CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 350, 27 July 1875, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, July 26.

The usual weekly meeting was held in the Council Chambers. Present—His Worship the Mayor,, and Ors Bishop,, Hart, Gapes, Schmidt, Ick, and Raphael. 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, £l4; Waimakariri do, £2 6s 8d; general city rates, 1875, £lO3 8s ; Waimakariri do, £l7 4s 8d; watering rate, £lO 15s lid; quarter's rent from Resident Magistrate's Court, £3l 5s ; fines from do, £3 10s; licenses and rent from Market place, £4 7s Total receipts, £lB6 17s 3d. Overdraft at Bank on general account, £2760 6s Id. On drainage account £278 12*. Drainage rate account— Cr, £llsl 16s sd. Wages, &c, to be paid on general account, £255 2s 4d ; on drainage account, £7B 16s. The following telegram was read from the Hon B. Richardson :—" In the Bill for amending the Municipal Corporations Act, does the Council wish any alteration as to election of Mayor. If so, be good enough to let me know early." Cr Ick moved—" That in the opinion of this Council the ratepayers of Christchurch should have the privilege of electing the Mayor from amongst the members of the Council for the time being."

Cr Hart seconded the motion. After a slight discussion, the motion was agreed to unanimously. The following report was read from the city surveyor :

" As a great deal has been written and sa'd about the bad state of the roads in Christchurch this winter, it will not, perhaps, be out of place if I make a few observations on the subject to account for their being so. " In the first place the traffic has enormously increased the last few years, as a protf of which assertion I will quote some figures kindly furnished to me by Mr Lawson, the railway mauager.

" He tells me that the imports alone carted away from Christchurch station during the year 1874 exceeded those of 1870 by sixty thousand tons.

" This, of course, is only one item, and that not the largest, which shows the great increase of wear the roads are subjected to. it must also be borne iu mind the iucrease of exports, and the vigorous manner in which building in all its branches has been carried on for the last two years, and the description of material used in building and carried in waggons without springs and very narrow wheel tires is the greatest trial a road can be put to. " In the next place I beg to call attention to the manner in which the roads are constructed. They are mere tracks, very often formed over soft vegetable soil and sponjy ground, with a light coating of shingle or broken stone, and the consequence is that when the sub-soil is saturated with rain the heavily-laden waggons cut through the shingle crust aud soon make the roads almost impassable. " I am not making this assertion with a view of condemning what has been done in in the way of road-making, for I think that

taking the age of the place into consideration that a great deal has been done, and that the roads have been made to suit the exigencies of the time, and also the funds at command. "We must expect for many winters to come to have the roads quite as bad as they have been this winter, unless very large quantities of shingle or broken stone are laid on the roads before the winter sets in, or unless proper foundations are built under those roads which are subjected to the heaviest traffic.

" The waggons which ordinarily carry building material through the city generally take four or five tons, and only a good road will resist such a load.

"Imay also remark that a road with a good foundation costs much less to keep it in repair than a road without one. " In drawing the attention of the Council to the enormous increase of heavy traffic to and from the railway, I take the liberty to suggest that the Council have a strong claim upon the Provincial Government to assist in the maintenance of the main thoroughfares from the railway, particularly as the funds of this Council are so very limited for such purposes. " The above suggestion is forced from me from what 1 have seen this winter, viz, that notwithstanding large quantities of shingle and broken stones have been spread on the South town belt, Madras street, Manchester street, and Colombo street, those streets |are now in a very indifferent state, and the winter not yet passed. " I beg to lay before you a design for Madras bridge ; the width between the hand rails will be forty feet; the width of the present bridge is fourteen feet ; the length of the bridge will be one hundred and twenty-two feet. The hand rail and girder supporting footpath will be of iron, the abutments will be of stone, with concrete foundations, and the piles and bearers of iron bark. The cost will be £1460.

"The reason this bridge costs so much more than Montreal is that it is a skew bridge, and a much longer one. " I have had the culvert at the junction of Colombo and Armagh streets rebuilt, with a concrete waterway. ,

" The watering place opposite Armagh street bridge, I have had paved, which I hope will have the effect of keeping it in order."

Cr Eaphael moved—" That the consideration of the question of the Madras street bridge be deferred for a week," which was agreed to. The remainder cf the report was approved.

