CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 8, 9 June 1874, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, June 8

The usual weekly meeting was held in the Council Chambers. Present—Crs Bishop, Lane. Parr, Ick, Gapes, Calvert, Jones and Hobbs. , . In the absence of the Mayor through indisposition, Cr Bishop was voted to the chair. The Chairman regretted the absence of his Worship, who was suffering from a slight relapse of his former illness. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The town clerk reported receipts for week as follow : From rate collector account general city rates, 1873, £37; Waimakariri, £G 3s 4d ; fines from R.M. Court. £6 5s ; rent of weigh bridge for mouth of May, £5 Os lOd; licenses, £6 10s ; kerosene do £l, on account Madras street asphalting, £6 ; rent of market place 7s ; total receipts, £GB 6s 2d ; drainage account Dr., £286 14s7d ; received foT cement channelling, £32 ls9d ; drainage rate account, Cr., £199 9s 4d ; wages and sundry accounts to be paid. £207 7s ; and £29i 9s on general and drainage account. The sum of £lB9 3s 6d, official expenses incurred by the Mayor, was, after considerable discussion, voted to be charged against the general account of the city. The city surveyor reported—1. " Tenders will be laid before you this evening for shingling the roadway between Cashel street bridge and Montreal street. 2. " I have tried an experiment of the kerbing and channelling: as suggested by the chairman of works committee, and finding, as I anticipated, that the cement would not bind with broken asphalte, I tried another plan, using plain broken metal instead of asphalte, to which the cement readily adheres, forming a solid base. The channelling was severely tested this morning in the presence of the works committee, and considering that it has only been laid a few days, and also that a comparatively small quantity of broken metal was used in the formation, the result was satisfactory. " There are several reasons for recommending this plan in preference to the ordinary concrete kerbing and channelling to the special notice of the Council, and the following may be particularly named : " That there would be a large saving of time in carrying out the work; " That the cost would be much less, being about £7 per chain as against £lO per chain for concrete. " That it would be a saving of expense and trouble in connecting house drainage to side channelling by culverts. " That in the event of the channelling at any time being damaged, it could easily be repaired. " Sketch plans and sections of proposed footpaths, Market place, as decided upon by the Council on Monday last, are appended to this report." Four tenders for shingling between Cashel street bridge and Montreal street were opened, and referred to the.works committee with power to act. On the motion of Cr Ick about 5 chains of roadway between Cashel street and Hereford street were added to the contract. With reference to No 2 paragraph of the report, it was resolved that the Council meet the works committee on Wednesday next, at 9.30 a.m., at the Council's yard, to practically test the kerbing and channelling as suggested. On No 3 paragraph being read, Cr Ick moved the motion standing in his name, having reference to the rescinding of Cr Farr's motion on the proposed footpaths through the Market reserve. Cr Hobbs seconded the resolution, which was carried. Cr Farr moved—" That the crossings as shown on the city surveyor's plan, in Market square, be carried out in the same manner as other crossings recently executed in the city." Cr Jones seconded the motion.

Cr Gapes moved an amendment, which, however, found no seconder, and fell through. The motion was put and carried. The attention of the works committee was called by several councillors to various repairs required in the city, and to a few of the lamp-posts recently erected beiDg out of the line of the other lamps. On the motion of Cr Calvert it was resolved " That the lamp at the corner of Gloucester and Durham streets be lighted at the expense of the Council." The following letter was read from the hon the Minister of Public Works;—" I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of yours of 27th May, 1874, having reference to the proposed public buildings in Christchurch, and in reply thereto have to state that, as regards the site, the General Government have raised no question as to the expediency of the erection of the buildings on the western side of Cathedral square ; but until the commission, to whom the question has been mutually referred by the General and Provincial Governments have decided on the whole matter, I do not feel justified in recommending the expenditure of any money on any portion of the work ; the more so, as it might have the effect of hampering the commission in the execution of their work. "I trust such decision may shortly be arrived at, and when it is received I shall be prepared to take immediate action in the direction indicated in your previous letter." A letter was read from the Secretary to the Insurance Association, forwarding the following resolutions passed at their last meeting :—" This meeting considers that stove pipes not passing into brick chimneys in blocks of wooden buildings seriously endanger the city of Christchurch. This meeting, therefore, desires respectfully to suggest to the Christchurch City Council the expediency of requiring the removal of all such stove-pipes." The letter also contained a paragraph informing the Council that the Lichfield street water supply scheme seemed to be making little or no progress. Cr Hobbs thought the insurance companies had the remedy in their own hands. If they passed a resolution among themselves not to insure buildings possessing stovepipes complained of, the owners would soon make the required alterations. The letter was referred to the fire brigade committee to report upon. A letter was read from Mr J. W. Oram, lessee of the City Hotel, stating what means he had taken to keep his urinal clean, notwithstanding which the inspector of nuisances had threatened to summon him, complaining that his property was being generally used by the public, and suggesting the erection of a public urinal. Cr Calvert considered Mr Oram's complaint a very just one, and thought something ought to be done in this matter, and that

