THAMES BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2008, 11 June 1875, Page 2

THAMES BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The Borough Council met in the Chamber last night There were present—His Worship Iho Mayor ;. Cra,' Anthony", Butt, Ehrenfried, Macnab, Eenshavr, ' and Wilson. MINUTES AND.COBEESPONDKXCE. The minutes of last meeting were read' and confirmed, aflor which letters .sent s;nce last meeting were read, alsoxert'ain communications received. ■ DBIVISa CATTLE THBOUGH THE STBEETS.

Cr-Butt's motion for restricting the hours for driving cattle through the streets came on for discussion; '.He.asked permission of the Council to amend the hours from 12 p.m.'to 8 a.m., between which'any cattle may. be driven. through the Borough. ' ' ■' "' - ' Cr Ehrenfried said he was of the same opinion as last meeting. He .was in fayor of "having a stockyard, without which'sjaclw a measure could no t be justly enforced. T tr Eenshaw said, untjl .provifaion. could be made for landingcattle at a^articukr time it would be oppressive to make 'auch, a regulation. - -

The -. Mayor advised 1 hat the matter be left over. There were difficulties in the wa£ °f. Jand?ng " cattle on, the Thames which; would probably make restriction a hardship. - - Cr Butt said the cattle trade was started by landing cattle up tfc& Kauae- ' ranga Crceky'and wby#ould theynotdb ~~ itnow? - . : ... ' : Cr Ehrenfried, said they could x not force people to .go'-iip the creek.' It was desirable that/-cattle, should through the. 1 town in the^muldle of the dayj but under" present' circumstances to prohibit it except within the hours of twelve at night -and eight in tho morning was imposing a hardship! The only yiaj out of Ihe difficulty was to erect a stockyard. ■ - - - - Cr Macnab said there was a stockyard at Tararu, and what was the" hardship in compelling people to land their cattle ■there?.-;:. ' V. : " .--.-*" <\ vr~ -,-.,*?*. The Mayor said the more difficulty in bringing the meat to'the-shop/th^higher the price'Tvould be. ' - "_\--' -■< •■■- ,->i--i.- c:' :- Cr Ehr«nfried:ineVcd:th"at'tßV matter be considered this day three months/'-' Cr Butt, said/if. any thing' should; happen to any one those who voted 5 foyshelTing tho matter would, be to blame;; jind iJhe asked that their names be taken down. Cr Ehrenfried,:-. Why are you not prepared to go to "a.little more expense and erect a stockyard,*if you think" the matter so'serious. , ->"•■ ■-: * vj * .^: I Cr Butt:.l.object to that on principle, I do not consider we are^ justified in spending-the ratepayers' money'so" at the -presenttime. .-. - „•-:■»>, The' Mayor then | put Cr Ehrenfrieji'i amendment. ■ ■' .™. The votes were—for;'ame~ndm<eijtH&e Mayer, r Crs, Ehrenfried and Benshaw; against it, Crs Anthony, Butt and Machab. The Mayor gave his casting vote i=for,tho whioh was carried. ' ' " THE WATER-SUPPLY; \ A letter from Mr, District Engineer, handing over ttie town water ; supply to the Borough, was read. Cr Eenshaw proposed that the Mayor, Crs. Brown, Anthony .and Macnab be a committee to "undertake the 'supervision - of the watar Kpply-until-t he next election, ; in December." The motion was carried. . GBAHAMSTOWtf FIBB BBIQADB, -M A letter was received from Charles Ahier, Secretary/ asking for the patronage of the Council on the occasion of a performance to be given by some local amateurs for, the benefit of the Brigade. The request wai acceded to.'' - -'s ':r-

.. -„: ; ; r .NAVAL BEIGADE. , t v A. letter was received from the Thames Naval Brigade, asking-for permissibnlto fire the big guns from the beach, Grahainstown. - ■ ' :" •.:■•• ••',". •- »,j' *s

A prolonged discussion took place as to whether permission should be gratilwd, ultimately resulting, in consent being accorded. ■ • r'l >v "- '■;"•:-

