HANDING OYER THE WATERWORKS TO THE CITY.

Evening Star, Issue 3700, 31 December 1874, Page 3

HANDING OYER THE WATERWORKS TO THE CITY.

There was a special meeting of the City Council in the Mayor’s room to-day at noon, his Worship presiding, and the Councillors being present, when the Council, en Cr. Fish’s motion, authorised the Finance Committee to pay to the directors of the Water Company the amount of the purchase money of the Company’s works—L94,247. Of this amount the shareholders have elected to take L 52,200 in debentures, and L 42.435 13s Id in cash. Colonel Kitchener’s claim of L 9,500 is also paid in cash, and the Council takes the responsibility of L 15.000 worth of debentures which fall due in about eighteen months. There is yet an open account (relating to small matters) between the Corporation and the Company, which will bp adjusted at the beginning of the year. Cheques for the two payments to be made in cash having been signed by 4he members of the Finance Committee, which also took authority to issue the necessary debentures, it was resolved, on the motion of Or. Prosser, that the deed of sale—a lengthy - document covering 100 pages—be approved, and be signed, sealed, and delivered Crs. Walter and Mercer bore testimony to the care and attention of the Corporation’s solicitors in the matter (Messrs Sievwright and Stout). Or, Beck wished to have a vote of thanks passed to the Water Committee of the Council for the great care and attention they had brought to bear on the negotiations which that day the City saw brought to a successful termination; but the feeling of the Council appeared to be that such a course was unusual and not needed, as councillors had but done their duty. In the face of that expressioh of opinion, Cr. Bscs withdrew his motion. At 12.30 the directors of the company—Messrs W, H. Cutten, James Smith, and the Hon. Mr Patterson, Mr Dick, the company’s secretary, and Mr G. W. Eliott, as the representative of Colonel Kitchenerattended; Mr Sievwright was also present. After numerous preliminaries had been satisfactorily settled and the deed of sale signed and duly executed, Mr Cutten handed to the Mayor the keys oi the Company’s store-room and the water-tower, and on receiving them his WORSHIP said—“ The Chairman of the Water Company has handed to ine the keys of the storeroom and water-tower, which are, X believe, the only .keys that can be handed to us. This completes the transfer of the works, and I have much pleasure, in the name and on behalf of the City, in accepting the transfer of the Dunedin Waterworks,”—(Applause.) This concluded the business, and the company adjourned to the Council Chamber, where THE LUNCHEON’, was laid in Host Jones’s, ef Wain’s Hosel, best style. The chair was occupied by the Mayor, who was supported on his right by Mr Cutten and on his left by Mr E. B. Cargill, and the vice-chair by Or. Prosser, who was supported on hip right by Mr Justico Chapman and on his left by Mr J. L. Gillies, M H.K. Apologies for non-attendance were read from his Honor the Superintendent, Mr Birch, Mr Roberts (manager of the Bank of New Zealand), and Mr J. H. Harris. The last-named gentleman wrote—" It would have given me much pleasure to have been present, but having a few minutes ago learned that the cost of the entertainment is to be defrayed from City funds I regret to be abliged to absent myself from it.” A number of toasts were proposed.