CIVIC AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 23686, 20 September 1940, Page 2

CIVIC AFFAIRS

COUNCIL COMMITTEE REPORTS Following are the principal items in the reports of the various committees to come before the meeting of the City Council on Monday night:— Irrecoverable Accounts. That the list of amounts owing to the municipal department, as submitted by the city treasurer, amounting to a total of £312 8s lid, be written off as irrecoverable (recommends the Finance Committee). The city treasurer reports that all efforts to collect these amounts have been without results. Coal Supplies. A request has been received from the contractors for the supply of Newcastle coal asking for an increase of 2s a ton in the price of this coal, - repre; senting Is lOd increase at Newcastle and 2(L insurance. Provision for such an increase is made in the coal contracts, and the Gas Committee has therefore agreed to the increase. Troopship Magazines. Further copies of troopship and camp magazines have been received -at the Library, but there are still a number of issues missing from the collection. The Library Committee would appreciate the co-operation of the public in supplying spare copies of publications which may be received from friends and relations serving with the forces. Children’s Libraries. A publication prepared by Miss Dorothy M. Neal, the children’s librarian, at tiie request of the New Zealand Library Association, entitled ‘ Junior Books,’ contains a recommended list of suitable books for boys and girls, and will be made available by the Library Association to school and' children’s libraries. A suitable letter of congratulation has been forwarded to Miss Neal. Southern Reservoir Trunk Main. Authority has been granted by the Water Committee to proceed with the work of laying a new 12in trunk main through the old Caversham tunnel as part ■, of the 'work of duplicating : the. supply main from the Southern Reservoir.’ Provision for this expenditure has been made in the current year’s estimates. Waipori Tunnel. The reports of the consulting engineers on the progress of work on the No. 2 supply tunnel at Waipori Falls for the weeks ended Angust*24 and 31 show that during the period a further 246 ft was driven in the main tunnel, and in addition a further 120 ft of concrete lining has been completed. At the 7th inst. a total of 3,092 ft had been driven, this representing 66.42 per cent, of the total. Main Renewal—Stuart street.

Authority has been granted by the Water Committee for the laying of a new 9in main in Stuart street, between Smith street and the Octagon, at an estimated cost of £1,050, which amount will be chargeable to the item for extensions in the current year’s allocations. The existing 4in main is badly encrusted, and the original intention was to clean and concrete-line same, but the present proposal has been adopted ( owing to the situation of the main between the tram tracks and the difficulty of carrving out the work without interference with the tramway running. The new main will be connected to the 9in main from the Moana supply, and will connect to the 12iu mam in Princes street, thus improving the supply in the area traversed. . Grant to Navy Queen. The Finance reports having considered an application for a donation towards the funds of the Navy Queen. The application has been made by the Navy Queen Committee, which has been allocated the support of the council by the Queen Carnival Committee. The council has made no financial provision for such a donation in the current year’s estimates, and recommends that provision tor a grant of £I,OOO for this purpose be made in the aljpcations for nest financial year. The question of the distribution of this expenditure between the various departments of the council will receive consideration at a later date. Sale of Concession Tickets. The .sale of concession tickets by conductors on the city electric services has now been in operation since August 1. The question of further extending the hours during which such tickets will be sold by conductors has been considered bv the Transport Committee, which has now authorised an extension of the hours during which the tickets will be available from conductors. Concession tickets may now be purchased from conductors on the city trams at all hours with the exception of between 4 p.m. and 0 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays and noon and 1 p.m. on Saturdays. This privilege will also be extended to the hill services and buses during the same hours as soon as the necessary arrangements are completed. Lynn Street Bus Stop. The Works Conjmittee recommends that instructions be given to the city corporation transport to arrange for the Maori Hill bus stop in Highgate, near Lynn street, to be shifted to a new position immediately north of Lynn street slightly under r ' two chains from its present position.. The present stop is at a point in Highgate where the street is very narrow, and the bus, in addition to blocking traffic, cuts down the field of vision for drivers of vehicles turning into Highgate from Lynn street, which street gives access to the Government subdivision at Haknri, and thus carries a considerable volume of traffic, hi tin* position proposed the bus will stop in the widened

portion of Highgate. and will therefore not cause any interference with or danger to traffic. The locality bas_ been inspection bv the committee, which 's of ths opinion that no inconvenience will be caused to residents when this alteration is put into effect.