BATES COLLECTED."' ' ~ >The Collector reported—That ife had collected for the past month £150, and . thfet £1,100 remained uncollected^njdit of which he believed the Council would hare to! sue for. Information was asked as.to.the course to, be adopted in .certain "" cases when different persons had occupied a house during the year—whether the landlord was liable for the whole amount due or only for such time as the house was untenanted. .The case put was that of T>r Kilgour; and there was another of a different kind, that of, Lingtheman and Carey. „ „,,,. „ ... The Mayor said the.matter .was xlear enough, but he- would look up the Act, and the Collector could, receive instructions afterwards, y■.■ ■ v * i i Cr Renshaw apprehended that if the rate could not be' got from the tenant they could come on the landlord. Some discussion took place, and the Clerk read clauses of the Act applying . to such cases as ■ those " mentioned. Eventually the question was referred to ' the Council's Solicitor. „" - It was further decided that the Collector be^ authorised.to. sue for unpaid rates from that day week, and that the names,besubmittedtothe.Finance Committee for., approval.., ?;" 7; r ■ ' HEALTH OFFICEHS' BEPOET.. Mr John .B. Mason, Officer "local Board of Health, reported as to the state of health in the Borough during the past month, the number of deaths ~&c.; also with regard to the fence round the Tararu Cemetery, which was in such a - bad condition as tobe useless for keeping out animals of any kind, even bullocks. "" The Mayor stated that the fence had cost -£60. ..•,..■-:-. Cr Renshaw stated that the people were preparing to put palings round, and thej . would be 'glad if. the Council would send I a couple of men. / Referred to Works Committee, with power to act. T . . • ', The HealtK Officer also'reported bn.the urinal in^Grey street, which had become " a nuisance. Cr Anthony proposed that it be removed, which was carried. , " PIHE BRIGADES \\ ■■ ~) The report of the Fire Brigade Com- . mittee was read, and the recommendations contained therein adopted. : ■ \ \ PTWAJSTCES.' • ;•''.'< t ji ..Accounts to.the amount of £32" 12s were past for payment. ■. -.. -„ .-■-.■■ .. rOKEMAN OP M7OUKB.The report of the. Foreman "of Works . was ftad and adopted.- ' .'. ;._; \ FINANCE COMMITIEE. ■; •' -'/;'/ The report of the Finance Committee - . was read and.£l47 n 4s 6d was passed for payment. * " . - ->

The report, in bTiewiof there being no money voted to the Council by the Government, recommended that , the tramways in Pollen and Campbell streets _ be utilised; ,-v jßeferred tb,.-Works Committee to report at next meeting. ; THE POSITION OP THE BOBOTTGH. ' # At the previous meeting of the Council, in the report of the Works Committee, . a suggestion was inado that several thpu- ,. sand popnds should-be raised- by levying a special rate, and the consideration of the suggojtion was postponed until this I meeting. , ■ Cr Renshaw said the better course would be to wait, and in the _mean time to economiseyas {mnch -as)pqssible, only undertaking such works as were absolutely necessary. The present state of things was unsettled, as the Provincial Government did not know what its position might be at the end of sis months, whether.it/would|be ended or Amended;; tliorei lie /thought ),the JBbroughl Council could scarcely feel sure of their own - -position. He would suggest however, that the General Government should be written to, asking for participation in the per centage on the rates —which they would v \ rejCeir^ if tiiei (Sou^eil! were "$, f {Highway 'i —as Itheyt had vfeceived ' anents to support them as a Borough. ; 'J he Mayor said they were entitled to a part of the land fund and capitation grant, and could ask for the publicans' and auctioneers' licenses. It wasjiseless looking*to the Provincial Government, who had appropriated the Goldfield^ revenue contrary to the law, and the Borough had received no part of tho loans obtained from the- General Government, neither had they benefited by the land fund or tho capitation grant. v , -„ , . ( . - * Cr Ehrenfried remarked 'that'they(the Council) would never do any good with the General Government while the Provincial Governmenfexisted. Ultimately, it war- proposed by Mr Macnab, and-carried, that,the suggestion of the Works Committee stand over. cc bowe's motion. Cr Rowe'sJDotice of-motion as io why the Waiotahi Hoard had been excluded from participating in jtho benefit of the water supply was .left over till next meeting. BOBOUGH ASSESSMENT. The question of- getting up 'the assessment for the year was next introduced by theclerk. - - Some discussion of a general kind took place. ,'• 'A^bmn-ittde /consisting of thVMayor, and'Crs" Anthony and Macnab was appointed to enquire into the matter. -CEMETERY COMMITTEE. The report of the Cemetery Committee read,-recommending- the -payment '" of certain accounts, which% were passed without discussion., - . " '" The Mayor said he had been asked for ..some explanation respecting the manage- ' 'ment of the Cemetery, and that perhaps „ r Or Renshaw was the best able to throw *"""_i_l_,t on "the matter, having interested /himself in that-behalf. , r - , • Cr Renshaw said that a complete account had been kept of^the affairs conri'ected * witK the management, and a .balance-sheet drawn up periodically,-and he, as treasurer, had always been willing . to afford any one- information. He produced a ledger, but stated that he would go to, the (trouble of making a .detailed ■tatement of the affairs, for_ the informa- ; Ttion',pf the Council, befofe-the "Cemetery was handed over to the Borough. J.'This concluded, the business/and the ' Council rose.