Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2601, 9 May 1877, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

; An extraordinary meeting .of ..the Borough Council was held at the Council Chambers last night.. Present :■—His Worship the. Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Bensbaw, Macnab, Gibbons, Kilgour, Ehrehfned, Read and Wilson. ;. The Clerk read the, clause oi the Act under whichT the special - meeting ; was held, namely, Clause 133 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876. ; 'V ' ANNUAL ACCOUNT.;"? : /';' The Town Clerk said he had seen in one of the papers a comment as to the items. They had inslructioWks to details which they could not get^oyer, neither one way or the. other; •' :/ : ■>-■ :-:■// The Mayor: Never mind- what the papers say. Cr JRehsJiaw said there was one item that might have been particularised. It wps the ono referring to ." salaries and allowances." Cr Henshaw also wanted to know whether the accounts'werekept under the form prescribed for the Council. On. being answered in the affirmative he movrd that txie accounts as presented be

■passed. '", -■■'■■'■■:'■ -'.■■:;'■:;■; ;' a : -:^:V Abe Major then put the accounts, and Cr. Renshdw's motion, seconded byCr Macnab, was carried, namely, that the Mayor sign the balance sheet as presented. .-. ' - t>TE3KIiJr& A RATB.*" The Town Clerk, then brought under the notice of the Council the necessity of making a rule under the new Apt, reading ;the clause of-the Act. Some discussion ensued amongst Councillors as to the amount of the rate to be levied, Cr Eenshaw, Kilgour, and Eead tailing part. ■ Ultimately it was agreed to fix the rate :at one shilling in the pound, but as the period would be only nine months the rate sho^'d be actually a ninepenny one. : . GENERAL ACCOUNTS. j The Mayor read over an estimate of; expenditure for the year ending March, 1878. Cr Kilgour wanted to know; how the estimates ' were arrived at for Lunatic Asylums and Hospitals. " Other Councillors wanted information i on the same matter, and it was agreed that it would be better to keep all the patients here. t , ; Some reference was here made tp a deduction of £900 from the Borough Council subsidy (which was not before the meeting) by the General Government., A discursive conversation ensued.

The Town Clerk said they had to support the Hospital and Reformatories, and be had prepared the estimate on the information he had been able to gather front statistics he had obtained. • fcjouncillori were of opinion that they could do nothing but discuss the matter. The Govern meat might make deductions, but at present tiiey could do nothing moi'o. The other estimates were then gone through seriat'm and agreed to as fol- . lows:—i . v I Proposed 'ExvesvuvKS. Maintenance of roads * ... ... £2,0C3 I Formation of roads (exclusive of ' pitching and metal) ... .»i 500 j Foo'patbs ... ... 200. Drainage ... ... ... ... 200 Cartage, keep of two horwa and repairs ... ...... ... 120 Tools, nails, &c. .. ... ... 50 Timber / ... ... ... ... " 850 Cemeteries ... ... >\, ... -V ... 200 Hospitals and charitable.institutions 1,075 Places of public recreation, Mechanics' Institute ... ... ... 50 Fire Brigade ..*.. ... ... 450 Board of Health, including officer's salary ... ... "■■?'■■ ... •.;. •■■■■>■■ 150 Elections .... ... ... ... 75 Valuation of Borough ... ... 100 Burgess 801 l ... ■•.;.', ... ... 30 Printing, advertising, cud stationery 150 Legal expenses ... '... ... 50 Rent ... ... ... ... ... 52 Public Pound... ... ... ... 25 Major, allowance to ... ... ... 150 Salaiie3 ... ... ... ... 420 Auditors (three audits) ... ... 25 Sundries, including petty cash, gas, ■ telegrams, office furniture ... 50 Interest to Bank ... ... ... 100 Bank overdraft ... ... ... .200 Total ... ... ... ... £6,672 Scars Avaiubib. Bates, 1877-78, at Is for nLie months £1,500 Old Rp'es 250 Subscriptions in aid ... ... ... ICD Q-eneval Government sulaidj ... 1,698 Prblicans' license* 2,C30 Wholesale licenses ... ... ... 40 Auctioneers'licenses ... ... ... 40 Sharebrokera' licen es ..'. .... — Keronene licenses ... ;.. "... . .20/ Vehicle licences ... „. ... 43 Theatre, slaughterhouses, pound fees, &c. ... ... .... ... 50 Dog Collars ... ... ... ... 60 Fines B.M. Court ... .60 Total ... .i.. ... £5,858 In answer to a question the Town Clerk said there was about £250 due bj the Pumping Association for rates.

ENDOWMENTS

Some conversation ensued as to the question of endowments, and the localities

mentioned vyere discussed at some, length, i CJitimately it was proposed that the 2000 .acres outside the Borough" and the ICO acres inside the Borough should be applied for,; in accordance with clauso 350 of the Mtinieipal Corporation Act. , After a;long discussion Or Ehreafried i;proposed that a committee, consisting of i the Mayor, J}? Kilgour, Messrs Read and j Gibbons, be appoiuted to look into the matter, and report to the meeting of Council at next Thursday fortnight. Or Wilson seconded, and the resolution » was carried. I EAUA.ERANGA BRIDGE. Cr Gibbons, proposed that £750 be put. on the estimates as the share of the Borough for. erecting a bridge ofer the Eau^eranga at the termina/ion of Mackay street. Cr Head seconded.' ■ Cr Kilgour supported that the Borough pay the" amount on condition.that.it be expended under the authority of the Council. . After some further discussion ■ the motion was withdrawn. . . EOAKD OF HEALTH. J The Town Clerk brought under the notice of the Council the absolute necessity of making appointments under the Ach- .- ..■- -; ■,;.:. ;■.' ..-.•■. - : ..:: : John Brookes Mason was appointed Health Officer under the Health Act. The report for the past year was then read, and the report was considered in detail by the Mayor and Councillors. ' A long discussion of:? r. discursive, character ensued on the annual report to" be furnished to the Government under the Health Act, after which the Council adjourned, the n'lliug in of the form haying occupied a very long time.