Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4295, 6 October 1882, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The usual meeting of the Council was held last;evening. Present—The Mayor, Crs McCullough, McGpwan, Mennie, Bawden, Osborne, Veale, Carpenter, and Speight. : .

The minutest the previous general and special meetings were read and confirmed.

TENDERS

Tenders for the formation .of Sealey street were opened 83 fb'lcws :-*Allen and party, £209: Bevans, £250? P. Maxwell, £225 15s; Owen Griffiths, £239; J. Dickey, £131 ss; M. Casey, £202 189. The lowest tender, that of Mr Dickey, was accepted.

LETTERS

From the Treasury, forwarding vouchers as follows: G-oldfields revenue, £5 ; refunds of expenditure in charitable aid, £54 14s lid and £44 7s 3d; native revenue from miners' rights, now the pro* perty of the Borough,£37 6s lid.—From the Foreman of Works recommending that Mr West's application for permission to erect a chimney be granted, subject to bye-law 2. Granted;— From the Secretary to the Treasury in reference to the application for permission to sue in respect of the deduction from Borough subsidies,, stating that the Government could have no objection to the Council taking such steps to assert their rights as they might be advised. Proceedings ordere,d to be taken in the District Court.—From W. Bond, asking for the remission of his rates, he being unable to pay them. Re(erred to the Charitable Aid Committee. —From Mr J. Frater and J. Mcllhaney, requesting the claims for their rates to be withdrawn, they having, by special arrangement, paid them up to June, 1883, at the time of the laying of water pipes 'in Queen street. —From Mrs Keitman requesting permission to plant ornamental trees around her property, Mary and Baillie streets. The writer also complained of the removal of a tree which formerly stood in front of her premises, and which had been cut down by Mr Ensor,;:with the permission of the Works Committee, and preferred a claim for compensation for the destruction of what she considered her property.— Letters were received, and referred to the Works Committee.—From Mr W. Fagg desiring permission to remove a poplar tree growing in Mackay street to enable him to lay down a cart way. Granted.— From Mr H. Worsp, secretary of the Insurance Companies' Association, for* warding a cheque for £50 towards the expenses, of the Fire Brigades. WOBKS COMMIT HSU. The Works Committee reported as follows :—" The Committee have to report that they have given the Foreman of Works an order to erect a strong rough fence round that portion of the Vanguard shaft on the road leading from Bella street up the Bird-in-Hand hill. This fence will not impede traffic, and will, prevent any accident from traffic passing over the shaft. The Committee have to ask for an exten* sion of time in which to report on the cause of the delay in the completion of the Waiotahi aqueduct, owing to the absence of the engineer in charge of the work. The Committee considered it advisable to obtain Mr Miller's opinion as to the Queen of Beauty Company or the Council being answerable in the event of any accident occurring by traffic passing over the Vanguard shaft. Mr Miller's opinion (which is attached) is that the Council would be liable; but the Queen of Beauty Company can be called upon at any time it is proved to be dangerous to fill in the shaft or put it in secure repair.—Wm. Wilkinson, Mayor."

Or McGowan inquired whether any other person was in charge of the Waiotahi culvert to see if the work was properly carried out in the absence of the Engineer ? The Mayor suggested that it would be well to instruct the Town Clerk to communicate with Mr Beere by (telegram,

and inquire what expenditure had actually been authorised.

The report was adopted. Cr. McCullough asked the Works Com mittee when action was to be taken in the formation of the Beach Road, which had buog fire so long. He said the road in question was one requiring immediate attention. Some few repairs had been done to the pathway, but nothing towards making a road. .

Cr Osborne moved that the Foreman of Works prepare plans and estimates for the Beach Road. Seconded by Cr McCullougi and carried.

la connection wittrthe subject of road formation Cr McCullough said that it was time the Council took this matter of street formation and drainage into serious coiisi'dcratibnr" "Wryears thei Council had attempted to carry out such works with' the revenue received from rates' and Government grants. There was little to be expected in the future. |rom' the Government m the way -orgrants, and the ordinary revenue of the Borough was quite insufficient to enable the Council to carry out the systematic formation of. streets, and their necessary drainage works. He would if allowed propose the appointment of Crs Carpenter, ?Osborne ? and McGrowan as a special committee' to bring up a roport upon all the streets and pathways in the Borough requiring for-* mation, and the advisability of the Council asking leave t;o,raise a .loan of £5000 or £10;000 for the construction of such works. A yearly sum of £500 or £600 could well be spared from the general revenue to go towards^ «p«*sjioking fund for the repayment of 3(ich loan. lit being objected to such,a resolution being discussed without notice of motion, Cr McCullough agreed to give such notice at a later hour. ■<: „

The report of the Foreman of Works was read, also that of the Water Supply Committee. „ ' ,

The Charitable AiS Committee recommended tbatj Mrs Brunett's application to be sent to her husband in California be not entertained.

HEALTH. „ ... The Inspector'of Nuisances reported seven deaths having occurred during the month—one of which was from measles, and another from diptheria. He had taken precautions to prevent infection by stopping the outlet of all drains connecting with the premisesrfilling them with a strong solution of carbolic acid. , '

The Finance Committee recommended the payment of accounts to the amount of £250. Adopted t •';. .;iis&aht. ' ;' v The report of the Library Committee, deferred from the previous meeting was J^^jMbKrogjKt psfc.. *'Cr MbeCuTTough moved, and Cr Carpenter seconded, the adoption of the report. Cr McCullough said,h,e had only moved 80 as to "gest 1 a discussion on the subject rather than delay the matter. There was •no'doubt something required to be done for the extension of the library buildings, and rooms were also required for other purposes, and the Council should treat the suggestion of the Committee with some considefatrdWr

The Mayor thought the adoption of the report would commit the Council to the purchase of Bt. George's Hall for library purposes and municipal offices. Cr Osborne moved that the report be referred to the Finance Committee to report at next meeting. - Cr McGowan moved as an amendment, " That' Mr jßhjenJried be thanked for the offer, but the Council was not in a position to take advantage of it. Cr Speight said the Committee had no strong feeling in the matter, but they thought that if the Council was willing to go to the expenditure required the movement would be beneficial to the community. Cr Veale thought this was an offer which should not be lost sight of. \1 Cr Carpenter said,that, at last meeting,' having heard it stated that the Council's letters were being delivered at Te Aroha, it struck him the practice wasa very irregular one, and he deemed it desirable tbat 'anything addressed to either the Mayor, Town Clerk, or Borough Council, should pc delivered at the Council's offices and opened by the Clerk unless those addressed to the Mayor were marked "private." This, it seemed to him, was the only proper course to adopt in order to get rid of the difficulties whicu had arisen with reference to telegrams and letters. He would move, " That the Chief Postmaster, Thames, be requested to forward all letters or parcels addressed to the Mayor of Thames, the Town'; Clerk, or Mayor and Councillors direct to the office of the Council, except" ing such as may be addressed to the Mayor with the word " private ' marked or written ou the envelope." -The Mayor said, so far as he was aware this was the course now being followed. He was not cognisaut of any telegrams having been sent direct to him. So far as the telegram recently noticed in the local papers were concerned, he might say tie had never received it at all. He had seen a telegram at Te Aroha on the 19th .of September which had been sent to the Piako County Council on the 18th, and intimated to the Town Clerk that a similar one would probably be lying for him in the local office. Where the delay had arisen he was completely at a loss to determine.—After a lengthy discussion the motion was withdrawn and the matter dropped.