WANGANUI BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13057, 27 April 1910, Page 3

WANGANUI BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The regular fortnightly meeting of the Wanganaj Eorotigh Council was held .last evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs. E. N. Liffiton, J. Calver, C. W. Poynter, J. F. Holloway, G. Spriggens, A. S. Burgess.—Leave of absence was granted to Crs. Carson, Young, and Williams. BALANCES.—The following balances were reported:—District fund, cr., .£434 17s Id; temporary loans, dr, £9831 2s lid; £15,000 gas loan, cr, £200; £12,000 gas loan, dr, £525 15s 9d; £11,500 special loan, dr, £125 Is lid; special temporary # loan .dr. £IOOO. HATRICK STREET.—Prior to the ordinary meeting, a special meeting was held, when a resolution was passed, formally declaring: that part of.Batrick Street running through the College Estate, a public street. , , ’ - Committee Reports. PUBLIC LIBRARY.—The special committee Appointed to confer with the directors of the- Public Library re an increase in the Council's subsidy, reported recommending that the same he increased from £75 to £lso.—Cr. Liffiton said the increase only applied for one year, in reply tpHhe Mayor’s remark that it meant adding to the burdens of the Council. At the same time, his Worship agreed the Library deserved support, in fact more than it got.—The report was adopted. FINANCE.—The Finance Committee, reporting re Messrs C. L. Duigan and Co.’s application for a refund "of 12s Id rates, wmch they alleged had been paid by them in mistake on a section owned by Mr C. Parker, recommended that the Council inform the applicants that it regretted it could not comply with the request, as the law provided a remedy, namely notices sent out advising ratepayers of the lands on which they are rated, and such notice was,sent to Messrs Duigan and Co. The committee recommended the passing* for payment of accounts totalling £1354 2a 9d.—ln opposing the adoption of the clause referring to Messrs Duigan and Co., Cr. Holloway said as a matter of principle he must vote against- any ratepayer being penalised on account of a mistake by a borough official.—Cr. Liffiton defended the Committee’s decision, saying that the Council had no power to ‘interfere with the valuations, and that Messrs Duigan and Co. had failed to make use of the remedy provided. The report was adopted. M ORKS.—The Works Committee reported as follows:—Re compensation for road through Mangawhero property: We recommend that the Lauds and Survey Department be informed that if the land is taken for a road through this" property, the rent to the present lessee will he reduced for the area so taken at an estimated rental of 5s per acre durin° r the currency of the 40 years yet nnexpired, and upon this rental the compensation is based. Re standard survey marks; That Department be informed that the Council desires it to attend to the matter of adjusting the displaced survey ter ® s of its letter of April sth toliT U o?, fae J 1 j a ti th ? D . e Partnient be asked to fix standard blocks in Aramoho. recently annexed to the borough. Re re-Vrad’no-Liverpool Street Extension: That So Cot lege trustees be informed that, as the rtSfthT T" lUaU ? made in accordance with their plan, and at their own cost, the n T ™ dertake to alter the ed witb street -~The report was adoptfcrrtTi#T I *c exception of that portion reTR A MW A Y S.—Following was the report of the Tramway Committee, dated f th . April ;R e Mr Hutchison’s MW re fernng to accident ’to Mr= Austin • Wo recommend that Mr Hutchison be inform! mi# “"iirr 1 ‘‘r 1 ™ . a° the several witness’ ronort= tt e *“., he Sfn’r "7 •» I£ s?.pw,‘ l ”

General Business | COMFEAIXT.-Mr C. J. Breed, one of 1 the Conned s tenants in respect of cor-; tain land at ispnngvale, wrote protesting 1 against the Council granting him only a montUy tenancy at £3 10s per month which was at the rate of £3 8s per acre per annum, or more than the ground would produce, and more than the value put upon it by the Council’s valuer. Further, the buildings were in a bad state, 1 , workshop being unfit to work in He asked if. in the event of his accepting a monthly tenancy, the Council would put the buildings in repair, or whether they would P“t the lease up to auction, when un b6 i P re P, arcd t0 P ut » new shop op with a long lease.—Referred to the ' Reserves Committee. RESUMPTION’.—'With respect to the Wanganui Jockey Club’s lea* of block 23 Guyton street, consisting of 6 acres 3 roods 23 perches, the secretary of the club wrote stating that the latter would be prepared to surrender it to the Council on payment of .£IOO compensation.—Renr »T,°r ‘ tlle Heserv es Committee. I LLAIM —Messrs Hallenstein Bros, wrote stating that, in October last one of the tonsil s workmen, while breaking stones on the road, caused a piece to fly through bvMrTreJ thei ; L sh °P- then occupied by Mr T Hodson. They were prepared to i6 in payment of the damage without prejudice.—The Mayor remarked that thi, matter had been before the Conacil before, and it had been decided that ■nnli 0 ™ 1 COI ‘W not recognise any liaoility. Iu was decided to send another reply m similar terms , Indus Street—Mr H. W. Wake! in g ' The j he Council ’ s attention to the state of Indus Street, which he deas . an «y<?sore which should not be permitted in an up-to-date place like Wan-ganun-Reaolved that the engineer take immediate steps to put the street and Hie adjacent triangle in order. HOUSE.— A request from Mr- J ' Black, for permission to hold a sacred condldinid! PCra H ° USC ° n May lst - Cook’s Cardens. The Borough Engineer reported as fol lows re Cook's Gardens:— I be<r to rennrt that I have inspected Cook’s Gardens with a view to its general improvement and would recommend that the following’works be carried out when the time is opportune:—All rough grass should be remove<i as soon as possible, atui tben ti*e ground would be in fair condition for top dressing, wbicn could be done about September. The work of sowing the seed could bo carried out- simultaneously with top dressing, and the rolling ieit lid tticgrnund was in a suitable condition frothat wort. It would be absolutely necessary while the work is in progress’to close the playing portion of Cook’s Gardens until it‘’is In a sufficiently consolidated condition to allow the various games that are played thereon to be resumed. The inconvenience to the players would be practically nil. J I have also made inquiries re the assertion that the bard cla- was on the surface, and have been informed that the whole of the ground was dug over and this clay and sand thoroughly mixed, Vo to my way of thinking it would be quite unnecessary to disc harrow the surface as "the ground would have to bo shut up for gome considerable time before play could

be resumed, and the cost also would he considerable. 'All the fixings, etc., about the grounds have been neglected, and are now in--a ■ dilapidated Condition. The principal reason for this state of affairs is the want of a caretaker. ' Seating accommodation could also be arranged for a certain distance on the sloping banks, where a better new could be obtained than from the present grandstand. It would not be necessary to erect a roof over the seats, so that the* whole work would be carried out at moderate cost; and could be extended from time to time if they were patronised sufficiently to warrant extension. The report was referred to the Reserves Committee.