CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 308, 8 June 1875, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, June 7

The usual weekly meeting was helrl in the Council Chambers. Present —His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Bishop, Ick, Schmidt, Jones, Gapes, Raphael, Calvert, and Hart. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Crs Raphael and Ick spoke of the unsatisfactory raanDer in which the kerosene lamps were attended to, and they hoped the day was not far distant when these lamps would be done away with. _ The town clerk reported receipts for the week to be as follow:—From rate collector, account general city rates, 1874, £l7 5s ; Waimakariri do, £2 17s 6d ; watering rate, £3: from insurance companies, account fire brigade, £lO9 5s 3d; fines from Resident Magistrate's Court, £2 15s; rent of weighbridge for June, £6 ss; licenses, £4 10s; rent from Market place, 7s. Total receipts, £146 4s 9d. Overdraft at bank on general account, £2642 13s 9d. Drainage account Cr, £1197 0s 9d. Drainage rate account—Cr, £1206 lis 2d. Wages, &c, to be paid on general account, £349 9s lOd ; on drainage account, £l2l 7s sd. The Mayor said he had received notice on Saturday that the Colombo street bridge was in danger, and having consulted with the surveyor they were enabled to take means to divert the rush of the water. He had heard that day that some persons had been breaking into the sewer on the East belt, leading to the outfall drain. He went down in the afternoon, and found that the brickwork of one of the silt pits had been broken into. This was a very serious matter, and he would take the opinion of the Council, later on, as to whether it should not be put into 'the hands of the police. The Council had lately done all in their power to afford temporary relief to the inhabitants there. He had seen that Mr Fisher had tabled a notice of motion in the Provincial Council to have £20,000 placed upon the supplementary estimates for the drainage of the city and suburbs, which work was to be executed by a Board to be appointed for that purpose, with rating powers. He thought that the work of drainage should only be undertaken by the City Council, and that no Board independent of the citizens should have the power of rating them. He would ask the Council to go into committee on this matter after the other business was disposed of. A letter had been received from Dr Foster, relative to the cab cases heard last week, and from the fae- of their not being defended it might be presumed that the bye-laws of the Council would now be respected. The city surveyor reported : "1. On Saturday and again yesterday I visited the South-east corner of the city, in order to see whether any relief could be afforded the inhabitants of that part suffering from the flood, but I was unable to do anything, as the sewer in the Bast belt was completely full, and the main outfall sewer bad forty inches of water in it, which is about half the area of the sewer. The sewers were doing their work well, but of course they could not take more water than their capacity would allow. "2. It will no doubt be recollected that I stated some time back that the capacity of the pipes leading from the city would exceed the area of the drain on the South and Bast belts, and that therefore it was inadequate to take any but city water, and I f hink that this fact must now be patent to every one. I believe that if the Ferry Road drain had remained open, that little or no inconvenience would have accrued from this rain, but it is quite useless to expect the city sewer to take all the water that is passing in and from the BpTeydon and Heatheote districts. " 8. Two drawings of different sized underground tanks will be laid before you—one will contain 32,000 gallons and will cost £624. It is shewn long and narrow with a sump at each end.in order to be available at Lichfield street and Tuam street. The other tank will contain 20,000 gallons, and will cost £350 with a sump at one end only. The above prices provide only for one artesian to each tank. "4. As there is a great quantity of earth n the streets which is caused by the chan-

nelling being laid, and accidents may arise from it, I beg to point out to the Council * that it is not possible for me to have it removed with, the present staff at my command. The rosds have been somewhat neglected for some time past in the endeavour to keep the earth thrown up from the channelling cleared away, but now the roads are in such a bad condition that all the hands I have at present must continue to work at them for some time to come." Clauses 1 and 2 of the report were approved. After some discussion on clause 3, further consideration was deferred for a week. With reference to clause 4, an amendment by Cr Raphael was carried—" That the works committee be empowered to employ six extra men and two horses and carts." Cr Schmidt drew attention to a large hole that has been made in the road on the East belt, near Ward's brewery, by the late rush of water along the belt. Or Jones drew the attention of the works committee to the large number of pipes that have been burst throughout the city. A letter was read from the sub-librarian, General Assembly library, acknowledging receipt of map of Christchurch, with thanks. A letter was read from the Heathcote Road Board, asking the Council to pay £296 17s into [the Union Bank to the credit of the Board, that amount being the Council's portion of the cost of rilling up the Ferry road drain, which work has been completed; also, acknowledging a paper on a scheme for the drainage of suburbs, which would have the Board's consideration. >• Cr Bishop moved—" That, acting under an order of the Supreme Court, a sum of £296 17s be paid to the Heathcote Road Board towards the expense of filling in the Ferry road drain." Or Calvert seconded the motion. Cr Jones regretted very much that the judgment of the Supreme Court had been given in the manner it had been. It seemed to him that the Heathcote Road Board had committed the folly of filling up this drain merely for the sake of getting the money. This work had only been done through the instrumentality of some thirteen ratepayers who attended a meeting to consider the matter, and the folly of the act was now made too painfully apparent, and would be felt for a long time to come. The motion was put and carried. A letter was read from Mr J. Beaumont, Manchester street, asking that means might be taken to prevent the water from running from the road to the front of his house and Across the footpath. Referral to the woiki owamittee,

A letter was read from Mr G. Willmer calling attention to the state of the south portion of Durham street. Referred to the works committee.

