THAMES BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume IIII, Issue 1734, 24 July 1874, Page 2

THAMES BOROUGH COUNCIL.

SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the Borough Council was held last night. Present: His Worship th-» Mayor; Crs. Ehrenfried, Renshaw, Brown, Kilgour, Wilson, Anthony, and Butt. TAX OK CABTS. , The congideration of the by«-law for rating carts was the first business, and the several sections of the bye-law were read in order by the clerk. Some discussion arose on the question of licensing drivers, Cr. Renshaw contending that it would be intrqducing a too stringent principle; it would be restricting the progress of a trade. Cr. Brown said he understood that the carters had expressed a wish to be licensed : he thought it a fit protection for the trade. Other councillors took this view of the case ; and the Clerk reading a clause in the Municipal Corporations Act which provided that drivers should be licensed, settled the question. And after the by«-law had been generally reviewed and amended, it was decided, on the motion of Cr. Kilgour, that it should b» advertised in the usual manner in the local press. WEEKLY MEETING. The regular business was then proceeded with, and, the minutes having been read, the Clerk proceeded to read copies of - LETTERS SENT Since last meeting, of which there were a number., LETTERS BECEIVED Were then read, the first being one from the residents of Bella-street, soliciting I the Council to take into consideration the footpath in the street named. Referred to the Works Committee. One from the Collector of Rates apJ>lied for special authority to demand by etter the payment of rates from certain parties named, among the enumerated being the Pumping Assaciation. Doubts were expressed as to the validity of the claim in this last-mentioned case; and in giving permission, therefore, a motion was moved in accordance with the advice of the Council's solicitor—in strict terms of the Municipal Corporations Act. A letter was read from. J. Sheehan, Esq., M.H.R., stating that the petition for additional representation "Would meet with his hearty support, but assuring the Council that there was not a remote possibility of a Bill being passed this session. One from Mr. Vincent E. Rice, Secretary to the Board of Health, stated that the Gazettes bad been issued bringing the Public Health Act into force on the Thames. J. B. Mason was then, by proposition, formally appointed Public Health Officer. "Mr. Mason had been previously appointed, but had not power to act until formally appointed on the Act being brought into force. A telegram from Cha's.'O'Neill, Esq., M.fI.E., Btated that the Native Lands Repeal question would receive his best attention. A number of other letters were then read, and variously dealt with. EXTENSION OF CONTRACT. Hugh Da vies made application to the Council by letter for an extension of* the term of his contract; this on account of the bad weather and difficulty of providing metal. Th<» Engineer, whose opinion was called • for, stated it as his opinion that the request was reasonable, and an extension of three weeks was therefore granted. valuation. I Messrs. Thomas Wayth Gudgeon and James Craig, valuer*, stated by letter that the valuation of the Borough was progressing rapidly, and that they trusted to have the assessment completed in a fortnight. WAIOTAHI BOAD. The estimate of the engineer for the work was received. The cost would be £1067. i The Mayor said he did not see what the Council could do in the matter. They had previously intimated that they were not in a position to carry out works of such magnitude. i Cr. Kilgour said it appeared that the £20 being spent Mould be so much money wasted if the other portion was not made. The Mayor thought differently: that when the Council had constructed that portion of the road the Provincial Government would be compelled to complete the rest. : PUBLIC WOEKS. The report of the Public Works Committee was read. . WAIO-KAEAKA BOAD. The report of the Works Committee stated they had not being able to report on this road.

Cr. Anthony (one of the members of that committee) said he thought the Works Committee had come to the determination that the best thing would be for the companies interested to erect a tramway on this route in preference to forming a road. It was decided that the^Works Committee should confer with the directors of the mines interested, and make them acquainted with the Council's views on the subject. .-■• .':; ' :'- ■' ' WAGES. ■■ ■■■■■ -• - • The wages of the. Council employeer— certificated by the Engineer—were passed for payment. POTTND KEBPEB. Cr. Butt suggested that they should appoint a man to take charge of the pound at a fixed salary. Cr. lienshaw said that from statistical returns it had appeared that the revenue derived from this source annually did not exceed £30. Cr. Butt thought that taking the re--1 turns from week to week they would be found to exceed that amount. If a man were not employed, six or seven cows might be impounded and released again without their knowledge.

Cr. Ehrenfried apprehended that a pound-keeper should be paid by receiving a percentage on the proceeds. The Mayor explained that Cr. Butt's idea was only to 1 get over the present difficulty, there being no one employed at present. ! The matter was left in the hand* of a committee. TBAMWAY—TENDERS. The tenderi for the extension of Souter's tramway were opened. Th© tender of Mr. P. J. Lambert, for I £435 17s, being the lowest, wag recommended for acceptance. It will be remembered that thin is a joint work, the Council paying Jtwo-thirds of the cost; Mr. Souter paying one-third and interest on the money expended by the Council; hence the recommendation of the tender for acceptance, the work having been ad* vertised for by Mr. Souter. KEBOSENE LICENSES. , Applications for licenses were received, and a Committee appointed, consisting of Crs. ) Kilgour and Ehrenfried, to inspect the premises of the applicants. BISECTION OF COMMITTEEMAN. The time having arrived for the retircof one of the members of the Works Committee, Cr. Wilson was appointed, vice Cr. Ehranfried. cb. butt's motion. The Clerk read the notice of motion (No. 13) moved by Cr. Butt at last meeting. Cr. Butt, not wishing to take up the tim» of the Council, thought that the Council were the proper parties to have information. The Provincial Government wanted the handling of the foreshore, and so did they; the Provincial Government wanted the revenue, and so did they. There had been n« solution of the difficulty as to how the foreshore had been obtained, and it was a matter that they had a [ right and interest to enquire into. Whatever the foreshore was worth, there should be a record of the past. j Cr. Brown: What will it; lead to ; what good will it affect ? Will this information not come when the foreshore is handed over ? The good, said Cr. Butt, was that the Council would get a straightforward answer to the question, in spite of other parties. Supposing the matter inquired into in th« House, the papers in connection therewith would be laid upon the table; the information would be reportedin the papers : and hence it was not only the Council would benefit, but the public. H© only wished to ventilate the matter — not to cast insinuations, as he believed the Superintendent to be honest in his intentions, but he was short of money. He (Cr. Butt) was trying to make out as bad a case as possible with regard to the administration of the foreshore by the late Provincial Government, as an argumsnt against the trust being again I reposed in the hands of the Provincial Government. Cr. Konshaw said they should back up their former letter. Cr. Kilgour thought not; he would fight for the land, not for the information. Cr. Ehrenfried considered it Vould be taking a step in the wrong direction. There was more discussion. Cr. Butt's motion was then put to the meeting, and carried, nem con. ; BOBOUGH ACCOUNTS. The Clerk read a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Borough. HONOBARIAM FOB THE MAYOR. Cr. Ehrenfried said that it was only fair to make some recompense to the Mayor, and he moved a notice of motion that "the remuneration of the Mayor should be taken into consideration at next meeting^" FORESHORE AGAIN. It was decided to write to Charles O'-Neill, Esq., asking him what ha<T been ! done with reference to tho Council's request about the foreshore. The Council then rose.