Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3522, 9 April 1880, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held at the Chambers last evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs McGowan, Wilkinson, Bawden, Speight, Mennie, Marshall and Wilson.

COBBESPONDENCE gUTWABDS. The outward correspondence was read over.

OBPHANAGKE.

A letter was read from the Board of Education approving of the appointment of Mr Fuljames as master of the Orphanage School. Beceired. contbactob's tbamway.

A letter was read from Mr J. J. O'Brien applying for an extension of time to use the tramways. Granted.

BAILWAY EMBANKMENT

A letter..was read from Mr Stewart, C.E., stating that large pipes would be laid through the railway embankment at Shortland to carry off the drainage. The box culvert at Bichmond street would not be altered. Received. LOCAL INDTXBTBIES. A letter was read from the Chairman of the Koyal Commission on Local Industries stating that the Commission would be ' happy to receive information and suggestions re the local industries of this district. It was resolved that the whole Council act with the County Council and solicit information regarding local industries, to be forwarded to the Commission. BAILLIE STREET. A letter was read from W. Newman objecting to .pay towards the construction of a water-table in Baillie street. Dr Kiigour also objected to pay towards this work. He objected to pay £37 for a purpose opposed to his personal interest, as it would interfere with the drainage of his property. .Received. THE CATTLE NUISANCE. A letter was read from several butchers demurring to the bye-law proposed by Cr McGowan, re the driving of cattle only at certain times. Most of their cattle came by sea and they had to suit the tide. Consideration was deferred. BEPOBT OF FOREMAN OF TTOBKB.

The report of the Foreman of Works was read sod adopted.

BLAUGHTEB HOUSE BE7OBT.

The Inspector of Slaughter houses sent in his quarterly report. During that period 2692 head of large and small cattle had been killed.

BEPOBT OF BELIEVING OFFICES.

The report of this officer was received. The cost of the poor relief had been £34 Os3d.

HEALTH OFFICEB'B BEPOBT.

The report of this officer stated that four deaths had occurred during the past month in the Borough.

LOAN COMMITTEE. The report of this Committe was read as follows:—

The Committee recommend tbat the Council should take the necessary steps under "The Municipal Corporations Act" to borrow a sum of £20,000 for public works and drainage within the Borough ; aa<?, from information laid before them, believe no difficulty would be found in raising this sum in London. For some years past the Council hare endeavored to carry out these works out of the rates raised year by year from the burgesses by obtaining large overdrafts from the Bank ■o£JSew Zealand, payicg-from £200. to-JSSOtfa year itfteTeßt for the accommodation. Your Committee consider these works, which, when once done, equally benefit the holders of property 30 yeaia hence as they do the present proprietors and leaseholders within the Borough , and that therefore the cost of them should be borne equally by the future as well 88 the present , burgesses. To repay this sum of £20,000, a sinking fund of £300 ayear would have to be provided, in addition to £2,000 a'year interest. Your Committee suggest that out of the general income'of the Borough the interest and sinking fund should be provided ; or, if thought advisable, a special rate of two pence could be struck to meet the £300 required annual'y for sinking find. Should the matter of the trausferrenee of the water supply be accomplished within a short time, jour Committee recommend that' an additional sum of £10,000 be borrowed to pay the debts due by the Water Supply Corpora* tion, and extend the mains and sub-mains of the supply. In the event of the Council approving of the recommendation of the Committee, authority is asked by them from the Council to take the preliminary steps for raising the loan, by submitting it to the burgesses for their approve! during the month of May.

The report was adopted.

BEPOBT. OF FINANCE COMMITTEE.

The report of the Finance Committee was read. It recommended that some means be adopted of liquidating the outstanding liabilities amounting to £600. The Mayor said that the impression left on his mind by ministers was that they could get but little money from them in future, and the sooner taey realised this the better.

The report was then received. THE QT7EEN OP BEAUTY WATEB. The Borough Solicitor wrote informing the Council that the Queen of Beauty Company would be responsible for any damage done to private properly through the water from the turbine overflowing, but not for damaging public property. The latter part of last fortnight's works report re this matter was then adopted, cevrying with it the expenditure of £30 for enlarging the water tables.

NOTICES OF MOTION. His Worship the Mayor aad. Cr McGowan asked permission to postpone their notices of motion till next meeting. Granted. DBIVING CATTLE. Cr McGowan asked peidiission to withdraw his motion re the making of a bye law to regulate the driving of cattle through the streets.

