Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2929, 5 July 1878, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of this body was held at the- Council Chambers last evening. Present—The Mayor, Crs McGowan, Eenshaw, Ehr en fried, Gibbons and Wilson. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. LETTERS SENT. A precis of letters sent since last meet* ing was read over. . ... . BEFUKD. A telegram was read from the Govern* ment stating that the Bank of New Zea* land had been requested to place £664 to the credit of the Borough on account of the refund of deductions for Hospital. THE DETAINED GOLD DUTY. A letter was received from the Secretary to the 'Treasury re the £2354 gold duty detained by the Government pending the receipt of instructions- as to its division. ' (A similar one had also been sent to the County.) The T#n Clerk said that the County Clerk and himself had telegraphed to the effect that £32 9s per cent, belonged to

the Borough and the remainder to the* County. THE BOROUGH ENDOWMENT. A letter was received from the Land Purchase Commissioner's office stating that seven signatures were required to the handing over of the Waihou West block. The Town Clerk said that he had fouud that one woman who was a signatory, wanted £1200 for her signature and the remainder £100 each for theirs. by-law Np. 8. A letter was received from the Government acknowledging receipt of By-law No. 8, and approving of the same. It was resolved that the By-law come into force on the 4th of next month. . \ . TABABTT CEMETEBT; " A letter was read from the Colonial Secretary's office stating that the matter of the Tararu Cemetery deed had been referred to the Native Department. Received. POLLEN STREET. A letter was received from Mr H.Syms complaining of the bad state of the road in front of his residepce in Pollen street, caused by the carting of mullock from the Prince Imperial. A similar letter was received from Mr Head; Referred to Works Committee.

BLOCK SA. . ; A letter was received from several residents of Block 5a asking that a footpath be formed in that locality. Referred to Works Committee. KABAKA CREEK. A letter was read from Messrs Bull and Wickham asking that something be done to repair the footpath in Karaka road near Bull's battery. Referred to Works Committee. DAVY STREET. A letter was received from Mr James Craig complaining of the disgraceful state of Davy street near' !A my street! Referred to the Works Committee. / ['„. BOAD METAL. A letter was received from Mr John Quinlivan offering the Council a quantity of road metal now lying in Pollen street. Referred to Works Committee. WORKS COMMITTEE REPORT. The report of the Works Committee was read as follows:—'

Your Committee hare the honor to report that with respect to the straightening of the Karaka Creek it is compulsory on the Council to acquire the land requisite for this purpose, under the provisions of the Public Works Act, and that the necessary notices hare already been given for such purpose. With respect to Walter street and Byre street, referred to in Mr Campbell's letter,'and to Campbell street, referred to in Mrs Horn's letter, orders have been given to temporarily improve these paths by spreadirg a few loads of sand in the worst places The Committee directed the Foreman of Works to inspect the variouß places in which a track or road could be cut that would enable MrScanlan to get his quartz to the crushing mill, and to report probable cost. Thi-vwas done, and the report given by the Foremen of Works: That the quartz taken out, about 10 tons, was only a trial lot to ascertain if or. not the reef was payable; chat a track could be made into the Shotover Creek road; but that would cost £43 and would not be of any use at a low level of the same reef, the trial lot being taken from comparatively the surface. He suggested that authority be given Mr Scanlan to sledge the quartz now ready for testing down the Kuranui Hill foot road for one week, and that so soon as he had finished, the foot road be put in repair by the Council, and horee traffic again prohibited. This suggestion the committee have adopted. Should the quartz taken ont by Mr Scanlan prove payable, the Council can decide on the advisability of making the new road at a cost of £40. The channel for the water flowing through the- culvert across Pollen street into Pabau street has been opened and orders given to raise the footpath alongside of it so to prevent the water flowing into Mr Groldsworthy's premises. The application of Mr Ensor for the roadway to- be continued from Mary street into Karaka road, cannot be carried out without the allotment on which the old powder magazine stood be purchased from Capt. Fraser, whose price for. same is £100. 'The Committee recommend that Mr Ensor be informed that the ground asked to be made part of a public road is private property. The Committee recommend that the Foreman of Works be authorised to put'on one or two men to repair the eea wall along the Tararu Road, where injured by the action of the sea. With regard to the application of Mr Meek and other residents between the Waiotahi battery and the Bed Queen mine, your committee suggesfthat the Foreman of Works be authorised to repair the track by giving the soft places a heavy coat of hard mullock. This, in.the opinion of the Committee, would benefit to a great degree the residents in that district. The plans for improving Upper Albert street post the residence of Mr Hart are laid before you, having been prepared by the Foreman of Works. The Committee recommend that the Council authorise water tables to be laid down and a strip of asphalt three feet wide spread at the permanent level along the entire lengths of those streets in the Borough over which the principal ioot traffic passes; this to be done by the Council out of .Borough funds. Those residents and owners of property who wish lo lay down asphalt between their premises and the strip laid down by the Council could do so on the terms of the By , law at any time; meanwhile a dry, even although narrow, footway would be secured. Your Committee recommend that authority be given at first for the following, viz.: —East side of Pollen'street, from Grey itreet to Ccchrane street; west side of Pollen street, from Cocbrane street to Owen street; north side of Cochrane street from Pollen 7 street to Queen. street; east side of Queen street, from Cpohrane street to Albert street; Albert street north side te Brown Btreet; east side of Brown and Owea streets to junction of Pollen" street; east side of Eyre'street, from Mr Gribbons'. house to Coc'irane street, and Mary street south side, from Rolleston street to Eyre street. The Foreman of Works has, under direction of your Committee, mended many of the footpaths with sand, but, as the Council are aware, after two or three days' traffic this wet weather it is almost mud, there being little or no shell in the sand that can be obtained near to either the middle or south wards. —JAMES KILGOUB, Mayor. : , The Mayor pointed out that the'laying down of the narrow asphalt footpaths was the initiation of a new policy in road making, as it had always hitherto been the custom to cause residents to pay for part of the cost. He supported the scheme.

