Thames Borough Council.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3557, 21 May 1880, Page 2

Thames Borough Council.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last evening. Present —His Worship the Mayor, Crs Marshall, Bawden, Speight, Wilkinson, Wilson, Mc&owan, Osborne, and Mennie. POUND KEEPEB. A letter was received from Mr E. S. Brown resigning his position as pound keeper. Mr Luther Gubb applied for the situation. The resignation was accepted and the appointment of poundkeeper was postponed till next meeting, the Town Clerk :n the meantime to xrnhe hquir'es. | EAILWAY CHOSBING. At this stage a deputation consisting of Messrs J.^Eead, L. Melhose, A. Price, and Angove, residents on the Beachitoad, Grahamstown, waited on the Council, asking that a crossing be made connecting Amy street and the Grahamstown haid— communication with the hard being cut off by the railway embankment. In reply the Mayor said the Borough Council quite recognised the necessity of attending to the matter brought forward by the deputation, but they were pinched for funds. Representations hri been made to Government m the matter, and perhaps they would do something. The deputation, having thanked the Council, withdrew. QUEEN STBEET. Mr J. C. Williams applied for a reduction in bis asphalt account in consideration of the large amount of filling he had done. The Council decid i that it was impossible to comply with the request. ■- SUBSIDIES. jA letter was read from the Dunedin Town Council asking the l! ./-operation of the Council t> resist the unfair discontinuance of local bodies, subsidies—the same being a breach of faith. It was resolved on the motion of Councillor Speight, "That the Council agrees with the opinion expressed by the Dunedin Council that the proposed withdrawal from local bodies by Government of the -subsidies upon rates before the time named in the Financial Anrigements Act, 1876, is a b.each of faith as, upon the expect I receipt of such subsidy the Council of the Borough of Thames have entered into large monetary liabilities. 'I he Council declares ; its willingness to co-operate with the Dunedin Council and other ior-al bodies in resisting the proposal of Government in the matter."

HEMATITE. ' A letter was read from Mr W. J. Barlow on behalf of Mr F. Bennett, asking that the Borough cause a block of hematite to be fashioned, to be sent to the Melbourne Exhibition. - The writer was referred to the locrl comnnttee of the Exhibition. GOLD DUTY. The Government sent notice that they had remitted £3 14s to the Borough Fund account, being gold revenue accruing to the Borough. THE ENDOWMENT. A letter was received from the Registrar of Lands stating that the endowment deed was ready for delivery on payment of fees, amounting to £7 ss. KABAKA CBEEK. A letter was read from the DisL'ict Engineer, Mr Stewart, regretting that the Council could not proceed with the stiaightening of the Karaka" creelr. LIB BABY COMMITTEE. The report of this committee was read and adopted. \ LOAN COMMITTEE. The report of the Loan Committee was read as follows: —The Committee* have the honour to report that they have made every enquiry as to the raising of a loan for £20,000, should the burgesses by vote have sanctioned such loan to have been raised; but find that notwithstanding the securities the Borough could have ofFerfd for the money to be advanced would have been considered ample if the district had been _f an agricultural or manufacturing district, are not so con* sidered from a goldfield municipality. A goldfield without a large agricultural district surrounding it, your committee learn, is not considered sufficiently permanent to induce capitalists to advance on any seeuriiies it might offer.—Your Committee recommend that the result of its/labours be laid before Mir.isters, and an advance by way of loan urged to be made to the Borough out of funds ai their disposal. The .report was adopted on the motion of Cr Speight. * WOEKS REPORT. The report 1 of the Works Committee was received. RAILWAY COMMISSION. It was resolved on the motion of Cr Osborne, that the Mayor and Town Clerk should communicate with the Railway Commissioners relative to payiL? the Thames a visit, and prepare the necessary information in anticipation of their doing so. D'JLAPiDATED HOUSES. After some discussion the Council decided to tat:e steps to move delapidated houses. Cr McGowan protested against this aud esked that Us protest be minuted. APPLICATIONS TO GOVEBNMENT. It was resolved to again apply to the Government for money due on account of Charitable Aid and subsidy on rates. FOOTPATHS. The attention of the Works Committee was directed to the bad state of certa:'i footpaths in Short land. . ' CEOBSING. The Foreman of Works reported re the railway crossing to tho Hard that Amy street was the best for the crossing. It was resolved on the motion of Cr McGowan. that, tho Mayor be requested to 'urge the Government to' perform this work. • ' METAL. The Works Committee recommended that 500 yards of road metal be purchased, arrangements to be made that it should not be paid for till July. Cr-Witson urged the necessity of something being done to the Tararu road. Cr Bawdea spoke in a similar strain. He said the roau was quite worn-out. 1 Cr McGowan moved the adoption of the report. Cr Mennie moved as an amendment that the matter be referred to ihe Finance Committee to repotc. He spoke strongly

against further expenditure till outstanding liabilities were provided tot. V After some discussion the motion was adopted. THE PUMP. TheCommittes appoiuted on Cr Wil» kinson's motion at last meeting reported as follows :—" Your Committee hare the honor to report for the information of the Council, tbat as to the area drained by the operations of the-Big Pump, they are of opinion that il wouldjbe very difficult, if not improbable to correctly estimate such —an opinion endorsed by the deputation waiting upon the Council on the subject of pumping. Failing such an estimate, the amount of gold duty derived from the j ground it is impossible to arrive at. Your Committee makes the following recoromendation. That fifty per cent, of the entire gold duty received by the Borough be devoted to the furtherance of pumping operations, whether carried on by one'or more pumps, and for the maintenance of goldfield roads; the division of the moneys between the several pumps to be decided from t'ne to time by the Council." . Cr McGowan moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Cr Osborne. Cr Wiikiuson expressed regret that the committee had not carried out their duties more satisfactorily and perfectly. The deputation who waited upon them at last meeting had asked for bread, and the committee proposed to give them a stone. He moved, as an amendment, with &\2&w of testing the feeling of the Council, "That the words having reference, to the maintenance of roads within the goldfield, be struckvOQt." Or Speight moved a further amendment, which was seconded by Cr Mennie, "That only the first part of the report be adopted." - Cr McGowan expressed surprise at the attitude now taken up by Cr Speight, and .contended the recommendation of the committee was a wise one, and the best that could be arrived at. He maintained that it would be unfair-to grant the whole of the gold duty towards keeping the pumps going or agree to give a definite sum per month. Cr Marshall said they should provide a limit to the amount they should pay. After further discussion, the amend> ments and the resolution were put and all negatived. , ! Cr Wilkinson then, to test the feeling, of the meeting, moved that 25 per, cent, of the Borough gold duty be devoted to pumping, no one monthly contribution, to exceed £40. Carried. A motion of Cr Osborne's that 25 per cent of the gold duty be hypothecated for goldfield roads was lost on the casting vote of the Mayor. THE DIAMOND DRILL. Cr Wilkinson moved that Ministers be communicated with by the Town Clerk, on behalf of this Council, urging that the diamond drill should be used in testing the deep levels of. this.field.— Seconded by Cr Bawden and carried. TVATEB COMMITTKE. Cr Speight resigned his seat on the above, and Cr Marshall was elected to the vacancy. The Council then adjourned.