Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4796, 23 May 1884, Page 2

Borough Council.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting was held last night. Present: His jWorship the; Mayor (in tbe Chair), Crs McCullough, M'cGo wan, Me Andrew, Murdoch, Hume, Kilgour, Speight, Veale, Bawden, and Wilson. .-.:■■

The usual routine business w; s disposed of. : ( "" ■■'■.■: :, -; r

LETTEBS WEBE BEAD FROM—

E. J. Angove, asking that a culvert be laid across Beach road at Amy s'reei.— The cost of the work was reported at £5, and it was authorised.

B. Morgan, re the new hawkers' byelavr.—Consideration deferred till the next meeting. ■ T. L. Murray, declining the honor of member .of.the Library Committee.— MesswT .AY Jf^Allom and-, J^;,J r . Bagnall were^offHnatedfor the-^ijeanlj^'-the formefbe'irfjpf elected. \, \ w^*;^* 4*", J7 W, jWalker, detSili^Kii scheme for the working of grdnnd now lying idle in the Upper Waiot-thi.-r-The letter was received, some Councillors expressing the opinion tbat the scheme was one for a public company to take up,' but that the Counc.il should support it. ,>- JV ChapjafU* asking that sonfe gravel from the H ape creek be placed on Clarence street.—A similar application was, received from eight residents in Bsillie street, and the Works Committee repent* ing that Clarence street ready for* gravel, the other application; was ace-Jed" to. v ; ;'; ■ Ehrenfried Bros., agreeing pay "th|ir portion of the cost of asphalting:tfce^foot•path in front of the Imperial Hdtel.. •J. Sperrey,Property Tax Commissioner, wrote that he could lend the statementasked, for.—The Mayor said he had telegraphed to Mr. Sperrey'askfng him t> for : ward the statement. —Or. Kilgour's motion therefore stands over till next meeting. -

WOHKS COMMITTEE'S?BE|»OE^ ' * This committee reported that they|tead given the S.S.M. Co. permission to' lay a flume; from the Hape Creek to their dam: The Foreman of Works had been in~ structed to clean out the watertables in Kirk wood street, repair the Karaka creek brsistwork at Bull's battery, and also the breastwork of the Waiotahi creek footpath. The proposed new stringer to the Waiotahi dam was not recommended.-— Cr McGowan advocated the latter matter, pointing out the good done by the dams,' and it was decided to put in a new stringer where necessary.—-The remainder of the report was adopted, and it was also resolved fo lay down a b< d of concrete under the Baillie street bridge over the Karaka Creek, at a cost of £12. OTHER BUSINESS. Messrs Kilgour and Murdoch were proposed for the vacant membership in the Harbor Board (caused by Mr Osbornc's retirement), the latter being elected on the casting vote of the Chairman. *■■'■-

Cr McGowan gave notice of motion for the striking of the usual annual rates. Cr Speight's motion for the re-organisa-tion of the Borough Committees was postponed till the first m-eting in August, the reason being that the annual elections %f committees take place in September. Owing to Cr Carpenter's absence, the meeting called for the confirmation of the hawkers' and pedlars' by-law vras adjourned for a fortnight. . THE BIG PTJM I? QUESTION. The Mayor opened this question by saying that all present had no doubt seen that evening's issue of the Stab, containing a report of a deputation'which waited upon him at noon. They, were to have sent in their request in writing, but though he b'eliered...the'<letter had been written and handed tp the Council's messenger, it had not yet reached him. He xully recognised the importance of keeping the pump going, and pointed out to the Council that they were not likely to receive nearly as much as the estimated £25C0 from gold duty unless the pump * was kept going. For this reason they should stretch a point to keep the low levels dry for prospecting. The question of the pump going or slop* ping was one of life and death to the Borour.h, as, on the continuance of work at the low levels depended the prosperity of the district. He would therefore propose that the Council's contribution be increased to the old rate. He would like io see it still further increased, but could not see the way "clear in the present state of the Council's funds. Op Hume would support tlje Mayor's proposition. Cr Speight argued in favor of those who supported the pump having a vo:cdin its management. . , -.. ■}" Cr McGowan recognised the importance pf keeping the pum,p-going;; jut agreed with Cr Speight that it should be managed da a new bas>is. If in the future it was going, to be worked for the genuine benefit of the public, he would rote for its acsistancs, but until the management; was differently arraaged be would not be

prepared to voto.for an increase in the subsidy." r-;"^? Some further discussion took place, it being nltimatoly resolved that the letter from Mr Frater should be referred to a committee consisting of the Mayor - and Crs -Speight, MxG-owan and Bawden, they to report with a view to the control of tho pump being placed on a fairer basis, and [as to what contributions Bhould be given towards its maintenance. The Council then rose.;^

'■ The letter turned up tnft^rning, and if s purport is to the effeet^wtAwins; i o the unsatisfactory result-up to^^j|^e)it of the work done by the Djej£p»etel Cross G.M. Co. ht the 6doftfl6¥^h§l. large amount already spent by that conf 1-^ panr, and the inadequate amount of the contributions received, there was a danger of theß-g Pump stopping unless a larger amount c.uld at once be raised. It was suggested thas4(f. the Borough Council increased its eontributjops to £80 per month, it would materially assist in placing the whole question on a more satisfactory basis.