THE MAYOR AND THE FOBEMAN OF WOBK9. His Worship the Mayor said he wished to draw attention to a motion passed daring his abstnoe in Auokhnd, almost censuring him for removing men from the Tararu road. He was surprised that such a resolution should hare been carried. He had now been a member of the Council since the Borough was in existence, and he had never stopped any work since he was in the Council. The Foreman of Works must hare been laboring under a misapprehension. What he said to the Foreman of Works was that the asphalting was not proceeding very rapidly, and he (Mr Kawdon) complained of the shortness of men. The speaker told him to put all the arailable men to asphaltmg, not meaning at all that the Tararu Road work should be stopped. He never bad the least intention of acting contrary to the Council's instructions, and he was sorry that some of them wished to make it appear that he had.

Cr McGowan thought it was a matter between the Foreman of Works and the Mayor.

Cr Speight: As chairman of that meet* ing he wished to assure His Worship that no disrespect to the Mayor was meant by the resolution.

The Mayor: Besides this matter, lately he had not been getting on at all well with the Foreman of Works, That functionary seemed to have a wrong idea of the duties of the Mayor. Several times of late when he had questioned Bawdon on matters appertaining to the Borough he had been answered with extreme reluct* ance. Some days ago be asked Bawdon the cost of private asphalting, and he replied that he did not think he would be doing his duty by informing him. This he thought brought matters to a climax, and the sooner things were put on a proper footing the better for all concerned. The Mayor should have all possible information given him by officers of the Borough. (Cr Speight: Hear, hear.) If the holder of the civic chair was to be treated in that manner they would have to look out for another person to fill the position.

Or McGowau: lam sure there must have been some misunderstanding either on your part or on Mr Bawdon's. Mr Bawdon has always given me the fullest information on all points. The Mayor: No, there was no mistake. He asked Mr Bawdon the question, and that was the answer he, received. He appealed to Mr Dean who was present at tho time.

Cr Speight said he thought the Mayor brought up a very proper subject. According to his reading of the Municipal Corporations Act the Mayor was really a nonentity. He wasjonly a Councillor by virtue of the office and President of the Council, and there his power ended. He thought the Foreman of Works was ander the control of the Works' Committee, but it would be well if the relative positions of the Mayor and the officials were defined either by a committee, or by the Council. He thought the Foreman of Works had been put in a false position. The Mayor: It may put the Foreman of Works in a false position, but it also puts the Mayor in a false position. He was a member of the Works Committee, and if he could not ask a question of the Foreman of Work's, the Town Clerk and Collector might also refuse him information. If the Council considered his office that of a nonentity, the sooner they got some other gentleman to fill it the better, as being a nonentity was entirely adverse to his sentiments or rule of life. (His Worship, who had been several times interrupted by Cr Speight, turned to that gentleman and requested him not to interrupt him again. Cr Speight was a good speaker, probably- a very good speaker, and it was not fair that he shotld interrupt those who endeavoured to use what little gift of speech they possessed.) He then moved that the officers of the Borough be instructed in future to give any information to the Mayor concerning the affairs of the Borough. Cr Marshall seconded. Cr Speight said he wonld assent to the resolution if the words " and Councillors " were added.

The Mayor assented. Cr McGowan said he had no objection to the resolution, but thought they were simply beating the wind. Before anything was done the Foreman of Work! should be heard in explanation. Cr Wilkinson asked the Mayor was the motion intended as a rote of censure on Mr Kawdonr "-■^^s^- ._

The Mayor: No, not at all.~~rsimply wished to bring the matter before the Council.

Cr Wilkinson: I will heartily support it then. If it was intended for a Tote of censure I may say that I ha?e heard nothing yet deserving of censure. It is necessary that officers should gire the Councillors fall and explicit information, and the motion is ell the more necessary after the shameful conduct of an officer of the Council in withholding information as to the business of a ipeoial meeting, under instruction from His Worship the Mayor. The Mayor said it was very strong language for a young member of the Council to use towards Mr Dean, an old and tried officer of the Council. Cr Wilkinson: I did not use Mr Dean's name. The Mayor: Well, who do you mean; I don't understand you. * Cr Wilkinson: It is not for me to find brains for His Worship to diseorer my meaning. Cr Speight, after defending Cr Wilkinson, said he was glad the motion came from His Worship the Mayor, as it showed he was sorry for his conduct. . The motion was then put and carried. THE MAYOB AND THE ASPHALT. The Mayor said at last meeting he was so utterly taken by surprise that he was not able to state all tne circumstances re the asphalting. Some 18 months ago he got the Foreman of Works to do some asphalting for him, and was surprised when he got an account for £20. He brought the matter up before the Council and demurred to paying it. The Council asked him what was a fair prioe, and he aaid 2s per yard, and thai it was agreed to accept, and he gave a cheque for £10, and obtained a receipt which he now produced.

