Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3061, 6 December 1878, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held at the Council Cham bars last evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Speight, Ehrenfried, Wilson, McGowan, Mennie, Hansen and Bras* sey. . . MINUTES. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and also the minutes of the special meetings. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. Leave ot absence was granted to Cr Graham on the motion of Cr Wilson, seconded by Cr Brassey. OTJTWABD COBBESPONDENCE. A precis of the outward correspondence since last meeting was read over. DEFECTIVE WATEB TABLES. A letter was read from Mr W. Wilkinson drawing attention to the bad state of the water table in Pollen street, west side* at the Willoughby street corner. He was willing to pay his share of the cost of making a water table. The matter was referred to Works Committee with power to act, on the motion of. Cr McGowan.

Or Khrenfried said that the water table at the corner of Mackay and Sealey streets whs also in a dirty state.

A I'W.t drawing attention to the defpf'ivo of tbe lower Sealey street wi«!i.T-uiblo wus r ad from Mr Macky, tind similarly dvait with. The Mayor reminded the Council of the quo^tio;f n» (ho levels he had raised some lime bark.

Cr Bnuisry «-uid the plan of the levels of the' Borough *us ia the handa of Mr McLaren. ii thought it; would be highly mlvisnble that they should get the plan. He believed that they could obtain it from Mr >' el.aren.

Cr Ppcieht 'siiil if a wooden water-table was laid in rieaiuy street at the proper level the nuisance, which was very bad, would be rrinoved.

Cr Mennie moved that the Town Clerk take stops to obtain the plan from Mr MoLiiren, and any other plans useful to the Borough.

Cr McGowan thought ihe discussion on the levels was irregular. The- question of the drainage ot the Borough was a very large one, aud could not be gone into until-'he burgesses were willing to pay a special rate for the purpose. The matter then dropped. CONFERENCE.

A letter was. read from the County Clerk staring that the Chairman and t'rs Carpenter and Brown were appointed to meet the Council re the matter written on by tbe Town Clerk.

THE V P.A. A letter was received from the secretary of tue U.P.A. enclosing the statement for October. The balance required was £279 7s sd. SUBSIDY ON BATES. A letter was received from Treasury containing advices of the remittance to the Borough Fund Account of £976, portion of Government subsidy on Borough rates. BECOVETIT. OF BATES. The Town Clerk asked for permission to sue for rates due. There were £1,500 or £2,000 due, which would hare to be collected before the end of the month, or tbe Government subsidy would be lost.

Cr Speight asked did the Council intend to sue the mining companies who had not appealed against their assessment. If they had appealed like others did, they would not have been rated. ■

• Cr Hun sen moved that the Town Clerk be authorised to recover the rates forthwith.

Cr Mrnnie seconded. Carried

A letter was read from the Under Secretary of Crown lands, stating that the Council had no power to give five acres of the iiecreation Ground for the High School reserve. A special Act would be required.

WATEB BUPPtY. A letter was read from the Water Sup* ply Committee, enclosing a copy of the letter from the Bank of New Zealand, requesting the Committee to bblc the guarantors to pay up. Consideration was postponed till after' conference of the local bodies interested. ACTB. The Town Clerk laid before the Council a number of new acts. ' HEALTH OFFICEB'S BEPOBT. The report of this officer showed that four deaths had occurred in the Borough during the past month. One death had been from typhoid fever. BELIEVING OFFICBB'S BBPOET. The report of this officer was'read. It showed that there had been 46 names on the ration list for the past month. The cost had been £47 10s 3d. WOBKS COMMITTEE'S BEPOBT.

The report of the Works Committee was read as follows:—" The Works Committee have to report that they waited upon, the Thames Harbor Board on the 4th inst., relative to the erection by the Borough Council of the building for the fish market on the eastern or inshore end of the Shortland Wharf, and received an assurance that, provided the lessee of the wharf gave his consent, the Harbor Board Were, quite willing that the building should be erected there. The Commit 1 cc recommend that on and after the New Year all Borough requisites should be supplied by public tender.—James Kilgoub, Cbairman."

