CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19164, 22 November 1927, Page 12

CITY COUNCIL.

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING.

The fortnightly meeting of tiio Citr Council was hold last evening. Thoso present wore: —The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer), and Councillors E. K. McCombs, T. H. ButterHeld, G. R. Hunter, r. \Y. Sharpc, K. M. Macfarlaue, J. W. Roberts, G. Manning, E. H. Andrews, A. K. Herbert. J. W. Be.inlaud, and M. E. Lyons. The financial statement g;ive the following details:—General rate levied £1'24,539 16s, collected £II,ISI 12s 6d, leaving outstanding £1ia,053 3s Gd. The receipts since the iast statement amounted to iUtj.OlO 10s 7u. and accounts authorised for payment came to .£23,004 13s 7d. _ , The Mayor stated that the Gazette of the ;>rd instant contained a notico authorising the raising of the workers' dwellings loan of £25,000, and that of the 17th instant contained a resolution making the special rate as security for the loan. A vote of sympathy was passed to the widow and family of the late Mr James Rodgers, who had been in the employ o£ the Couuc'l for about twonty years, and whose death occurred on November 15th. By-laws and Finance Committee. The committee reported as follows.'—The Inter-City Motor Service, Ltd.. has applied for permission to run observation tours in the Oity, but in view of the additional heavy trafrio which wouid be entailed with regard to somo of the streets, the committee has refused tile application. in connexion with the widening of Watford street, it will be necessary to acquire n strip of "land from Air E. K. Heywood's property at the corner of the said street and Halton street. On the strip in question thero aro buildings which the owner will require to removo and re-erect, and the committee recommends that he bo offered a sum' of £SO for tho land and £95 to cover cost of removal and re-erection of tho buildings, provision to be also made for cutting off the corner 6ft on each street; the Council to pay costs of survey and transfer fees, the payment not to be made until after March 31st next. Tho committee further reported that an omnibus proprietor rocontly asked permission to alter the route of his service to enable him to proceed along Lincoln road on the Bth, 10th, and 11th instant, but the committee • refused his request. It had been reported by the Chief Traffic Inspector that the man in question drove his omnibus along Lincoln road on tho 10th instant, and the committee had given instructions that ho was to bo prosecuted for this action. The report was adopted. Electricity Committee. The Electricity, Committee recommended that the tender of Turnbull and Jones of £214 15s for the supply of 200 yards of 4-corc, paper insulated, lead covered, armoured low tension cable, aud the necessary tail end boxes, be accepted; also that o£ R. W. Horn and Co. (£249 15s) for the supply of 60 32ft ironbark polos to bo used in running the proposed 8000-volt line in the Spreydon district. The report was adopted. Town Planning Committee. The Town Planning, Housing, and Health Committee reported as follows:—The enlargement of tho aerial survey from a scale of u chains to a scale of 2J chains to the inch is practically completed, and the City Engineer recommends that the information and details for the map as required by the Act should be obtained immediately. This information includes tho positions of all streets and private streets, with the names, widths, and surface levels thereof, the routes of tramways, railways, and bus sorvices, the positions of any harbours or waterways, reserves, and other open spaces, and particulars of the nature and use of all buildings shown on tho map. It is considered that these particulars could be most expeditiously and economically obtained by engaging four fourth-year Canterbury College engineering students for ten weeks during the College vacation, assisted by boys for handling chains, levelling staffs, etc., tho total expenditure required for salaries and incidentals over tho period stated boing £2tiG. Provision for this has been made on the current year's ostimates, and the committee therefore requests authority to engage the staff above referred to. It should be noted that this proposition refers only to tho City area, and not to the combined regional scheme. An application has been received for a building permit in respect of a petrol service station to be erected at the corner of Papanui road and Bellvue svenue. It was proposed to construct the building of "Konka" board covered with rough-cast, the reason for this being that the site of the building is held under lease. The committeo is, however, of opinion that the building should be constructed of brick, as provided for in the plan prepared by the City Engineer, and has informed the applicant to this effect; . The report was adopted. Water Supply and Works Committee. The committee reported as follows: Owing to the Halswell quarry having to close down'for a few days for repairs, works m connexion with tho above loan have been delayed to somo extent. Many of the street's re-metalled are now practically ready for sealing, and will be given the first coat as early as possible after they are sufficiently consolidated and clean. It is considered advisable to tar the roads as early as possible in order to save pot-holes, even at the risk of having small pieces left where the road is hardly clean enough. The first roads to be done will be Perry road, Strickland street, Cambridge- terrace, Fitzgerald avenue, Madras street, and Manchester street.

A request has been received from owners of property situated in tho portion of Kivor road, St. Martins, lying between Wilson's road and Tennyson street, to put in hand the work of forming that part of the road referred to. If this is done it will be necessary to build up the river bank several feet to prevent flooding from the river, the estimated cost, including filling six inches of clinker and four inches of metal, forming channel and footpath, being ,£2320. As there is no money available for this work at tho present time, the committee considers that casual labour should be employed, and the street used as a dump for clinker, bricks, etc., in the same mannor in which Eastern terrace has been formed. Before any work can be done, however, it will be necessary for three of the landowners to dedicate a strip of land 25 links in width for the purpose of road widening. These owners have been approached with a view to obtaining the necessary land, and subject to their agreeing, the committee asks for authority to carry out its suggestion. The second test in respect of the final payment to Mr J. M. Stewart for sinking bores at tho main Cashmere pumping station was carried out on Tuesday, the Bth instant. The flow was taken from the old wells and the first seven wells put down by the contractor. The time taken for the water to rise one foot was four minutes twenty seconds, giving a flow of 4506 gallons per minute. In connexion with the test bore, Woolston, the total depth reached is 373 feet, the last, fifty feet being through clay, with a threefoot seam of sand at a depth of 348 feet, and as thore seemed little hope of water being obtained by further boring, the pipe was drawn back to the 321 feet level, and a small flow of sandy water was obtained. This flow increased considerably, and on the following morning was 100 gallons per minute, quite clear and free from sand. The contractor recommends that 53 feet of slotted pipe be inserted at an estimated cost of £SB, which will ensure a flow of at least 300 gallons per minute. The contractor further states that there are at least 600 gallons per minute available from tho first and second strata at the present outflow level. In order successfully to tap the available water supply, the committee asks for authority to have the following works put in hand:-—(1) Six-teen-inch bore to 100 feet level with ten-inch slotted extension to 124 feet, £425: (2) complete present test bore • with slotted extension, as previously stated, £55: total £4BO. This expenditure can be met from tbe vote of £3IOO, available for main station extensions. . . . , .. Work in connexion with the reticulation of the new area is proceeding satisfactorily. The whole of the Spreydon area has been completed with tho exception of a small section of Ashgrove terrace. Three gangs are engaged in Woolston. An account has been received from Messrs A. R, Harris and Co. for the sum of £ll2 Bs. being increased duty on the three Edison batteries recently supplied for the sanitary trucks. As this amount will result in the expenditure on the batteries being;«»«*.«• ablv in excess of the amount provided on the Current year's estimates, the committee has approached the Minister for Customs asking if be can see his way to remit the amount. | The report was adopted. j