BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9401, 30 March 1898, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Wanganui Borough Council was held last (Tuesday) evening, when there were piesent— His Worship the Mayor (Mr A. Hatrick) and Crs A. .1. Parsons, F. M. Spurdle, E. Perrott, R. M. Gatenby, T, D. Cummins. P. Bell, E. N. Liffiton, and G. W. Collins. An apology was received from Mr Carson.

B ink Account. — The bank books laid on tho tablo showed a debit to Borough fund account of £1490 4s 3d and to interest account £438 10a lid. The special fund account showed a credit of £533 14a lOd. A debit of £1395 Os GS was reported on all accounts, the half-yearly interost having been paid since last meeting. Abattoir and Dahiv Inspfcior.— The Mayor introduced tho newly-appointed inspector (Mr 11. U. Marsack) to the Council, and stated that the Governor-iu Council had sanctioned the appointment. B mis Lighting.— -With respect to the .application from the St. George's Swimming and Water Polo Club for the Council to pay the account (£lB Is Cd) in connection with the lighting of the Baths, the committee recommended that as half of the expenses had been incurred without the sanction of the Council, the latter adheres to its original contract to pay £9. The report of the committee was adopted, Easter Holiihys. — It was decided to close tho Borough offices from Thursday, 7th Apul, toTucday, 12th, and to hold the next meeting of the Council on Tuesday, 19th April. Pahiatoa Bush Fines. — A lotler was lead from the Mayor of Pahiatua stating that tho relief fund subscription lists had been closod. The Mayor reminded the Council that £50 had been sent from Wanganui. Addition* il Lioht— A petition wa3 read from Mi' J. G Woon and a number of other latepayois in Campbell-street asking for an additional lamp between the cornor of Dr Tripe's premises and Ingestre-street. — The Foreman stated the street was lighted the same as the others, but the sand hill obstructed the view of the lamps. — It was decided to remove the lamp at the Ingestre-street corner to the opposite side of the road. Levy — A letter was read from Mr A. C. Ritchie, secretary, notifying the Council of the rate of 3s 9d and 2s fid per £1000 levied by the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards respectively over the districts under the Board's jurisdiction. The capital value of the property within the Wanganui Borough being £732,800, the contributions wore £137 8s and £91 l'2s respectively.— It was decided to pay the rate in due course. AiuiTom— lt was decided to vote £5 to Mr Oresswoll for carrying out the duties of Inspector at the abattoirs during Mr Hiwko's absence. Woman's Politic il Lbaqde. — A letter was read from Mrs C. Blair, lion. sec. of tho Wanganui Women's Political League, inviting the members of the Conncil to attend a meeting of the Leaguo on Thursday, 14th April, at which consideration will be given to the Municipal BilU uitroduced last year by the Government and to municipal matters generally. — On tho motion of the Mayor it was decided to thank the Leaguo for their invitation, and to notify them that Councillors would attend if convenient. Water Works. The Mayor reported that Mr Fulton, the engineer appointed for the purpose, was preparing plans for laying the new water pipes. He stated that it had been found necessary to take the pipe-way through the properties of Messrs ParsonH and Parkes on St John's Hill, and theso gentlemen had very geneiously given the Council the right to lay the pipes through their property free of charge, though they could legally claim compensation. Mr Parsons had also offeied to give the Council permission to take the necessary gravel (about 150 yards) for use on tho woiks from his property free of cost. The pipes would also have to be laid through the Borough pioperty leased by Mr Aitken, and that gentleman had also granted the necessary permission. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the gentlemen mentioned for their publicspirited action. Libiuiiy Grant. An application was received from the hon. treasuier of the Publio Library (Mr H. E. Dymock) for the balance of J325 of the grant passed by the Council. The Mayor pointed out that originally the grant was £25, but last year it was increased to £30. He suggested that tho Library directors be asked to forego the balance of the £25, in view of the low state of the Council's finances and the windfall of £500 lh« Library had received through MrWm. Alexander's death. Cr Cummins proposed that the balanoe of the grant be paid and theresolution was supported by Crs Perrett, Liffiton, and Collins. Crs Paisons and Gatonby opposed the resolution and supported the Mayor's suggestion. The motion was carried, Crs Parsons and Gatenby dissenting. The Gas Qcestion. The following report was read— '• Your Committee have, after a long and exhaustive enquiry, decided to recommend that the Council offer the Wanganui Gas Company the Bum of £8500 for their works; this will not include tho stock ou hand. From enquiries made we find that an up to date gas works plant (inclnding seven miles of mains) could be erected for about £8000, but in order that no conflict should occur with the gas company, have decided to recommend the purchase of their plant at tho price named. Should the offer be declined, we recommend that a Bill be prepared and submitted for the approval of Parliament giving power to the Council to erect works of their own, and as soon as granted to push on with them as speedily as possible." Tho Mayor stated that the directors of the Gas Company had asked £16,000. He understood that at Tamworth, N.S.W. (a town about tho samo size as Wanganui), tho electric light had recently been installed, the price being equal to 3s 4d per thousand feet for gas. The clerk had written