CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3104, 30 January 1873, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

At the usual fortnightly meeting of the Council, held last night, the Mayor and all the Councillors were present. The following was the principal business transacted ; MU B > RNES AND THE DAYMEN. The following letter, enclosing an account for 9s, was read : Gentlemen, —On the ninth of this month I was working with my two horses and carts at Albany street, by orders from Mr M. M’Kenzie, inspector of works. At dinner time Mr Councillor Barnes came to me and ordered me to cease working, saying that if he -was wrong in doing so he would pay me, and that if he was right in stopping me the Corporation would do so. I accordingly leftoff w r ork, nnd Mr Barnes left, saying he would go to the office and see about it, but he never returned, and consequently I lost half a day’s work for myself, man, and two horses and drays. As I am a poor man I cannot afford to lose this, and I now enclose you an account for same, which I hope, as Mr Basnes promised, you will pay. As I have a contract with the Corporation, I should like to know’ if in future I am to take any m-tice of what Councillors say’. Seeing that there are eight of thorn, if they were all to adopt the same course as Mr Barnes, I am afraid I should have too many masters, and a deal of confusion would ensue. I am, &c., William Meickle, jun.

Cr. Barnes explained why he interfered, and said the contractor referred to was doing private work, and that the Corporation day. men were assisting in that work. The Mayor said it seemed this man had a contract from the Corporation, and he was paid only for such time as he worked. The question was whether Councillors individually should give orders to the daymen, Cr. Barnes ; I know very well how this letter has come about; but 1 am able to fight my own battle. { Cr. Walter said the letter appeared to contain a charge that one of the < ouncillois had prevented the men from carrying out their work. He knew Cr. Barnes’s intentions were perfectly good ; but the mode be adopted of carrying them out was objectionable. For himself, had he noticed the Corporation’s servants doing anything wrong; ho should have reported the matter to the proper officers, and if they did not attend to it, to the Mayor; and if his Worship did not interfere, he would have a meeting of the Council called. If conduct similar to Cr Barnes’s were continued it would lead to endless confusion.

Cr Barnes explained that he came to the Corporation offices, but could not find Surveyor, Inspector, or Mayor, and it was only then that he interfered.

Cr. Bams ay objected to any Councillor in t vfering with the daymen, no matter what they were doing, Cr. Barnes again rose to speak ; but the Mayor ruled him out of order, A “scene” was the result, the Councillor refusing to be called, to order by tho Mayor, let the cuiifC* quence be what it might. His Worship then said he would refuse to sit in the chair, unless he were supported in keeping something like order. A proposition having been made that Cr. Barnes should make the desired explanation, he continued to speak, and after further discussion, the matter was referred to the Works Committee, at the Mayor’s suggestion, to inquire into the charge made against the contractor of doing private work while at work for the Corporation. THE CORPORATION AND THE GOVERNMENT. A number of letters from tbe Provincial Under-Secretary were read, their effect being as follows :-That the Government declined to obtain an Ordinance to enable the Corporation to let, for building purposes, the recreation reserve, forming block 29, Dunedin ; that instructions had been given to have that portion of High street, from Princes street towards Gaol street, made 1£ chains in width ; that the Government will introduce a Bill on the subject of the proposed extension of Cumberland street to High street, at the next session of the Provincial Council; that tbe Government cannot consent to do more than reduce Queen street, which was the first proposal, for the sum of L 250. Section 1, block 25, was estimated to contain some 12,000 cubic yards, which, at the same rate would be worth L2OO to remove ; with regard to the 33ft. of land at the back of the sections in the Princes street reserve—that, although by some means the 33ft. in question had been included in the conveyance pf the sections in block 42, the land was neither bought by Ihe Corporation nor paief for by that body, and to add to that, until the matter was satisfactorily arranged, the consent of bis Honor the Superintendent to the leasing of the sections on the reserve, as proposed, up to the present Princes street frontage, would be withheld, while the Council.were reminded that without an Ordi--nance they could not proceed to lease the sections ; that the whole of certain sections on the wharves and quays reserves were likely to be required for railway purposes ; that the Government declined to recommend tbe Colonial Government to allow the erection of a public urinal between the University and the Custom-house ; and that the Government accepted the Corporation’s offer to pay tho sum of D 250 for the removal of say 17,000 yards of material on reducing Queen street, but stipulated for the payment of 4d per yard for any material removed in excess of that quantity.^ The Mayor stated with reference to the sections required for railway purposes that, whilst the Government might have power to take them, he did not think they could do so without compensating the Corporation for the value of the land ; and with regard to the Princes street reserve sections, that he was led to believe that, on the matter being properly put before the Government, a different conclusion might be arrived at.

