Thames Borough Council

Thames Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 10298, 19 July 1907, Page 4

Thames Borough Council

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING. Last night's nieeting of the Thames Borough Council was held at the Council Chambers, and was attended by Hii Worship the Mayor (Mr A. Burlisjaridttfrs W. H. Lucas, F. CJaxton, H. Lowe, W. Taylor, G. Graham*, E. J. Milnes, W. Scott, and G*. Comer. Mjr A. Bruce, Town Clerk, was also in attendance. ■ -„.. Etc.— T3»e m^aules of the last meeting and the^jpij^iwajd eorrespodence were read and adopted. The Timber Contract.—

(Mir' C. Short (wrote:—ln consequence of the timber firm who offered to eupply one with timber for tks purpose of:«carryiiio out-my contrat-t with the^Coiincil, havingi notified me that their clerk had made an error in forwarding 1 the firm's quotation, and in consequence they cftuld .not. supply under a figure higher than the price Btated in my tender, I am reluctant ly compelled to decline to take up the contract for supplying timber to the Council. loi referent-© to the forfeiture of my deposits I would respejct^llv ask the indulgence of the lGt>wncii'"and that the amount to be

forfeited may not exceed the amount .of expense the Council ;will be put to in connection with my" aiction. I may be permitted to point out that. I have been a contractor under the Council for many-years, and have, carried out . my work to the satisfaction of" all concerned.' , .It was decided to-forfeit the deposit, —Trees for Reserve.—i D. H;>t and Son.jvrbte": "We have . Bhipmft per psa^Wakatere one package trees-and n3itive. trees as ordered. ' We have carefully selected very best —giants, and—have- well—packed."- - \ -^Wiaiges of Workmen.— The Town Clerk, I)evonport, wrote as under:—"Re wages to employees: •"^SsWKfoitowingiain&;tne r^rtrgw paid by this Cornell: Foi'eman> of works, per dien)^ 10s; engine driver, eta, :, at 4 -';"B£N{ti P-t, B»j| tuJrticock, 8s";" 'sanitary" inspector, 8s 4d; other 1 workmen, 7s Bd." v«-.,-^ ; >...v< .. . —The Gold Returns.— The Coligcfl3oKJiif.fCußt!dimß wrote :-^' "In repljr to your of the 2nd -'■ insfc., requeatrog> !-^^cuiar6' 6V gbld, the produce of Thames Borough and County respe^tireiyj'" exported during June quarter, 1907, I have to supply , .■tjhe JatlQw^ngp figures:, i Thames Bordugn>*&4s9oz l9dwt; value £39,826 >, duty, £945 19s lid. Thames County, p^j^f^;§rs^, £2628; duty, The Collector of Customs wrote: — ,"In reply ,to yourrmemo. ofrthe- lljth inst., T'have to state that mymeirio 1. .. ofrthe 4th inst. referred only^ to gold declared to in *deSaralion,'datect the 27th April. The gold declared to in declaration dated the 10th':, \Jiine,-' will ibe included in September quarter return as th^^ntry accounting-for it tvas r«Medj:i^ duty? paid ion;-July Ist. Apparently the date of the declaration has led you to-think it was received during t&e , n June quarter,, whereas ytfu on tfisi let of July, immediately after the payment of duty! —A! Condemned Building.— ; .^^^i*&<Sßha> wko^e:-#;On-Jurie 11th you wrote that a building in Princess. street is-..(unfit-.-for .human, .. habitation for- the past severi !years, nor was I intending again to have it -sousedr-^ "The-parts of the building that were bad, that is the lean-to,and have been pulled down. The ■Property is not mine, having beew. handedi over |o me by therpro- « pfietfor, who was removing to Waihi t ..-. for purposes L^ sale if an "opportunity ftrosaf|nie^ner died without Ja ;/ : . jnli;;-. ajra -ttefle>£f' his family have yet seen tfceir .w^ito take out letters of administratioW When any of them do' so I wish to be able to hajnd back to them as much as possible of what was entrusted! to me. A neighbour of the. hocse desire to have the use of the .building as storage 'for 1 his horse . feed, and as he will pay the rates for the building for this • privilege, and the building in ita out of the.-way position is an eve-sore'•to nobody,'ltrustyour Council will refrain at nresen* from any further action in the It was decided 1 to allow ther-matter to be heldjn^heyaiijCe, . —What is a Comanon Lodging TT '■'■', ° ° . ■■■.:■ -.. ■ ;'■ .- ■■'.■.-■. .. -House.— -,; . - ;

