CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3646, 29 October 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting was held last night, and there were present the Mayor and all the Councillors, except Mr Burt. The following was the principal business transacted :

On a letter being read from the Superintendent, as chairman of the Board of Health, asking the Corporation to report upon the sanitary condition of the City, Cr. Walter moved that Dr Bakewell, from his valuable services to the City, shoo'd. be asked to undertake the duty of honorary health efficer. The proposition was stoutly opposed by Cr. Isaac, who contended that the office should be open to the whole of the profession. Ultimately the matter was referred to the Sanitary Committee.

A number of claims for compensation were sent in by residents in York place, and on it being moved by Cr. Grant that they should bo smt to a snecial committee for consideration, Cr. Fish urged that steps should be taken to test the question whether the Corporation was legally liable for compensation, as a definite decision would troc be any better for those interested, but would guide the Corporation in its c mtemplated action in ref rence to other streets. Crs. Beck and Isaac held that where property had been damaged the Corporation was iiabio t« May compensation Cr. Reeves thought it would be a grievous mistake for the Council to entertain in any way the <ju stiun of compensation. They Were told when this expensive work was taken in baud that it wis done for the benefit of those who demanded compensation. The Council was advised by the solicitor that the Corporation was not responsible ; and instead of temporising and holding out hop s by referring applications for compensatiou to committees, they should let them do as Mr Pish had suggested. Cr Walter said that the w ok. instead o' depreciating property in the neighborhood, increased its v v ue. The whole of the claims were referred to the Works Committee.

Mr Larnach wrote that in consequence of the large amount (LI6 10s) deducted this mon hj for tin s from the Corporation cheque for public lighting, he was compelled to bring the matter under the notice of the Council. ,a large majority of the fines for the past mouth were inflicted in respect of lamps which were duly iLh'ed, but which it was impossible to keep light d, owing to stress of w>-a'her. Manv of these lamps were re lighted three or four times in one night. It was .'ever intended, as he understood the contract, Co impose fines in such cases, and he asked for such a rebate as would he louod to be fair and reasonable The Bye-laws Committee recomm nde.' that tin keeper oi the Belichet Bay * atks be allowed to make a charge for the use of towels supplied to bathers, such charge not to exceed twopence ; that the appoimm nt of a Public iieaith '■ub-Committee be given effect to. As to the memorial of butchers of ounediu re ative to the advantage persons residing beyond the t ity had as regards the sale of meat under hawkers’ licenses, the ommi tee were of opinion that no action could be taken in the mailer by the Council al present. The. a urks omuuttee’s rep ;rt sated the urveyor h.d given it as his bpi niou th.it the 11 odmg of various properties in toe vicinity of Cumberland street was caused by a d feet in a culvert put in bv the Government, and that the drain in course of construction in St. undrew street c ould in a great mcasiite remedy the evil; also that .the claims for compensation therefore be defined ; that the reduction of Queen street from Pitt str et to Hegcnt road lie over for the present; that the Provincial Government had hj. en written to asking that a railway crossing might be constructed at Castle street. After discussion it was agreed that the Of uncil should ht at the expense of a man to paint the fence-round the Cricket Oval, the Club finding the material. There wrs some debate on the clause of the Reserves Committee’s report That the application of the sextons for an increase in the charge made for Sunday funerals be d eclined, yonr commiitee being ef spiuion that the present extra unday charges, viz , Ids ■nd ss, are sufficient.” Or rish objected to an extra fee being charged dn Sunday, which he thought was a better day than any other for funerals. It was wrong to impose an ejttra fee on that day, which was the only one 'on whpffi many people could get to follow the ‘ dead, Cr«j. Woodland, Walter, Carroll, and Isaac spoke in $. similar strain The recommendation of the committee was adopted; and on Cr. Prosser’s motion, the subject of the present increased charge for Sunday funerals was referred to the Bye-law Committee for consideration.

