CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3996, 15 December 1875, Page 1 (Supplement)

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortrriglafrly meeting of the Council was held yesterday afternoon. Present :~The Mayer, Crs Brown, Campbell, Chapman, Gibson,/?rant, Isaac, Leary, Mollison. Quick, Reeves, and Roberts. Cr Eekves moved the following re olution: That owing to the_ great increase in the consumption of water in the City, and to obviate the possibility of the supply for either domestic or machinery purposes runnyic; short in the future? it is desirable to take the Water of Leith for fadditional water supply for the City under tho powers given the Jor poration by tho Dunedia Waterworks Extension Act, 1875. or by private arrangement; that with this view the Water Supply Committee b8 empowered to negotiate with the

riparian proprietors as to the amount they would require m compensation for i he water they may be deprived of, and on this being ascertained, report to the Council." In bo doing he quoted from pipers ho had drawn up with copious calculations sbowiug that the City's water supply was quite inadequate to ita wants, ] t was laid down aq a general principle that a three or four months' reserve of water should always be kept in hand, but in our case there wa3 not more than forty days' supply in reserve. He referred in favorable terms to the scheme propounded by Messrs Barr and Oliver, oaying th ,t if that were adopted the present reservoir supplying 5 r>,000 000 gallons of water, might he devoted to driving the machinery of the Ci f y aione. It weuld then also be possible to flush the chanm-ls once or twice a week—agiiat advantage. All things considered, he thought the Council would not be acting in the interests of the poorest ratepayers aud of generations yet unborn, if tbey did not at once take in hand this great matter. Cr. Grant seconded the motion, sayin« that Cr. Reeves bad said so much on the question that he need scarcely speak to the mo ion.

Cr. Isaac hoped the motion would not pass as it now stood—it required a great deal of alteration. He totally disagreed wth the idea of the Council's using the powers given it by the Act of 1875 to take the Water of Leith by private arrangement with people who really had no right to it. He would move as an amendment:—" That in the opinion of this Council it is desirable that the Corporation solicitors should be instructed to examine into the Crown grants and other sources of title of the several riparian proprietors and claimants, in order that they may advise the Council as to the nature and extent of the legal rights (if any) oj these persons to the exclusive use of the Water of Leith."

Cr. EiiEV£B objected to the amendments

being received, as his own motion had a distinct principle affirmed, that of taking the Water of Leith, while

The Mayor ruled that Cr. Isaac's was a very proper amendment to the motion. Cr. Gibson agreed with Cr. Reeves's motion as far as the word ''desirable,'' but there he must stop. He would have pre ferred to have seen the words following " that a premium be offered for an engineer's scheme for increasing the supply of water to the City." However, he would not determinedly oppose the acquisition of the Water of Leith, provided that the expense of compensating the riparian proprietors were not too great.

Cr. Buown seconded the amendment, but would like to see the two joined. Cr. Roberts would ask the respective movers to join the motion and amendment together —the last part of the motion being tacked on to the conclusion of the amendment.

Cr. Rkbves would like to know if Cr. Roberts and Cr. Isaac were sane, or if they thought the members of the Water Supply Committee sane ?

Cr. Campbell thought in a few years henee the Leith would not be fit for domestic purposes, from the drainage that empties into it His opinion was that the matter should be referred to the Water Committee to report on.

The Mayok expressed hia agreement with the amendment, as it would set the matter of the legal rights of the riparian holders at rest for ever. Cr. I EBVE3 said if it would facilitate the dispatch of business he had not the slightest objection to the amendment being j jin-d t<* his motion (although he thought hj quite use less). Tho motion, as amended, was then put and carried unanimously. Cr. Lear 7 moved, and Cr. Isaac seconded—••• That the Water Supply Committee be aMthorised to erect water troughs for horses, in the neighborhood of the railway station."

The Mayok pointed out that if this were dene troughs would immediately be asked /or all over the city. Cr. Quick suppurted the motion. Cr. Reeves was >nfavor of erecting several troughs free throughout the city, and moved an amendment to that effect. The motion was carried win con. SCARLET FUVfR

' he Mayok intimated that in addition to the cases in Maitland street and Stafford street another ca->e of scarlet fever had broken out in Dunedin, and the houses had in all cases been carefully watched. Step* bid also been taken to erect a wooden edifice for the purpose of a ftver hospital, and was now progressing rapidly towards completion. There was not of course time t<> joall for tenders for the work, but the timber rtquired had been obtain-d from Messrs Guthrie and Larnach far more cheaply unde< the circumstances than would have been the case even if tenders had been advertised for.

Cr. Beeves suggested that the Health Officer Bhould make a public report at to the nature cf the ,that had broken out—whether it was a severe form of the disease or not. A great deal of unnecessary alarm he thought had been excite.t, for sometimes scarlet fever was of a very weak nature, and this might be the case in the present instance.