BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXI, Issue 6324, 8 February 1889, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A meeting of tho abovo Council was held last evening. Piesent: His Worship the .Mayor, nnd Councillors McGowan. Ilenahaw, McAndrcw, Comer, Reid, Koefoed, Radford, and Wood. The miuules of last meeting were riad and confirmed. THAMES GAS COMPANY'S RATES. A letter wa* received from tho Thames Gas Company asking remission of water rateß on their mains. It was resolved that the usual custom be pursued. INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES REPORT. " I havo tho honor to report for the information of tho Council that 6 cases of scarlet fever have been reported during the past month, 4 cases in tho vicinity of Tararu, and 2 cases in Pollen street, every precaution has been taken and the patients with the exception of one are convalescent. Several complaints have boon mado by the residents in the lower end of Richmond and Willoughby streets, as to the offensive smell arising from these watertnbles. I have had them flushed out twice, but the exit being choked all the drainage from tho various residences accumulates and causes a nuisance. It is imperative that something is done (o allow the drainage to flow to sea, especially in Willoughby street. The j heat being so excessive during the past few weeks many watertables were becom • ing obnoxious. I havo had them all thoroughly flushed out and cleaned. The various butcheries have been visited and suom to be kept in good ordor.'' Received. Cr Radford said that tho nuisance in Richmond and Willoughby streets was very great, and that imraediato relief nhould be given. Tho strench was abominable. Cr McGowan said that a good deal of the nuisance was caused by the inhabitants themselves by throwing all'sorts of rubbish into tho drains. The matter was referred to tho General Purposeß Committee with power to act. REPORT OF THE GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.

" The Comtnittoo have the honor to report on the various matters submitted to them. With respect to works brought under the notice of Mr O'Connor and Mr Hales when they visited Thames on the 24th of last month that in order to carry out the request of Mr O'Connor that tho breast work confining tho Karaka Creek be continued on both sides so as to cause its wators to flow between tho centre spau of therailway bridge, and also to cut a chan nel in the earth at the west end of Walters street to the railway embankment and along the railway embankment to the southern span of the railway bridge. Orders have been given to the Foiemen of vYorks to carry out these two works, the first at a cost of £20 and the latter at £4. Willi respect to raising the half of the Rocky Point road from Kates to the point. That application be made to Government for £140 towards the cost of the work, which is estimated by the Foreman of Works at £280. The Committo recommend that two new culverts 12 xl 2 be laid down in Tararu Road, ono near Mr Murdock's house, and one near tho old Glasgow Arms Hotel. That the Turncock be directed to improve the supply of water to the residents of Trenton street, and of Maokay street south by laying dofvn 200 feet of 1£ inch pipe from the 9 inch main corner of Fenton street and connecting it with the water supply main now down in that portion of the district at a cost of £9 10s. Also to lay a service main for 627 feet, half to be 1 j and half inch pipo along the Mount Sea road so as to improve the supply to Mr Hudson's and to enable the Maori Minister and Mr Lambert to get a supply to their dwellings at a cost of £16. Tho Committee recommend that the bed of the Karaka Creek be cleaned from Queen street bridge to the mouth, and the material removed that requires to be cleared away, to be used for the formation of Queen street or other filling works uuthorisod by the Council. With respect to the letter of the Thames and Coromandel United District Charitable Aid Board. It is recommended that the question between this Board and the Council be submitted to arbitration, and that throo members of the Council who are not members of the Charitable Aid Board meet three members of the Charitable Aid Board and agree upon tho matters to be submitted to arbitration and to select the Arbitrator." The report was received and adopted. The Mayor. Crs. Radford, Roid and McGowan were appointed a committee to decide on the ruferonco to arbitration in tho matter between tho Council and the Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board in reference to tho Old Mens' Home and Hospital sites and buildings. FOREMAN OF WORK'S REPORT.

" 1 have the honor to report for tho information of tho Council that the following works have been completed during the past month. A new culvert 162 ft long 2ft 6inchos wide, and lGinchas deep has been laid dow.i in Albert street to convey the storm water into the large intake, the necessity of this culvert was fully demonstrated last week during the heavy rain. When the water in the watertables was kept well iluwo, and the footpaths not oven covered, but had the culvert not been laid down the lower end of this street must necessarily have been flooded as the tides wore vory high. A concrete watertable extending from Cochrane to Amy streets a distance of 334 feet has beon complelod and the footpath made up to its proper lovol, Also two Binall concrete culverts one ocroßS the footpath in Cochrano street to crrry tho water into the/main watertable, and the other one in Queon street opposite Mr Arn's promises, the cost of this watertable is 2s lid per running foot for concrete alone; for filling in aud making up footpath complete with concrete added, about 3s per foot. The various asphalt footpaths whero requiring repairs have been made good, including the laying down of 192 yds opposito tho Pacific Hotel: Various woodon watertables throughout the Borough have been repaired and especially along tho main watertable in Pollen street, many of the planks had to bo taken up and renowed being completely rotten and turning up during the hot weather, hence tho advisability of laying down concrete watertables instead of wood, especially as limber is gotting to be very high in price at present 15s per 100 ft, which would mako tho cost of the last watertable a little more than concrete. I would direct the Council's attention to the manner in which the wooden watortables in Balllie and Maekay streets are being broken up by the roots of the trcos growing alongsido tho watertables. I havo had two men and the cngino keeper employed sovoral days during the month flushing cut tho watertables and drains. The kerbing along the footpath of tho Waiotahi road for a distance of 40ft has been repaired tln'3 being necessary to prevent the carls from encroaching on the footpath. I have started the men' to-day dressing the asphalt footpaths in Pollen street uouth ojul,' :