A SMALL STORM. The Clerk being about to pass pq to the reading of the Surveyor's report, Cr, Fish asked if there were no more letters, when, after some remarks, letters were read from Messrs Briscoe and Co., Oliver and Ulph, and A. and T. Burt, statjng the terms upon which they would indent twp stohe-crugbers for the Corporation. Messrs Briscoe and to.’s offer was 10 per cent., and Messrs ( diver and Ulph’s, apd Burt’s were each 74 per cent. Messrs Oliver and Ulph’s had also the stipulation—“ ( ash on delivery.” Subsequently the Mayor accepted an offer of Messrs Burt’s to indent for 5 per cent. Cr. Isaac wished to know if the same consideration was extended to the other tenderer? as to Messrs Burfc

The Ma¥os had heard that exception had been taken to his action ip this matter by Cr. Fish, and that ho had said fhqt tfee matter would create a reat disturbance at that meeting of the Council and also that Messrs Briscoe and Oliver and Ulph had stated that they would not, in consequence of the manner in which they had been treated in this matter, in future tender for any of the Corporation work. It was said that he had accepted Mr Burt’s offer because ho was a personal friend of bis own. The matter of furnishing two stone-crushers was left to the executive officers of the City Council, the Town Clerk, the City Surveyor, and himself. The three firms sent in tenders, the lowest of which were those of Oliver and Ulph • and Burt. Seeing the tenders were equal, it was left to him to say whose tender should be accepted ; but, rather than choose for himself, he waited upon Crs. Prosser and Beeves, as members of the Works Committee. Cr. Reeves was not in, aud Cr. Prosser thought the charge of seven and a-half per cent, was too much. Acting oa this advice, he met Mr Burt in Princes street, and told him if he would do it for five per cent, he could have it. He consented to transact the business for that rate. Hearing that a charge was to be made against him (the Mayoi), he waited upon Mr Burt that afternoon, aud told him that he would be as well pleased if he would countermand the order. Mr Burt expressed himself as being wi ling to do so. The result of this dispute was that the machines will uot be got.

Cr. Walthr’s objection was that one business firm should bo benefitted by a communication from another- Had Messrs Oliver and Ulph been asked, it was possible that they would hare done the business for four per cent. The Mayor said that no use had been made whatever of Messrs Oliver and Ulph’a tender. r

Cr. Gr vnt deprecated the Mayor being influenced by outside talk. The order should not have been countermanded. If these kinds of things wore to go on, the sooner the Council was abolished the better.

Cr. Fish cjoddeved tha-. ti. > a was convicted out of his own d tutl’ If be were right in giving the order be m have been W'Ong io couuterm miling it. He had been told by the Clerk that the v ..yor had been instructed by him to r ‘;>d tho letters; so that it was probable if i-h* v bad not been fur nothing would have ooen heard of the matter. hen tenders v *.re equal the Mayor should not have taken on himself to accept without at eking the advice of the Council, i v ho should have i,r.no to the ten* dererr, told them that ten do: a were equal, and a&kod them to tend-r auuw. Such action v oa.d induce the fe. 'in.o tnat tenderers wore not fairly dealt with and -vnuld prejudicially affect the interest, ci the Corporation in the fuiure. He would go further,-'and would say that the 5 per ecu*’. in question meant per cent., and that :t did not nclude charges included ia Me.srs Briscoe’s tender of 10 per cent., and that Messrs Briscoes ten er was the cheapest of the three. The action taken by U-* Mamr was such as to tend to destroy ihe c nfideme of traders ia th- Council.

Cr. Reeves regretted that an amiable weakness of the Mayor rhua’d have caused him to have countermanded the order. Cr. Fish bad taken up the matter with moire feeling than was a; parent. On the face of the tender, Burt’s was the best. He was sorry the Mayor had allowed himself to be inflienced by outside remarks.

rs Grant, Gibson, and Cabeoll spoke to the same effect.

Cr Beck, when he heard reports and rumors going about during the morning, felr. asha-t-ed of being a member of the Conned, but from what he he ud during the discussion he concluded there was nothing to find fault with.

It was finally resolved, aft t various proposals' had been put and lost, that fresh tenders be called by advertisemeut.