MESSRS. A. AND T. INGLIS AND THE MAYOR, The following letter was read In consequence of the delay in advertising for Saturday the new lease of the premises we hold in George street, we were compelled to make an application to your Worships for an extended ienanoy of si? npnths, at'the rate of the rental the new lease might realise, That request your Worships did not then consider, in the Corporation or public interest, you wore in a position to comply with ; though to us a matter of the very greatest importance. We were gratified to find subsequently by the leases of the premises being advertised for sale on Friday, 31st inst,, that our interests were not to further suffer by any more delay. To our very great astonishment, we found that it was omitted in advertisement of Corporation properties of this day’s date and we have received a letter from the Town Clerk, informing us that His Worship the Mayor had given instructions to postpone the sale of leases of our premises in George street for a few days, but without giving us any reason why or wherefore he has done so. We think your Worships will feel with us that this is a most unwarrantable proceeding on the part of His Worship the Mayor, and one for which we have just cause for complaint. We cannot for an instant understand wby this baa been

done, unless in the interest of some person or party in connection with the reduced valuations by the Council This idea is suggested by the fact that that His Worship the Mayor was yesterday closely inspecting the Sussex Hotel and appurtenances, ostensibly in connection with a drain said to run across the rear of the section on which the hotel stands, and coming from some ot.Kor -premises. We do not consider that the public interest, which in most discussions on Corporation leases has been held most prominently forward, lias in this matter been at all considered by His Worship the Mayor ; and we claim protection of our interest at the hands of your worshipful Council, and beg a reconsideration of our former request. The Mayor said the letter was beneath his notice. As to the drain pipes referred to, he might say that they had been the subject of considerable litigation in the Mayor’s Court; and though bo wished personally to insp ct them for himself, bis chief object was to see for himself the buildings, which Councillor Barnes, at the Beserves Committee meeting, said were thoroughly rotten, and would only be bought to be pulled down. Hia opinion then and still was, that the whole block should be put up at the one time.

Cr. Thoneman thought that the Council should have decided upon that matter, and deprecated the action of the Mayor in altering, on his own responsibility, what had been clone by the Council. Why it was done was what the Council wanted to know.

Cr. Barnes did not think that any long statements required to be made over the matter ; it was only another of those “ acts” of the Mayor. During the year he was a member of the Council and of the Reserves ( ommittee, he bad never before known the Mayor to take upon himself to undo what the Council had agreed should be done, without calling together either the Council or the Reserves Committee. If the Mayor bad any little hobby of his own that he wished carried, a special meeting was called in a minute; but he had an advertisement ordered by the Council withdrawn without anyone being consulted. It was no use gentlemen coming, time after time, to attend committee meetings, if his Worship was to have that power. He for one thought it was very objectionable; it was wrong in principle. The Mayor : The effect of withdrawing the advertisement has not been to interfere in any way with the interests of the Corporation Viewed in the same light as the action of Councillor Barnes, the only difference is that the one thing was done by the Mayor and the oth*r by a Councillor. It struck me that it would be very much better that the block should be sold as one lot. However, no possible evil can result from what has been done.

Or. Walter's interpretation of the letter was that it was a very insulting one ; it was couched in most abusive terms, and imputed motives to the Mayor. (Jr. Ramsay also disapproved of the Mayor’s ac ion, and moved that Messrs Inglis’s property be sold on Friday, os originally advertised. Cr. Neale considered the letter very discourteous in its terms. The Mayor said that notwitstanding the fine opportunity that had been given to, and taken advantage of by certain members of the Council to have a fling at himself— C)« Ramsay rose to a point of rder, and asked that the Mayor should name the Councillors he referred to. The Mayor would at any rate say this : During the many years he had been a member of the Council, he had seen the same thing done frequently, but re /er before objected to. The motion of Cr. Ramsay was then put and declared carried. MISCELLANEOUS Mr Rossbotham’s motion, that the Southern Market Reserve be kerbed and channelled was carried by the casting vote of the Mayor ; Mr Barnes’s motion, that Hanover street, from George street to Filleul street, should be kerbed and channelled on both sidei?, and metalled to the full width, was also carried j a motion for twenty-five new limps, a proposal to enter nto negociations with the committee of the First Church for the lease or purchase of the building now in use as a church in Dowling street for the purpose of establishing t orporation baths, if practicable, and a proposition to form Maitland street, from High street to Walker street, to its proper level, were referred to committees.

