Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2641, 26 June 1877, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

A meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Council Chambers last evening. There were present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Ehrenfried, Macnab, Howe, Wilson, Gibbons, Eilgour, Bead and Benshaw. MINTTTBS. The minutes of the previous meeting were read ov«r and confirmed, as also were the minutes of the special meeting. COBEESPONDXHCE. The heads of the outward correspondence were read over. A letter was read from the residents of Sealey street north, between Mackay and Rolleston street, requesting the attention of the Council to the bad state of the footpath in front of their dwellings. Cr Bead said a few loads of sand would get over the difficulty. Cr Kowe moved that if the residents contributed one third to the expense the work be done. Carried. - A letter was read from Messrs Wright, Bonfield, Moore and. others complaining of the bad state of the bridge near the pound at Shortland. Cr Read move that the work be done "provided the cost do not exceed £1. Seconded by Cr Renshaw and carried. A letter was read from Mr J. Britton complaining that he had been rated for property which he did not own, and giving notice that he did not hold any property in the Borough. The writer also complained of having received but " scant civility " from Mr Fleming when he had asked for information. The Town Clerk stated that Mr Britton did own property in the Borough. Cr KHgour said that if Mr Britton possessed no property here he thought that the Town Clerk should write a letter to Mr Britton telling him of the proper course to pursue to prevent himself being liable for rates. The matter then dropped. THE GOLD DUTY. The following letter was read from the Secretary of the Treasury :—" Sir,—l have the honour, by direction of the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th ult., notifying that the Council of the County of Thames had^ declined to continue the arrangement made with your corporation, gander which tbe gold revenue" accruing in the Borough and County was paid to the latter in gross, and the share to which the Borough was entitled was then paid to it by the County Treasurer. The Colonial Treasurer regrets to find that the arrangement referred to cannot be continued, but as the County is only entitled to the gold revenue accrued and to the duty on gold produced within it, steps will be taken for the future to distinguish as nearly as possible the revenue and duty accruing within the County from, that which accrues within the Borough. The former will be paid to the County and the latter to the Borough Fund Account. As regards the claim of the Borough to any part of the revenue already paid to the County, the Colonial Treasurer, is UDable to assist in the required adjustment of the account, but an arrangement on this point may perhaps be effected

between the Corporation and the County in connection with the agreement existing between the two bodies in respect to the contributions of each to the Pumping Association."

A letter was received, from the Secretary of the Treasury notifying the Council that £577 6s 2d of Gold Duty had been paid to the account of the Council. The letters were received, and it was resolved that in acknowledging the receipt of the letters the Clerk notify the Government of the new basis for the division of the Gold Duty.

Cr Renshaw intimated that the committee would meet to-day to re-arrange for the division of Gold Duty. A petition from several ratepayers residing on the beach was read, stating that as. they understood the Council contemplated extending the beach road to Holdship's wharf they would request that it be further extended to the.Xaraka Creek. Referred to the Works Committee.

A letter was read from Mr W. S. Greenville calling the attention of the Council to the dangerous condition of the Karaka road near his residence caused by the collapsing of the South British drive. The letter slated that if the drive was not repaired the road in the Borough would be in danger, and the writer requested the Council to join with Kirn and take an action against those liable. . The Foreman of Works stated that his opinion was that the Borough property was not in danger. . Mr Greenville, having obtained the consent of the Council to speak, said that he had not the slightest doubt that if nothing was done the Borough property was in danger. As soon as the timbers went the road must collapse. Cr Kensbaw suggested that the Works Committee inspect the road, and report on it. :

Cr Howe said that his opinion of the matter was that Mr Greenville should petition the Government,. and he would get compensation out of the Goldfields .Revenue. If he did not get redress that way he would not get it any other way. It was no use going to law about it, because there was no one to go to law with. ~

Cr Ehrenfried moved that if Mr Greenville petition the Government the Council strengthen his hands as much as possible by recommending the granting of the petition. This was seconded by Cr Head. Carried.

A letter was read from Mr C. Hart, on behalf of- the residents of Upper Albert street, asking for a few loads of sand. Keferred to Works Committee.

A letter was read from J. Shepherd, Patrick Brian and others, complaining that the Queen of the May Company were destroying the track made by them from the Waiotahi road to Irish Town, by placing mullock on it.Referred to the Works Committee. A letter was read from Mrs Loughlin, calling the attention of the Council to the bad state of the tramway in front of her house in Pollen street, Grahamstown. Beferred to the Works Committee. The Town ffilerk presented the accounts of the Pumping Association, which were received and ordered to lie on the Mayor's table for a week. A letter was read from Mr A, Buckland asking that as he was about to open the .George Hotel, Pollen street, that the Council would fill up the footpath to the proper level and he would pay half the cost. It was resolved that the work be done. An application was read from Mr W. H. Oldrey, to use certain premises at Tararu as a private slaughter-house. The report of the Inspector of Slaughterhouses was favorable, and it was resolved that the application be granted, and that the fee for the license for the ensuing year be £5. CONFERENCE OF BOBOT7GH COUNCILS. The letter received from the Christchurch Borough Council re the conference of Councils at Wellington to consider the question of deductions for hospitals, &c, was again read. Cr Gibbons suggested that as Cr Eowe was going down he might be their representative. Cr Rowe gave it as his opinion that municipalities with endowments should not be placed on the same footing as I. boroughs like the Borough of Thames. The Mayor said that he did not think that if Cr Eowe held that opinion he could do them much good by being at the conference, although he (the Mayor) believed that lhe opinion was quiet correct. Cr Bead moved that Cr Bowe be requested to attend the conference. Seconded and carried. A letter was read from Mr W. Eowe, requesting that the footpath in front^ of the Theatre Eoyal be repaired, he paying one-third of the cost. Cr. Eowe stated that if the Council liked they could use asphalt. It was 1 resolved that the matter be referred to the Works Committee.