The tender of Mr John Anderson for ironwork for Montreal street for £BS was accepted; also the tender of Messrs Scott Bros for a supply of iron lamp posts at £6 10s each. The tender of Mesws W. Montgomery and Co for the supply of Portland cement at 20a 5d per cask was accepted, The tender of Messrs Prudhoe and Cooper, for channelling in Worcester and Gloucester streets, at £1 7s per lineal chain, was accepted. The tenders of Messrs O'Donahoe and Smith, for shingling the streets, at 3s 9d,per cubic yard, was accepted. A letter was read from the Under Secretary of Public Works stating that the Hon B. Richardson would bring into the House of Representatives the Amended Municipal Bill as drafted by the Council. A letter was read from the secretary of the West Christchurch Educational Committee calling attention to a nuisance arising from an accumulation of stagnant water at the back of the Lincoln road school arising from defective drainage. The letter was referred to the inspector of nuisances to report. A memorandum was read from Mr G. Gould, stating that he would, on behalf of the residents in the locality, guarantee the cost of erecting a lamp post at the corner of Springfield road, and one year's cost of lighting the same. Cr Raphael moved—" That the Counc'l coincide with Mr Gould's memorandum, and. that the matter be referred to the lighting committee to carry into effect." Cr Gapes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. A letter was read from Mr T. Haskins, asking for an increase of salary. Referred to finance committee, to report next Monday. A letfer was read, calling attention to the bad state of the footpath on the north side of Chester street west, between Durham street and Cranmer square. Referred to works committee.

A letter was read from certain citizens, calling attention to the bad state of the footpaths in Peterboro street, between Colombo and Manchester streets. Referred to the works committee.

Gr Rapl ael moved—" That the town clerk be requested to call a special meeting of the Council for Wednesday, 11th August, at ten a.m, to consider the proposition to borrow £9OOO Drainage Loan." Cr Schmidt seconded the motion, which was agreed to.

Cr Jones moved—" That a committee, consisting of his Worship the Mayor, Crs Raphael, Gapes, and the mover, be appointed to confer with the chairmen of Road Boards adjoining the city, as to the best means of providing for a combined system of drainage for the city and suburbs." Cr Schmidt seconded the motion.

Cr Ick opposed the motion, which, if carried, would be a slur upon the previous committee.

Cr Bishop also opposed the motion. He complained that the case had been unfairlystated by some of the newspapers, and thought that the ratepayers should give an opinion on the matter at the next City Council election.

Cr Gapes could not support the motion, as he considered it would be a slight on the members of the previous committee, who had asked to be relieved from tlieir office. Cr Hart was not opposed to the formation of a Drainage Board, but he thought ifc would be unwise to press the matter now. as great constitutional changes affecting municipalities and Road Boards were in embryo. On this ground, and also on the ground that as money had been voted for a report from a competent surveyor, on the drainage of the city and suburbs, that it would be unwise to prepare a scheme until that report had been received.

The Mayor pointed out that the late members of the committee had been relieved, from their position at their own request, and he thought it a great pity that the City Council should not he represented at the conference. He might mention that the Provincial Government were anxious that the Drainage Board should be established at once, and they might depend on it, whether the City (Jouncil liked it or not, the Bill would passtne Assembly. He contended that the interests of the city and suburbs were identical oa this question, which would be fax better

dealt with by a Drainage Board than by the City Council. Cr Jones having replied, The Council divided on the resolution, Ayes (4)—Crs Jones, Raphael, Schmidt, and the Mayor. Noes (4)—Crs Ick, Gapes, Hart, and Bishop. The Mayor gave his casting vote in favor of the resolution, which was therefore carried. The following report was read from the sanitary committee : " Scavenging The committee have taken into consideration the contract re emptying closet pans, and recommend that the contractor be empowered to make an additional charge of one penny per pan to that nt present authorised by the Council, in lieu of the special charge, £3 10s per week, as authorised by resolution of the Council, <'ated 28th December, 1874. The contractor to sign a special agreement making the hours of work to read 'between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m,' instead of 'll p.m. and 6 a.m.' Stagnant water. —Your committee during the week, accompanied by the inspector of nuisances, visited Peacock and Aldred streets, and found the former street unformed, and some dwelling houses on the South side of Aldred street considerably below the level of the street, and nearly the whole of the sections require much filling in to bring them up to a level sufficient for the discharge of surface water. The committee are aware that a very liberal offer was made by Mr Gould to contribute towards the cost of lowering Durham street if the several owners of the properties alluded to on the above named streets would subscribe towards this very desirable improvement. A large quantity of earth would be available for filling up the sections if not required by the Council for other purposes. Your committee would desire to impress on the Council the necessity of helping the inhabitants in this locality to effect the improvements so urgently required, there being at least fifty houses literally without any drainage." The report was received, and ordered to be considered next week.

The inspector of nuisances report was read and approved. Drivers' licenses were granted to Samuel Lacy and James Lamb. An omnibus license was granted to Alfred Smith.

Carriers' licenses were granted to Charles Wragg, W. Merritt, and J. B. Sheath. The licenses held by John Barlow were transferred to Millett and Saunders, The Council then adjourned.

Cr GAPES to move on Monday next—- " That considering the position of Christchurch in connexion with its suburbs, also, the large and rapid increase of population, it is absolutely necessary for the health of the inhabitants that certain portions of the suburban districts, to be hereafter defined, should be annexed to the city, so as to form one uniform system of drainage, and that Dr Foster be instructed to draft a petition to the General Assembly, praying that the said portions of the said district be annexed to the City of Christchurch."