MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 278, 1 October 1879, Page 2

MASTERTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the above was held last evening in the Council Chambers. Present: His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors "Russell, Vile, Gapper, Woodvoofe, Gray, Benall, and Bish. / Cr Feist made the usual declaration and took his seat, / The minutes of the previous meeting were'read and confirmed, Correspondence, -Outwards. To Mrs Hacker enclosing resolution. INWARDS. Prom the oMJecj;pr of Customs acknowledging payment T. Browne

& 00/s license.—From Mrs Ewington ro nuisance—Prom Library Committee,ro payment of rates.—From clork of Borough of Marton re joint loan. Or Renall moved, seconded by Or Gapper—That the amount of rates due to the Library Committee be paid,—Carried.

Or Feist moved, seconded by Cr Russell—That the Town Clerk be instructed to communicate with the rflarton Borough Council, and regrets its inability to entertain the proposal.—Carried. Inspector ok Nuisances Report. The Inspector of Nuisances reported that there were certain quick hedges overgrowing Queen-street, to the detriment of passengers. Or Eenall moved, seconded by Cr Gray —That the gentlemen mentioned in the report be written to,-giving them notice to abate the nuisance. Works Committee.

The Works Committee reported that on consideration they advise that no action be taken at present in regard to the transfer of the land taken for widening Chapel street. They understood that the matter would be placed on a satisfactory basis and advise that Mr Bunny be instructed to allow the matter to stand over,

Cr Eenall, as a member of the Works Committee, explained at some- lengih what the Committee intended doing with the Kurupuni road. He expected they would be able to do the work withoutstopping traffic, Cr Renall moved, seconded by Cr Russell—That tenders be called for forming thirty chains of Kuripuni road. Cr Vile was not pleased with the way the thing had been brought before them, and thought the wisest plan would bo to call for tenders for the whole work, formation and metalling, at once. Cr llenall did not expect anything else, but hoped the Council would support the Committee. If any Councillor had a better plan to put before them, let him bring it forward. Cr Yile would like to see money thrown away which they (the Works Committee) were trying to save, Cr (japper thought they should have had an engineer's advice on the matter. He was of opinion that tenders should be called for the whole work, from Mr Shute's to the creek.

Or Renall said they had not the funds to. do all the filling in yet, There was, nothing to stop them from doing more at some future time. He'thought the ratepayers' money.'should not wantonly be thrown away. Or Gapper should have dune his duty as a member of the Committee and inspected the work for himself.

Or Woodroofe hoped the plan laid before them would be passed. He thought. Or Renall was quite equal to any engineer, as lie had a thorough knowledge of works of this description. He hoped the Council would not think of having footpaths at Kuripuni at present. The motion was then put and carried.

Finance Committee. Cr Russell moved, seconded by Cr Vile -That Or Feist be appointed a member of the Finance Committee, and sign cheques in conjunction with Cr Gray, the appointment to date from the 16th September. Carried. Leave of Absence. Cr Feist moved, seconded by Cr GrayThat the Town Clerk be allowed two days' leave of absence,—Granted. Waiiwa River Encroachments. It was resolved, on the motion of Or Gapper, that the whole Council as a body inspect the encroachments of the Waipoua river. Cr Woodroote thought they were going on a foolish expedition. He had watched the encroachments of-rivers for years, and until they had cement they could do nothing. He did not think they could stop the evil. Defining Streets. ■. *■

Cr Gapper said that in defining the Streets it did not. necessitate making .the same, and read from the Act'having' reference to the question. Rethought they had been spending too much money on private streets, and he would therefore move-That the Council go into a Committee of the whole, and consider the matter, and that immediate steps be taken to pijjclaim the streets public. Or W'dbdruffe seconded, and said it was quite time something was done in the matter.

Or Russell said he thought they had plenty of streets which required forming, etc., and he would support the question. The motion was carried, and the Council then went into committee on Cr Gapper's motion. Or Gapper said a deal of work had been thrown on the Council lately, and that the public should be given to understand the Council could not keep the roads in repair without outside assistance. He said he must plead guilty to what Cr Renall had said in reference to the Kuripuni road, and nothing would give him more pleasure than seeing the road formed at Kuripuni. (Hear, hear.) He would like to see it a credit to the town, The Act stated distinctly that private streets should be in a certain state of repair before they could take them over. He would move that the following streets be publicly notified as public streets, and that the following streets be publicly notified as private streets:—Public: Queen, High, Chapel, Dixon, Church, Bannister, Hall.Peiry, Bentley, Renall, Williams, Archer, Masonic, Johnstone, Kin?, Hope, Smith, Ross, and Kuripuni. Private: Villa, Keaton, Elizabeth, Grey, Holdsworth, Bruce, Ross, Cricket, George, Trustee, Wrigley, Victoria, Albert, P.egent, Short, York, Cole, Princess, South, Russell, Cannon, Cra< ne, Junction and Makora. Roads; River, Columba, Lincoln, Nursery, Gladstone, and Park Avenue. , Cr Vile thought they could not deal with .a'great many"-of the streets now'in existence. He thought also that the public should be notified that some streets were private and some public, Cr Russell did not approve of Cr Vile's jumping up every now and again and interrupting him. If Cr Vile could not speak he should let some one who could. He had known the town for about eleven years, and the most dangerous places had not been remedied yet. His Worship the Mayor thought it wou]d be manifest injustice to carry out the stvict.letter of the law now that the land had been bought and sold. He thought a much better plan would be to let the people petition them to proclaim a street public, and then they could take them over if a part of the cost of making the same be paid by the persons making the application,

Several other Councillors spoke on the subject, when , • \ Cr Gapper moved—That all streets in existence when the Borough was formed be called public streets, and all those since laid ,off be termed private streets; and that if the public wish them declared public they must petition the Council to that-effect, and the Council will then de-. cide how much the parties petitionin» shall pay towards such streets' formation, etc. . - Cr Renall said he thought they had overlooked one question, that as soon as : \

the Council took over a street the onus of keoping it in repair fell on the Council. In Wellington, in prncUiniing any street a public one, the Council called upon the persona living in it to pay a share towards keeping it in repair. Or Bish seconded the motion,-, which was carried, , v ..-, -:••'•- : - : NOTICE OF .MOTION. ■ ' ' Or Gapper gave notice that" he would move ai the next meeting—That -tenders ; >o in vited f or-preparing' a contour plan of the Borough, showing all the.levels; payment to be made in four annual instal ments. -, ■: The Council then adjourned;--; ,