CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3896, 19 August 1875, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night ; present—the Mayor, Cra. Brown, Campbell, Chapman, Gibson, Grant, JLeary MoUison, Quick, Beeves, Roberts, and Woodland. The Under-Secretary brought under the notice of the Council the Gaol Governor’s rt> port on the smoke ouisauce arising from Messrs I'iudlay and Co.’s chimney. Referred to the Bye-laws Committee. ihe Secretary to the Fire Brigade wrote enclosing resolutions refusing to withdraw their resignation. Or. Isaac moved—“ That the matter be referred to the Committee to report • and that, if necessary, a special meeting of the Council be held.” It was quite evident that they would have to form a new Fire Brigade The motion was carried. * The City Surveyor reported that the last mile of the lowß belt road had been surveyed, and recommended the expenditure of L79S th* balance of the L 2,00() loan, for this purpose Referred to the Works Committee. Memorials were read from about forty ratepayers in Maclaggan street, requesting that the street be properly formed and levelled: and from thirty ratepayers in Castle street, bringing under the notice of the Council the serious and dangerous nuisance arising from the dust carte bemg emptied into the old Water of r. Ihe first was referred to the Works Committee; the other to the City Engineer. Ihe Reserves Committee recommended that Mr J. Gebbie’s conditional lease of the Old Botanic Garden be cancelled by mutual consent, Mr Gebbie to be released from his liability for rent in arrear. This stsp was advisable in order that the land might be placed at the disposal of the University Corporation shortly to be established, J

The Water Supply Committee recommended that all private consumers of water outside the City receive three months’ notice, that owing

to the increasing demands on the Concretion Water Supply > Department the Council may bo TOter *° BCOnt ‘ nue ‘applying them \yith orks Committee, amongst other things, recommended that Mr Crawshaw be paid as compensation in respect of rock unTif/l met w l th in th « York Pl«e cutting. The report was adopted as read. Ihe Finance Committee reported having passed accounts amounting to L 640 4s 7d; ateo on Waterworks account, L 136 6s sd. they, recommend that in consideration of the additional responsibilities devolving upon the ’ ™, c ? re es P e cially in connection with the Council s water supply business, his salary be increased by LSO per annum, viz., from L 450 to LSOO per annum; also that the salary of Mr Wallace, the clerk in the Waterworks office, be increased from Ll5O to LI 75 per annum. The reported was adopted. Cr. Least moved, and Cr. Campbell seconded, “ That the streets of the City be raised in the centre, op lowered at 'the sides, whichever may be more practicable or economical, so as to secure a fall of at least one foot in twenty from the crown of the road to the level of the channels. And that, the City Surveyor be instructed to give effect to this resolution as oppoitunities occur for so doing.” Cr. Isaac moved the following amendment, which was canied on the casting vote of the Chairman :—“ That Mr Leary’s motion be referred to the City Engineer to report whether it will be desirable and practicable to have the gradient 1 in 20.”

Cr. Leary moved—“ That the City Surveyor 1 bo instructed to submit a plan for patting the asphalte foot paths in a proper state of repair, together with an estimate of the cost thereof per chain.” Carried.

The Mayor suggested that the City Engi>®er. find his assistants should survey and obtain the proper levels for the proposed sewerage to the Ocean Beach, and report t j the Council, which was adopted. Cr. Leary moved— * That his Worship the Mayor be authorised to refer the Corporation correspondence to the several committees for the purpose of be.ng considered and reported upon to the Council, without the same being first read at a meeting of the Council: provided that any Councillor may call for auy letter, which shall thereupon bo read and considered by the Council.” Carried. Before , Or. Grant moved his resolution re the Abolition Bill, Cr. Chapman said he did not think the matter should be discussed by the Council—(hear, hear)—and intended to retire, as he would have to vote if he remained. After a long division Cr, Grant’s motion opposing the abolition of the Provinces was carried. . ' n “ e Lighting Committee reported that about 4,000 copies of Mr Curtis’s report on Gas supply matters had been printed and circulated for public informal ion. Mr Ritchie had been asked whether he was prepared to modify his demands relative to the price of the Gasworks. The Surveyor had been instructed to l fiaL ” er i° m P at the Arcade by way of a

ivir Ritchie wrote regretting to notice the wholesale terms of condemnation employed by Mr Curtis in his report upon Mr flunkey's Gasworks. In his balance-sheet of proposed Gasworks, Mr Curtis made no allowance for leakage and condensation, he only allowed half the lequired number of stokers, and his salaries and wages were half what experience taught would be required. Mr Ritchie summarised the probable value of several items, which would deduct from Mr Curtis’s profit 1.7.442 and said Mr Gmever would shortly report on the technical points of Mr Curtis’s statements, lie must respectfully inform the Council that, in justice to Air Hankey, he could not discuss the sale of hj s works with any reference to the figures or opinions given in Mr Curtis’s report; but if the Counc l ! could satisfy themselves of the bias of the report, and of the undue extent to which Mr Curtis had stretched his opinions ‘in his anxiety to depreciate Mr I: aukey’s property, he would be wiiljng to consider any of their proposals with a view to arrive at the sale of the works on a basis of fairness and justice.” Or. Isaac movcd~“That the letter bo reterred to the Lighting Committee, with power ,1* negotiate "ith Mr Hankey’s attorney, and that a special meeting of the Council be called for the purpose of reading the report Carried,