CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 56, 4 August 1874, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, . August 3. The usual weekly meeting was held in the Council Chambers. Present —Crs Biehqp, Ick, Farr, Calvert, Hobbs, Gapes, and Jones. '• I

In the absence of his Worship the Mayor, Cr Bishop was voted to the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

The town clerk reported receipts for tho week to be as follows : —From the rate collector, account general-city rates, 187,4, £127; 14s; Waimakaiirireserve do, £2-1 ssßd ; from' inspector, account scave'ugering, £55 3s 4d ; fines from Resident Magistrate's Court, £3 15s; licenses, £2 ; rent Market place, 7s ; total receipts, £2lO ss. Drainage account : Dr, £758 5s Id; deposit rccei/edon contract for. brick sewer,.. £l7. Drainage rate account : Or, £529 6s 4d ; .wages account to be paid on general account, £32i) 10s lid; wages, kc, to be paid on drainage account, £26 4s lOd ; overdraft at Bank on general account, £SOU 10s 2d.

The attention of the chairman of the works . committee ■ was drawn -■_- by- several councillors to - various .matters , requiring attention throughout the city. Among others Cr Calvert mentioned a lamp at the corner of Tuam and Durham streets, which was always lit, and yet there was no light in it. (Laughter). Cr Hobbs suggested that an application should be made to the Domain Board to obtain permission to remove shingle from Hagley Park, on the understanding that the Councii filled up the holes made, and moved a motion to that effect.

Cr Farr moved as an amendment—" That the Government be asked to supply the Council with shingle from the Belfast Factory." .

The motion and amendment were subsequently withdrawn, on the understanding that the works committee take action in the matter.

Cr Ick trusted the works committee would get the 'screened- stuff if possible, and not return to the boulder era. As the visitors from Wellington were always known by their endeavor to keep their hats on, so the Christchurch people, when visiting other provinces, were known by their ." uambv painby" gait; acquired in their endeavors to walk over the boulder-covered footpaths that once existed here. . [ Laughter.] He trusted the old style of footpaths would not be resorted to again.

. The city surveyor reported as follows^: — : '" 1. Jarvis Beard's contract for concrete kcrbing and channelling is complete, according to specification, but I do not think the form of it is as it should be. " 2. McWilliams' work to the belts is also for the present finished. "3. The contract for lighting the kerosene lamps will expire on the 12th of this month. "4. The daymen have been employed repairing and cleaning roads, &c, besides some other small works.

" 5. I set nineteen immigrants to work on Park terrace, last Friday morning, and I was to receive twenty, more this' morning, but they did not arrive, owing to the bad weather."

Paragraphs one : and two of the report were adopted. On paragraph three being read, Cr Jones moved—" That th© matter be referred to the lighting committee with power to call for tenders."

Cr Calvert seconded the motion, which was agreed to. . uThe remainder 1 of the report was approved. The following report was read Iron the works committee : ~,, ~

" The works committee beg to report with reference to the designs for foot bridges at the Victoria: bridge, .arid recommend the Council to adopt that sent by Mr Walkden, The proposed work is estimated to cost £4OO, the materials to be of wood and iron. There will be a quantity of material saved to the value of £360, suitable, and could be brought into use toward the formation of another bridge when the Council determine to erect one ; the actual cost; Of the proposed alteration would be £4O. The committee recommend that the whole should be constructed of iron, which would incur a further cost of £IOO, making a total cost of £l4O, allowing for material saved. The footpaths would be nearly in a straight line, and would appear as if originally constructed as one work., >„ :. • - • .

-\ i "E. B. Bishop, " Chairman."

The report was received, and, on the motion of Cr Farr, was adopted, with an instruction to the works committee to carry o.utjthe work as soon as practicable.

"With the permission of the Council, Cr Farr moved —"That the town clerk write to Mr E. H. Bayley, steam wheel works, Newington causeway, inquiring the price of his hydrostatic vans, such as used in watering the streets in Loudon, to be packed and put on board a ship sailing for Canterbury, from either of the docks near London."

Cr Hobbs seconded the resolution, which was carried.

■A letter had been received from the Assistant Provincial Secretary for Public Works, appointing the 30th ultimo for an interview of the finance committee with the Deputy Superintendent and Executive, in the matter of the grant to the municipality. Cr Hobbs, in the absence of the chairman of the finance committee, stated the result of the interview with the Government. The committee had been told that this,grant was to be paid out of anticipated revenue similar to the grants to the Boad Boards, aud if this were paid to the City Council the Government would be expected to act in a similar manner with the lload Boards.

A letter was read from the Immigration office, stating that twenty suitable married men by the Eastern Monarch had been selected for the Council's work, attaching a list of the names, and adding that twenty more men would be sent on Monday morning if possible.

A letter was read from the Heathcote Road Board, asking that £SOO, the portion of the Council's cost for filling up the Feriy road drain, might be placed to the Board's credit on the Union Bank of Australia, on the understanding that the Heathcote Koad Board is prepared to hold the Christchurch City Council harmless should any action be brought for damages caused by the filling up of the drain.

By the desire of the Council Dr Foster had giv 11 an opinion on this matter, which was considered with the Board's letter.

On the motion of Cr Gapes, it was resolved —"That it reply be sent to the Board in accordance with the opinion of Dr Foster."

Letters were read from the Dunedin City Council, the Tiinaru, and Nelson Councils, and the Thames Borough Council, in reply to circular petition from the Christchurch City Council to General Assembly re the passing of an Act for securing certain fees to each Municipality. The town clerk was instructed to forward replies to those letters, to the effect that though the Bill had not beeu presented this session, the matter would bo again agitated by this Council on a future occasion.