The report was adopted on (he motion of Cr Wilson, seconded by Cr Speight. Cr Speight moved, and Cr Hansen seconded, that the Works Committee be instructed to proceed with the fish market' so soon as the consent of the wharf lessee was obtained, the work' to be done either by the public tender or day labor. CHABITABLE AID. Cr Speight moved, and Cr Mennie seconded that a special meeting of the Council be held on Wednesday evening next, at 7 o'clock, io receive the report of the Charitable Aid Committee.—Carried. TI3NDEBB. ■ ■ ■ Tenders for ihe Mackay street footpath, between Willoughby and Richmond streets, east side, were received from :— Messrs Basham, £99 10s, and Haye, £103. , : Gr Wilion moved, and Cr Mennie seconded the acceptance of Mr Basham's tender.—Carried. PUBLIC BATHS. Cr Ehrenfried snid that the Public Baths Committee had met, but could not decide on a position for the baths, and he asked for further time to complete the report, which would be brought up at next meeting. TABABT7 BO AD. Cr McGowan moved that the Foreman of Works be authorised to visit Tararu j Boad, near Boundary creek, and see what could be done to improve it. The Foreman of Works said that the road was only 12 feet wide at this point. He suggested that handrails be erected on each side of the road. The motion was carried. BEPOBT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE. The report of the Finance Committee was read and adopted on the motion of Ct Speight. FIBE L3IOADE, MAINTENANCE. The Mayor moved that the report on the Fire Brigade Maintenance be brought up at the special meeting on Wednesday next.—Carried. HOLIDAYS. It was decided to close the Council Chambers for eight days, from the 25th inst. to the 2nd prox., both days inclusive. THE MAYOB'S VALEDICTOBY ADDBESS. The Mayor said, as this was the last occasion on which he would have the honor of presiding over the Council, he might be permitted to make a few remarks by way of wisbiug the Council goodbye. He regretted he would haveto leave them, as the Council was one with which he could act harmoniously, and they might have hoped some good to the Borough would have resulted from their united labors. He was much

obliged to the Council for the manner they had assisted him. Several measures of importance hud been carried, and a Dumber initiated, which, if carried out, would advance their comfort and convenience. Among the former was the Charitable Aid question by which they were able to relieve the poor more efficiently than heretofore, and at less expense to the Borough. There was also the formation of the footpaths, and he was glad to notice a determination in the Council to see justice done to the outlying portion of the Municipality, and hence it was desirable for them to work in harmony with the County Council, Harbor Board and Parawai Board, which environed them on all Bides. Should the Parawai or other dis-1 tricts adjoining the Borough desire to join the Borough, though it was not desirable that the Borough should take the initiative, they should be met in a courteous and friendly spirit. He had had many conversations with Sir Julius Vogel concerning the Thames, and that gentleman had always urged the advisability of having as large a Borough as possible, consistent with law.- Respecting the election he had lost, he might say the burgesses had not given consideration to the necessity of being united in putting in a Borough representative, and it must be admitted that it was owing to the outside influence brought to bear that his opponent had been returned. He was not speaking complaininßly of the verdict of the ratepayers, but he wished to say that the influence brought to bear in the Borough had played into the hands, of the interest outside the Borough, aud this imperilled and jeopardised the independence of the office of Mayor, as the holder of the office was the nominee of another corporation. This also diminished the influence of the Mayor, and decreased the dignity and prestige of the office. He hoped, in future, the ratepayers would elect a man of their own choice. In conclusion, he bad to thank the various officers of the Council, from the Town Clerk downwards, for their courtesy and friendliness.

Cr Ehrenfried said whatever might have been the feelings of the Council at the time of the Mayor's taking office, during the term he had possessed the entire confidence of the Council. The friendly spirit which might not at first have existed had been brought about by his gentlemanly actions. Feeling that he had done his duty for his term of office, he moved a hearty vote of thanks to the Mayor for his constant efforts for the Borough's welfare. „

Cr.McGowan, in seconding the motion, said he cordially corroborated all that Cr Ehrenfried had said. He bore testimony to the Mayor's unremitting exertions on behalf of the Borough.

The motion' was then carried, and the Mayor having thanked them the Council adjourned.