for full particulars. The report was adopted, Crs Spurdle and Liffiton dissenting. Opera House. Tho Mayor intimated that no applications had been received by the Council for tho site offered for a theatre at a peppercorn rental. Since last meeting Messrs H. Sarjeant and A. Stedman had offered, in the event of the Council undertaking the erection of an opera house or town hall, to lease the building at a rental to coyer interest and sinking fund. That being so the Council had piacticallyno risk. Theu* guarantee would come on only in the event of the Council not being able to procure a suitable tenant. His idea was that competitive designs should be called for by the Council, and a bonus of £50 or so given to the person whose design was chosen provided the tender came within his estimate. He moved that the Opera House Committee be asked to formulate a scheme, and submit same at next meeting, with ti view of calling a meeting of ratepayers to discuss the subject and subsequently taking a poll on the question. The motion was carried. Bank Charges on £55,000 Loan. At the suggestion of the Mayor several letters (already published by us) dealing with the Bank's charges in connection with the raising of tho £55,000 loan were read. The first was from the Mayor to tho Bank of New South Wales, stating that the Finance Committee considered the charges inequitable and unfair, tho loan being given on the distinct understanding that £33,000 of the old loan should be paid in London free of exchange, and asking for a refund of £450, or failing that for the Bank to accept payment of interest in Wanganui free of exchange. The reply from the Bank manager (Mr Stedman) was to the effect that certain arrangements were entered into between the Council and the Batik, and these weie embodied ill an agreement. This agreement had been carried out by the Bank, which declined to re-open tho terms. These were at the time of the contract considered by the Council very advantageous, and compared favorably with similar loans floated tbout the same time, including one at Napier. The latter stated that the agreement stipulated that the principal should be paid in London, and as the Bank haduone no wrong it could not submit to be penalised even at the expense of losing an unreasonable customer. A letter was read from the Borough solicitors to the effect that the Council was not compelled to remit the interest on the debentures through the Bank of New South Wales. The Bank was bound to remit tho money if it was handed over, but it was not necessary to remit it to the particular Bank. The Mayor pointed out that in terms of fch» agreement the Council had to deposit

the interest 43 days before it was due, which meant an annual loss of £12. He did not think the Bank had met the Council in a fair spirit. Cr Liffiton said he felt very strongly on the subject, and moved " That this Council regrets that the letter was sent by His Worship to the Bank, and feels convinced that it was sent under a misapprehension of the facts." He contended that the letter contained several mis-state-ments. In the first place no meeting of of the Finance Committee had been held to consider the matter. He, as one of the Committee, was shown a letter written by the Mayor, but had informed His Worship that he was busy at the time and could not consider it, but he had no doubt the Bank was fair game. With respect to the £497 referred to as being paid for remitting money Home, he pointed out that £197 5s 3d of that amount was for interest on overdraft, and the balance exchange on £30,000 sent Homo in accordance with agreement. Ho submitted that it was not right now to repudiate the agreement, and said he would not be a party to it. The loan had been floated on the recommendation of the then Mayor (Mr F. R. Jackson), Cr Clapham and nim3elf, and they had previously tried every financial institution in the colony and were convinced that they had made the best arrangement possible. He compared the charges in connection with the Napier loan raised about the same time, on which 5} per cent was paid, in addition to J per cent commission, and full rates of exchange on the money from London, and the interest going Home with the Wanganui loan issued at 5 per cent, no commission to pay, and exchange at half rates. The cable to the Bank from headquarters distinctly stated that the loan could only be accepted provided it was payable in London. Ho considered the Bank had acted very fairly in the matter, that the Mayor's statements were not in accordance with faqt, and that His Worship would not be supported by the ratepayers in the action he had taken, though no doubt he did it with good intentions. Cr Spurdle agreed with part of Cr Liffiton's remarks, and although not prepared to write himself down as one of a set of blundering asses, he would not support a motion reflecting on the Mayor. The motion was not seconded. The Mayor then moved that the matter be referred to the Finance Committee to consider and report on. He stated that ho had no intention to reflect on Councillors. Though thero had not been a formal meeting of the Finance Committee he had shown the letter to all the membeiß, who had not objected to its being sent. [Cr Spurdle — I demurred.] He was surprised at Cr Liffltou's action, and could prove from correspondence on the subject that the best had not been done, for in one of Mr Jackson's letters to the bank he stated that if necessary £20,000 of the loan could be taken up in Wanganui, an offer having been received to that effect. That being so, His Worship thought it was an absurdity to contend that the best arrangements had been made. The Mayor's motion was then put and cairied. On the motion of Cr Liffiton it was decided to instruct the Clerk to draw up a precis of all the correspondence on the subject.