Re the r (Miuuieipia,l .Associations of 1 •New Zealand'"" and the; ;<juestibn. re commo&lcSDl^iijg'. bouse^-tließeport of TOmrmttee anointed to frame de-1 , fiaition was as under: —"A ■ common' lodging house is -that class of lodging' r |tt<>Uße-in'?wKicK "persons of itie poorer v classy are received fpr short periods, and although strangers to one another are allowed ; to...inhabit one common. room, whether^'or iiot they sleep in a common room." —The Abattoirs.— John Jarman, .meat inspector, re;ported:—''Stock slaughtered at the abattoir during '.•'*hp. month of June, 1907: Cattle. 101, . calves $, sheep J^sß; laaibs I^, pigs" 16?' : ■'■\'. • ztJJ^Wvtlfiio Abattoirs.—- ; Messrs Ulead, Oillespie, and 06. i Vepty to, your communication of July 9 re price asked foj; present abattoirs. Should your Councihdecide upon our^siteaslbijing 1 the . most suitable, we are -willing; to entejr into negotiations fo^ the sale at a r^ duc«d rfigure^ ii Wa varje not prepared to quote --I^6B, wJJ:IiQU<i knowing what. uses may be Wkm ofstffeh qu6tations, r

As proof of our bona fides, however, we are quite willing to sell at aai independent valuation! made by assessors appointed by either side."

• Mr William Davies wrote:—"lns reply to yours of the 9th inst., asking me practically to redu,cte the price of the land under offer for am abatltoir site, I have already made a very large concession at the request of His Worship the .Mayor in reducing the area to five acres or less. The land under offer is the highest and best land on my property, and if the chief veterinary considers the price excessive he comnot be taking into, consideration that an abattoir does not enhance the value of an property adjoining,, but on t,hpi tontrairy it reduces the value 1 very considerably. Taking! thesurr rounding circumstances into consideration, and the small area required, I have no fresh osals to make,' I 'and! respecjtifully request a definite | reply as early as possible from' your Council on the matter."

! | The letter was referred to the Finaraoe Committee. —The Aibattoirs.— Mr G. Orihb wrote: "As the deeds in Messrs Miller and Son's office show there are H acres of land at Parawai, opposite the station!, which would be suitable for an ; abattoir. You can have the i\ acres for £400." —Silting of Ohinemuri River.— The Ohinemuri County Council wrote:—'"ln repiv to -our letter of the 9th inst. on above subject,- I "am directed to express this Council's thanks for the prompt, support and practical sympathy given !by your CoußfOil to the above matter, which so vitally affects this district." —The Waiotahi Battery.— : The secretary of the Auckland Stock Exchange wrote:—"l have !to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 10th inst., with enclosed newspaper dippings having reference to the closing of the Waiotahi G.M. Cb.'s forty stamper battery. I am directed to -inform you that the dorrespondenfce has 'been placed before the members of the Stock. Exchange." -—Insurance of Workmen, Etp.— H. G. Gillespie, agent, wrote: — "With regard to the insurance of your workimen, which until last year was effected with^the Government Insurance office, I would ask your Council to favourably consider us when renewin the risks. Out rates, are now [25 per oentt for labour andi 3 - cent for clerical-work T, should like to point out that the effect: of private companies taking risks at unpayable; rates last year has been the cause of am imcrease on the old rate, and that the fairest rate is bound to result by supporting ' ;t£e Government office, which ibeinjwgcouduot'ed on mutual lines sliou|d;--i.rpi"ie;-''o'. first considera-! tion if rates .are equal." * | To be considered when insurance of .mieni isJbeina discussed. ■ " '. i —-Karaka Creek Debris.— ..The Mines Department wrote:—"lt have to inform rou that a voucher for ■the,s.um. of ,£IOO has,been massed for .payhi;ent innccoi'rln^ce'.M'ith your re-j quisition of the 30th ult.,'for removing debris from the Karaka Creek." ' * —The Exchange Buildings.— The manager of the Bank of New . Zealand wrote: —''I have to acknow-' l^^grteeipt of letter, dated 11th inst., re health officer's report.: The different icatters mentioned! therein) have now all been attended! M"- • •■'■•- ---" —-Damage by Floods.— Horn J. MeGowan wrote":—"Re .flodd damages: Have authorised £200, so urgent repairs may be put-inivhand" at-once. of Mines to Ciertdfy vouchers." -^-Memo from the Town Clerk.—■ ■ The .Tovm Clerk wrote: -^"Nbw that the whole of the -works recoin,mended by the Mayor in. his memo, of 2nd of last "Augusts and adopted \>y the Counoil on ..the 30th of the some month, have; be.e>i completied', I %eg to report as^fpll«rwß: The scheme as recommended; embraced the layingdown of "about 24,800 ft. of concrete , water-table, and where necessary the , tv:ncing of the footpaths up to altered level, and filling un. the sides of ; the sfsreets wheve the water-tables ; had been .jrajsed. During^the progress of the work |t wasrdeeided advisable to include ■'-J|mj3iove^ie;nts in cerjiain streets uo&paxmdeft%or in the, oriiginal scheme. This included 4429fti of extra ■ concrete Avater-tabie, etc., and trought the total amount of iconcrete channelling up to 29,230 ft. The original ; estimate for the 24,800ft^was an averajte of 3s,,6dy)er foot; however the ayerage;%st for the whole of the worfc^29,2-10tr^W 3s 9d per ,' foot The origibtSl'tje^timate Would ' have been maintained 1 but for the ex- | tra "i-s^, incurred in layingl very large ! drains in Albert, Sealey^Pahau,'. and , Williamson streets, and 'the settling , pits connected tlierewith. The" totail expenditure has been about £5%M; i 'the amount repayable {by property: owners under section 225 of 'The MumioiDal Corporations Act? being £1409 13s 7d. Thesis also £59 10s to be paid! for croasingß. . The cost of the lattier is inciluded in the total cost ; already mentioned, "making the Mai repayment to be cttllejcted £1469 .3s 7d. The total cost t*> .the .Council was estimated at £300. after the cblleption of repaymenits, -so that if the ■«ttM?-*t-34fb*bW-9d is deducted the eslifniate)works out ait' am ..increase of b^ly.,£sa'f.,-,, ... ... ... ' Thy report was^iired, and satisftfctSoTi'eixpressed :at its^«ontents.

