THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE GASWORKS.

Evening Star, Issue 3874, 24 July 1875, Page 3

THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE GASWORKS.

An emergency meeting of the City Council was held last evening, (at which the Mayor and all the Councillors were present) for the purpose of receiving a report from the Select Committee appointed to obtain a valuator to report to the Council as to the state of the present Gasworks, and their value. The (.camvfc'.ec recommended that Mr Curtis, gas engineer, of Melbourne, who is just now in Dunedin, be engaged by tbo Council to report fuby auu in detail as to the value of the Dunrdin Gasworks and plant, and as to the cause or c uxsts of the inferior quality ofthe gas at present supplied to the Dunedin public. Mr Curtis s fee to bo 100 guineas. A letter was then read from Mr Ritchie, dated July 23, and stating tha* tiro water ha l very so: iously considered the proposed appointment of Mr Curtis, and gone so far as to seek an interview with Mr Curtis and explain to him his feelings in the matter in the frankest term. H’s singL wish was to obtain a true ai d unbiassed report of their intrinsic value, but he could not come t" any other conclusion than that, in Mr llankt y’s interests, he was forced to withhold In's concurrence to Mr Curtis as a valuator. It would be in the memory of the Council that he had a-ready made certain reports on the erection of new gas works ; that hi! has made an offer to superintend the ercc tion of sneli for a certain sum, and that the Council bad ali but engaged him a'.; one time to do this wo k ; and thcre'ore it wo • itupcjdld r to believe that he con!.] have no inlertvit whatever in the decision of the Council as to the erection of new works, Mr Ritchie, theiefore,

said he must pr otest against the unfairness of acting in any valuation procured under such circumstances. Of course it was superfluous for him to say that Ids decision in this matter could not in the least reflect upon Mr Curtis, to whom, as a precaution, he had already expressed myself more fully. It was unanimously .resolved that the Conxmittc : ’s icport be andopted, and that Mr Hankey’s attorney be informed that, in the even!; of his refusing to allow Sir Curtis and Mr Hawkins, City t-urvoyors, to value and inspect the G.-s Works and plant, the Council will take such steps as they may consider desirable towards the erection of new works, in pmsiuiiicc of certain i e,solutions passed by tl.c Council on Friday last.