WOBKS COMMITTEE'S BBPOBT.

The report of the Works Committee was read as follows :—" Your committee have to report^ with reference to the request made by the residents of Block 5a for Broad andKeddell streets to be formed, that the cost of forming Broad-street with hard mullock about two-thirds of its entire length will be £50. This would make this street of such a grade that drays with firewood could be taken up almost to Princess-street. The Committee do not recommend the formation of Keddellstreet, two houses being erected on the line of street, the which should be removed before any expenditure of Borough funds is incurred. The committee have gone over the works enumerated by the Foreman of Works in his report on the 7th inst., and recommend the following for sanction by the Council (the works to be carried out by contract from time to time) :~1. Beach Koad, section 1, from end of Brown street to Cochrane street, width 66 feet; a wooden sea-wall to be. erected, and the space .reclaimed filled in to a permanent level with hard mullock, ready for metalling ; estimated cost, £230. 2. Beach Road, section 2,' from Cochrane street to Xaraka Creek, average width 66 feet; a wooden seawall to be erected, and the space reclaimed filled in with hard mullock, ready for metalling ; the estimated cost, £400. 3. Richmond street, from Pollen street to Eyre street; on the side of the street near the Volunteer Hall aD open wooden drain 330 feet long to be laid down, and the dangerous holes in that street filled in, the street then to be formed to its permanent level with hard mullock or beach shingle, either to its full width or for at least a width of 27 feet. Cost of wooden drain, £102 ; formation of street, full width, £100, or for 27 feet, £50. 4. Baillie street, from Mary street to Sealey street, to be formed and raised to perma-

nent level with hard mullock ; estimated cost, £4-3. 5. Baillie street, from Sealey street to Richmond street. This street, with its footpaths, to be raised with hard mullock and formed at permanent level; a wooden water table to be laid down from the new Ksuaeranga school building to Sealey street. Cost of formation of road and footpaths, £77; of wooden water table, £33. 6 ; Mackay street, from Mary street to Karaka Creek, filling with hard mullock to permanent level; cost, £22. 7. Mackay street, from Mary street to Sealey street, filling with hard mullock to permanent level, ready for metalling; estimated cost, £39. 8. Sealey street, from Eolleston street to Mackay street, filling with hard mullock to permanent level; cost, £69. 9. Sealey street from Pollen street to Eyre street, filling with hard mullock or beach shingle to permanent level; estimated cost, £30. 10. Walters street filling in roadway with hard mullock to permanent level, i and making up footpaths, £25. With regard to the application of Mr Gr. Clark, of Waiotahi Creek, the committee find the landslip is caused by the waters of the creek undermining the bank on which his house is erected, and not from any works or improvements carried, out by the Council, and are of opinion that the Borough funds ought not to be expended in building a retaining wall to protect his private property. The committee propose, should the sanction of the Council be accorded to the carrying out of the works enumerated in this report, to call for tenders in the first place for Bailliestreet, from Mary-street to Sealey-street, and on from Sealey-street to Richmondstreet. This would enable the children to get to the Kauaeranga School withoul discomfort; to form the seaward end of Richmond street, and to complete section 1 of Beach Road, and on these four works numbered in the report 4', 5, 3, and 1, being well in hand or.nearly completed, to accept tenders for those of the next highest importance. The committee have sanctioned a few loads of sand being spread on those footpaths in various parts of the Borough that have been formed at the joint expense of the Council and residents, to repair them in various places." After considerable discussion it was resolved that the works recommended be carried out with the exception of No. 2. On the motion of Or Ehrenfried it was resolved that Brown street from the Academy of Music to the Naval Hall be metalled. ..:;-..'■•' G'r Kilgour moved that the footpath of Willoughby street be placed on the schedule of works to be done, and the work executed, the residents to pay onethird of the cost. SHAEEBBOKEE8 1 LICENSES. j The consideration of the sharebrokers' licenses was deferred till next meeting. ENDOWMENTS. The clerk laid before the Council £wo plans of blocks of land within the Borough boundaries suitable for endowments. STBIKING THE BATE. Cr Renshaw moved " that the rate be Is in the £ oh the rateable value of the property, within the Borough, and that the rate be for one year, from the Ist July, 1877, to the 20th June, 1878, and payable on the 2nd July, 1877."

The Council then rose.