—Cost of-'Footpaths.—

The following resolution; was jiassed on the motion of O Lowe, seconded by'Cr '•■ Taylor:—'"Hiat the Council do charge alll the owners 'of property in the! various streets for channelling

and making up footpaths to a perman-' enib -level, where no water-table had previously been laid dowt4L<but re-! cemtly provided by the Council, as comprised im contracts known as drain (contracts Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 1$ 13, 14,15, 13a, 15a, 15b, and 100 on the following scale, being half the cost of the said works; that is to say: No. 4 contract, Is 8d per foot, No. 5, 2®, No. 6 Is Bd, No.7, Is lid,. No. 8, Is Bd, No. 10 2s, No. 11, fls 9d, No. 12 2s Bd, No. 13 Is 10d r No. 14 3s sd, No. 15 2s. No. 13a 2s 2d, No. (15a 2s, No. 15b „2s | 6d." " '; ' —Condemned Buildings.— The Town Clerk reported:—"l| "beg to .report that the necessary ' noijices Avere posted to the owners,! trustees, etc., of properties reported upon by the District Health Oflioer.as 'beiiigi, out of repair and unfit forhabi-j tation, and that the following have complied \yith the terms of the notices vi£v''Messrs J. B. Hooper, D^ Stewart' in the matter.of late i"esidence of J.j Muskett. (deceased), trustee in estate of J. Baggott, in. respect of property { hi <Pollen -,-street, ■ known as the 'Palace,' and two cottages in Kirkwood street, Ma's MeAlister, Mrs Kates and .Bank of. New 1 Zealand.. The propeHies of which the following;own-' ers and trustees have takeni no notice' of the Council's instruicifcions are 'as! ( follows, viz., trustees Taipara's estate —house occupied; by J. Carpenter,! house in Mackay street aiid slied; ;at J* present occupied; by.Maoris, and in a; vei^y bad: insanitary state; shops 00-' oupi^d by Stevens arid Green,' repairs' ! to be effected and convenience made so as to prevent night soil being carried through the buildings ; J. Ren-' showY house Princess street to bere^ '■ moved; Mrs McConnell, verandah to be" repsired or taken down; ;Wm. Lomas and J. Kerr, houses on.Bird-in-'Hatid 1 Hill to be removed ; Mjss Irvine, this latter property the owner has given instructions to have necessary repairs effected. To enforce the Council's instructions it will now be neteessary to take the maititer into Court amd get the order of two Justices, vide secrtaoiis 349 and 350, and the twelfth schedule of The Municipal Corpjorationsi Act, 19*00.'" .... : , '■ \ [ . ; .; The Treasury wrote that the sum of £100, Being! grant; for removal of debris froml the Karaka Creek _ had feeem placed! to the credit of the Borough. Gold purchases were as under: — Bank of New Zealand: Thames Borough 131940z,. Thames County 420z, Thames Borougji 2iloz lldwts.

—jAnothef Carnegie Library.— R. H. Catherwood \vrofce: —"I have heardr{that you got a library through I the Carnegie grant, i and as we hope to do the same, I am writing for as full directions as possible. You will conferl ai favour on the people of j Grey Lynn if you will tell us how to proceed." I F. T. Marfell wrote-:—"I would esteem it a favour if you would send me the ,con3itions under which Mr A.' ■ CaTiiegie makes a giant for the pur-1 pose of erecting a, pubMc libraiy. I especially wish to know what amount, he requires the municipality to raise for upkeep; whether it is permissible.! | 'to chairge users^of lending libraiy;.'! oaw portion of the grant to be nsedi for purchase of books. If you could' j let me have Ml conditions I will pay j j expense of taking copy. I intend moving re ihis matter at the meeting of Cambridge Borough Council, to be ,held on;, Friday next, and should _be *glad df-ft^epiy before that date if ■ possible." , Information to be forwarded.