TOWN COUNCIL.

Western Star, Issue 271, 16 November 1878, Page 6

TOWN COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held on Tuesday evening, when there were present —The Mayor and Crs Simpson, Young, 110 r, Locke, and Daniel. CORRESPONDENCE. The outward correspondence comprised letter to Dr Moncktou notT’ying that alter three months his services as Ilealih Officer would he dispensed with ; to. Capt. Tall, giving him permission to light red light on bridge when necessary ; to the Secretary of the Otago Flood Committee stating that owing to the loss our own district had sustained from, the recent floods, the Council did not loci called upon to raise subscriptions on behalf o! Otago sufferers; and to the Hon. Mr Stout, intimating the Conn- il’s willingness to take over the management of the Cemetery.

The inward correspondence comprised a letter from Mr J. W. Matthews, respecting a reduction in the amount of his rates.—On the motion of Cr Daniel, the Mayo*-, Crs Horr and Young were appointed a committee to arrange the matter with Mr Matthews’ agent, J. W. Chapman.' —From the Secretary of the Hospital Committee, applying for payment of the thirty guineas, voted some time since by the Corporation in aid of the funds of the Institution, and any additional sum the Council might choose to give. WESTWARD ROAD, SOL'TH RIVERTON'. The Mayor stated that he had inter viewed the Engineer relative to road along railway line in South Riverton. A road thirty feet wide had been surveyed, and the Engineer hoped people would be unanimous in, approving of that width. THE HOSPITAL VOTE. Tn moving that the request of the ’Hospital Committee be complied with, Cr Daniel said the institution was well worthy of support, as was evidenced by (he large number of cases treated in it. It had been predicted that the hospital would be an utter failure but he had never been of flat opinion, as he felt confident of support from both town and country. Had the Committee not got possession of the building, and ground, that endowment would undoubtedly he lost to the district. One gentleman had slated that the effect of the hospital in Riverton would be to rob the Invercargill one ; but he (Cr Daniel) failed to see how they could rob that institution "f tilings which it did not. possess. He had done a great deal lor the Invercargill Hospital, but now they had one of their own, it was their duty to do ail they could to support it. There was no reason why they should allow" their sick to go to Invercargill. The ini onvenience and expense of visiting them there was considerable. It was the duty of the Council to support the Hospital. He was surprised that an amendment had been made on the motion to grant a donation. The motion was one of emergency, and as such did not require to be given notice of. The day after the motion was carried the money was requited to be sent home for drugs, &e., which could be purcl used at one-sixth the cost, and a better article procured that could be got in the colony. The institution was now' in its infancy, and was in need of support. It was nowproposed to build a separate ward lor females and noisy patient- - , and he hoped the Council would agree to the motion. Cr Locke seconded.

Cr Horr said the motion to give a dona lion lo the Hospital was brought forward without notice, when the mover knew that those opposed to it were absent from Council irne’ing.. He did not approve of the manner in. which tlv*-* Institution was conducted. Was it light, lie asked, that a Hospital support* d by public contributions should enter into competi ion with business people- to supply the public with drugs? Ho thought not. The building was far larger than there was any use f- r at the present time. Two-thirds of the patients of the district still went to 1 he Invercargill Hospital, and always w.mld da so long as the Wallace Hospital was conducted in the manner it was. They had i ow a chemist in the town, and he thought it a most unfair proce* ding on the part of the Committee to, interfi re with his business. He app’oved of the Hospi al as much as anyone if conducted properly, but under the present circumstances he would oppose the motion. Cr Panicl said Cr Horr \va,s in error in all the statements he had made. With Regard to the chemist, it wngpuly the other day he could not sip ply certain things required by the Committee, and \vhen g.sked to s> nd to Dunedin for an order for the Committee h,e refu cd to dr so; the cons, qnenee was the Committee had to send to Dunedin themselves. People hftd gone to, t he chemist here, and yould not getwha,t they wan, cd. The Mayor said h,e 2 found the motion passed on 20th August had not been

given effect to. The Government wrote requesting to know if the Council in conjunction with the County Council were willing to take over the- management of the hospital.. After a conference between deputations from these two bodies, they agreed upon a basis upon which to take over the management of the institution. The Town Council appointed a Committee of three to represent them on the 11 >spdal Committee, but through an oversight the Government- had not been informed of the Council’s intention. The County Council he believed, had not yet nominated a committee. Hj-thought the motion should be given effect to, then if the cnrpnratiou thought fit they could uivc a donation and get a subsidy thereon of £1 for £L

Cr ‘hiniel said the ward was very much required for noisy patients or in cases of infectious diseases.. There was no provision ‘or such cases at present. He did not t elieve there was one in the town would object to the Council giving the donation.

The Mayor said he would not like to sec the subsidy stopped after paying thirty guineas. Cr Simpson moved as an amendment, and Cr Young seconded - That consideration of donation to Wallace and Fiord Hospital be held over until the institution is handed over by Government to Town Council and County Council. On the amendment being put, Crs Simpson, Young, and Horr vot d for, and Crs Daniel and Locke against it. The amendment was therefore declared carried.. Cr Daniel insisted upon Councillors voting distinctly upon that motion, as he wished to know' “ who’s for us and who’s against us.” Cr Young thought Cr Daniel made a mistake in putting himself forward as the champion of the Hospital at the Council table, lie should there look upon himself as a councillor only. KERRI-I <3. Some discussion ensued on amotion by Cr Daniel that Palmerston and Havelock streets as tar as their junction with Delia street be kerbed. —Cr Simpson said be would support the motion if it was altered to include the footpath as far as the town boundary.—After some discussion Cr Dam 1 agreed to amend his motion to Lucknow- street. —Cr Horr moved an amendment —Tb it the consent of the residents he first obtained. As the residents had to pay for -the kerbing lie thought it only just that their opinion should he taken on the subject.—The amendment v as seconded by Cr Young and carried. ANOTHER LOAN'. In accordance with notice of motion Cr Horr moved —That this Council borrow tie sum of one thousand pounds on debentures, the said debentures to have a curiMicy of twenty years.. Cr Horr said he was reluctant to move that motion but their position warranted it, 'they were paying nine per cciß. for a heavy overdraft and debentures would likely be floated at six per cent. There were several necessary works ro be undertaken during the season, and unless they borrowed they could not go on with these works. Cr Locke seconded. Cr Simpson moved an amendment— That fifteen hundred pounds he borrow'ed upon debentures —seven hundred and fifty pounds to he spout in North Ward and seven hundred and fifty in South Ward. Cr Locke seconded. Cr Daniel moved that all the words after " debentures’"’ bo omitted in Cr Simpson’s amendment. No seconder. The Mayor refused to accept Cr Simpson’s amendment unless the part referring to w hero the money was to be spent was deleted. Cr Simpson having agreed to omit the part objected to, his amendment was carried. NOTICES OF MOTION. By Cr Daniel—That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable to divide the North WiU’<l of the town, of Riverton into two wards, thus forming three wards for the municipality, viz., from Paddock street to boundary of the town northward ; the wards to be named North, Centro, and South Wiinl. By Cr Simpson—That one half of money burrowed be expended in South Ward.