Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2786, 18 January 1878, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the

Thames Borough Council was held at the

Council Chambers at 7.30 o'clock last evening. There were present — His Worship the Mayor, Crs Benshaw, Wilson, Gibbons, Butt, McGowan, and Price. MINUTES.

The minutes of previous meeting were read over and confirmed without com* ment.

THE WAIOTAHI CUITVEBT. A letter was read from Mr Cordes, bootmaker, Owen street, claiming £10 for

damages sustained to his garden,by the overflow of the Waiotahi culvert. The Mayor said that he understood that there were other claims for compensation besides this one, and it seemed to be taken

for granted that the Council were responsible. Cr McGowan said on Monday there was no obstruction, in the Waiotahi culvert, but the Foreman of Works had been instructed to let a small contract for cleaning it out. Cr Gibbons said he did not think they should acknowledge any such claim. It was quite unavoidable, and the culvert might have been choked tip in five minutes. Cr Butt said that he would oppose further expenditure, at too much had been spent already. If any ratepayers felt agrieved let them take an action against the Council. A great deal of money had been spent to improve the property. Cr McGowan said he could not agree with Cr Butt that the money was spent to improve property. Cr Jttenshaw said that the Government had paid for the culvert. Cr Butt said that they should not blame the Government. They had gone into a private township and would have to take it with all its defects. They had left the Government township and squatted down oq. a private man's property, and must take the consequences. The letter was received, on the motion of Cr Butt.

SLAUGHTEB-HOUBES. A letter was read from Mr Banks applying for a license for a slaughter-house at Parawai. The Town Clerk said according to the new Act all slaughterhouses within half a mile of. Borough boundaries paid the license to the Borough. The application was granted. A similar application was received from Mr Dalziel, and the license was granted. The Town clerk said that last year the County had fixed Banki' license at £25, and he was informed that Dalziel had paid £5. Cr Butt suggested that the price of all licenses be made the same. Cr Renshaw suggested that some one should inspect the slaughter-houses before the price of the license was fixed. Cr McGowan proposed that Mr Dalziel's license be £5, and Mr Banks' £10. He said that if they charged too much it would eventually fall on the consumers. Cr Kenshaw then proposed that the fee for Mr Banks' licenso be £25. Cr Butt proposed that Mr Banks' licenso be £10. Cr Gibbons seconded. Cr Wilson seconded Cr lfcnshaw's motion. The amendment wad lost on the casting vote of the Mayor. Cr Gibbons then moved a further amendment to the effect that the license be £15. This was put and lost again. Cr Butt said that he intended to more another amendment. He had a down on a special tax, being at heart a free trader. He moved as an amendment that it be £10 10s. He said it was the talk of the town that Banks bad the butchers under his thumb, and if they went on "piling on the agony " they would have to pay for it. Cr Butt subsequently withdrew his" amendment and the motion was carried unanimously. Cr Price moved that Mr Dalziel's license be £'25 also. This failed to find a seconder and fell through. Cr

ltcnshnw then moved that Dalziel's license bo £5. Ho said there had been no objection to tlio price, and they had no reason to believe that it was oppressive. Cr Uutt seconded Or Benshaw's motion. Cr Gibbons moved as an amendment that tho license bo £10. Or Price moved, and Cr McGowan seconded, as a further amendment that tho price be £20. This was lost on the Mayor's casting rote. Cr Gibbons then withdrew his amendment as he intended to give notice of motion for the amendment of thu bye law. The motion was then put and lost, and it was finally carried that Mr Dalziol'a license be £10. PBOPOSED ALTEBATiON OF BYE-LAW NO. 8. It was resolved that the Major and Town Clerk be requested to compare the new Slaughterhouse Act with Eye-law No. 8, so as to suggest alterations in the latter to make it assimilate with the new Act.

INSPECTION OF SLAUGHTERHOUSES.

It was resolved, on tho motion of Cr Wilson, that Mr J. B. Mason be appointed Inspector of Abbatoirs, Slaughterhouses, and cattle intended for slaughter in the Borough of Thames. Carried. The matter of the charging of fees by the Inspector was referred to the Mayor and Town Clerk to report on. - LICENSE FOB THEATBE. ' An application was received from Mr W. H. Heed applying for a license'for the Academy of Music. Cr Benshaw moved that the license be granted, subject to the favorable report of the Foreman of Works. Carried. bxelaw no. 7. A letter was received from the Undersecretary acknowledging tho receipt of Bye-law No. 7. It was resolved that the bye-law come into force on February 1. BEPOBT, OV THE HEALTH OFFICER.

