CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 103, 29 September 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, September 28. The usual weekly meeting was held in the Council Chambers. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Jones, Bishop, Farr, Ick, Raphael, Gapes, Hobbs, and Calvert. The minutes of the previous meeting were read. Cr Raphael said that previous to the minutes being confirmed, he protested against payments being passed by the works committee, as the finance committee were appointed to pass accouuts to be paid by the Council. Cr Bishop pointed out that why the works committee did so was merely as a matter of convenience. The works committee had no desire to sign cheques, but he dissented from the idea of the woi ks committee having no voice in the matter. Cr Farr took it that the minutes were merely a truthful record of what had been passed at the previous meeting of the Council, and he would move that they be confirmed. Cr Ick had never heard of such an objection being made in any council. The works were only carried out by the order of the Council, and it would be for the Council to approve of them or not. It struck him that Cr Raphael would stand alone in his opinion of this matter. Cr Jones said the works committee had merely carried out these works by the order of the Council, and he felt they would have no objection if the finance committee were to sigu cheques.

Or Hobbs said that if an order were given by the works committee, say for tools, the finance committee would know nothing about these accounts, or accounts for contracts. With banking accounts, loans, or anything of that sort, the finance committee would alone take cognizance of them.

His Worship said the practice had obtained to save the finance committee trouble, as the works committee met regularly. The Act provided that any three members of the Council might sign cheques. Cr Raphael replied. After which the minutes were confirmed. The town clerk reported receipts for the week to be as follows :—From rate collector, account general city rate. 1874, £l5O 4s ; Waimakariri do, £25 Os 8d ; fines from Resident Magistrates' Court, £1 15s ; rent of market place, 7s. Total, £177 Os Bd. Drainage account, Ur, £llßl 19s Sd ; drainage rate account, Cr, £1154 lis ; wages, &c, to be paid on general account, £143 18s 8d ; on drainage account, £2 ; interest due on debentures, and to be paid Ist October, £462 ; overdraft at bank on general account, £278 68 3d. Cr Raphael objected to the accounts read being passed for payment. He would move that " They be referred to the finance committee before they were paid." Cr Gapes seconded the motion. Cr Bishop hardly saw the necessity for the motion, though personally he did not object to the trouble being taken off his hands. Those accounts were for labor done during the past week, and the work committee had gone carefully through them with the surveyor. He would be rather glad to see the finance committee take a greater interest iu the affairs of the Council than they had hitherto done. Cr Ick contended that the payment of this money could not be stopped, as it was for labor done by the instructions of the Courjcil. He was not fo much surprised at the action of Cr Raphael, as he was at a member of the works committee who seemed to have got into his usual state of fog. Cr Raphael rose to a point of order ; such an expression should not be used. Cr Ick—"The expression is not unparliamentary, and I am not going to be put down by you, Cr Raphael, while I am in order." Cr Farr considered the motion of Cr Raphael was most ill timed. He would move as an amendment —" That the accounts be passed for payment." Cr Hobbs seconded the amendment, and did not think that any good purpose would be served by departing from the practice that had obtained so long. Cr Jones thought that nothing would be gained by Cr Raphael's motion. If he thought so, he would support it. His Worship thought that if the finance committee were to see the rates collected at the proper time they would be doing good service. [Hear, hear.J He would like to place the rate collector in the hands of the finance committee. Cr Raphael having replied, asked permission to withdraw his motion. Cr Ick—No. His Worship put the question—That permission be given to withdraw the motion. Four Crs voted for, and four against it ; his Worship gave his casting vote with the ayes, and the motion was withdrawn. The accounts were then passed for payment. His Worship said that there was one question which had ofteu been asked him, and which he would now publicly answer—The Council Chamber was always open to ratepayers to be present while the public business of the Council was being discussed, but when the Council went into committee it was then expected that they would withdraw. The city surveyor reported—- " 1. At the request of the works committee I have prepared a plan of the Market place, showing the contemplated footpaths. It will be seen that th« footpath on the north side of the road will come where at present the fence stands. As I suppose at some future time, Oxford terrace will be continued from Victoria bridge in a north-easterly direction, I have shown it on the plan; also the alteration of the river course. If this plan is carried out, it will be necessary to fill up the present approach to the river, but if Oxford terrace is not continued, and the approach to the river not filled in, it will be necessary to build a rather expensive retaining wall to support the footpath. " 2. The works committee have decided on decreasing the number of men by five hands after this week, as the Council's available funds are not sufficient to meet the expenses. "3. In consequence of the objection of Messrs Bowron, Kent, and others to have the Bingsland water taken down the East belt, the timber bridge on the East belt which I thought to do away with, will have to remain, and the water will not be so well carried off from the Avon Road Board district] as it would have been had my plan been carried out. It will not make any difference to the belt except that there will be a little more water in the ditches. "4. I find that Colombo street bridge will cost £l3O in addition to the timber on the ground to put it in proper repair. If a bridge with concrete abutments is substituted for it of the same width as the present bridge, it will cost £460 in addition to the timber on the ground, and for every additional four feet in width £BO more." While No 1 paragraph was under discussion, Cr Jones asked if any reply had been received from the promoters of the market place to the Council's letter of the Bth August. His Worship said he had not received any. The paragraph was adopted. Cr Jones objected to the approval of No 2 paragraph, as all the channels in the city required cleaning out, and he thought it would be impolitic for the sake of a few pounds to discharge the men now, when this work required doing so much before the hot weather set in. Crs Farr and Calvert supported Cr Jones' view. Cr Hobbs moved—" That this paragraph stand over until next Monday." Cr Farr seconded the motion, which was carried. Paragraph No 3 was approved. On the motion of Cr Jones, consideration of No 4 paragraph was deferred until next sitting of the Council. A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary's office, asking that the collectors under the Education Ordinance, 1873, might be furnished with a copy of the rate roll of the city, comprised within the limits of the East and West Christchurch educational districts.

