Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2532, 16 February 1877, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of "the Thames Borough Council was held last night at the Borough Council Chambers. Present—His Worship the Mayor; Crs Rowe, Renshaw, Macnab, Wilson, Read, Butt and Ehrenfried. „ MINUTES. , The minutes of the last meeting, and last special meeting were read over.

APOLOGY.

Cr Read; apologised for the absence of Cr Gibbons, who had gone to Auckland.

BEOWN BTEEET.

A letter was read from the inhabitants of Brown street drawing attention to the bad state of the footpath on the west side of Brown street, which they thought was injuring their business. . Cr Ehrenfried considered that something ought to be done, as the footpath was in a wretched state, and nothing had been done to it for nine years. Cr Read agreed with him, .and said the footpath was dangerous not only at night time but in the day-time also. The Mayor said'that, though it was hard, yet those who had made the" pavements had to keep them in order. For himself he did not see why a man should be obliged to keep a pavement in order any more than the road opposite his^ house, yet still this was the law. . ,^H Cr Renshaw moved that the r Works M Committee should estimate the expense and make a proper pavement if tho inhabitants would pay one-third the cost. Cr Ehrenfried said that this .would work , unfairly, as only a few houses were inhabited on that side. •■ . ''••_■" Cr Eenshaw said the owners of the property would be regarded as inhabitants. . , . • Cr Wilson agreed with Cr Renshaw's motion, and would second it. .' • r .* ' Cr Eowe thought if they were, prepared; T to go on this principle in one case they' should adopt it in all cases. The motion was then put and carried. WAIOTAHI G.M.CO. " '-•"■ A", letter was read ;from ML r J. Smith, mine manager, drawing attention to the/, water which comes from the Waiotahi/\ and which ran down their mine. - Referred to the Works Committee. ; ,-',. ; .?, BANE ACCOUNT. • . VSj.'J A letter was read from the Colonial Secretary's Office drawing attention to • the 106 th section of the MunicipalrCJorporations Act, 1876, directing that all moneys belonging to the Corporation ofV the Borough should be paid into such , bank as the Council might direct. The letter also requested that the Treasury Department be informed of any appointment of a bank at which the Borough [ Council may open an account. The letter was received. : . PAVEMENT^ A letter was read from Mr Quadri requesting leave to remove the planking opposite his shop, and humbly, praying the Council to replace the same with a few loads of sand. - - -• . Mr Renshaw considered that the * wooden footpath was on the whole the best and cleanest' of any. If the pathway was made of gravel, on a wet day it 7 became mud, on a dry .day it covered." travellers with dust. . . • Referred to the Works Committee to be dealt with on the same -terms as the application regarding Brown street. THE FLOODS. A letter was read from Mr H. Hay"" asking that something might be done to save his house from being flooded, which" happened every time when the Earaka was flooded. • • ■'r} Referred to the Works Committee. THE POUND. A letter was also read from *Mr Brown informing the Council that the Pound had been greatly injured by the late floods and would have to be repaired forthwith, if it was to be of any use. Referred to the Foreman,of Worka to „ see the necessary repairs done. ' ■ . , MANUKATX MINE. A letter was read from Mr H. R; Jones informing the Council he had not winding gear, and was obliged to go elsewhere for his winding^ The Town Clerk said this, was in reality an application for the remission of a portion of a back rate. . It was agreed that the application could not be entertained. DOG COLLABB. •A letter-was read from Mr Bullen asking for a supply of dog collars to use for the coming year, commencing March Ist, Agreed that the Town- Clerk get 250 \ dog collars as.requested. . . ' "'■ WOBKS COMMITTEE. ' The report of the Works Committee was read as follows :—" V"our committee have the honor to report that they cannot re-. commend the Council to expend any money in putting down a new wooden kerbing to the footpath in Mary street; > but suggest that, the residents- Qf that street be informed that, x>n their paying to the Borough funds ofae-third of the. cost of laying down a wooden watertaWe in that street, such work would be carried, out by the Council. , Witk regard to the application made by • the residents of a'block of houses on the hills, on the north of Upper Albert street, for a foot- * path to be made to their houses,; the com- ' mittee find it would entail considerable expenditure, and do not recommend the <4 work being done so long as tl\e funds of " theCouneil are so diminished. The lato ;. flood has caused- a very . considerable , amount of injury to the low-lying,allot- ■' ments west of Rolleston »treet, through the waters of the Noke Woke Creek,- > the drainage from the hills adjacent not being able to. find free 'passage " .to the . sea. - Your committee are of • opinion that this might be greatly ' I obviated by the V bottom being taken ' out of the culvert that crosses Pollen' street at the junction of the North side of Richmond street, and a flat flooring made to the culvert instead. This would'make ■ the culvert-wider at the bottom, and allow the. water to escape without back- „ ing up. A little further up Richmond i. street a footway crossing over this creek leading into Mrs Coolahan's. bakehouse is - • made, so that the rapid flowof- the water • is hindered. This should bo removed or • '■ made wider. The culvert that leads from '' the upper end of Richmond street across Eolleston street, that to where the waters < of the creek first flosv into it, is far too -' small to carry the water during a storm, ■ ■'; and the V bottom is too sharp, and so retards the water flowing by contracting the space too much. Your committee' - recommend that the V be taken out, the I - culvert widened to centre of Rolleston street, and the bottom planked; that a second culvert be taken from this culvert at a point about the centre of RoUestou

