Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3430, 19 December 1879, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The «snal fortnightly meeting of the Council was held list evening. Present — Cr McGowan (in the Ch*iir)r Crs Mennie, Bawden, Osborne and Marshall. , AN HOSPITAL MATTEB. ■ A letter was read from the Hospital Committee applying for a refund of the sum of £3 which bid been paid by mistake to the Borough by the relative of a patient. It was resolved to refund the money to the Hospital Committee. „,...,„., .„.:...,.. BATES ■ ,<* A letter was read from Mr G. McCaul asking the Council to deduct the amount of his rates from the interest now due to him on, the„ cost.,of iron mains. -The matter was referred to the Town Clerk. H : sight-soil. A letter was read' from Owen Griffiths offering his paddock at Parawai as a place for' depositing night-soil. He offered to move the night-soil at £1 per cubic yard, and provide an iron cart to be purchased by the Borough at cost price whenever they wished. Tbe consideration was deferred till after the Works Committee's reporfc had been read. A letter from Mr Bright, also offering a paddock, was similarly dealt with.

BATING COMMITTEE. The County Clerk wrote notifying that the Council had appointed delegates to attend the meeting of the Hating Committee. CnAKITABMt AID BILL. The Tinder-Secretary telegraphed that the Bating Bill had been droppod for the session. THE OVEBCHABGE. v A letter was read from Mf"*&nhsm saying that he had receired no reply to the letter to Government re-the overcharging of the Borough in the matter of-, charitable aid. Keceived.

FLOOD; GAT.ES. A number of residents of Albert east and Brown, streets wrote asking the Council to erect two floodgates to prevent the high tides \ from' damaging their properties. Consideration was deferred as the matter was dealt with in the Works Committee's report. ' , ' . " IVOBKS COMMITTEE'S BEPOBT.

The report of the Works, Committee, was read as follows:—" The Works Com* mittce hare to report the drainage in front of the premises of Mr Wilkinson has been greatly improved, but until permanent water-tables are laid the nuisance complained of will occur occasionally. You Committee ask that the .Foreman of Works be instructed to 'lay* before the Council at itt; next sitting samples of concrete slabs suitable in shape, thickness, and. composition for water-tables of, streets with the cost per running foot for same, to include »tbno. With regard to the depositing of night soil, the Committee have ascertained that Mr Bright, of Parawai, will allow night soil to be deposited in the paddock, and recommend < that a bye-law be passed to carry out this alteration. Your Commit tte a»'« of-opinion that the erection of floodgates at the :ehd of Albert street is an imperative necessity, and ask the Council to instruct the Fore* man of Works to proceeds at once with this work, and if possible, to hare it com* pleted before the rnext spring tides. In accordance with, the request of the Council the plans and specifications .for laying donu asphalt footpath on south .side of Albert street, and cast side of Brown street, between the National Sank and and McCaulV premises* have been prepared and laid before you." It was resolved that the Foreman of Works be instructed to see the clause re the concrete and stone fcerbing carried out. It was resolved to accept both offers of the paddocks as repositories for night-soil. The clause re floodgates was adopted, as also the clause re the Albert street footpath. The report asa whole was then adopted. CHABITiBLE AID BEPOBT. . Ths report of the Charitable Aid Committee waa read. It recommended that tho Hospital Committee should be requested to provide clothing for the Old Men's refuge, the Borough to refund the cost.— Adopted;

ANKUAL BEPOBT OF FOBEHAK OF TTOBKS.

The annual report of the Foreman of Works was read as follows :■—

Gentlemen, —I have the honor to present report for 12 months, viz., from 19th December, 1878, to 18th December, 1879, in which you will find in detail the works executed by' contract and that done by day labour, with the coat of such. *. Asphalt:—The footpaths laid are as follows: Middle Ward, 1682 superficial yards; South Ward* 116(%d5! = North Ward, 224|yds ; being altogether 3066 yds, the cost of which amounted to £450 16i Bd.

Watertables, drainage, and culrwts :— South Ward: From Sealejr street to Mary street, in Pollen street, 692 f t; from Pollen street to Beach, in Sealey street, 3901't. Middle Ward.: From Paliau street to Cocbraue street, in Pollen street, 695 ft; from Coebrane street to Albert ■treet, in Quteu street, 579 ft} from

Pollen to Cochrane streets, 375 ft; from Mary street to Karaka Bridge, 484 ft; Baillie street east, 474ffc. North Ward: Shotorer, 98ft; Beach, 18ft.—Total, 3805 ft, at a cost of £383 9a 6d. Eoad Metal:—The quantity on hand on Dec. 19th, was 366 cubic yards, and the quantity broken during tho year has been 742 cubic yards and 2 feet, at a coat of £315 7s 4d, or an average of 8s 6d per yard, makiDg a total of 1108 yards and 2 feet. From this 1058 yards have been spread in different parts of the Borough, as follows :—Mackay street, 154 yards ; Pollen street, 423 yards; Tararu load, 266 yards; Waiotahi 225 yards.—Cost, £449 13s.