The following telegram, received from the Hon. E. Richardson on the 30th ult. was read :—" Bill before House for election Mayor of Wellington by ratepayers instead of by Council. Proposition to make the bill general, as it aliects Christchurch particularly. Please inform me whether your. Council wish it or not. Reply early as bill comes ou to-night."

The town clerk slated that a reply had beeu sent to Mr tlichardson stating that the majority of the Council considered that the Mayor should bo elected by the Councillor? from amongst themselves. A letter was read from the secretary to the Christchurch Gas Company in reply, stating that the directors of that company would be glad if the Council will indicate the positions where it is wished the new lamps should be erected, and that the company will do all they can to meet the wishes of the Council. Referred to the lighting committee.

A letter was read from Mr J. Ollivicr, drawing attention to the dangerous state of the footpath from Barrett's corner to the brewery,

Referred to the works committee

A letter was read from Mr W. VViddowson, bringing before the notice of the Council the bad state of the footpath in front of his premises on the east side of Manchester street. Referred to the works committee.

A letter was read, signed by Mr William Dougall and others, calling attention to the bad state of the road and footpath in Peterborough street, between Colombo and Manchester streets. Referred to the works committee.

A letter was read from Mr Rentoul, calling attention to the condition of the side channels and main roadway of Tuam street west. Referred to the works committee.

Cr Hobbs trusted he would not be out of order, while the Council were considering the matter of footpaths, in referring to an observation made to him that day by a gentleman. This person told him that out of several footpaths formed some would be nicely covered with gravel while others were not favoured with even one single shovelful of that material. He hardly thought that this mode of procedure was carried on under instructions from the works committee.

Cr Bishop, as chairman of the works committee, said no such instructions had emanated from them.

After being tacitly understood that any such instructions must have emanated from the gentleman who has lately been acting as surveyor to the Council, the subjc ct dropped. The following report was read from the footpaths committee:— " 'J he committee are satisfied of the importance of. placing the footpaths in a better condition, and recommend the Council doing the necessary work when in funds.

" E. B. Bishop, " Chairman."

Cr Ick asked whether this was the outcome of the talent of those three gentlemen appointed with such a flourish of trumpets, viz., the chairman of the works committee, the chairman of the finance committee, and the chairman of the fire brigade committee, Verily, the mountain had groaned with labor and a mouse had crept forth : for a more miserable, meagre report he never saw. A child from the street would have done equally ns well. Ke was very much disappointed, when he remembered the known ability possessed bv the gentlemen, and t lie trumpet flourish with which they were appointed, to find such a document emanate from them. He had expected to have seen some measure suggested for raising the wind, and he must say he really was exceedingly disappointed with the result.

Gr Farr thought the late bad weather had prevented the committee from going over all the footpaths, and this would possibly account for the unfinished nature of the document. He would move—" That the report be again returned to the committee." Cr Calvert seconded the motion. The Chairman said that under the circumstances he begged to withdraw his name from the footpaths committee, as he would not act other than in unison with the works committee, and in his opinion this matter was a portion of their work. Cr Jones said the committee had net been appointed with any flourish of trumpets, and their only object had been to fairly distribute the work throughout the city. For a considerable time this kind of work had only been executed in certain portions of the city, to the detriment of other portions. Cr Ick made a practice of speaking in a sneering tone towards all the members of that Council with the exception of one, and he (Cr Jones) would not permit him to refer to himself in that tone, either in or out of the Council. Cr Ick desired to say that it was not his intention to speak in a sneering manner of any member of the committee, but he must certainly say that he did feel disappointed at the report emanating from those gentlemen.

Cr Gapes moved as an amendment —"That the report be received, and the committee discharged." Or Hobbs seconded the amendment, which on being put, was carried. The report of the Fire Brigade committee, and the (Superintendent of the Christchurch Fire Brigade, read and received at the previous sitting of the Council, and adjourned for consideration, was brought up. Cr Farr moved —" That the agents of the several insurance companies be asked to supplement such an amount that the Council may vote for the purchase of, say twenty, hand-engines for the prevention of lire." Cr Gapes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The report was then adopted. On the motion of Cr Jones, seconded by Cr Calvert, a vote of thanks was passed to the Superintendent and members of the Christchurch Fire Brigade, and Captain, and members of the Fire Police, for the services rendered by them during the past year. The report of the sanitary committee read and received last week, and deferred for consideration, was again brought up, Cr Jones moved, "That the surveyor be instructed to furnish the Council with a design for upblic urinals." Cr lok seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

The weekly report of the inspector of nuisances was read and approved. On the motion of Or Ick, seconded by Cr Farr, it was resolved to ask Mr A. E. liargreaves to accept an honorarium of £5 5s for the report drawn up by him on the tenders received from the Banks.

The motion was supported by Cr Hobbs, and carried.

A carrier's license was gra :ic:d to Edward Hadfield, Ferry road. The following motion was moved by the works committee through their chairman, Cr Bishop—" That the town clerk be requested to give the members of this Council notice under clause 142 that it is the intention of ilm mover hereof to propose on the 17th August i nst, that the resolution passed on the 13th July with reference to the formation of Chester street west, and Cranmer square west by tender be revoked, and that in lieu thereof the work be done by the new labor gang." Cr Calvert seconded the motion, which was carried. The Council then adjourned.