BOROUGH COUNCIL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3147, 5 December 1893, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting of the Abhburton Borough Council waa h«ld on Monday evening. Pres«»t —Hid Worship the Mayor (in the ch/ur) and Crs John Ore, H H. Stephens, Joseph Scaly, R. M. Cud.bertson, William Andereou, H. M. Jones, David Thomas, anl W. H. Collins. FINANCE. The Mayor reported the debit balance at tke bank te be £1197 5s 9d. The amounts received from all sources einca laet meeting were—Bents reserves. £16 2s ; licenses, carriers, £3 ; petroleum, £3 ; refund traffic bridge, Ashburton County Council, £8 15s; Domain account, 7s ; refund Hampstead Town Board, £32 143. THE NEW MAYOR. The returning officer reported that Mr John Orr was the only candidate nominated for the Mayoralty for the ensuing year and he had been declared duly elected. The Mayor congratulated Cr Orr on having been returned unopposed. FIRE BhIGABE. The usual half-yearly subsidy te the Ashburton Fire Brigade was passed for payment. ASHBUKTON SCHOOL The Ashburton School Committee wrote asking that as'the cost of erecting fresh urinals at the infant school woald be very large, pans to be emptied every week by the Council's scavenger be substituted. On Cr Jones' motion the proposal was agreed to. ENGINEEES' REPORT. The Engineers' report was read and adopted as follows:— Various Applications;— The Works Committee have considered Messrs Miles and Cos. application to put clay on the road in front of their premises and have ordered the same to be attended to. The request of the Sergeant of police for the grass to be cut on streets near police station hat been left in fhe Engineers' hands to carry out the necessary work. With respect to Mrs Butler's application, the Committee recommend that the existing concrete channel complained of be repaired, and that the channelling be continued to Cameron Street, Water Cart.—The acceptance of the work of watering the streets by contract was submitted to the eecond lowest tenderer Mr H. Hooper, but after consideration he decided not to take up the work at the price he had named. The contract hat therefore been let to Mr John Blackler the third lowest tenderer at Ba, and work was commenced by him last Wednesday. Urinals. —Two prices for public urinals have been considered by your committee, who beg to recommend that the larger urinal, that submitted by Messrs Scott Bto*., at £21 be erected near the stand-pipe on the railway reserve at the Burnett Street crossing. Labor Gang.—The men have been engaged during the last two weeks in filling in gully and putting in pipes on North-East Belt, cutting grass on streets with mower, cutting grass in Domain, watering streets, clearing j water races on the Alford Forest Road and Winters' Road/ repairing culverts, carting rubbish off streets, erecting additions to pavilion at sports ground, attending to water supply and other maintenance work. PUBLIC URISAL9. Cr Thomas was empowered to purchase a urinal, price not to exceed £18. AIIEL BICYCLE CLUB. The Ariel Bicycle Club wrote, asking that the Mayor invite the shopkeepers to close at twelve o'clock on Wednesday next, that bein* the date of their race meeting. On Cr Thorns' motion the request waa granted. NEXT MEETING. As the date for holding the next meet* ing would fall on December 18, the public holiday, it was decided that it be held instead on theTuesdayfollowingtbatdate. DOG COLLARS. The town clerk was instructed to have the dog Rollers for the ensuing year made by Mr"j. Hesekine at the same price as before. FIRE BLOCK. The Mayor in bringing forward his notice of mo*ionre the alteration of the fire block to make H .veiock street ita termination, asked tint it be altered so that the two blocks betweea Havelock and Wills street be excluded from the fire block. Cr Thomas said the Mayor was asking them to exempt the centre of the town, and include properties on both sides in the firs block. Eventually permission. was given to the Mayor to alter his motion. The M&yor said his reason for asking that these two blocks be excluded was th*t it affected only two sections. It seemed to him out of reason that the persons on those two particular sections should bo prevented from building with the same material as w»? allowed to be used on a^joinin* sections. Cr Cuthbertson seconded the motion pro forma. Cr Anderson spoke opposing the motion. Cr Thomas also opposed the motion. He did not see how they could make fish of one and flesh oi the other with regard to the matter, Crs Jones and Stephens also spoke against the motion. Cr Orr sa:d ho would sooner they could grant * request than refuse on *, it would be much pleasanter ; but he did not see how they could do so in this case. The Mayor contended (hat it was not a fair by-law which treated a person on one section differently from persons on four other sections wiihou^ any break whatever. The motion was then put and lost, Several Crs spoke on the question ar fo whether the Government in making wooden aldi.io s within the fire block were not subject to the Borough by-laws. sußvry. Cr Jones again brought up the matter of a Government survey of the Borough, and in accordance with his request at a previous meeting, the town cltrk produced correspondence which had passed between the Government authorities and the Council some time back. It was then found that the m ><«t recent communication hid been in September 1802, and was to the effect'that the matter of the Government doing the work at their o*n expense wa3 under consideration. On Cr Thomas' motion it was decided to write to the Smyeyor-General calling his attention to the last letter. Cr Thomas jocularly remarked that the whole suggestion had emanated from a lawyer. When a correct survey was 1 made there would be litigation all along ! East Street. BARING SQUIRE. Cr Jones moved thifc a public entrance be effected through Baring Square. The motion was carried, licenses. Licenses were granted as follows.* — petroleum, D. Williamson, H. M. Carson, H. Zander, J. Orr, R. Alcorn, J. Light and F. Stephens ; carriers, William Smith, T. Crooks, J. Hefford, R. Cullen. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £111 were passed for payment and the Council adjourned.