CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3878, 29 July 1875, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night; present—The Mayor, Councillors Keeves, Grant, Barron, Walter, Gibson. Leary, Carroll, Prosser, Mercer, Woodland, Isaac, and Fish. Mr S. S. Hutchison forwarded a memorial signed by 530 citizens, who expressed-th«ir full confidence in him, should he be employed as valuator, or to do any other work iu connection with the supply of gas to the City. Referred to the Lighting Committee. Cr. Walter wrote tendering his resignation as Councillor for South Ward in consequence of his having been elected Mayor. The resignation was accepted, and the fine in such cases remitted.

Mr A. C. Begg, Chairman of the Roslyn I Road Board, wrote stating that the Board could not consent to the Water Supply Extension Bill, and had token steps which they believed would prevent it passing through the General Assembly.—Received. The City Auditors forwarded their halfyearly report, stating that they found the accounts to be correct, and acknowledging assistance rendered by the Town Clerk in discharging their duty. \ Mr Henry Courtis wrote accepting the appointment of valuator of the gasworks. Mr Ritchie, under date July 24, wrote that he regvetted that there seemed to be some misapprehension on tho subject of "his previous letter. He had understood that the Council desired his " concurrence," formally and officially, on Mr Hatikey's behalf, to the appointment, and this he did not see his way to give. As it was now clear that the Council only wished permission to view the works, he had sent to Mr Genever a special message to give every facility to Messrs Courtis and Mirams for that purpose. —The Mator said that, on receipt ©f Mi Ritchie's letter, Mr Courtis was appointed to value tho works, and he and Mr Mirams were now doing so.

Another letter from Mr Ritchie, dated July 15, was read, and referred to the Lighting Committee. From it we take the following extracts :—" As in my negotiations for the sale of the works I have never sought anything more than that the best price obtainable, consistently with the City getting good value in return, should be got for Mr Hankey's works, bo I have taken much trouble and pains to get at the bottom of the complaints which have, been made to me about the quality of the gas and the amounts of some of the monthly bills. I find, in the first place, that the contract is for

the supply of ten-eandle gas. The quality supEhed has averaged fifteen-candle, or 60 per cent, etter than agreed upon. The results of the constant testing arejrecorded at the workß, and the experimental apparatus which is in hourly use by Mr Genever, at the works, is of too recent and superior construction to have any doubt as to the quality of the gas whioh is sentout of the holder to the mains and services of the City. It will no doubt be asked, How is it, then, that the lighting is so indifferent on nights ? and the result of aU my inquiries on this point lead me to believe that the pipes and inside consumers' i remises are to blame for it. I find that these are in moat cases too small, and that a great majority of them having baen put in when practised gasfitters were few in number in Dunedin, the fall and bendings have not been properly adjusted, nor syphons used. This is confirmed by the fact that even now, in new buildings, consumers semetimes use a smaller pipe from the meter than the service pipe leading into it, in order to save expense. I have no manner of doubt of the quality of gas supplied, nor of the pressure and Bize of the mains being sufficient (though these latter might with advantage to the gas-producer bo larger, to save condensation), and I court all inquiry on these points with confidence. With reference to the great increase in the amounts of the bills of some consumers, I can offer no explanation whatever. I can only state that the total of the gas rates present no remarkable increase; and if in the ease of a few individuals one month seems to be unreasonably higher than the preceding one, there is no such result over aIL It has been suggested to me that the exhauster has been driven too hard at the workß, and air palmed off upon the ill-used consumer instead of gas. But the exhauster does not drive the gas into the mains, but into the holder; and, as I have stated above, the photometer and other tests prove the gas in the holder to be of nearly 50 per cent, better quality than the contract with th: City demands. The pressure is gained only from the weight of the Holder, and the gas eannot suffer any change from the time of it 3 levring the holder till it is burnt by the consumers. I can honestly affirm that, after very minute inquiries, I have failed to discover anything to lead me to suppose that any injustice is being done to the citizens aB a body in the supply of _ their gas 01 the charge made for it; and as I invite the most searching scrutiny of the present works, and am confident that it will result in a confirmation of my belief in their efficiency, so I shall be reaay at all times to consider ana set right any injustice done to consumers when Bhown to be such."

