Thames Borough. Council.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue XI, 24 September 1880, Page 2

Thames Borough. Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last evening. Present —His Worsbjp the Mayor, Crs Marshall, Wilson, Speight, Mennie, Bawden, Osborne, Wilkinson, and McGowan. APPLICATION. Mr G. Harcourt wrote applying for permission to open the lower culvert in Coromandel street for the purpose of draining the Reduction Works.—Heferred to Works Committee. TREASURY TOUCHERS. . Two treasury vouchers were receivr d— one for £81 2s Bd, refunds in connection with charitable aid expenditure, and the other for 6s, fees, fines, etc. BHORTLAND FIRE BRIGADE. A letter was r^ad from the Secretary to the Shortland Fire Brigade notifying Jhe Council ot the election of Mr Curtis Moore as Superintendent, vice E. W. Hollis resigned, and asking the confirmation of the appointment; It was decided to refer the matter to . the Fire Brigade Committee-to report to nest meeting. • OVEBDUE ACCOUNT. A letter was received from Mr A. Butler, requesting the payment of the balance of money due him on the Tararu contract, notv over due six months. The Town Clerk said the account was £50. It was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the Mayor and Town Clerk.

ORPHANAGE DEBT. A letter was read from Mr J. B. Mason, secretary to Orphanage Committee, asking for £50 to liquidate past two months' accounts of Orphanage Committee. It was decided to settle them as soon as funds are available. TRAMWAYS ON RECLAMATION. A letter was read from the Public Works Department, stating that in consequence of representations from the District Engineer instructions had been giten to Messrs J. J. O'Brien and Co. to remove the tramway on No. 2 reclamation contract. After some discussion it was resolved to send a general remonstrance against the removal of she rails to Government. REMISSION OP BATES. A letter from Mrs Lucas, a widow with seven children, was read asking a remission of the rates on "her house. Keferred to Charitable Aid Committee. COMPENSATION. Mr Harcourt again wrote concerning the damage done the Pyrites Seduction Works by the Moanatairi flume. The communication was received. THE PUMPING QUESTION. A letter was received from the Secretary to the Hauraki Pumping Association, stating that a seat had been reserved on the directorate of that body for the Council's representative if it contributed towards pumping maintenance. The Association wished the Council to contribute a fixed sum per month.

The Mayor said that he represented the Borough at that meeting, and the question had been asked him if the Borough would contribute. He of course could not answer it, not having been empowered to act for the Borongh. On the suggestion of Cr Osborne, it was decided to postpone the matter till after the report of the Committee.

The report of the Committee was read as follows:—"The Committee have the honor to make the following recommendation for the consideration of the Council with respect to the question of aid to drainage, having especially consideration to the applications from the Hauraki Pumping Association and the owners of the Waio-Karaka pumps :—That for the present 50 per cent, of each separate month's moneys of the gold duty received by the Borough be devoted towards the maintenance of pumping operations, such percentage not to exceed in any month £40. The Council to apportion the sums to be given to the various pumps from time to time, subject to the following conditions, so far as the Hauraki Pump- | ing Association is concerned: —The Council may at any time vary or revoke the terms of the above grant; that no contribution be paid until the water is pumped from or below the 400 feet level, and so maintained ; that a full statement of accounts be rendered to the Coancil monthly ; that the Council has a seat in on the directory without any monetary liability, and that £2 2s be paid Borough representative each time he attends a meeting in Auckland. Cr Speight, as a member of the Committee, said they had thought the matter over pretty fully. It was out of the question in the present state of. Borough finances to agree to fixed monthly contributions, though they might agree to begin contributing at once instead of waiting till the Pump got down to the 400 feet level.

On the motion of Cr Wilkinson it was resolved to adopt the report. Seconded by Cc McGowan and carried.

On the motion of Cr Wilkinson At was resolTed to appoint His Worship the Mayor the Borough representative on the directorate.

