Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2953, 2 August 1878, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Council Chambers last evening. , Present—The Mayor, Crs Price, McGowan, Gibbons, Khrenfried, Wilson, Eenshaw, Bead, and Butt.

■ , MINUTES. The minutes of the last meeting were read over. - . . ,;- ■•-: '• OTTB THIBD BEPBESENTATIVE.

[Referring to the minutes Cr Butt asked under what authority Mr E. H. Power was representing the Council at the Municipal Conference. If he was there 01 the authority of the Mayor and Town Clerk, they had overstepped their duty in appointing him without reference to the Council.^He thought a meeting of the Council should bave^ been called. Mr Power had been altering clauses, and he wanted to know was he doing them good or harm. . . The Mayor : The Mayor is as ignorant of the matter as you are. He knows nothing about it, but supposes that Mr Power acted for the Council on the authority of the motion of the Council at last meeting. ! Cr Read : Cr Butt is jumping at con-; elusions.- There's the resolution of the Council. > : : : : The resolution passed at last meeting re Mr Power's offer was read. The Town Clerk: I understood fronr that motion that Mr Power was to be employed if we needed him- .1 knew Mr Kowe would not get down in time for the Conference.

'" Cr Kenshaw: I was Chairman of last meeting, and the impression I formed was that wo thanked Mr Power for his offer, but took no action on it. I thought we were simply shelving the letter, and was much surprised when I found him acting for the Borough. The Town Clerk understood the matter differently f iom any of us. , , . ."; The Mayor pointed out that there had been a slight misinterpretation of the meaning of the resolution. Cr Butt said that the Mayor should write to Mr Power telling him that the Council did not recognise him as their representative. Cr. Bead : That would be shabby.

Cr Ehrenfried: That would be hard; If I had been present at last meeting, however, I would not: have agreed to Mr Power going down as our representative, i Cr Benshaw said that seeing the matter had 1 gone so far' it would be discourteous to withdraw Mr Power's authority. . It was not through any mistake of Mr Power's that he was appointed, but through a mistake that had originated with the Borough people. Cr Butt: Has Power done us good or harm ? . . The Mayor suggested that the minutes be signed. Cr McGowan said he was content to let the matter drop. The Mayor then signed the minutes. Cr Butt quoted from the Stab's telegram re the Conference, with reference to the alteration in a clause in the Municipal Act re the fixing of permanent levels. The discussion then lapsed. THE DETAINED GOLD DUTY. A letter on this subject, similar to that received by the County, was read. Received. :.■..-.■>■.:■ TABABU. ; .. ;., , .' A letter was read from Mr W. Moore, stating that on the suggestion of the Mayor and Foreman of Works he would repair the Tararu track for the Bum of £s'Bs.< - - ■ ■■•■•■ •■■_ •■■■■ •'■ '■{_'-,:■ Cr Benshaw moved the acceptance of Mr Moore's offer; Cr Wilson seconded. Carried., v ""■ -i :. QUEEN BTBEET, : A letter was read from Captain Fraser, President Thames Mechanics' Institute, drawing attention to the bad state of the footpath between the.'lnstitute and Mr Horsbrugh's ,office. Beferred to the Works Committee with power to act. POOB BELIEF. ; The letter from Mr J. Graham, Reliering Officer, already published, asking that in future all applications for relief be made through the Council, was read.

A letter on the same subject was read from Mr Mason giving a list of those people receiving relief, and requesting that several be struck oft the list. A letter from Mr Bullen was appended giving a sad account of the state of a family at Block 27.

The Town Clerk said, in answer to a Councillor, that the Borough had to support the poor and destitute of the County as well as the Borough. They took that over at the time they - took over the management of the Hospital, and it had been said at the time it was to shame the County into supporting their own sick. A Councillor: Shame them! Ha, Ha ! After some further conversation it was decided to leave the matter of the poor relief to the Finance Committee, who will act in conjunction with Mr Mason until next appointment of committees.