treet across..: Bichrnond street, to the water table on the south Bide of the street, thus allowing the waters of the Noke Creek to flow-, down both sides of Biehmond street instead of only one as at present." Your committee have received a report from the Foreman of Works on the damago done to the bridges over the Karaka , Creek in Pollen ' and JBaillie streets, also with reference to the clearing of the water tables and footpaths within the Borough, which report is nppended, and it is approved by the committee, they being convinced that the present structure in Pollen street is not worth repairing. Should the Council de--1 cide to erect a new bridge, consideration should be'given as" to how the work is to.be done—-if by one contract for the whole, or by small contracts Tor various portions of tfie work, and the. actual completion of the whole by the Council's Foreman of "Works, The committee find that the great rush of water during the flood brought down such heavy debris into the TVloanatairi aqueduct that in many places the planking has been broken through. ■The necessary repairs were at once made by the Foreman of Worksb by the saric- ■ >n of the committee, but it is recommended that this flume .be • carefully V inspected, and further repaired, if neces- ■' Bary,; after the waters have subsided. Considerable damage has been :.dMe to the road and culverts at Shellback and Boundary Creeks,- and it Is ; asked, that authority be- given to the Foreman of m Works to efficiently repair the culverts at. these creeks. • The paved causeway under the first-bridge of the Tararu. Creek' Tramway is apparently destroyed, and' - the greater part of the dressed.stonework washed away, but the waters of this creek j are at present so high that your com-1 mittee cannot ascertain the actual, damage'done, or make any recommenda- • tion as ip repairs.. The." small handrail bridge over the creek ftas been entirely washed'away, and it is recommended that a similar bridge be erected; The footway on the west side of Tararu Creek is damaged to some extent.' The stone crossing over. Tararu Creek, used by horse vehicles attending funerals at Tararu cemetery, is destroyed in places, and some slips have occurred on 'the Cemetery Eoad. The committee recommend that these damages be made good by the Foreman of Works afterbehas repaired"the culverts, &0., more urgently demanding attention. ,

