Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2806, 11 February 1878, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

. A special meeting of the Thames Borough r Council was held at ;thel Council Chambers,at, noon today.. ,There,.w.ere present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Ehrenfried, Gibbons, Bead, Uehshaw, McGowan, and, Price.,,. ...._.. r . Mr Dean read the following letter, which:had been received from the Chairman of the County Council :— Counhy Council-Chambers, „ , „ ]t Thames,- sth> ,1878. - - ! Sjb—rl have.ilie.honor to,,submit for your consideration, tbo following telegram to the, Chairmen of the, Waikato and Piako County, Councils: — „.. :.-,;•;, ; ■ r^rn-J-.m -.-. .-..;

" Tkumcß County Council propose conference .with Waikato and Piako Council* at Hamilton during present month—l4th and 15ih suggested us most convenient for jou— to consider Thames and Waikato Railway; Main roads and bridges to connect Counties; Compensation for exemption of natiVe. lands from rating; other matters of common interest to be Mibmitted to Parliament duriog next seasion." <-'■'•

The telegram explains the object fop whichT La c proposed this conference," and I have much pleasure in inviting the attendance of jourself 'aiid''such* 1 member's'• of mV Bdrough Council as may desire' to bo present. ; The questions to be considered are very importantj and 1 closely connected with; the iulerests of the entire district. ■

■ I have tl)o honor to bfc, Sir, '< „.,„',■ f. t • fiYour obedient Serranty -„ , )(r I ' " u '.;", \ ;.,'■,'. '" v ,;,',, Bflabre, k . ( His Wobship thb'Mayob, ' ' • Borough i of t Thames. . |j . ;-,:..;-• The Mayor said in consequence of the reception of the letter he called them together to i decide if,they should send a I delegate or delegates to the conference. [They all knew the importance it would be to the Borough if the Thames and WaikSto Bail Way was carried but, so that he need not refer to' that now.' That would be on b of the principal things discussed at the conference^ Ho would nowrefer to ill© 1 guarantees which the railway company would have from the local bodies under the District Bail ways Act. (He quoted the 77th and other clauses of iheDisti-ict liailways Act, showing that the, rates for the guarantee would be levied by varying amounts on our different classes of lands, the Minister to specify, r tho amount required irt respect to each sdeh class, the Councils interested to rate accordingly.) He said—of course the principal thing to them was how much would their shaire of the guarantee amount to. If the railway cost £100,000, £7000 would be the amount of the guarantee, of which the Government would guarantee £2000, and the Councils interested would hare to make up the £5000, amongst them. Now, according to the Act the lands benefited were divided into four classes, and were rated accordingly. He assumed that the Borough would be rated as first-class land. . '„" ■•. Or Gibbons said that the railway would cost about a quarter of a million. ■ The Mayor asked if anyone knew.the acreage of the Borough. They' might then arrive at their proportion. \ Cr E'tirenfried said that he was certain that the rating would not be by the acre, but would be so much in the pound as in ordinary rating. ■ . • Mr Dean read a clause of the Eating Act, which said that all rates, after' the year 1877, would be made according to the aunual rateable value.

I The Mayor said that the rating for the railways was quite distinct; at least, such was his opinion.' , ; ." , ; '1 • T ~ Cr Kehshaw drew their attention to the faci that ifc was not likely that they would be called upon to contribute the whole of the guarantee. They would only be come. upon if the railway proved a failure. ? Cr Price said that that was a matter for after consideration. He suggested that they should proceed to appoint the delegates.... , . ....,, „. ; , I CrsEhrenfried and Ecnshaw were proposed as delegates to accompany the Mayor.at the expense of the Borough, but both declined.. It was finally decided that the Mayor un'd Cr Gibbons proceed to Hamilton to the conference of Councils re the railway and other matters. The Mayor said that when he was in town the other day the Premier had asked that a legal opinion re the Grahams town and Tararu tramway be forwarded to the Government. \

■ After some discussion it was decided that the Mayor, Cr Gibbons, the Town G(erk, and Mr W. Danes (late Chairman of the tVaiotahi Highway Board) proceed to Auckland, and get a legal opinion on the matter.

; The Mayor said that the other day the Medical Officer had reported a fresh case of scarlatina in Pollen street, and he had instructed Dr Payne, as the people were poor, lo attend the patient at the Borough expense until to-day. He wished to know if the'doctor would continue his visits.

: It was unanimously agreed that Dr Payne continue his -visits at the Borough's expense. The Council then adjourned.