The town clerk was instructed to comply with the request. Cr Jones asked what position the Council stood in with the promoters of the market house. He did so as he wished to know whether the Council were to repair the brigade station or to erect a new one 1 He hoped that if the affair fell through, the market house idea would still he carried out, and by the Council, who should never allow such an undertaking out of their hands.

Cr Ick would give it as his private opinion that there was a probability that the Market House Company would fall through, and if the promoters did not go on with the work, he trusted that Cr Jones, and others who thought with him, would come forward and give the £2 per foot which he (Cr Jones) had stated on one occasion the land was worth.

Cr Raphael said that as no notice had been taken of the letter from the Council, he should like to know why some action had not been taken before this time to annul the whole affair.

Cr Jones would move—" That the market committee communicate with the promoters of the market house as to their intention in this undertaking." Cr Ick would like to reply to the remarks of Crs Eaphael and Jones, as it showed that Cr Gapes was not singular in getting into a fog. There was no market committee, as spoken of bj .Or Jones. Cr Raphael moved—" That a letter be written to the promoters, stating that not having received a letter in reply to those elated , the Council beg to intimate that unless a reply is received before next Monday, they will consider that the scheme of building a market house is abandoned." Cr Jones seconded the motion, which was carried.

Cr Ick said he desired to refer to the present disgraceful state of the river from weeds. If the contractors had taken the work too cheap, it was their own fault, and this accumulation of weeds must be detrimental to the health of the inhabitants. The Council had lately had an opportunity of seeing what a state the river was in just now, from this accumulation. He would move—" That a letter be sent to the Provincial Government calling attention to the state of the River Avon, from the East Town Belt to the estuary. Cr Calvert seconded the resolution. Cr Farr knew that the men were working at the river every day early and late. The resolution was put and carried. On the motion of Cr Farr, the Council agreed to have the branches of the willows lopped in front of the Supreme Court. Cr Ick referred to a very strong article which appeared in the Glohe of that evening referring to the houses being overcrowded, and to sanitary matters. The writer of that article could not have known the action Cr Bishop had taken with reference to this matter at the last pitting of the Council. He observed that anything against the Council would be reported in about a column and a half, but anything which the Council had done was simply confined to the words of the motion. If public writers would make full enquiries before writing such articles, it would only be doing justice to the Council. A letter was read from the secretary to the Church of England Cemetery Board, stating that it was not within the power of the Board to alienate any portion of the cemetery lands, except for the purpose of interment. Letter desired to be acknowledged.

