Thames Borough. Council.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3831, 8 April 1881, Page 2

Thames Borough. Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last evening. Present —His Worship the Mayor, Crs Speight, McGowan, Marshall, Bawden, Mennie. Veale, Wilson, and Osborne. OUTWARD CORRESPONDENCE. A precis of the correspondence outward was read. NEW BTE-LAW. The consideration of.the Bye-law re water charges, which had been gone through with the exception of the two last clauses at last meeting, when, as a Councillor expressed, it, "the house counted out," was resumed. Tho last .clause but one was amended, so that all the water meters will have to be approved by the Council. Cr McGowan- moved, and Cr Veale seconded, that the bye-law as amended be adopted This was carried by 5 to 3. Cr Mennie protested against the resolution being passed, seeing that he had given a notice of motion at the end of last meeting. The resolution just passed had been passed under a misunderstanding. FOOTAATH. Mr Ellis, of Tararu road, wrote asking permission to put a load, of ashes and another of gravel in front of his store; likewise to erect two horse posts at the ( same place. Permission granted. THE ENDOWMENT. A letter from the County Clerk was read covering the resolutions passed at the last meeting of the County Council concerning the bridge site over the Waihou at the Borough endowment. DIRTY WATER. . i ■ Mr Arnold wrote asking for twenty-five feet of broken nine-inch pipes to lay down at the end of his house to carry the dirty water away. Cr Osborne said that they could not] give the ratepayers' property away for nothingIt was decided to refer the request to the Water Committee, with power to sell. . MAINS. Mr G. McCaul wrote offering to sell the Council some 9-inch mains at £9 per ton. Referred to Works Committee. DEFAULTERS'LIST. The same gentleman, whose name was on. the rate defaulters' list for non-pay-ment of water rate, asked that it be removed, the Water Supply Committee having given him his water free for seven years in consideration of his laying the main up Broad street. Mr Dean said the statement was correct. One Councillor thought "George had had the Committee soft." Referred to Water Committee. SUBSIDY. A Treasury voucher for £178 7s, Government subsidy, was received. The Town Clerk facetiously remark) d that under the care of the Government the Borough's subsidy of £600 and over had melted down to £178 7s. Cr> Speight: Have you received the money? The Town Clerk : Yes. Cr Speight: Well, receive the letter to. GINX'B BABY. The Secretary for Education telegraphed that the boy Syvrett had been placed aboard t,he s.s. Tararu for Auckland.' The same functionary also wrote a loug letter to the Council suggesting the child's admission to the Orphan's Home. CIRCULARS. Circulars and price lists concerning fire engines, hose, &c, were received from Messrs Shend, Mason and Co., of London. STATISTICS. A letter was read from the RegistrarGeneral concerning certain Borough statistics he required for the compilation ] of the Statistics. It was decided to send the required information. A REQUEST. A letter was received from Mr Laurie, Turncock, asking for an additional hand for cleaning pipes, etc. Cr Osboine said that the matter should be referred to the Works Committee. He pointed out that the Water Supply expenditure was very large. It was decided to grant the request. THE HARBOUR BOARD ELECTION, A letter was read from the Secretary to the Harbour Board covering Mr Marshall's letter to that body giving his reason for not taking his seat at the Board, likewise Mr Miller's legal opinion. The Mayor said that if no gentleman would move a resolution-he would suggest that the letter be received. Cr Wilson moved the receipt of the letter. Cr Veale did not see what the Council bad to do with the matter. The Mayor said that he took it that Mr Marshall merely sent the letter to the Board as an apology for not attending the meetings. Cr Osborne pointed out that their re-electing Cr Marshall would not give him a better position than he now held. The Mayor said that after two meetings if Cr Marshall did not attend his seat would become vacant, and they would then be able to elect him or some other gentleman as the Borough's representative. Cr Speight said that the onus of proving that Mr Marshall was not duly elected laid with those who objected. At the request of the Mayor the Town Clerk said he had had a conversation with Judge Macdonald on the matter. That gentleman stated that he could use quite as. good arguments in favour of the legality of the election as he could against. The matter then dropped. roE&E. Permission was granted to Mr Stephenson to erect a forge in Owen street, near Griffith's stables. THE STORAGE RESERVOIR. The report of the Foreman of Works was read. It showed that the cost so far had been £121 18s, and recommended

that it be' increased another 10 feet in height,.which Mr McDermott offered to . do for £78. He was thoroughly satisfied with tho manner in which Mr McDermott bad finished his contract. Several Councillors spoke highly of the work, and complimented the Foreman for making it so much under the estimate. The report- was adopted, and the' Fore- : man of Works be instructed to put in a bye-wash. The consideration of Mr McDermotfc's offer wus postponed. WATER COMMITTEE. The report of this committee recommended the raising of the. wall of th*; reservoir 10 feet; that a smoke consuming apparatus be procured for the Water Supply workshop. The report concluded as follows :—The committee find that tHe f claims of Mr P. J. Perry and Mr T. I Spencer opens up a large and important question that your committee has sub; mitted the matter to M.r Miller for his opinion thereon. Mr li. Comer, for the Moanatairi Company, asks that an official letter be sent him from : the Council, giving to the Company free supply of . water for the boilers of his engine should he require same at auy time, in return for the use of the 3-iuch mains now down the ' Tararu road. Your Committee recommend that such be sent. The clause referring to the, reservoir was expunged, and ,the rest of the report adopted. ,- U3POKT OF CHARITABLE'AI» COMMITTEE, The report of the above Committee was rend. It recommended that as^ a number of the men receivingsrations could do light work, that they should be required to pick oakum, to be supplied by the Relieving Officer. The report was adopted. REPORT OF WOBKS COMMITTEE. * This was read. The principal nv*tter referred to was the drainage of Polieu street near Dr Payne's residence. The committee had had prepared a plan of Dr Payne's water-table and footpath in Pollen street, but had decided to refer the matter back to the Council. Cr Osborne moved "That a footpath and water table, from Mary street to Pahau street on the sea side of Pollen street, be constructed.—Seconded by Cr Marshall. Cr McGowan moved, as an amendment " That the work stand over until the Karaka Creek is straightened." This was seconded by Cr Mennie. The amendment was carried by the casting vote of the Mayor. The adoption of the report was then carried. SLAUGHTERHOUSES. The Inspector of Slaughterhouses reported a diminution of 670 head in the cattle slaughtered during the past quarter compared with the corresponding quarter of last year. HEALTH OFFICES. The report of the Health officer showedthat nine deaths had occurred in the Borough during the past month. OOLDFIELD's VOTES; Cr McGowan pointed out that the Government were giving a subsidy pf £ for £ on money expended, by local bodies on goldfield roads. He moved, that the Works Committee attend to the matter.— Carried. what's in a namb. On the suggestion of the Mayor it, was resolved to ask the Government to change the name of the postal district from Grahamstown to Thames. FOOTPATHS, ETC., The attention of the Foreman of Works was drawn to several defective footpaths, etc., . THB PROPOSED CONFERENCE. ■ - In connection with the letter of. the Manawatu Council a sub-committee was appointed to draw up a statement of the wants of the Borough. This was all the business.