Cr Mennie at this stage rose to a point of order. He thought the Mayor should have given notice.

Cr Speight thought that His Worship should be allowed in courtesy to make any explanation he chose. The Mayor then prooeeded. He did not tfc'nk Cr Speight had upheld the prestige of the office of Mayor by suggesting that the asphalt account should be placed in the hands of their solicitor for recovery. He asked them was he not justified in thinking the affair was squared up. At last meeting Cr Speight, referring to the return, asked abruptly if "that person" had paid up for his asphalt; and upon he (the speaker) quite unsuspectingly asking who, Cr Speight replied "Yourself, sir," taking him quite by surprise. He questioned if Cr Speight displayed good taste in bringing the matter up in the way he had, and accused h?m and Cr McGowan of personal motives in bringing the matter up in his absence. He then moved, " That the Council gire en expression of opinion if the Mayor was not justified in considering that hit asphalt account was settled, and also if they did not tlrik Cr Speight had dis* played a want of taste."

Cr Osborne drew the attention of the Council to the fact that the account was marked settled, fu ■ the books of the Council.

Cr Speight said that no man more than himself wished to uphold the prestige of the Mayor, but a great deal depended on the Mayor himself. If he imputed motif es to the gentlemen working with him, the prestige of the office was sure to suffer. As Chairman of the meeting/

he had suggested the adjournment of the matter till after the Mayor returned. If the Mayor was only to be charged 2s per yard for his asphalt, then they should make a refund to the other burgesses who had paid 4i per yard. They could not make fish of one, and flesh of the other. Ho saw by the receipt that the amount was paid, and was giad that the matter was settled. If the Mayor would take his advice he would let the matter rest where it was, as the Borough would lose severely if the money had to be refunded. His Worship commenced to reply, but was asked by Ur McGowan to permit him to speak first. Cr McGowan then said he had no personal feeling in the matter of this asphalt business, and he was surprised that any one should think that he had. Ho looked on it purely in the light of a business transaction. The Mayor had made a j false accusation in slating he had taken an unfair advantage.of him. He thought the Mayor should apologise to him for accusing him of personal feeling in asking for the return. Cr Wilkinson and Cr Osborne asked the cause of the word " abatement" being written in the Borough books opposite the £10 paid by His Worship. Mr Fleming, collector, who had made the entry, said that it was a mistake. The auditors would not pass it. The Mayor rose to reply but was reminded that his motion was not seconded. . Cr Osborne said the motion not being seconded it would probably fall to the ground. He rose to move that the Council is of opinion that the Mayor was justified in thinking the acceust was settled. Cr Marshall seconded. „ , Cr Bawden said the best way would be for Cr Osborne to withdraw the resolution, and let the matter rest where it was. The Mayor said that this was scarcely fair to him. He wished to qblaio an expression of opinion from the Council, end let the matter be settled at once. Only the other day at a meeting Cr Speight had vevy pointedly referred to the matler. jDr Speight said it was usual in associations of gentlemen after one gentleman disavowed a sirister intention it was not usual for another to impute wrong motives. Cr Osborae: I will not withdraw my motion. . Cr Wilkinson said he would consent himself with opposing the resolution. Cr McGowan again rose to spepk, but was called to orde? by the Mayor. To obtain an opportunity of addressing the meeting b.s proposed en amendment that the Conneii considered an apology was due by the Mayor to bimseU He then reiterated his statement that he was not actuated by personal motives. The Mayor: Your motion is not seconded, Cr McGowaa. Cr Speight: He didn't want it to be. fie only moved it to &etan opportunity of speaking. The Mayor: I will now put the resolution. All those in favour of it signify the same in the usual manner. The division was—Ayes: Crs Osborne, Marshall and Wilson. Noes: Crs Speight, Wilkinson, McGowan, and Bawden. Cr Mennie did not vote. •• The Mayor: I suppose that tasansl. ■.iwo ««•* J.°*M*A irV^uHaefiug ™J connt settled. Cr McGowan: You have the resolution. ' ' , The Mayor: Then I resign my position. After an awkward pause during which Hi» Worship remained standing, Cr Wilkimon moved the adjournment which was carried. The Council rose at 10.30.