The Secretary of the Fire Brigade forwarded the proposed by that body, intimating that they had come to the conclusion to

resign, and giving three months' notice, in accordance with the agreement existing between the Corporation and the Brigade. Cr. Pkoeskr said it was a pity that the resignation had ever been sentin; buthe understood that the Brigade were willing to withdraw it, as he had been informed by the Captain of the Brigade that they were now satisfied. The Council never had any intention of reflecting in the slightest degree upon the Fire Brigade. He would move — r * That the resignation be received ; and that the Captain of the Brigade be asked to withdraw it under the circumstances ; and further, that whilst the Council was desirious of getting the iiißuranco companies to contribute their fair share of the expenses of maintaining the Fire Brigade, it had no intention of reflecting unfavorably upon the Brigade, as the Council had much pleasure in acknowledging th * valuable services bo often rendered by it to the oitizens." This was carried unanimously, after several of the Councillors had Bpoken in high terms of the great services rendered by the Brigade since its formation.

A memorial from a number of ratepayers in Albany Btreet was read, complaining of the inconvenience they Buffered from want of proper drain Age in the upper part of the street Referred to the Works Committee.

The Water Supply Committee reported that MesErs Campbell and Co,, who had offered to supply water to the reservoir, had been requested to furnish additional information, and to be more explicit as to the source of the Bupply. That the charge for baths in private houses be abolished, but that hotels and board-ing-houses be charged as usual That it was inadvisable to deepsn No. 2 Reservoir more tnan Mr M'Gregor proposed to do : and that the construction of No. 3 Reservoir be held over till the fate of the new Water Supply Extension Bill is known. The report was adopted. THE RETIRING MAYOR. Cr. Walter said he could not allow the opportunity to pass, when his Worship (Mr K. Ramsay) was on the eve of leaving the Mayoral ehair, without referring to the way in which his Worship had filled the office. During his term of office, his Worship had acted towaids the Council in a most courteous manner. He proposed that the Council desire, on the eve of the retirement of Mr Ramsay from the Mayoral chair, to thank him for the courtesy and impartiality he has always manifested during bis term of office, and wishing that at no distant period he may be found taking an active part in the affairs of the City. Cr. Fish seconded the resolution with very much pleasure, Baying that although he believed there was some acrimonious feeling, to Bay the least, existing between his Worship anil himself on matters which might well have been avoided, he had great pleasure in expressing his satisfaction and approval at the manner in which his Worship had conducted the business of the Council.

I Crs. Merger, Pbosseb, Reeveb, and Isaacs 1 also expressed themselves in high terms in the Mayor's praise, and the resolution was carried. His WORSHIP said he felt gratified indeed at the action of the Council, which was unexpected, and said the testimonial was the more enhanced by the fact that the gentleman proposing it was his successor in office, and that the gentleman who seconded it was a member of Council with whom he had more disagreements than any other. As that was the last opportunity he would have of addressing them he wished to make a few remarks on the work of the Council during the municipal year now drawing to a close. Mr Ramsay then went at great length into the principal municipal matters which had been before the City Council during his term of office, and touched upon his own action with reference te these matters. His address concluded with the remark that he had been in hopes that the I'iinces street widening question would have b.en settled before he lsft the chair; that the case now in the Supreme Court would have been settled. Of course if judgment went for the tenants and Corporation, the money would be paid and Princes street would be widened immediately; but, should judgment go the other way, the widening of Princes street would be indefinitely postponed—unless action be taken during the present session of the Assembly to get compulsory powero to do > the work before the leases of the tenants espire.