CITY COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1698, 14 March 1913, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL.

MR. TREGEAR'S "POLICE" MOTIONS. DEALT WITH IN A, BATCH. V I ' OTHER BUSINESS CLEARED UP. A special meeting of the City Council was held last night to dispose of certain business that has been standing on the order paper l'or some considerable time past. The Mayor (Mr. D. M'Larsn) presided, and there were .also present: Councillors U. Fletcher, ,i. 12. Fitzgerald, 12. Tregear, \Y. H. I'. Barber, L. M'kenxie, .1. Uadber; A. 1!. Atkinson, G. Frost, F. Cohen, and John Smith.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Fuller, Hindmarsh, Sliirtclill'o, and Trevor. ■

The principal business .before the meeting was tin: consideration of Councillor Tregear's "policy" motions. The first.of these had ten partly discussed at a previous meeting. When first placed on the order paper, it. took the following form:— "That the council' should take into consideration the establishment of a municipal farm as a market garden in some adjacent country district. That this farm should be worked by elderly or necessitous persons for whom otlicr employment is difficult to obtain, and that this farm should supply, or practically supply, a municipal market for fruit or vegetables." '

At a previous meeting, it had been amended to read merely. "That the council should take-onto consideration the establishment of a municipal farm as a market garden in some adjacent country district, and that the matter be referral to (lie Markets. Committee."

Councillor, Fletcher had seconded the motion,, and Councillor'.Frost, had .the floor when the discussion was"adjourned on the previous occasion. .

For about half an hour last night the , debate was continued, vie\vs being expressed for and , against the proposal. J Those members who supported j tion declared that they loiUil not under- j stand''tho opposition to it in its present . form. On Ireing put to the vole, how- ' ever, the 'motion was lost by six votes 1 to five. Tiie Ayes were: Councillors Tregear, 1 Fletcher, Cohen, Fitzgerald, -and tho Mayor. The Noes were: Councillors Atkinson, Barber,' Frost, Godber, M'Kenzie, and Smith. Public Hot Water Baths. - j , Another motion in' the name of Councillor Tregear ivas: "That the ■ council 1 take into consideration the supply of public hot wator baths (salt and fresh), , also the'supply of unitarv family laun- ■ dries, where clothes! can be washed and dried by their owners.at almost-nominal cost." Councillor 'M'Kenzie declared • that lie would support the first.. half of ■ this motion, and suggested that it should liu moved in two parts.: It was agreed to take the motion down to the words "salt and fresh," and to add that the matter be referred to tho Baths and City Reserves Committee. Councillor M'Kenzie seconded, and, alter brief discussion, so much of the iesolutiori was carried unanimously. The second half of tho motion. ivas seconded by-Councillor Fletcher, but was rejected by the ; council. Councillors Annoyed. A further motion by Councillor :Trcgear was: "That the council take into early consideration the reform of proefdure, in order tu produce efficiency in administration." in mpving this, Co-ii-cillor Tregear criticised severely tho methods of the council, making, a speciul attack oil tile committees, Which, he assorted, were dragged at the heels of tho council's experts. / Councillor .Fletcher seconded tjie 1110 tion., lie did not agree, with tho state ments made by Councillor Tregear but thought that something might result from the Inotlo.ll thiri would bring about an improvement 111 procedure. . Councillor Fitzgerald stated that he had intended to support th? motion, being under the impression that it> referred to the standing orders. Seeing,' however, that Councillor Tregear had made such a sweeping condemnation of tho work dony by committees,, he (Councillor Fitzgerald) wfliild now 'appose it, and lie thought it .should be rejected by the council. Councillor Tregear was merely making an election speech. Councillors < Frost, Barber, . M'Kenzie, Godber, Cohen, and Smith, all protested strongly against the utterances of Councillor TregeUr, who, they declared, would have known better had he been a more regular attendant at committee meetings. The Mayor spoke in support of the principle of the motion, and.suggested the mover should amend in the direction of referring the matter to a special committee. Councillor l'Ytzgerald refused to allow of this, and the motion, on being put to the meeting, was rejected by seven votes to three. To Popularise Electricity. A motion in the following terms was put forward by Councillor M'Kenzr'e: "That a report be obtained from Messrs. Richardson and Xauclilan (of tho City Lighting Department) on the advisability of introducing a new tariff which would cheapen the present ccst of electricity and popularise daylight consumption." v This was seconded by Councillor Godber, and carried by the - council without any further speeches. v . The Verandah Post. On the motion of Councillor .Barber It was decided that the building by-laws I>3 amended (on the advice of. tho City Engineer) so as to provide that :n future, ail verandahs to be, erected within the brick area be suspended from'the uunding, and 110 ■ vertical supports from the footpaths be allowed.