CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2736, 23 November 1871, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

At last night’s meeting there were pre. sent —the Mayor, and Councillors Barnes, Neale, Livingston, Thoneman, Bams ay, and Mercer. The Secretary to the Water Works Com-

pany wrote in reference to the proposal of the Council for a conference between a subcommittee of the Council and the Board of Directors, as to the Council purchasing the water works : —“ In reply, lam instructed by my Directors to inform you that, whilst de irous in every way to give fair and favorable consideration to the wishes and views of the Corporation, they do not feel themselves justified, in the present staire of the matter, and before the shareholders have had any opportunity of expressing their views, in commit ing the Company any further than is indicated in the tesolution of the Directors forwarded to you on the 9th October, by which the Directors promised to submit any offer male by the Corporation to purchase the works to the shareholders without delay, and in such a favorable way as to be fairly considered.”

A memorial was presented, signed by upwards of seventy fre Renters of the Pelichit Bay Baths, complaining that owing to the width of the pickets in the fence surrounding the baths, marine animals find their way inside, to the serious annoyance of bathers, and asking that steps should be taken immediately to exclude these animals either by fixing a rod-between each picket, and .so. reduce the space, or by enclosing the whole bath with wire netting, of a mesh small enough for the purpose. The Mayor strongly urged that the prayer of the memorialists should be complied’with, but Mr Barnes objected, stating that he failed to see why thousands of people should be taxed merely for the purpose of giving effect to the wishes of fifty others. Ultimately the mutter was referred to the Works Committee.

A short discussion took place on Mr Ramsay’s motion lor the appointment of a committee to consider the present departmental expenditure of the Corporation, with a view to retrenchment. The mover of the moti'in pointed out that the salaries amounted to one-fourth of the Corporation's yearly income ; and showed that upon that item, and those of advertising, stationery, and contingencies, fully L4OO could be saved. Mr Barnes, speaking in support of the motion, supplemented the mover’s statistic o , by stating that the departmental expenses, including the Mayor’s salary, amounted to L 3514, whilst there wa-i only LI4OO spent in day labor, horses, <Sc., and extra labor. Some of Mr BarneVs figures were called in question by the Mayor, who remarked that the last speaker’s figures in regard to salaries were calculated to mislead. They included L 740, payable in the Surveyor’s department, for this year, in consequence of the loan, and which could not be taken into account as a portion of the annual expenditure of the Corporation. There was the further fact to be taken into consideration that the works which had been undertaken during the past year would tend to reduce expenditure, by rendering expenditure unnecessary. Mr Cargill’s name having been added to the committee, the motion was carried, Mr Livingston having moved “ That the unexpended balance of the allocation money set apart for the improvement of the Octagon be expended in removing the Cargill monument further on the reserve, and forming a clear carriage way from Princes-street to eorge-sbreet,” there was a general expression of opiuion that it was highly desirable that the monument should be removed from its present position, and in accordance with a suggestion by Mr Barnes the mover altered his motion by substituting ‘‘the open space in front of- the Custom-House ” for farther on the Octagon reserve. In the course of the discussion that ensued it was stated that the relatives of the late Captain Cargill favoured the proposed change; and that the consent of the Superintendent thereto would have to be obtained. The motion, as amended, was carried.

The other business was unimportant.