FISH MABKET. A letter was read from the Harbor Board asking the Council to erect a shed for the accommodation of fishermen, also that the piece of road near the site of same be formed, lteferred to Works Committee. APPEAL UNDEB BATING AOT. Mr Fleming, collector to the Borough, appealed to hare the rating of the following properties rltered under the 42nd section of the Hating Act:—Herald

battery to Captain J. Stone (annual value £150); and allotment Owen street to Mr Delaney (annual value £9.)

It was resolved that the names of these persons will be inserted in the Kate Book unless they give sufficient ground of objection previously.

' KBI'OBT OF FOREMAN OF WOBKS. Tho report of the Foreman of Works was read as follows: —

" Thames, 31sV, July, 1878.—T0 the Mayor and Councillors, Bor ;ugh of Thames.—Gentlemen, —I have the honor to report that during the past month the f blowing work* hare be<>Ji compl led:—The extension of the Waio-Earaka flumuu! 230 fcqfc at the following cost: Timber, £24 15s j nails, £1 17s; tar, 6s; earthwork, £8 ; carpenters' labour, £12. Laid down waier tables and formed footpath in - Williamson street, and Queen street: J. Keiishuw, 102 feel al la 3 i per foot, £6 7s 6il; — Smith, 31 feet do. do., £1 18s 9d ; Imperial Grown, 60 feet do. do., £3 15s ; Owen Griffiths, 80 feet do. do., £5 ; Robert Grrabara, 62 feet do. do., £3 17b 6d ; David Barty, 79 feet do. do., £4 18s 9d; J. Real, butcher, asphalt, 29 yards, at 1b 3d and 2a per yard, £2 ißs 8d j Q-eorge Symington, 92 yards at. 2s per yard, £9 4s; Harry Richards, 461 yards do. do., £4 13s; D. H. Bayldon, 30 yards do. do., £3; Thomas Short, 92 yards do. do, £9 4s; Alfred Price, 26% yards at 4s per yard, £5 6« ; John Foss, 91^ yards at 4s per yard, £12 6s. 'I bare laid down on the different footpaths of tho Borough by hired horses 197 loads of sand, «nd 210 loads by the Borough horses, making a total of 407 loads, tho average cost being 4* per. load, and it will have to be repeated should the weather continue bad. I hare spread on the following streets 364 yardr of metal-r-Gochrtme street, Pollen street, Queen street, and Bella street. I have been,unable to lay down tho metal that was to have been supplied by Mr Grold, and I expect that I will he enabled to put it to the, test next week from metal Bupplied by Messrs Hart and Horn. According to instructions, I have filled, in with mullock alongside the culvert in Pahau street, near Mr William G-olds-■-.worthy'b property. Bepaited Mackay street opposite Mr Green's property j maclefootpith from behind Waiotahi battery to Red Queen shaft; formed a narrow footpath from the Moanatairi ro»d to the boundary of the Borough. I beg respectfully to draw your attention to the want of proper central positions for breaking stones. Mr Robert Graham objects to the uae of his property for that purpose, as in lifting the metal it carries away a portion of -tho surface, and. therefore depreciates the value of his. property, but he is quite agreeable to lease for a term of fire years 231 feet by 60 feet in Bella street for,that purpose. In reference to the-, footway - trim Karaka Creek road to Irish Town, I find that I cannot make a footpath, as it has been dedicated as a sleigh road, an i I enclose memorjindutn from Mr. James McLaren on the | subject. The contractors for the water table in Upper Albert str. 3t are not proceeding with the work, I having condemned the stone as not being according to>specification. I beg also to call your attention to the Waiotahi cart road, which is in a very bad state of repair, and it is impossible* to keep it in good order, on account of slips of earth, &0., from the hills, and also it being too narrow for the; large traffic on it; and I consider that it would be advisable to take into consideration i the propriety of diverting the road. Mr j Butcher has a quantity of beach stone lying at the corner of Mary street, which I would recommend should be purchased, as I have need of them for repairs in Pollen street.— I aw, &c, Thomas Rawbon." ;

