Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3066, 12 December 1878, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

A special meeting of the Council was held at the Council Chambers last evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Ebrenfried, Speight, Hansen, Price, McGowan. v

The report of the Charitable Aid Committee was re-d as follows :— " The Commitl.ee have to report that the Thames Hospital Committee have, agreed to receive, and take charge of, for the future the old men and women who are now, and may hereafter, from time to time, become destitute; and whose keep and maintenance aie by law, or by arrangement, assigned to the Council of the Borough of Thames.! The Council of the Borough on the other hand, undertakes tosupplement all monies v collected and received by the Hospital Committee; with such sums as will maintain the Hospital and Refuge for old people in an efficient state. Under this arrangement the committee have authorised the expenditure of an especial, sum of £300 for additional ground for hospital and refuse purposes. With regard to the Home for the Destitute Children, the committee have endeavored to arrange for, the purchase of the house and 15 acres of land in the Kauaeranga Valley, the property of Mr Anderton, for £300, but having failed, propose that authority, be given them to purchase Mr Hudson's 12 acres,; arid they propose to advertise for .a" master and ( matron ai a salary of £100 a year, with board and residence at the home j for this sum the committee anticipate no difficulty in obtaining the services of a middle-aged g. ntleman and his. wife (without children) capable of imparting a plain education to the ■ children :as well • as I maintaining good discipline [JtheJchargedP the home to be given them early in January next. Should it be found necessary, as the inmates increase, a servant to be allowed, subject to the approval of the .committee. On the establishment of the home in January next your (Committee will take steps to obtainf; aid; toitß fund from sources, outside, the Borough, Council, viz., by subscriptions from, charitable persons, such subscribers to be entitled to elect a certain number of ladies and gentlemen to assist your committee in supervising the management of the home. With respect to that portion of charitable aid, "the issue of daily rations," .the com-: mittee recommend that a relieving officer be appointed whose services shall be at the disposal of the Hospital Committee on all matters. connected with the Old Men's Refuge; that he be the executive officer to the Charitable Aid Committee of this Council, and especially responsible for the judicial! issue of rations; and that hJßreDor^^n^l^uchnaat^^J^j^^ The Mayor said that the committee had I

seen Mr Anderton, and he bad offered to sell his 15 acre block at Kauaeranga Creek, near the Pah farm, for £325, giriog possession, on the 31st iost. That offer had not been accepted by the Committee, but Mr Anderton was now present to make another offer. ' Mr Anderton said' he '.was preparesto ■ell the land for £300, and let them hire the crops at a Valuation, or if the Council would guarantee him the crops he would sell the land for £3CO.

The Council decided they could not guarantee Mr Anderton the crops. Mr Murdoch, at this stage, cot up and said he would make an offer to the Council. He would give them a block of Bor 12 acres adjoining Mr Anderton's as a gift fur the site for the Home, the gift to be unconditional*

Cr Hansen moved and Cr McGowan seconded that Mr Murdoch's generous offer be accepted with thanks. Carried. Cr Ehrenfried said he supposed Mr Murdoch's generous gift did not debar them from purchasing Mr Anderton's property as well if they thought necesssry. ~ . * Mr Murdoch said it did not. He suggested that a portion of the purchase money might be expended in making a suspension bridge oyer the river. After some discussion — 'r Mr Anderton said he would sell the Council his pioperty for £3CD provided he was allowed to occupy a room in his house till the end of February next,' and then remove his* crops, the offer to hold good for a week. It was then resolved- on the motion of Cr "Ehrenfried that tue Committee visit the properties offered. ■ It was resolved that the Committee be instructed to have plans prepared for the j erection of a suitable building for , a Home. •. • v :-'■•■• : ■.-.■ '.:■ '...:■

It was resolved to appoint Mr J. B, Mason Relieving Officer to the Council en the conditions named in the report. It waa resolved that power be given to ■ the Committee re the committee of sub-sCi'lbe-.s.' Tenders for the supply of the poor rations for six months were then opened. No. 1 ration is lib bread, 2ozs oatmeal, 2ozs Sydney Company's No. 1 sugar, \oz black tea; No. 2 ration was fib flour, and other three items same as in No. 1 ration; No. 3,' lib meat free of bone. The tenders were as follows:—-Alex. Mennic—No. 1 ration, 2-} d; No. 2, 3£d; .No. 3, 4d. W. Deeble—No. I,4£d; No. 2, S'd; No. 3, 4id. F. Hewin and Brother—No. 1, 3d; No. 2, 2|d; No. I 3, 3fd. On the motion of Cr Speight, it waa resolved to accept Messrs Hewin and Bro.'i tender, it being the lowest. BEPOBT OS MANAGEMENT OF FIEE BBIGADES. The report of the above special Committee was read as follows :— " The committee desire especially to point out to the Council that the cost of the maintainance of fire brigades has increased from £416 in 1874-5, to about £700 ayear at the present date—last half year

the expenditure being £370; and this the Couucil will bear in mind does not include any payment to the members of the brigadus, who are all volunteers—except to the two engine-keepers. This increase in the cost has not been occasioned by fires, for the Borough has been singularly free from fifes, or even alarms of fire, for the past two years, notwithstanding which about one-third of the whole rates collected in the Borough are expended on the maintenance of the brigades. Your committee recommend that a special sum, including the engine-keeper's salary, be voted for the maintainance of the brigades from the Ist of January to the 31st of December, 1879, and that such sum be £250. Your committee are of opinion that property holders should especially contribute to the fund for maintenance of the brigade, either by subscriptions or else by a fire rate of 3d, struck once in two or once in three years. Your committee are also of opinion that were the two brigades uuited and located at one central station, instead of having two engine-houses as at present, a very considerable saving would be effected; One engine-keeper instead of two would be able to do the work requisite to keep the implements in repair and good order. The committee do not propose that such amalgamation should be effected at once, but that the efforts of the Fire Brigade Committee should be directed towards the' accomplishment of this purpose within a short period.—James Ejlgoub, Chairman."

After some desultory debate, ■ Cr Ehrenfried moved that the expenditure on the Fire Brigades in future be limited to £400 per annum. Cr Price was certain that the brigades would cost nothing like that sum. He thought that ii that motion was carried the ardour of the men would be damped. Cr Ehrentried said he would withdraw his motion on condition that the clause re the limitation of the rote was struck out.

The clause was struck out and the report was,adopted as amended. This was all the business.