Council should pay for emptying the pans which were generally used. Cr Hobbs moved— ' That this letter be referred to the sanitary committee." Cr Ick seconded the resolution, and bore testimony from observation lo the statement made by Cr Calvert. The resolution was carried.

A letter was read from Mr Charles Clark, complaining that on Saturday last one of his glass windows overlooking Cathedral square had been broken by one of the men employed by the Council to break metal ; asking the Council to pay for the damage, and also to take measures to prevent a recurrence of the complaint.

Referred to the works committee to take action as deemed advisable.

A letter was read from Mr W. J. Fisher, having reference to his application for permission to construct a grating, which request had been refused, and again urging that it might be granted.

After some discussion it was resolved that the request be grauted under the supervision of the surveyor; The petition relative to an endowment for the city from the City Council to the Provincial Council was laid on the table by the town clerk, who stated that the Mayor had attached his signature thereto. It was stated that Dr Turnbull had promised to present it to-day, and it was resolved " That the other members for the city be written to, asking them to give the petition their support." The following report was brought up from the by-law committee :

" Your committee beg to report that, having carefully considered the various suggestions given by the Council, they recommend, for the present, the following regulations : " That all persons riding or driving round the corners of the following places should do so at a walking pace : "1. Junction of Whately road, Kilmore, and Durham streets.

"2. Junction of Armagh and Colombo streets.

', 3. Corners at the intersection of Colombo street and Cashel street. " 4. Corners in Montreal street between Oxford Terrace and Tuam street. " 5. Between the southern side of Cathedral square and the southern side of Hereford street. " 6. Over all the bridges.

" The committee recommend in order that strangers may be made aware of these places, that a post painted red be placed at one corner of each place." The report was received. On the motion of Cr Ick the intersection of High street and Cashel street was added to the report. On the motion of Cr Farr the report was adopted, to be placed in the hands of the city solicitor to frame a bye-law thereon. The inspector of nuisances' weekly report was read and approved. Cr Lane moved " That the police authorities' attention be called by the council to the disgraceful and dangerous practice that prevails at all elections in the city, viz., the throwing of flour, soot, lime, &c, &c, at candidates and their supporters, with a request that decided measures be taken to put an end to the custom before it results, under strong party feeling, in riot, destruction of property, and possibly life." In moving this motion he did not desire to reflect upon the police in the city, but he felt they had been rather too lenient. He had been informed that at the last election even sand and lime had been used, and a person might easily loose his eyesight. He did not think any person should be subjected to insult under the guise of a joke. He had intended to bring in a by-law to prevent this conduct, but he found that under section i of the Canterbury Police Oidinance any one who provoked a breach of the peace was liable to be fined not less than 10s nor exceeding £5. The practice might easily be put down, and he felt the motion would have the unanimous support of the Council. Cr Farr seconded the motion, and was very glad that such a resolution had been brought forward, as the conduct of some persons at the late election was most disgraceful. The chairman was very pleased that this action had been taken by Cr Lane. He had been told by some gentlemen that at the last election they were very near using retaliatory measures for the usage they had been subjected to. The motion was carried unanimously.

Mr Dennison, city surveyor, tendered his resignation of the office of surveyor on account of ill health.

On the motion of Cr Hobbs the resignation of Mr Dennison was accepted. The consideration of appointing a successor was deferred for a week.

An application for a carriage license was granted to J. W. Morton. The Council then adjourned.