HOKITIKA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

West Coast Times, Issue 9444, 10 December 1892, Page 2

HOKITIKA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Fbiday, Dec 8. Tbo Ciunoilmeb a f 7.30 p.m. Prerent —•the Mayor (Mr Robinson), Councillors Thompson, Turner, Llndemann, Robs, EWf elder, Deo, Michel and Jack. Mr Fendal!, the newly elected Cum cillbr, made the usual tfeclara'iori and t oh his seat. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed and the outwore! correßpundence approved. INWARD COBfeEPORDENCE. "" Letler from RetutrJlrig Oflice'r. hoii'yiua the ejection of Mr W. ti. Fendal io tlic vacant seat on the Council— Received. tfrom Town Clerk, Wes'porf, asking il members of Fife' Brigade! In uniform were admitted free to places of pi lie enter Uio trient— Received —Mr Miohel believed this practice obtained in large towns— Referred to Town Clerk. From J. Georgisoh and M. Moloney, Kumara, thanking the Council for ap* pointment on Kumara Hospital Trastees — iteceived. From Bitnu Miners' Association, inviting the assistance of the Borough in obtaining en adequate water supply foi the lUmu goldfield and suggeatin'g tha two d-.legafes be appointed^- Motived — Mr Jack cordially approved of action being immediately take'ti. He believed that the c sb of a largo weter fupply would not be nearly so great es at one time supposed. |He moved that the Ma j or and Councillor Michel be delegate s lo represent the Borough — Mr Tootupson seconded (he resolution but said it must be borho iv mind that the Borough fund 8 would not bo available for prospecting, fit the same time he cordially appro red of the proposal— Ml Michel also approved but thought tlio Rimu Miners' Association should first obbiin from the Miuiater cf MlllO3 some definite statement as to what fcho Government would do. If appointed he would give (lie matter h\i moat cordial support — Motion enrried. From Justice Department with tefereuce to sale of sections of defaulters and stating that no deductl n on custody and other fees could be made— ReceivedMr Michel said that though the übatge might be legal it was dill a monstrous one. He moved thut the as-istance of the Hon Mr Sed'on, the mortiber for the district, be obtained to get a refund of the £26 charged by the Government as custody fees— Seconded by Mr Eisfelder— The Mayor ponourred with the resolution which' wacr carried.

tbeasurbr's statkjient.

Receipts, £26 Us 6i ; payment*, £155 6> (id ; bank overdraft, £411 2s 6d6 d — Received.

EFI'OU'S.

From Finance Committee ; (I) Stating thai it bad no recommendation to make in reference to the Auditor's letter as to licensing of public halls ; (2) Recommend'ng that accounts amounting to £79 15s 31 bo passed for [jjyment — Received— Jp moVini the adoption of clau?e I Mr I iut!emt.nn eaiJ bbat prac ically there was only one such building— Mr Hmsen's. If the Gther buildings occasionally used were licensed they would be closed a» the ow. e r s could net afford to pay the' fees. Bcyi«les he did not tbink if they licensed buildings', entailing n eerioue cha r ge on the owner?, they should allow the Town TJjli ta enter into pomp.etttien with them. — V;r Thompson seconded and endorsed the remarks of the previous* spaker— Mr Michel taid it would be fa? better to naa^e a very small fee— The Mayor 1 con* fessed himself diaipp^intoi in this olaus. of the report. -The Financi Committee did not seem to have gra c pe3 the situation. Tne clause of the' Axjt made' rbe licensing of tbese buildings mandatory— Mr Michel said be would give notice of motion for next meeting-— Clause adopted.—Olause 2 was'al^o adopted. From the Public Works 1 Committee as follows :—(1): — (1) That the Council be asked to visit Folleston street at an early date in order to decide upon a system of drainage for that locality; (2), that 50 yards of broken metal be obtained for the corner of Sewell and Weld streets and 'alao ' Tancred street ; (3), that the drain in front of £he police camp be filled up l<\ accordance with the specifications now prepared.— Received and adopted,— Mr Michel said the Bealey street drain was falling avvay in several places.— Mr Jack urged that the iron pipes be used at at once .—The Mayor said the Minister of Public "W^orks distinctly told him ho did not expect the pipes to be used for any permanent work. — Mr Thompson sug« gested the making of a concrete drain as required.- * -

BOROUGH VALUER.

Applications .wer&-reeeived*frona: 1?. ?. Agnew arid & Mr Jack mpvod'thd 1 appjbi^ment of Mr Agnew.~ Seconded by Mr l^ompaou- Mr Michel

movel as *n amendment that Mr Haussmann be appointed— Seconded i>y MrKosa —Amendment yh\ and keftatiVea*— Ayes MlcKtk&Ssfc, t^'demann ; noes—Jack, Fenda\l, Itfafelder, tu^er, Thorn paon. Tfc'c rd^ltftton was ifacem to.

mXVo'r's sALinr.

Mr Thompson, purouant t<> notice, moved that the Council now proceed to fix the Mayor's for iho ensuing yearSeconded by Mr Midi«i and carried.

Mr Kobb moved that tbat the salary be the same aH in former years — Seconded by Mr Jack — Mr Lindcmann moved as an amchdnient Ihat no salary be Voted for tho ensuing year. He moved this fro'n no personal motives bu* e'mply becauaa t'aey could not sffjTd it. He had obUine i some figures from the Town Clerk &nd Treasurer which were as fol'ows; — Liabilities at dale, £598 ; seven months ordinary expenditure at £159 a moti'b, £1050; sinking fond, £300; er a total liability and expendi'ure to the end of June of £1,948 ; tbei? revenue to the same date w.)«ld be— -Tale», &c, £500 ; license money, £900; total, £1400, leaving a liability at that date of £548. Ss far as he could see they had gone bac's £900 tbe last two years and in view of that they could not \ote £100 as a salary to the Mayor— Mr Thompson seconded i he amendment In a small Borough such as this they could not afford to pay ft salary. In v ; ew of the number of straggling ratepayers they could not spare the £100. It waa nrt fair to the ratepayers' to give tway so large a tiroporiion of th'iir rate's. In Gfreymouth they gave tie Mayor no hing. He was eorry the quea ion was not gettled beFdre the Mayor was elected aa it might be regarded a* a piisonal matter, but it waa not one— The Ma?or eaid it would have been more expedient to have settled this question before. So far aB he wai personally oh-, cs'ned he did not think tbe amount; brought any emolument to the nolder of the office —Tie amendment was then put a-d negatived— Ayes — Lindemaon and Thompson. N3es— Jack, Michel, Feridail, L;ee, Eiefelder, Ross and Turner.— The resolution was then carried, Councillors Lindemsnn and Thompson dissenting. gibbon's quay dbAi?.

Mr Jack, pursuant to notice, moved ihat the drain onGibßon's Quay betwen Bea T ey arid Fitzherbert etrects be put in rcpilr. He strongly urged the necessity for this work — Seconded by Mr Kitfelder who sai 1 tbat the drain need not go tbe whole distance Mr Jack mentioned— Mr Michel said the proposition was a very unreasonable one. The work would cost £20 and wait not required, Clesning up the water tables would be sufficient— Mr Dee said it would be better for the Public Works Committee to firetvlsit the ground, — Ac tho suggestion of the Mayor tbe matter was referred to the Public Woriw Committee to report.

FILLING WELD STREET DRAIN

Tenders for this work were received from John Boyle, £10 ; P. Coyle, L 7 103; T. Stopfortb, £7 Ss. Mr Stoptorth'aT tender was accepted. The Council then adjourned.