WATJSS COMMITTEE. The report of the Water Committee was read as follows :— The vv>ter Supply Committee have to report that they find the main leading from the Pollen street main up Upper Albert street is choked completely and have authorised it, being {nken up, cleaned and relaid. The Committee have substituted abo t ICO feet of 1£ inch pipeH for the £inch that is now used as' part of the Upper Albert street main; this will give a much belter pressure of water to this service (100 feet to be purchased of O'Brien at 4d per foot). The Committee have authorised the erection of a stand pipe a J£araka road, near tbe battery owned by Mr Bull, as :tbe main is * already . laid, and a. few shillings (30s), will cover the entire cost of the work. Tnis will give a supply of water to the residents in this district and Irish Town, who are all paying water rates, and have now to carry water from a considerable distance, the nearest standpipe being at corner of Cochrane and Pollen street.. The Commit* tee recommend that the Mount Pleasant main be extended a further distance of 80 feet in order to allow Mr Rotherham io carry a supply pipe into his premises. The cost will be £2 10s, and the extra income £1 ayear. The Comuiittea have carefully considered the proposals, submitted by the turncock in his report to the Committee, for obtaining a greater supply of water at the south end of the Borough, and for giving a supply of water to the Tararu Road ratepayers. S^jfjit conaideiiug this report the Committee have ascertained the probable income the Council will receive from water rates and water charges during the present financial year, and the sums of money to be paid out of such income during the same period. The v Comu)ittee find the income will be £1200, and that the expenditure cannot be under £1400. The deficiency of £200 will have to be borrowed from the Borough funds. Such expenditure of £1400 does not include any payment off the principal due to either Messrs Morrin or Mr McCuul, but it includes laßt year's as well as tbe present year's interest to Mr McCaul, and the payment of old debts amounting £413 11s Bd. Your Committee, before waking any definite recommendation, a^k for 14 days' further time to enable them to ascertain if a loan of £2000 can be obtained in Auckland, to enable the 9 inch mains now stacked in yueen street to be laid. Failing such loan being obtaincj, the Committee at present lean to the opinion that th^se pipes, or nearly all of them, should be told, «nd the Water Supply relieved from pay* of £155 a year interest on account of pipes the Council are not allowed to lay down or use in any way to augment the income. After the expiration of the present financial year, in March next, the yearly income will be greater than the expenditure by about £sC3—a sum that would be available for the repayment of the two thousand pounds, if borrowed. Tbe Committee recommend that authority be given the turncock to improve the main in Willoughby street in the manner suggested by him in his report.

Cr Wilkinson moved the adoption of the report. '

Cr McGowan moved, as an amendment, the excision of the clause commencing " Your Committee " and ending "The Committee." He opposed the farce of trenching~on the ordinary revenue of the Borough for the Water Supply as in the past.

Cr Speight pointed out that it was at the instance of thia -Council that the pipes were kept where they now. were, they agreeing to pay the interest. It was therefore a fair charge on the Borough funds.

Cr Osborne would like to know how the £1400 was made up. He thought too much hadVen spent on labor.' Cr McGowan replied, saying that he felt sure that if the resolution was passed a wrong course would be followed. It was not the first time he had stood alone re the water. The Water Committee should keep their expenditure within their income. The resolution was then carried. Cr Osborne moved that the Water Committee bring up a return showing the proposed expenditure for the next twelve months in detail. Carried. WORKS COMMITTEE* The report of the Works Committee was read as follows:— We have the honor to recommend that the footpaths near Messrs B. MoDonald and Mulville's properties be done as soon as possible; that the water table in Queen street; between Pabau and Mary streets be cleaned out at oDce; that the same be done to that on the west, side of Pollen street, between Walter and Grey streets; that the water table of Pahau Btreet between Pollen and Queen streets be immediately attended to; and that the four allotments adjoining the Borough I stables be retained at a rent of £4 per annum. ■' ' . ; i

The report was adopted. EECBEATION GEOTTND. The Mayor, in answer to Cr Mennie, said that Mr Tuck, the lessee of the Recreation Ground, was willing to hand over the lease at once. It was decided to call for tenders for leasing the endowment, the rent on a portion thereof in future to be paid in advance. BAD DBAIN. Mr J. Brown drew attention to the defective state of Pahau street drain near I his shop. Referred to Works Commit* tee. ASPHALT. It was decided to instruct the Works Works Committee to proceed with the top dressing where necessary, and to asphalt the Mary street footpath as soon as possible.

WAIOTAHI CULVEBT. The Foreman of Works reported tl^, completion of the Waiotahi culrert. '^^ BOBOUGH ENDOWMENT. On the suggestion of the Mayor it was decided to write to the Crown Lands Commissioner for a plan and report on the Borough endowment on the" Te Aroha, and a committee was appointed to draw up a report as to what should be done with the property. I CHARITABLE AID. j The following letter was read:— I am directed by the Colonial.Secretary to request jour % Worship to be as good as to inform him whether, seeing that subsidies to local bodies are to bo continued, at half the former rate, to the 31sfc March next, the Borough Counoil will continue to subsidise the Thames Hospital as before, or whether they desird to leave the maintenance of the institution to the Government. In the event of the Government undertaking the charge, it will bo necessary, under the provisions of the "Financial Arrangements Act, 1878," that the whole cost of the Hospital should be deducted from the subsidies payable to the Borou°h and to the Counties adjacent; but should the former arrangement be reverted to, and Government will as before, pay the Committee of Management of the Hospital a subsidy of pouod for pound for any sum. granted by the Borough to the funds of the Hospital, and no deduction will be made from subsidies payable to the Bo.ough under 11 The Financial Arrangements Act, 1880.' 1

On the motion of Or Speight it was resolved to refer the matter to the Charitable Aid Committee to draw up a siatement for dispatch to Government. This concluded the basiness."