CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 159, 8 December 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, December 7. The usual weekly meeting was held in the Council Chamber. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Hobbs, Ick, Bishop, Jones, Gapes, Raphael, and Farr. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The town clerk reported receipts for the week to be as follow From rate collector, account general city rates, 1874, £lO6 12s; Waimakariri do, £l7 16s 4d ; fines from R. M. Court, £1 15s ; rent for weighbridge for December, £6 5s ; carriers’ licenses, £1 10s ; rent from market place, 7s; total, £134 4s 4d. Credit at baidc on general account, £639 6s lid; on drainage account (including deposit on contract), £.5752 17s 5d ; on drainage rate account, £1354 10s Id ; wages, &e, to be paid on general account, £461; on drainage account, £B4 8s 7d ; on drainage rate account, £l7O 14s 4d. The Mayor said that another article referring to the Council had appeared in one of the papers during the week, which he felt bound to make reference to. He would soon be done with packing out these, but considered it right to carry out this practice to the end. The article was right in one way, but wrong in another. It was not quite true in saying that the Council had not done its best to carry out a system of draining the surrounding districts. Some time ago, and before the drain was completed, a circular had been sent to each district with reference t o the drainage of that dis rict, and asking that a conference might be held to adopt the best means to carry out this object; but no answer was received to these letters, and the matter was allowed to stand in abeyance, Since that time the Heathcote Road Board had entered into an engagement to receive the Council’s assistance, and so far as the Jackson’s Creek nuisance was concerned, that water would be carried away. Arrangements were about to be made to carry off the water from the South town belt, which at the present time was in a most disgraceful state, and a a similar arrangement was about being made with the Spreydon district, which would also drain the gas works and vicinity. He considered that justice would not be done if all this drainage had been permitted into the Christchurch drain free of cost. A large amount of money had also been spent on the North town belt, which would have the effect of draining the Avon district, so it had been a misapprehension to suppose that nothing had been done towards the drainage of the outside districts. Of course they had not been able to take in all the outside portions of the city, as were they to do that, among others they would have had to take in the Waltham district, and every one knew what difficulties they would have bad to encounter there ; and to have included every district they would have been compelled to go to the spa to meet all the exigencies, and make the system anything like complete. The drainage of the city had had a wonderful effect in the Heathcote and other districts, and he knew of some places in the

former district where at one time a goat could not get along, but now as dry as possible, and therefore the Council had done good outside of the city. In the same paper in which the article had appeared to which be was referring (he meant the Press) a scheme had been propounded which he considered was a very good one, viz, that the Government, in the interest of outside districts, should take over the drain, and allow the whole of the districts, on certain conditions, to drain into it, and he (his Worship) felt that if the Government did this it would be a fair and legitimate mode of spending money for the benefit of those outside districts. Let the Government at once take over the drain already made and proved to be sufficient for all requirements, and then the railway, gas works, and Spreydon district could arrange to drain into it. He had been asked by that paper to suggest a means to that end, and seeing no better plan, as it had been put to him personally as Mayor, and being in unison with his own views, he thought it his duty to make that suggestion.

Cr Ick said that he had taken some notes on the same subject, but as the Mayor had fairly exhausted it, he would not refer to them. He had said before in that Council that writers on drainage sometimes wrote without a full knowledge of their subject, and the writer of the article in Tuesday’s Press had not obtained all the information that he might have. Though the Mayor had told them some of the good that had resulted from the action of the Council in the matter of drainage, he might have told them more. Cr Bishop thought that the action of the papers in sanitary matters had been directed to the object of creating an unnecessary alarm. His residence of twenty-four years in Canterbury, and his experiences during that time, had impressed him with the belief that it was as healthy a country as ever he knew or heard of, and he had made it his duty to learn whether the country he had come to was as healthy as the land he had left, r id several gentlemen had been quite surprised to hear what he would then tell the Council. In Edinburgh the annual percentage of deaths was 18 in 1000; in Glasgow, 20; in Dublin, 20 ; and taking the annual rate in English cities—in Portsmouth there were 12 to 1000 ; London, 17 ; Wolverhampton, 19 ; Nottingham, 18 ; and in two other cities, 19 and 23 ; and the Council would no doubt bo surprised, as were those gentlemen, to learn that, taking the whole of the principal towns in New Zealand, the annual death rate throughout was only lin 1000. This was a fact which he thought all the people should know, and what the papers were writing about in this respect he could not dream of. Experience had taught him that while Christchurch was healthy, people should not trifle with themselves. The quotations he had given would speak for themselves, and he hoped the people would be made acquainted with them ; but notwithstanding his conviction, if the Council found that any sanitary matters required attention, it was their duty to see to them at once, for prevention was always better than cure. Cr Hobbs was glad to hear the remarks made by his Worship and Councillors, but felt personally pleased with the criticisms of the press, as he felt that the acts of public men were open to be criticised. [Hear, hear.] But no one better than the editors themselves knew that they had no money to spend, and it was to be regretted that they should adopt the course they had. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than for the Council to be in a position to spend £20,000 in doing away with night carts, and flushing drains if necessary twice a day, and he regretted that the rule generally adopted was to find fault without suggesting a remedy. If they could afford to rate the people 15s in the £ they would then be able to do what the press considered was their duty. Or Farr thought they ought to be thankful for the criticisms of the press, as though the Council talked over matters on Monday evenings, the papers were the means of bringing the business before them in their thinking moments, and their having done so was productive of good if he only instanced the work of the previous Saturday. They were much beholden to the papers, and if they were hard on them, let them return good for evil, and he felt quite sure that knowing Cr Hobbs’ notion of drainage, that if the Council could get the Government to entertain his (Cr Hobbs) idea, it would do a great deal of good and result in benefit to the city. Cr Gapes considered the papers were quite right in criticising the Council, as the drainage question had certainly been neglected, but all he had read should not have been laid to the door of the Council. Public bodies were food for the papers, and if there were no public bodies there would be nothing for the papers to exercise upon. There had been glaring negligence in this matter, but they had endeavored to remedy it, and so far as the drainage of the suburbs were concerned the Council was not to blame. Cr Jones did not desire to be an apologist for the Council, but he bad lived in Canada, the United States, and New Zealand, and he had seen no people look so healthy and free from disease as he had seen during his twelve years’ residence in Christchurch. ["Hear, hear.] He thought that a remark he had read a few days ago in the Times was over colored, but possibly the motive of the writer was a good one. With reference to what the Mayor had said, when the South town belt waters were tapped, with the good result that would follow therefrom to the other districts, it was his belief that that result would so warrant the Government in taking over the drain, and would prove such an act of universal benefit, that in this proposition he could only imagine his Worship had been at the elbow of the writer in the article which appeared in the PRESS, determined to make some suggestion which would mark his mayoralty, accomplished in the last throes of office. The city surveyor reported as follows ; “ 1. I this week had an interview with Mr Donkin relative to taking the drainage of the station ground, and he informed me that they would require to put into the sewer one 15in and two 9in pipes. I consider it advisable to point out to the Council that the pipes that we shall be obliged to put in for the drainage of the city, will in themselves have a greater capacity than the sewer itself, and consequently any more pipes than those from the city side being introduced would increase the liability to overcharge the sewer. Ido not think that the pipes or the sewer will ever be fully charged, but it ia impossible to say how heavy a rainfall we may have to receive, “ 2. An additional tender fortotara planks came in last Monday, which the works committee advise to be accepted,