THE DRAINAGE QUESTION. The Works Committee brought up a report, the principal recommendations being the following : Re sites for the erection of new lamps and posts : That Councillors report as to the most suitable sites for the erection of the new lamps in their respective wards. —The daymen have been ordered to attend to the following matters; —A portion of Union street (near Mr Fish’s leasehold) to be filled up, at a trifling cost; also a hole at the corner of Athol place and Hanover street to be filled up ; gravel to belaid on footpaths on the west side of Leith street, between St Andrew and Hanover streets, and on the east side of the same street, between Hanover and Frederick streets, to cost LG; asphaltc footpaths at south side of Stafford street to be repaired where considered dangerous; metal to be laid on Hanover street, between George and Filleul streets, as necessary; old channel at Athol place to be opened up to allow the water to get away; gravel to be laid on portion of footpaths in Castle street. . . . As to report on the different places of amusement in the City, the Town Clerk has been instructed to write to the managers of the Masonic Hall and Queen’s Theatre, intimating tp them that certain alterations would require to be made in theif buildings, as suggested by the City Surveyor in his report.—As ’to the removal of earth from the Town Belt, opposite Kensington Hotel : The Committee, after visiting the place referred to, decided to grant permission to remove a certain portion of earth, under the supervision of the City Surveyor* As to drainage : Your Committee, after carefully considering the question of drainage, and Councillor Barnes’s motion thereon, beg to recommend that the proposed system is at present impracticable, and that the Byelaws Committee be instructed to bring up a recommendation with regard to having all cesspools in the City emptied at regular intervals; also that Inspector Nimon be instructed to attend strictly to the suppression of existing nuisances, and that the water be turned down King street into Frederick street. —Your Committee also recommend that the necessary power be obtained*) sue all absentee landlords for nuisances that may exist on their premises,—Your Committee, after carefully considering Mr Mirams’s drainage report, beg to state that it is a full and able report on the system of drainage for tHe City/

Cr, Ramsay said, in reference to drainage, that the Committee had the whole matter under their consideration, and were unanimous _(Mr Barnes; “No, no”) —in the opinion that an extensive system of sewage could not be entered upon at present. Four schemes were submitted to the Committeeone involving an expenditure of L 15,000, proposed by Mr Barnes ; one of L 16.400, by Mr Miraras ; a third of L 56.000, and a fourth of LKM,OO !, t also by the City Surveyor ; and the Committee came to the conclusion, which he thought to be a wise one, that to carry out any other than the two last-mentioned schemes would be simply to drain to a great extent the* private properties in the neighborhood of the drains that would would be laid down, and that the citizens should not be taxed, as* they would be were it done, CO benefit a comparative few. The only scheme which the' Committee would have adopted, if they thought the Council could enter upon the work, would involve an expenditure of L 56,000, and he thought, before going into any such expense, to meet which would cause an increase of the taxes of about 8d or 9d in the £, the citizens should be asked whether they were in favor of it.

Cr, Mercer regretted the Committee had not seen its way to recommend the introduction of some kind of drainage. He was always under the impression that Bell Ward, being the lowest lying portion of the City, required most to be drained; and that a drain put down on, say, St Andrew street, would provide an outlet .for the surface

water. One drain would certainly be a very great help. He would give way to the judgment of the Committee, but regretted that someth ins: had not been recommended, because without the Corporation provided a main se sver, private property could not be effectually drained. Cr. Thoneman would bo sorry it the quesIrion were again shelved, an<l would lik.e to see one of the members for Fell Ward bring forward a motion that one drain should be put down, say about St. Andrew street. Cr. Woodland thought something should be done towards experimenting for draining Bell Ward, which had the lowest lying land in the city. In the towns in the old country there were sewors into which every property holder was compelled to carry his private drains. The Mayor : There is no power in our Act to make them do that.