Tho report was received and adopted, the suggestions contained therein being lefer.jd to tho General Purposes Committee. REPORT ON MRS, KENRIOK'B WATER RATE.

"Your Committee have tho honor to report that they hive read and taken into consideraiion the correspondence between Mrs Kenrick and the Council upon the question at issue. Searched tho records of the Council and Water Supply Committee bearing upon it, and they find (1) That on the 12th June, 1887, the Water Supply Committee adopted a Bcale of charges in which all dwelling houses having eight rooms und over were charged f.2 per annum, which rate or scalo of charges was adopted by the Council and has since been annually reaffirmed to far as regards tho Paiawai district, excepting in one instance, that of the house occupied by Mr McLaren. (2) That the charge made to Mrs Kenrick was correct, her house having eight rooms, and this fact has been acknowledged by that lady paying the amount claimed. (3) That there is no evidence to bliow that Mr Dunlop ever had 10s returned, on account of overcharge, from a rate legally made as alleged in Mrs Keu.ick'B correspondence. MrDunlopdenies the statement made therein that he offered to obtain a similar concession for Mrs Kenrick, but adtnita he told her he wouid try and get her rate reduced to 30s iE he could. Mrs Kenrick, however, appears to have been justified in assuming that Mr Dunlop has been favored as owing to an oversight the fact of additions having been made to his Iwise had not been noted, and in consequenco it had been rated at 30s when it should properly have beon charged 40s at which it is rated for the current year. (4) That the rate upon Mr il. Toren's house was fixed by the Council at 30s in 1886, but no valid reason can be discovered why this was done, and why his house, containing eight rooms, should be charged less than others of similar dimensions. In tho deed ot submission to arbitration having reforence to determining the authority to control the Domestic Water Supply signed by the Mayor of the Borough and the Chairman of the Highway Boards, and dated June I6th, 1876, one of the instructions to the arbitrators was •' That the rental to be charged for the supply of water shall be fixed by the governing body provided as hereinafter." By the decision of tho arbitrators this Council was appointed the "'governing body," and the Chairman and members of the Parawai Highway District Board by deed bearing date Feb. 26, 1879, assigned to this Council all their right title and interest in and to all property belonging to the Thames Domestic Water supply Committeo resorving for tho benefit of the inhabitants of tho Parawai Highway District, " the continuous use of the water at the same charge and upon the like termß as is granted to the majority of the inhabitants of the Borough but such charge shall not at any time exceed that now made in the Parawai Highway District." In view of the foregoing your Committee recommend that Mr McLaren be charged the same rate applicible to houses of the same dimensions aB his own and that no deduction be allowed therefrom. They also recommend that the scale of charges for water supplied outside the limits of the Borough be revised previous to the next rate being struck." Tho report was received and adopted, We have printed the above report in full, as it affords useful information to the public. OBJECTION TO KATES. Cr McGowan said that as the day for hearing objections was at hand it would bo well that the Council should consider its position in the raat.er. The Council on former occasions had supported the valuator by affording legal asaistance-Tliis was right if the Council waß convinced that the valuations were fair, but he considered it improper that the ratepayer's money should be used to enforce the valuations unless the Council was satisfied nn the point. The Council wanted to do justice, they desired, that properties should be neither over nor under valued. They were paying money for the defence of an officer over whom they bad no control.

The Mayor thought that the better course would be for Councillor McGowan to give notice of motion so that the question could bo debated in proper form. It was impossible for Councillors to tell whether the valuations were just unless they looked intothetn.

Cr Benshaw said that a great many objections were thrown out last year on legal technicalities. He thought it would bo woll to have a form filled in in a strictly logal manner for the inspection of all who wished to object. He thought the Gouneil should Bupport the valuator, but ignorance o£ legal forma or inadvertance should not debar a ratepayer from receiving justice. Or Radford said that Mr Dean was alwayß ready to fill in objections tor any of the ratepayers who applied fa him. Cr McAndrew said that the fault lay with the Magistrate. The Council wanted cases to be heard on their The Magistrate had the power to do tin's, but he had not done so. Cr McGowan gave notice of motion for next sitting of the Council and the matter dropped. The Council then rose,