“3, If any watering place is substituted for the one lately closed at Victoria Bridge, the works committee recommend a place at Armagh street bridge and Hereford street bridge as suitable sites for the purpose. “ 4. It has been quite impossible to commence work at Colombo street bridge, as! could get no pile engine, but now I am promised one, and shall make a start at once.”

Nol paragraph of the report was referred to the works committee and surveyor, to report at next meeting. The tender mentioned in No 2 paragraph was agreed to. Cr Hobbs moved —" That the city solicitor be asked whether timber kerbing can be charged to the drainage account.” Cr Raphael seconded the resolution.

The motion was lost by 5 to 2. No 3 paragraph was agreed to, and it was resolved, on the motion of Cr Farr, seconded ny Cr Raphael, “ That the watering places mentioned be opened for public use as soon as possible.” The remaining paragraph was deemed satisfactory. Several works throughout the city requiring attention were brought under the notice of the chairman of the works committee. A letter was read from the Heathcote Road Board stating that a copy of the Council’s resolution of the 23rd ult had been confirmed by the Board, and that it was not their intention to raise the question of the occupancy of the drain referred to in the resolution. It was resolved that the foxes in the drain be looked to at once so as to prevent any disagreement between the Council and Board in the future. A letter was read from the manager of the Bank of New Zealand requesting a cheque for coupons enclosed, amounting to £l7O 14s 4d. In connection with this letter the finance committee reported that they had waited on the manager of the Bank of New Zealand relative to remitting the interest due in London in April on drainage debentures, and were happy to find that that gentleman had already instructed the London office to pay the interest on the due dates each half year as it became due. The rate of exchange having been settled at time of acceptance of the bank tender, a vouchor for the amount would be presented for payment that evening. It was resolved—“ That the amount he paid, and the thanks of the Council be tendered to Mr Holt for his action in this matter.” A letter was read from Mr A. Blakiston, captain of the Canterbury Rowing Club, applying, on behalf of the club, for permission to erect a boat shed between Lane’s Mill and the Hospital bridge, the site to be approved by the City Council. Granted, under the supervision of works committee and surveyor. An invitation was read from the superintendent and the officers of the Christchurch Volunteer Fire Brigade, inviting his Worship the Mayor and members of the City Council to a cold collation at a meeting of brigades to be held at the Clarendon Hotel on Anniversary Day, prior to the torchlight procession to be held on that evening. On the motion of Cr Jones the invitation was accepted. The petition from the residents at Avonside relative to the Sandhills reserve was deferred for a week.

A letter was here (nine o’clock) received from the Secretary for Public Works concerning the drainage of the railway premi aes, and referred, in conjunction with paragraph No 1 of the city surveyor’s report, to the works committee.

The weekly report of the inspector of nuisances was read and approved, one portion being referred to the works committee to take action upon. It was resolved that the city sweepers be placed under the control of the inspector of nuisances, subject to the authority of the surveyor. The motion of which Or Raphael had given notice at the previous meeting of the Council was, with leave of the Council, postponed for a week. Cr Ick moved —“ That the works committee be instructed to obtain a road machine and scraper the same as those in use by the Corporation of Birmingham.” Cr Farr seconded the motion.

After some discussion, the motion was agreed to, Crs Raphael and Gapes dissenting; Cr Gapes moved—■“ That, as the channelling of the city proceeds, suitable pipes be laid in the channels and approaches made across the footpaths at all private streets. Cr Bishop seconded the resolution, which was carried. The Mayor mentioned that some members of the Council, accompanied by medical gentlemen, had visited the Sandhills on the previous Saturday, and that their report would be placed before the Council at its next meeting. The Council then adjourned.