Cr. Woodland : At all events, the Corporation could make a charge for drains being carried into their sewers, and he thought most property holders in Bell Ward would gladly pay. Cr is bale was in favor of a sewer leading along George street and down Hanover street, but the Committee, after due consideration, found that a good deal could be done towards remedying the effects of want of drainage by passing a law to make compulsory the periodical cleaning of cesspools, and the abatement of nuisances which the inspector was not now able to get at. If they wero to have a system of drainage it must be a general one, and he did not think the members for the other wards would consent for a moment to the taxing of the city ; eaerally for the benefit of one portion of it. But the first great question to be censu’cred was where they were to lead the drainage to.

Cr- Barnes seconded a motion made by Cr, Thoneman, that a commencement of the drainage system sbou'd be made by constructing a main sewer in St. Andrew st eet. fle'exp'ained that the seb me he proposed to the Committee was to carry a sewer from St. Andrew street along the different streets in Leith Ward to the wharves and quays reserves at the mouth of the Water of Leith, where he would constiuct two reservoirs on sections of the Corporation now under water; the first of these reservoirs receiving the discharge from the sewer, where it would remain, theclear waterpassingoff; thestufftben to lie carried into the second reservoir until it obtained a settled bottom, when it could be wheeled on to the be* ih, and serve to reclaim the sections : so that the expense to the ratepayers would not be so very large after all, as the sections, when reclaimed, could be easily leased. He attributed the numerous deaths occurring in the city to the want of good drainage, The people who lived on the flats received the “smells and stinks” of the “ intelligence” sort of people who lived on the hills. (Laughter.) His system would last the city for a hundred years; at all events, he would not let the matter rest, but would see what he could do by spending I 5, and having a meeting at the Masonic Hall. Cr. Walter preferred to take the experience of skilled men, and read the following extract from the report of the Sanitary Commission :

The position of Dunedin, with respect to its harbor and the tidal influence, is one which will require most careful consideration with respect to this view of the question. The distance from one extremity of Otago Harbor to the other is about thirteen miles, and the flow of the tide, as taken from Admiralty charts, is, on an average, li miles an hour; therefore any refuse discharged* into the harbor at Dunedin at high water would, under favorable circumstances, have travelled nine miles before the turn of the tide, or four miles less than would be required to disch irge it into the ocean ; the consequence would be that all the solid portion of the sewage would be deposited on the numerous banks within the harbor, or along the high-water mark, the sewage in solution being retained in the waters of the harbor, which, in the course of time, would be reduced to a gigantic cesspool, and would become fouler and fouler every year.

The Mayor said he did not come to say anything on the matter, because when it was boforo the Committee they unanimously agreed that it was impolitic under present circumstances to advocate an extensive system of drainage. —[Mr Barnes ; No.] —At all events, no member of the Committee dissented from the decision arrived at. The Committee lirst considered whether there was such an urgent necessity for drainage, at the present time, as to induce the Council to go into an extensive system, which would cost a considerable snoa of money. Upon that question, whilst some members held that some drainage was necessary, they agreed that there was not such an urgent want of it as to rush the citizens into I the vast expenditure, which would result in | the increased taxation mentioned by Cr. j Ramsay. It had been stated that evening I that the fact of Bell Ward being low-lying, | caused the diseases so fatal to the inhabitants. He entirely denied that statement, which would not be borne -out by the medical evidence. If the existing nuisances were so great, they arose on sections ewned by mercenary people who bought them at nominal prices, and were anxiously waiting for the Corporation to drain' their lands ifor them, On those sections the storm water and refuse brought down by it remained until a slight nuisance was caused. Were those sections filled up, the nuisance would be remedied, because the result would be that the surface water would keep clear the street channels, and, following its natural course, emp'y itself into the Bay. The committee had before it three schemes—for he rejected from his consideration all beyond those furnished by an engineer—one involving an outlay of L 16.000, another of L 56 000, and the third ..of L 104,000. On looking carefully over the plans, the Committee found that the first mentioned scheme would involve an additional taxation to the extent of 3d in the £, and then only serve to drain private properties; and that the second would increase the taxation by 8d to 9 i in the £. He said distinctly that he would have no hesitation in stumping the City from one end of it to the other, in every hole and corner of it, to ascertain whether the citizens would pay such additional taxation to carry out a fancy system of drainage. This cry of want of drainage dame from a few selfish and interested parties, who wanted their sections drained at the Corporation expense. An important phase of the question had also to be considered, and it was where was the drainage was to go to, if they went in for a system. 1 To simply carry it from one place to another, was only to make the nuisance greater. He would read from the Sanitary Commissioner’s report On the cost of sewerage works for Dunedin, your Commissioners have no reliable evidence. It will be apparent, from what has been before stated, that the works and measures must be progressive, and that as the sewage matter increases, so must the outfall be extended from the precincts of the city. It will appear from the information contained in Appendix E that the cost of such works in England is stated to be LI per head of population for main sewers, and the same for house drainage- that is, L2 per head for all (though the table in Appendix G gives the cost as much less). We may safely state that the same service will not be carried out here under two or three times the sum—or from L4to L 6 per head'of population. This, with the high rate of interest, will militate much against the general progress of sanitary measures of this kind. .