A petition was read from a number of ratepayers, asking that temporary accommodation might be provided for foot passengers during the erection of Colombo street bridge, and that when the bridge is re-erected, permanent accommodation exclusively for foot passengers may be provided. The petition was received. Cr Jones moved—" That the petition be acknowledged, and state that it is the intention of the Council to erect a temporary footbridge for the accommodation of passengers during the re-construction of Colombo bridge; and with reference to widening the same, it will depend on the amount supplemented by the public." Cr Ick seconded the motion, which was agreed to, A letter was read, signed by Mr I. B. Sheath, as chairman of a meeting of Catholics held in the Barbadoes street school room, enclosing copy of a resolution passed at that meeting, asking that the Council will be pleased to erect a gas lamp at the corner of Barbadoes street and South town belt, and have both sides of Barbadoes street shingled, from the Ferry road to the South town belt. Cr Hobbs said that a member of that body had spoken to him about this, and had told him that they would erect the lamp themselves if the Council would refund the money at the beginning of the next financial year. He would move—" That a reply be sent to the chairman of the Catholic committee stating that the Council have no more funds available for the erection of lamps this year, but if the committee think proper to erect a lamp the Council will pay for the lighting, and will be prepared n<xt year to consider any application for a refund of the cost of Jt s erection, the site and description of lamp to be subject to the approval of the lighting committee."

Or Ick seconded the resolution, which was agreed to. The second portion of the letter was referred to the works committee. A letter was read from Mr J. Pearson calling attention to the state of the footpath in front of his premises corner of Colombo and Lichfield streets.

Referred to the works committee to report upon. A letter was read from Mr Geo. Booth, saying that he understood the Council intended importing a perfect sronebreaking machine, and offering £IOO for the stone breaker belonging to the Council. Consideration of this offer was deferred.

A letter was read from Thomas Hickland. asking permission to have a coffee stand during week nights within the precincts of the city. The Council decided to reply that they had no power to entertain the application. A letter was read from Mr J. E. Anthony, enclosing copy of statement sent by him to the Central Board of Health affecting a drain from New street to Salisbury street. The town clerk was instructed to acknowledge the receipt of the letter. A sample of stone from the quarry of Mr Robert Stace, Port hills, was submitted, accompanied by an offer from Mr Rtace to lay down any quantity of the same stone broken to 2£in gauge at 10s (Jd per yaid. in any part of Ohristchurch. On the motion of Cr Jonec, the matter was referred to the works committee. An extension of one week was granted to the bye-law committee to bring up their report.

The usual weekly report of the inspector of nuisances was read.

One portion was referred back to the sanitary committee, and the remainder approved. In reply to Cr Ick, Cr Calvert said that they had taken no further action with reference to the erection of urinals in the city. His Worship the Mayor observed that he should like the writer of the article in the evening paper previously referred to, to look through the inspector's book every Monday, and he would then see whether the Council do not take very great interest and considerable trouble iu sanitary matters throughout the city.

Cr Raphael moved—" That all papers relating to the discharge of cx-foreman Burgess bo laid on the table."

Cr Ick seconded the motiou. After a discussion, in which nearly all the members of the Council took part, Cr Raphael said that he had asked for the production of all the papers relating to the discharge of Burgess, and having examined them, and heard the explanations, he perfectly endorsed the action that had been taken by the Council in this matter. The Council then adjourned. NOTICE OF MOTION.

Cr Jones, to move at next sitting—" That the works committee, in conjunction with the city surveyor, examine the fire brigade station in the market place, with the view to place the same in proper condition."