Cr Eowe expressed surprise that no mention was made of the damage done to the property at the foot, of the Waiotabi Creek: Great damage to the extent ofnundreds and thousands of pounds had been done, and yet whenever a flood occurred, though there were in some houses one or two feet of water no mention had ever been made of it. The Mayor drew attention to the factthat Cr Eowe had never spoken on. this subject before. They were all most anxious to complete the culvert necessary to carry the water off, but "they had not the money, and therefore, though he agreed that it ought to be done, yet the reason Why it was not done was that they had no money. * Cr Ehrehfried said it had always been considered a necessary work to see to what Cr Eowe complained of, and it had been discussed when Cr. Eowe was at Wellington, but it. couldn't be done for the reasons the Mayor had given. Or Macnab said the subject had been discussed,. and an answer sent to Mr. Miller who was acting for a client, Mr Somerviile informing him that the work Bhould.be; done as soon as money was forthcoming. ■'„'. , , . On the motion of Cr Macnab the report was received. The items were then discussed seriatim. The first item, regarding Mary street, was adopted. The second item was that regarding the application of the inhabitants -of Upper Albert street. Cr Eowe thought this application ought to be .treated as the. former application regarding footpaths. Cr Wilson pointed out that the circumstencesof the two places were quite different, and that as the houses were totally -disconnected, each would -want a foot.path to his own door. , The road itself was almost inaccessible, and it would cost more to make the path than they would get in rates for years. Cr Macnab moved and Cr Wilson seconded that this" part of the report be adopted. ' •' Cr Eowe moved as an amendment that the request be complied with on condition that the inhabitants subscribe one-third of the cost. . . " * Cr Eead seconded the amendment. Cr Macnab withdrew his motion and the amendment was carried. The third item regarding the damage done to the low^lying houses west of Eolleston street, through the waters of the E"oke Noke Greek not being able to. obtain free-access to the sea, was discussed . at some.length. Cr Eenshaw proposed that the whole question stand over for a month. Cr Ehrenfried seconded the motion which was.carried. The fourth item concerning the bridges over the Karaka in Pollen street and Baillie street was then discussed. The necessary repairs to the bridge in Baillie street.were authorised. Plans for the bridge in Pollen- street were then produced by the Foreman of Works. It .was agreed that the Foreman of Works draw up plans "and specifications for a new bridge for a special meeting of the Works Committee to approve of, and that the tenders be then called for. The following-is the report of the Poreman of Works to the. Committee :—" I have the honor to make the following report re .Karaka Bridge, Pollen street. I • find the bridge in such a state that it will be nearly impossible to repair it. I also think that repairs would simply be a waste of money. I have therefore the honor.to submit a sketch of a new bridge, dimensions, to be 12 feefc wide, 8 feet deep, and 75 feet long in the clear; that is, 2 feet wider and 15 inches deeper than the present bridge. I have ' also examined the bridge in Baillie and Bella streets, and I find that the supports and stays have been washed away ; the repairs-will cost, at a rough, estimate, about £90. With reference to other damages, I find that, they have, been mostly damages to pathways and drains ; and I would'suggest that permission be given to me'to let in small contracts (either in lump or by the chain) the cleaning,and repair of such drains and pathways • as there are so many applications for employment I think the course suggested would be judicious. I have also to add that the crossing at Tararu Creek has!been completely washed away, and caused considerable damage to Mr Brown'js fluming."

THEATRE EOYAIi AND ACADEMY OP MUSIC. The reports of the Foreman of Works on these buildings were read. The report on the Theatre Koyal showed that the building was suitable for public meetings, provided that an entrance door at least six feet wide be made in Owen street, that the partition in the gnllery be removed, and 80 feet of hose be provided in case of fire. The only alteration required in the case of the Academy of Music was a recommendation that a covered stairway be erected on the south side of the building to allowpeople in the gallery, to leave with ease in case of fire, the present passage or stairway being too narrow. The report-was read and adopted. FINANCE. Accounts to the amomnt of £33 13s 4d were passed for payment. ATTENDANCE OF COtJNCILLOKS. Attention was drawn to the lax attendance of some Councillors, and also to the fact that even though an appearance was put in to satisfythe letter of the law, yet after a stay of ten or fifteen minutes one Councillor generally absented himself. It was, after some discussion, rigreed that if attention was drawn to this by the local Press it would in all probability be sufficient.- . . " VALUATION OBJECTIONS. It .was decided that the Council .meet oh Thursday night nest so as to take into consideration the appeals against the valuation list, and to decide which to admit and which to oppose. • SPECIAL MEETING-. At the. conclusion of the usual meeting the adjourned special meeting to consider the bye-laws regulating slaughter houses was held. These, Nos. 4 and 5, were published in our issue of January 25th.. Bye-law No. 21 was considered and adopted as printed. No. 5 consisting of 10 clauses was adopted, the only important alteration being that made, to clause No. 3, in which clause the words " For each such license there be paid by .the licensee to the Borough Fund a fee of £25," were altered to a sum " not less than £5 nor more than £25 at the discretion of the Council." The Council adjourned.