Annual Meeting of the Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3428, 17 December 1879, Page 2

Annual Meeting of the Borough Council.

INSTALLATION OF MAYOB.

At noon to-day the annual meeting of the Council of the Borough of Thames took place for the purpose of installing the Mayor-elect, L. Khrenfried, Esq. Present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr McCullough), Councillors McGowan, Marshall, Osborne, Mennie, Bawdan and Ehrenfried.

The Mayor read the clause in the Act providing for the holding of the annual meeting, and stated the procedure of business. He remarked that previous to the installation he had one duty still to perform to the Council, its officers, and the general body of the ratepayers. When^he took office in November last year the indebtedness of the Borough to the Bank, includ-' ing the amount for which the Council had become responsible for the Domestic Water Supply, amounted to £472610s 6d, and the amount now due to the Bank was only £2191 9s 6d, showing that a reduction t» the amount of £2535 Is had been made during his term of office. The amount of money received by the Borough during the past year reached the respectable amount of £10,500. Whtn the Mayor took office ' in December, 3.878, the Borough overdraft, including the Borough's proportion of indebtedness to the Bank of New Zealand, on account of Water Supply Committee was ... ... ' ... ... £4,726 10 6 The total amount of monies re- ■ | ccivedby the Borough Council during the Mayoralty of Wm. McGullongb, Eiq., hu been ...£10,500 0 0 I ..... ... ■,;. „ „ _ Derrred as follow* :— From Katie ... ....... ... £2,048 13 1 „ Payments for asphalt, Ac ... ... ... .:; 417 9 8 From Publicans, Theatres, Cart, Omnibus, Dor Collar, Kerosene, Slaughterhouse, Auctioneers, and otker Licenses ... ... ... 2,057 14 0 From Gold Duty, Colonial Government Loam ■ and • Subsidies ... ... ... 4,329 12 6 From Colonial Government , Becrt-Htion Park ... .- .;. , 400 0 0 From Colonial Government Orphanage... ... ... 480 0 0 From Colonial Government Charitable Aid ... ... 606 16 4 From all other Sooroet ... 31113 11 £10,500 0 0 And the expenditure was as follows :— Upon Formation and Main- * tenatice of Beads and Foot* paths, Drainage, Water Tables, s Asphalb and other Pavements ... £3,100 0 0 Upon Bednetioß of Overdraft at Bank New Zealand, Payment of Water Supply Committee's Overdraft,' Payment . of Interest at Bank of New Z«aland ... 2,826 12 4 Upon Erection, Furnishing* and Establishment of Thames Orphanage ... ■ 1,037 2 8 Upon Charitable Aid Bations, &c. ... ... 817 2 7 Upon Maintenance of Big Pump ... 686 1 1 Upon the Purchase of a portion of the Freehold, «md in - Fencing and laying down in grass the Becreation Ground 474 9 7 Upon the Board of Health's i duties And upon Thames ■ Cemeteries ... ... ... 110 411 Upon Travelling Expenses, Petitions to Parliament, Public Meetings, and Thames Valley Railway 166 12 0 Upon Maintenance -of Firs Brigade! .. 201 9 7 Upon Allowance to Mayor ... 150 0 0 „ Salaries to Officers, including Valuation of Borough ... 567 17 0 Upon Printing, Advertising and Stationary 155 4 6 Upon Elections ...... 68 4 9 „ L«gal Expenses, bsing I Maodonald and Miller's AcI count for three years, and Cost of Summons Fees, &c ... ... 10* 12 7 Upon Gas, Insurance, Patty Cash, &o ... S3 6 5 £10,500 0 0 From these figures it would be seen that £3100 had been spent on the formation and maintenance of roads, footpaths, and drainage works, a detailed report of which lay on the table; £2826 12s in repayments to the Bank, including interest, a very respectable amount, and one no doubt acceptable to the obliging manager of that institution; £1037 2s 8d for the Orphanage. This was'- an undertaking entered into by his predecessor, bat towards which, through his exertions, the sum of £430 had been obtained from Government; nevertheless, the cost to the Borough had been more than it was at first contemplated. This course it was considered wise to adopt, owing to the fact that the cost of the maintenance of the poor, the sick, tad tlit destitute childjren wii coating the

Borough the greater part of its subsidies. A saving had, however, been affected in thin direction, and .while on this subject, he | might say it was in a great measure due to the exertions of the Returning Officer, Mr Mason, who, had proved himself a most efficient and paiuatukiug servant to the Borough. The sum of £817 2a 7d had expended in charitable aid, a very heavy charge indeed, and made more so by the unsatisfactory Government arrangements at present in force. Help to the Biff Pump had cost the Council £686—an expense not likely to occur during the term of his tuccenor, Mr Ehrenfried. £474 9a 7d had been spent on the Recreation Ground, and £200 on the Fire Brigades. This last expense was one the Council had perhaps the greatest pleasure in disbursing. The £150 to the Mayor was a saving to the Council, bait whether one justifiable or not was questionable: in his opin ion decided ly not so. The balance of the expenditure was was made up in salaries, law costs, advertising and printing, and petty expenses. It would thus be found that the Borough was in a much better position than it was this time last year; for, besides paying off a portion of its indebtedness to the Batik, it possessed an endowment of 2000 acres in the Te Aroha block, the entire ownership of the Domestic Water Supply, with a right to the use of water front the large race; These concessions were due to the late Government, who, to secure those benefits to the ratepayers of the Borough, had agreed to pay the Thames County no Jess a sum than £3,500, in fact, actually giving that amount to the Council. The footpaths and streets were frvgood repair, and he might say the thanks of the Council were due to their indefatigable Foreman of Works, Mr Rawdon; and with the good substantial building for orphan children, the position of the Borough was in a very fair position com* paratively . speaking. He had another very pleasing duty to perform, and that was to acknowledge the attention and kindness he had received from the town clerk, Mr Dean, a most indefatigable and hard-working servant: one who had the interests of the Borough nearest his heart. Mr Fleming, as collector, had done his share of the work satisfactorily; in fact, he had not once during his term cause to find fault with any officer of the municipality. To the members of the Council, his best thanks were due for their uniform kindness, attention, and support: without which no chairman need expect to carry on successfully the business.. The statements from which he quoted, he had causedjio be made out, not only for hit own sails faction, but in the interests of the ratepayers, who were justified in knowing how their affairs had been managed during the past year; and also, that the in-coming Mayor might have a fair statement to commence work upon.

His Worship then requested, the Mayor-elect to rise and the formal ceremony of swearing in took place. The new Mayor took the chair roeated by his predecessor, and short speeches of welcome were made by Crs Marshall and Osborne. ,

The Major rising was received with applause, He expressed extreme gratification at the good feeling which existed in the Council, and hoped it would continue. He briefly touched on the present exceptional circumstances of the Borough and district, but spoke hopefully of its future. In conclusion, he thanked them heartily for their kind welcome, and trusted . that the unanimity displayed would continue. (Applause.) Cr McGowan then, in highly nattering terms, moved a vote of thanks to the out-going Mayor for the ability with which he had conducted the proceedings of the Council. ■

This was seconded by Cr Mennie, who spoke of the time the ex-Mayor had given to public business. - . The notion was carried, and ordered to be recorded on the minutes.

The Mayor then invited the Council and others into his room, when the proceedings took a convivial turn. Champagne flowed freely, and much good humor was indulged in.