A letter was read from Mr J. J. Parker, lessee of the weigh bridge, calling attention to the dilapidated state of his offices, and asking that they might be repaired. Referred to the works committee, with power to take action. A letter was read from Mr E. George, High street, complaining of the fast and careless manner with which the two largest omnibuses plying to the railway station were diiven down High street at 6 p.m. on the 31st ult.

Resolved, that the letter be referred to the Commissioner of Police. A letter was read from Mr C. Sexton, complaining that during the past week the side kerbing had been continued across the entrance used by himself and neighbours on the west corner of Cathedral square adjoining Mr Hargreaves' office, and asking permission to erect a foot bridge. The necessary permission was granted on Cr Bishop's motion. A letter was read from Mr R. H. Malyon, Manchester street north, complaining that the city laborers do not cross the bridge near his house to clean the side channels.

One portion of the letter was referred to the inspector of nuisances, and the town clerk was instructed to reply with reference to the latter part of it. A letter was read from Mr Walter Andrew calling attention to the tad state of the footpath in Madras street north. Referred to the works committee.

A letter was read signed by the ratepayers in Tuam street east, calling attention to the state of the footpath in front of their residences, and asking that it might be shingled. Referred to the works committee.

A letter was read from Dr Foster, giving the result of the cab cases heard last week, and his opinion of the powers possessed by the Council.

The following report was brought up by the works committee :

" Stands for express vans—ln conformity with the request of the Council, the works committee beg to report that the convenience of owners and the public would be met by allowing licensed vans to stand in their present central position, at the south-east side of Cathedral square. "It is considered there would be sufficient space by allowing them to stand nearer the tank."

" The works committee recommend that no opposition be offered to this, but any permissicn should be subject to be altered or revoked at any time as circumstances required. " The ground wants some shingle on it, and no passage must be allowed across the footpath, nor obstruction to a fire engine having access to the tank.

" Vans might also, until further notice, stand in front of Godley statue, close to the western curve.

" E. B. Bishop, " Chairman." The report was received and adopted. The report of the sanitary committee read last week was brought on for discussion.

Cr Bishop did not think the report could be adopted, as it did not contain any recommendations, nor had the convenience of the working classes been studied in it. The Council were now paying out of the rates to bury the night soil, and a small expense on each pan, which would fall lightly on all, might, he thought, have been suggested in the report. Cr Hart would have liked the chairman of the committee to have spoken first on this matter. The sunitary committee had found after consideration that the Act compelling the use of earth closets could not be enforced, and they thought that the next best thing to do was to bring all the evidence they could obtain to show the people the advantages that would be derived from the use of this kind of closet. As there were so many patents taken out for these, the committee felt they ought not to recommend any particular kind.

Cr Jones endorsed what had fallen from the previous speaker, and hoped the Council would take steps with the Attorney-General to have the Act made valid.

The Mayor considered the report contained very valuable suggestions as to the advisability of bringing earth closets into general use. In Christchurch they had not under ground drainage, and all they had to depend upon for health was earth closets and surface drainage. The report was approved. A letter was read from Mr Samuel Dowdall, Tuam street, claiming £SO for losses sustained in health and property by himself, wife, and eight children, on the sth, 6th, and 7th instants, through insufficient .drainage near his place. The town clerk was instructed to reply that the Council regret that Mr Dowdall should have experienced any loss or inconvenience .

Cr Bishop moved —" That the Mayor and the mover be requested to wait on the Government with reference to the proposed vote on the supplementary estimates for the city." Cr Jones seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

Cr Jones referred to a case which had been heard in the Resident Magistrate's Court the previous week, of a cabman named Hazard, who had taken possession of a gentleman's hat because he did not receive sufficient fare, and moved—" That the cabman be asked to attend at the Council Chambers on next Monday evening." The motion was not seconded, and fell through. Cr Raphael moved—" That the Mayor and himself wait upon the Commissioner of Police, to see if it is possible to have two mounted constables to patrol the outlying parts of the city at night time." Cr Jones seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The usual weekly report of the inspector of nuisances was read and approved. On the motion of Cr Bishop, it was resolved that tenders be called for channelling Hereford street in addition to Cashel street.

Jameß iiearney, who had been granted a driver's license at the last sitting of the Council, attended and received a caution from the Mayor as to his future conduct. Applications for drivers' licences were received from A. Denton, J. Reed, G. Green, and adjourned for the inspector's report. A transfer of an owner's license was granted from Geo. Wells to W. Simmons, A hawker's license was granted to S. Ward, and a kerosene license to 0. W. Duckworth, High street. The Council then adjourned until Wednes» day next.