Cr Kenshaw spoke against the recommendation, .and said that other boroughs could not do it. He had made enquiries in Auckland, and found that the residents had to pay one half of the coat of narrow footpaths, and this they were forced to do. He suggested that residents Should pay one-third of the cost of the first strip, and then join with the Borough equally in constructing the remainder. Cr Ehrenfried said he thought he would hold with Cr Henshaw. He argued that to adopt such a policy would be unfair to those who had contributed to their paving. They had the power to call on owneri of

property to contribute to the footpaths, and he thought they should do it. Cr McGowan said that the path proposed to be made would not enhance the value of property, and as it'combined a water-table it might save a special rate being made for drainage. He strongly supported the suggestion if they could see their way to the expenditure, and thought it would meet the wishes of the ratepayers. He referred to the expenditure of money annually by the Council alone for the repair of the footpaths. , Cr Gibbons moved that the consideration of the matter be deferred till next meeting. He said in the meantime enquiries might be made as to the probable cost of the proposed work. Cr Benshaw seconded, and the motion was carried. It was resolved that the recommendation of the Committee re the sea-wall and the road on Waiotahi Hill, near Red Queen mine, be carried out. , Mr Hart was present with reference to the Upper Albert street footpath and I water table, and offered to make the footpath and water table for £45. f The Foreman of Works plan for the work was presented, arid approved of. BEPOET OF INBPECTOR OF NUISANCES, VEHICLES, &C.

The report of this officer was then read. It shewed that during July two deaths had occurred in the Borough. A cabman named Butterworth had been fined 5s and costs for a breach of By-law. During the past quarter 497 head of large cattlfe, 270 pigs, and 2318 sheep had been killed at the slaughter houses, and there had been no occasion to take proceedings. The report was adopted. BEPOBT OF FOBEMAN OF WOBKS.

The report of this officer was then read as follows:— . t ' &EMIfBMEN,-rI have the honor to report that during the past month the following ■works' bate been in progress, having been delayed on account of the wet weather, and the men usually employed having been taken taken off and put to extraordiniiry work which could not; be delayed :— Williamson streets-Laid down 553 feet of water table, and culverts, and filled in the same. Asphalting—From. Weal's, butcher, to Abraham Btreet, and footpath brought up to pormanent level, but not yet completed. Carpenters are employed in yard, preparing for the extension of the Waio-Karaka culvert. Horses and drays were according to instructions, hired [ (as per accounts) for putting sand on different footpaths, which 1 considered requisite to make them passable, until such time as the Council may decide on some better and improved plan of keeping the footpaths in repair. 85 loads of sand were put down. 112 lpads of sand were also put on the fo > .paths by the horses belonging to the Borough. The following footpaths received the sand: —From Hogg's Brewery to Butt's Corner in Grey street; Mackay street, from.'Willoughby stn ?t to Grey street j Pollen street, from Burton's Hotel to Cochrane street; ami on several of the worst places on the same Hue of etrest-; Caihpbell street, from Broad street to Pollen street; also three loads at Mrs Hogan's Hotel; Pollen, street, from Albert street'to Owen street; from Waiotalii culvert toCoromandel street, from Coromandel street to Kuranui Hotel, from Coclirane street to Court House Hotel, in Queen street, from Karaka foot-bridge to Walter street (one Bide.) The extra uien employed were cleaning out drains and sweeping the streets, and doing all possible to keep the streets and footpaths and drains in repair during the very wet weather, which we have had during the past month. I hereby lay before you a sketch plan of stone water table and footpath in Upper Albert street.. I have, &c., Thomas Rawdon, Foraman »f Works. The report was adopted. FIBE BBIG.ADEB COMMITTEE'S BBPOBT. The report of this committee recommended the Council to sanction the attaching of fire plugs to all the new 4-inch mains laid down in the Borough. It also recommended that accounts amounting to £52 Ha be passed for payment, they having been examined by the committee. FINANCE COMMITTEE'S BSPOBT. [ The report of this Committee was read and adopted. ;■/.;< ' Cr McGowan then read to the Council the Town Clerk's suggestion re the raising of the loans (already published), and the Council generally admitted there was something in the scheme. After some desultory conversation on this matter the Council adjourned. :