Or Ehrenfried drew the attention of the Council to the enormous expense of temporarily repairing the footpaths. Here the Foreman of Works said that they had paid... £91 for gravel, and they would need to repeat the dose—which meant another £91—if they had more bad weather! They should go in for permanent works.: That £91 would hare made more than 800 yards of asphalted footpath. ........ As this matter was to come up later it was let drop. . It was resolved that the Foreman of Works?be instructed to make a watertable of wood, and a footpath at Upper Albert street. . x ;:

The matter of the proposed deviation of the Waiotahi road was referred to the Works Committtee to report on; ; The matter of the purchase of beach road metal from -Mr Butcher was referred to the Works Committee with power to act. " ■ - ■'. The report was then adopted. REPORT OF THE INBPECTOB OF NUI- •. ■;!.■■; '" BANCBS, &C. rV - r f ' i The report of this Officer was read. It showed that four deaths had occurred in the Borough in July. He also reported a case of cruelty to sheep, one of which had died through ill-treatment. The report was received. TENDEBS FOB KABAKA CREEK BOAD. j Cr Bead moved the suspension of standing orders for the purpose of receiving tenders. Carried. I The tenders were then opened as follows :—McNaughton, £20 5s ; L. 0. 8. Hillman,£ls; Dunlop, £22; G. Turner and party, £19 9s ; Jas. Gould, £12; M. Driscoll, £28 10s. Mr Gould's tender being the lowest, was accepted. FINANCE COMMITTEE'S BEFOBT. The report of the Finance Committee was read and adopted. BEPBEBENTATION. ; Cr Bead asked if there was any truth in the report in the Star that the Mayor was going down to Wellington. The Mayor said he was not going down on his own business, and if he went at all it would be with the greatest reluctance. Cr Read said he would like to see some one go down to help Mr Brodie in Thames affairs.

Cr Butt moved that the Town Clerk keep Mr Rowe posted up as to their wants. He asserted that Mr Rowe possessed the confidence of the majority of the people, and pointed out that only the other day ho had been elected to the Council unanimously. To send any one down to shepherd him was throwing a slur on the competence of the people's representative. In seconding the motion, Cr Ehrenfried said that what Cr Butt said had a great deal of reason it, and no man could look better after their affairs than Mr Eowe. ( r Read said he looked on it that Mr Rowe had got in as no one thought it worth while to go in to the Council for such a short time. People outside the Couucil thought the matter so important that they were willing to subscribe. One gentleman had offered £5, and he was willing, to subscribe. He read a list of the matters that they required a man to look after. fceveral members of the Council signified . their willingness to subscribe to send a , representative down. Cr Butt thought it a very poor compliment to pay to a public man to send a nurse down to look after him. He had been on the Thames 11 years come tomorrow, and if t'uey sent him as their representative to Wel'ington and served him like that, he would be inclined to tell them to go to , well to —— Cr Gibbons: Hongkong. Cr Ehrenfried said that, seeing Rowe I

was a member of the Council, it would bo throwing a slur on him sending a member of the Council to Wellington. He did not think they could legally send one of themselves down with public money, but he thought that Cr Bead's suggestion to raise a subscription to send a representative down—a good one. Cr Head said he would subscribe £5 and Cr Price would aso help. He (Cr Ehrenfned) would also and he thought the matter could be easily arranged. ' Cr lienshaw thought that a list of the things required doing Should hare been forwarded to Mr Howe. Cr Price supported the sending of some one down. He disliked this begging and praying for their rights, but if they did not do it they would get nothing. * Cr McGowan said he supported Cr •Butts resolution. He knew Mr Eowe would never fight for the rating of minim* property— a thing they wanted carried out —as he had often spoken of the illegality and unrighteousness of the rating of mining property. .JJ*a^ e^*c Prey's name was then insertedjn Mr Butt's resolution which was carried, and it was arranged to hold a special meeting this day at noon, to co* sider tue wants of the Borough. Owing to the; lateness of the hour the > ftn f uJOamedwithout transacting a considerable amount of important busu-S 1 ness. . -'\'. .-.. . ,t ; .-;.-• . '...•