Contracts:—The following are the contracts executed during the past year. —South Ward: Basham's Contract— Watertable from liichmond street to Willoughby street, in Mackay street, 525 feet, cost £99 10s. North Ward: Butler's Contract—Forming Siam road at a cost of £95.

' Forming footpaths without timber or water tables—Middle Ward: West side of Queen street, in front of new school, 600 feet; Pollen street, from Coch'rane to Campbell street, 584 feet. North Ward: Queen Btreet, 33 feet. Total, 1737 feet; cost, £71. , Eepairs to footpaths without timber — North Ward: Shotorer rocd, £2, 18»; Moanatairi, £4. Middle Ward—Approach to Amy street, beach, £2 15s; horse shoe bend, Karake, £5. South Ward—Baillie street, near Kauaeranga School, £3. . 565 loads of sand hare been distributed at a cost of £79 15s in the following Idealities—Grey street, Mackay street, Bichmond street, Willoughby street, Kplleston street, Beach road, and Tararu Road. All the abofe are included in road wages. Kepairs or jobbing work with timber — North r Ward—-Tailing pits, Waiotahi, £11; culvert, Xuranui (back of Wells'), £2 15s; dam at Waiotahi Creek, £2 2s 2d; Waiotahi culrert, Owen street, £5 4s. Middle Ward—Grahams town fire stand, £1 15s; platform, Walters street crossing, £118s; foot bridge neat Bull's, Karaka, £2 10s; Baillie street bridge, £1 15s. South Ward—Triingle fire stand, £1. A shed has been erected in the yard for shelter of mem breaking stones, the building of whichj together with the abore repairs, is included in the carpenters wages. The following show, the amounts expended during the twelre months in addition to that already stated :—Salary of Foreman'of Works and roadmen £550 10s 6d; wages for laying asphalt, £242 10s; ctr ; penter, for laying water tables, £181 17s 4d; carpenter, for jobbing and repairs, £28 15s ; stable account as per vouchers, £113 15s 6d; wages of carter, £130; wages for cleaning drains and burze cutting, £136 8s 4d; incidental for road work, £31 2s 7d; timber Lamb Bro., £210 98 8d; timber for shed, J. Read; £21 Is ; nails Ac, G. McCaul, £14 7s 6d ; board of health, £I.—Total, £1661 17s sd.

Previously stated :—Contracts, £194 10s ; road metal, £449 13s r culverts &c, £383 93 6d; asphalt, £450 16s Bd.— Total, £1478 9s 2d. Total expenditure, £3140 6s 7d. I beg respectfully to call. attention to the large amount expended in cleaning drains —this night be considerably reduced if the Burgesses * would exercise more care when disposing of their soapsuds, 1 sweepings, and rubbish, as it is mainly through the deposits from resideuces that the drains get choked—which is tbe principal cause of bad smells, and an incentive to fevers.

: Daring the year 212 permits have been granted to Burgesses for opening roads and footpaths, for laying water and gas to 'their residences. ■The workmen hare top dressed 4500 yards of. asphalt, which is included in their wages. ■ ■ < • , The horse is in good order, drays, harness, and buildings in thorough repair, iand a plentiful supply of tools on hand. I I hare in different parts of the Borough about 250 yards of metal brought in by .workmen on speculationl which has not been paid for—and I calculate to maintain the principal roads. I shall require during the ensuing 12 months about 3000 yards, at a cost of £1275. ' i The report was received. LIBBAIY. . The matter of the liquidation of the debt on the Library was left to the Mayor, and Town clerk to settle. . , < ALTEBATION OF TIMB OJF MEITIKG. !: Cr Osbdrne moved and Cr Marshall seconded that the hour of the Council meeting be altered to 7.30 p.m. Carried. CHRISTMAS HOitDAVI. ■ Cr Mennie moved, and Cr Bawden seconded that the Council oifices.be closed from the 25th December to the 3rd January, both days inclusive, for the Christmas holidays.

; ' HATE OF ABSENCE Was granted to Crs Wilson and Graham till next meeting, and the Council ad* journed.