A report was read from the Health Officer staling that three cases of scarlet ferer in a mild form existed in the Borough. The Mayor said he did not think that they need take any special notice of this, but should recommend the health officer to keep his eyes and ears open, as people frequently hushed up these cases. The Town Clerk requested the Press to publish the 28th sec. of the Public Health Act, which he read as follows :—"Wh«n a householder knows that a person within the house is taken sick of small-pox, cholera, or any other highly infectious disease, dangerous to people, he shall immediately give notice thereof to the Local Board of the district in which he i dwells. If he refuses or neglects to give such notice, he shall forfeit a sum not exceeding £10. It shall be the duty of the practitioner in attendance on such case to state to the householder as early as possible, the infectious nature of such disease." FINES. A letter was read from Mr J. B. Stoney slating that he had been instructed by the Government to pay fines for drunkenness to the Public Account instead of to the Borough Fund, as hitherto. The Mayor said that it appeared that they had been getting their tines by mistake hitherto, as it had been under their Bye-law. The Government auditors objected to it, and there was no help for it. THE NEW ENGINE SHED. A letter was read from Mr Mclntosh, contractor for removing the engine shed, putting in a claim for £8 for extras. The Town Clerk said that the Foreman of Works objected to the extras. The mat* ter was referred to the Works Commit* tee. NBTV CBOBSINOS. The matter of laying down several new crossings was referred to the Works Committee.

THB FLOOD OF WEDNKBDAT.

In answer to Cr McGowan, .as to the flood on Wednesday night, the Foreman of Works said when the rain commenced he expected a flood in the Waiotahi. He saw a lot of stuff coming down the creek like a wall forced oa by the water which was washed into the culvert, and filled it in about five minutes. There was very little dirt in the culvert before the flood, and he had let a contract to have it cleaned out but it had been thrown up.

BBPOBT OK THB FINANCIAL STATE OF THE

WATS* SUPPLY COMMUTE*. The following communication was then read :—

Having been appointed by the Ihames W«t«r Supply Committed to inquire into the financial position of the committee and to embody the name in a report for the information of the Borough and County Council* and Parawi Highway Board, which report should also contain suggestions for putting it on a better footing and for escaping the iinmediatp difficulties of the position, we, the undersigned, have the honor to submit the accompanying statement of the assets and liabilities pi the committee, from which it appears tbat a sum of at least £1,26915s will be required to carry on the works to the end of the financial year June 30, 1878 ; of this amount the sum of £496 Os lOd is due to the Bank of New Zealand, the same constituting an overdraft to this date, for which the bank presses for immediate payment, while a,further sum of £83 19s 2d is due for labor and material, the accounts for which have been passed for payment and ought at once to be discharged. It is unnecessary to refer to the causes which hare lead to tbe present embarrassment, nor to point out tbat tbe powers and property of tbe committee—apparently large—are not arnilable for ils present wants. We bare, therefore, to suggest, a« a means of carrying on Ibe necessary operations of the committee until time shall have been afforded for legislative remedy, that tbo Councils of the Borough and County, in conjunction with the Parawai Highway Board, offer a joint guarantee to the Bank of New Zealand for the money required by the committee until the end of June next; and that in the meantime the Boards abore-mentioned, along with tbe committee, take into consideration tbe merging of the Thames Water Supply Committee iiito a body possessing large powers and capable of undertaking more extensire operations. —James Kiigodb, Wm. Lan& Thobbcbx, James McGowan, A. Pbic*. ,

The estimate of expense to be gu ranteed for six mouths was £1,296, including bank overdraf ', cost of labar and material for laying fire extension, and maintenance of plant, Ac. The assets and liabilities are :—Assets s Plant valued in 1876, £3,000; extensions and workshop, £1,259 ; goods ordered and works in progress, £1,600 j order for fire-main extension, £900; rates uncolleoted, £112; amount to be contributed by Borougb, £350 —total, £7,221. Liabilities: Debenture Ho. I, £100 : No. 2, £1,400; No. 3, £200; order for firo extension, £556; material and labor to complete ditto, £343; accounts pafted, £83; overdraft, £496; lire years' interest on debentures (less £64), £680; engiueen' report, £25; Government claims, £87—-total, £4,272.

Cr Butt moved that the matter be left in the hands of the Finance Committee, and the Mayor.

FI.NANCJB. Accounts amounting to £259 8s 2d were then passed for payment. In answer to Cr Uensbaw, Mr Dean said that a telegram had been received from the Government stating that subsidies would be paid in a week.

BAD WATKII TABLKB. Cr Price drew the attention of the Council to the filthy state of many of the j water tables in the Borough. The Mayor directed Cr trice's attention to By-Jaw No. 7, which would compel people to keep their footpaths and water tables in repair if it was the wish of the ratepayers in the vicinity. HAKBOB BOARD BEPBESENTATIOH. Crs Wilson, Gibbons and Ehrenfried were nominated, audCr Gibbons was put to the meeting, and threo voted for him and hone against him. He was declared duty elected. It was then shown that a mistake had been made, v as it was compulsory for all councillors to vote one way or the other. Cr Gibbons was again put up, 3 voting for him; 3 voted for Cr Jihrenfricd, and 4 for Cr. Wilson. The Mayor gave his casting vote in favor of Cr Gibbons, and Crs Wilson and Gibbons were declared elected.

WATKB COMMITTEE KEPKESENTATION, Cr Itenshaw proposed that the Mayor, Crs Ehrenfried, Price, Kead and McGowan be elected members of the Water Supply Committee. Carried.

HULE3. The Mayor drew the attention of the Council to the fact that at present they were carrying on business without any rules for their guidance in meetings of the Council. It was resolved that Crs Itenshaw, Gibbons, Ehrenfried,'and the Mayor be appointed a committee to draw up a code of rules. The Council then adjourned.