s 2d, were read. — Cr Gooday wished to know why the scale of wages paid by the Council was not uniform.— Cr Monaghan said whether it is concrete or bootmaking, the skilled laborer should be better paid than the unskilled one.— Cr Gooday could not see why one man Bhould be scrubbing the streets at one rate and another at another. — His Worship said the Committee had considered the matter, and thought that as W. Cook is a skilled workman at the concrete he should be paid extra. GENERAL BUSINESS. Cr Sutherland called attention to the state of Lismore-street, and suggested that a lamp be put up opposite Mr Tanton's. — Cr Monaghan would refer to the deficiency of light on the Beaumont road. There is no lamp there, while there Bhould be two. — Cr Crow referred to several places badly wanting lamps. — His j Worship reminded the Council that these J matters involve the expenditure of money, and should be preceded by a motion. Cr Thompson referred to the footpath between Mr Shury's and Mr M'lntosh's. The children going to school were put to great inconvenience through the wet.— ~ Referred to the Public Works Committee.

Notices of motion W6re given re the }amps referred to, The Council then adjourned.