Cr. Barnes observed that tie extract was all “bosh ” ; the Bay had been half filled up since 1865. ■

The Mayor : The cost of drainage works now would be much the same as in 1865; and the aspect of the Bay bad not changed in any material way. Cr. Neale had drawn attention to what must be considered ah effectual way of remedying what was the root of the nuisance—viz., the throwing of filth upon the streets, and the manner of the City cesspools. He himself advocated the adoption of the Melbourne plan of enforcing the depositing of night soil in iron tubs, and of rubbish in appointed places, from which it was removed by a Corporation contractor. It would be better tb kerb end channel all

the streets before going into an expenditure upon a fancy scheme of under-ground drainage. , Cr. Barnes considered the Mayor’s elaboration amounted to a false statement, made to lead the public wrong. Cr. Walter rose to order. Mr Barnes had charged the Mayor with making a false statement. Thh Mat or ; If Cr. Barnes makes any more remarks like that he will have to withdraw them in accordance with the bye-law. Cr. Barnes : I have not withdrawn anything up to the present, and am not going to do so.

The Mayor then appealed to the Council, and said if he did not receive its support he should be obliged to vacate the chair. Order having been restored, a vote was taken as fo lows :—For the amendment: Councillors Barnes, Thoneman, Woodland, and Boasbotbam: against: Councillors Hams a,}', Walter, Neale, and Mercer. The adoption of the report was then carried by the casting vote of the Mayor. Cr. Barnes rose to move the resolut’on standing in his name —“ That L 15,000 worth of Corporation debentures should ie issu u in order that a system of drainage might be commenced ” ; but the Mayor ruled that the matter having been referred to the Works Committee, considered by them, and disposed of by the previous vote, refused to allow it to be put. TEE CORPORATION VALUATIONS Cr. Barnes moved the resolution of which he had given notice—“ That the valuations of Mr Gore be adhered to.” He said he had inspected Mercei’s corner since last meeting, and found the foundations contained a large quantity of stone, which would be worth from L6O to L7O. that the premises had been substantially built, and if put in a proper state of repair would last for some time, though if it were required, to build another storey of brick, thefoundations would have to be rebuilt. He also admitted having been mistaken in regard to the character of Bannatyne’a buildings ; and said that on reading over the original leases, he found that the tenants were to receive full valuation at the expiration of their lease. For these reasons, he moved that Mr Gore’s valuations should be adhered to in every case. Cr. Ramsay thought, under all the circumstances, as there was only a difference of about £6O, and that Mr Gore had been ap pointed on account of his fitness for the post, that his valuations should be accepted. Or. Walter condemned the inconsistency of Cr. Barnes, who, when he so strongly supported the reductions in committee, was in pos essionof as much information as he then had. ... Cr. Neale spoke in a similar strain, and admitted having been ‘sold’ in the matter by having relied on Cr. Barnes’s statements in committee. It should be a lesson to the Committee to prefer the opinions of its officers to those of any member of Council, po matter how extensive his knowledge of the city plight be. ■ The Mayor hoped the matter would be a lesson to the Council not to be careless in passing a motion of importance when before them, and then reversing jwhat they had done when the matter affected one of their own. body, because j>eopl© outside 3-pt to say - unjustly, no doubt —that because a man was outside the Council his case did not receive the same consideration as was given to that of a Councillor.

Cr. Ramsay said it was scarcely fair of the Mayor to put it to the public in the way he had.

The Mayor denied that ho intended it to he understood that the Council had given any undue consideration to the one matter over the other; but the outside public might put that construction on it, and that was all that be bad said.

The motion was then put, and declared carried.