CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume VI, Issue 672, 15 August 1876, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, August 14. The ordinary fortnightly meeting was held in the Council Chamber. Present—Hia Worship the Mayor, and Crs Ick, Schmidt, Turner, Hawkes, Bird, Jones, and Gapes. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Mayor said that he had waited upon the Provincial Government during the past week, and had learnt that the Government had a surplus left after paying all calls and providing for the votes passed by the Provincial Council, and they had very liberally set aside £IO,OOO in aid of municipalities in addition to the £SOOO already voted. This sum would be divided between four municipalities, and he believed the new municipality of Akaroa would receive £IOOO. The actual amount which he understood the Council would receive out of this vote would be £4737, this amount being in addition to the balance of £2500 now due, which would be paid early in September. [Hear, hear.J He was sure the Council would agree with him that this was a most liberal action on the part of the Provincial Government—[Hear, hear. J—the more acceptable by the Council, as during the winter months very heavy calls had been made on them, which would have necessitated a reduction in the expenditure by the works committee in the direction of employing labor. The finance committee had gone into the matter, and with the prospect of the receipt of the amounts stated, they considered there would be no necessity now to reduce the number of men employed at present in putting the roads and footpaths in order, [Hear, hear.J He detired to mention that the by-law committee had met since last sitting, and had considered the [present bylaws, and were still engaged in the work. The finance committee had closely considered the present financial position of the Council, and a statement from them had been laid on the table. A resolution passed by the Drainage Board on the question of the waste of artesian water, had also been laid on the table. The [Board [had expressed their intention, that if the powers asked by them were granted, they would have no objection to delegate those powers to the City Council within the city boundaries. He had not called a special meeting of the Council to consider the question, as no definite resolution on the subject had been passed by the Board until that morning. Several Ceuncillors expressed an opinion that the ratepayers should be consulted by public meeting before the Board was allowed by law to possess such a power. After some further remarks, the discussion was allowed to drop. The town clerk reported as follows: Received for week ending August sth—Account of general rate, 1875, £93 6s; Waimakariri do, £ls 10s ; general rate, 1876, £ll6 7s ; Waimakariri do, £l9 7s lOd ; adjustment of interest, £l7O 2s lOd ; rent of Market Place, 7s; fines from Resident Magistrate’s Court, £2lss; Newton’s deposit forfeited, £63 15s ; Edwards, Bennett, and Co, £lO ; licenses, £3 15s ; total receipts for week, £495 5s 6d. Received for week ending August 12th—General rate, 1876, £25 Is; Waimakariri do, £4 3s 6d ; general rate, 1876, £lO4 16s ; Waimakariri do, £l7 9s 4d ; rent of Market Place, 7s; fines from Resident Magistrate’s Court, £9 5s ; deposit to Drainage account adjustment, £8 ; sundries, 3s 6d, licenses, 10s; total receipts for week, £169 15s 4d ; grand total for fortnight, £665 0s lOd. Overdraft at Bank on general account, £5074 0s 6d; drainage loan account —Or, £12,839 6s 9d; drainage rate account Cr, £1960 7s 8d; wages and bills paid by works committee for week ending August sth, £630 3s 4d ; to be paid for week ending August 12th, £693 8s 3d ; bills, &c, paid and to be paid on drainage loan account, £577 3s lid. The city surveyor reported—“l. The water carts and Californian pumps are now under repair, to be in readiness for the dry season. As the district to be watered will probably, this season, be extended, the works committee recommend the purchase of two new water carts. Two new tanka are required at the Post office, as those which are there at present leak very badly. In the event of the district to be watered being increased, additional means of obtaining water will have to be provided. “2. As a means of obtaining broken stone for the roads next winter, I beg to suggest to the Council the advisability of advertising for shingle boulders to be delivered and stacked in the city and broken by hand. If a sufficient supply can be obtained in this manner, it will be both cheaper and better than rock stone. “3. The forming and shingling of Salisbury street footpaths is now finished, and similar work in Barbadoes street is commenced . “ 4. lathe piece of ground set apart for a plantation on the north-east corner of Cathedral square I find there is a quantity of good shingle, and I purpose carting it out and using it for footpaths, and replacing it with good soil, as nothing would grow in it in its present state. “ O. Walkden, Surveyor,” On No 1 clause being read, Crs Hawkes and Bird expressed their wish that a general rate might be levied throughout the city to make the watering more effective. The clause was then approved. Ou clause 2 being considered, Cr Ick was of opinion that the clause should be approved, as boulders (the best kind of stone) could now be obtained at alo w price, and as a number of men were at present out of employment, this would, in his opinion, be the proper time to have prepared a large quantity of stone for their coming requirements. Cr Hawkes would like to know whether some place away from the houses could not be fixed for breaking stone. He had been apostrophised as “ Dear Councillor Hawkes” he must say that this perpetual rapping must be a great source of annoyance to people living near. Or Ick said that seeing this letter, written as ho felt certain by a gentleman of known jocular proclivities, who of course knew that a previous application had been successful, the works committee had taken the matter into their consideration, with a view of removing the nuisaio. He desired to say that the reason why the vacant piece of ground near the boat shed had not been used was that the late rains had made it in such a fearful state that, for some few weeks back, it had been inaccessible for carts. The surveyor had told the committee that, for a small expense, an approach could now bo made to this land, and the work could be undertaken immediately. The clause was ben approved.

The other clauses of the report were also approved and also the report as a whole. On the motion of Councillor Ick it was resolved, “ That the usual steps be taken (as recommended by the works committee) to obtain signatures for a separate rate for watering certain streets, and that the water iag be commenced when required.” Cr Hawkes moved—“ That the surveyor report to the Council at its next meeting what the probable cost’of extending the street-watering over the whole city would be.” Or Turner seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Some remarks were made on the weight of the principals in contradistinction to the walls of the new theatre now being erected, when it was stated that a license was never granted to any place of amusement until the city surveyor had made himself fully satisfied of the strength of all portions of the building. Some tenders for the formation and shingling of Horatio street were opened, and that of Messrs Rosser and Buckley was accepted. A letter was read from a widow left with three children, asking that her last year’s rates might be remitted, as her husband had had a long illness prior to his death. Referred to the rate collector to report. An application was read from V. and R. Shott, asking permission to use a knife and scissor-grinding machine in the public thoroughfares in the city. Granted, subject to the ordinary conditions. A lettor was read from H. B. Sorenson, on behalf of a poor woman in Montreal street, explaining the cause of her inability to pay her rates. Resolved that the rate collector be instructed to collect the rates from the landlord. Or Hawkes said he had to present a petition signed by sixty-one householders in Madras and Barbadoes street north, and representing about 300 souls, praying that the Council might take some action which would give them access to their houses. From personal inspection he could say that the residents of those streets were not complaining without just cause. Those persons were paying rates for properties which were perfectly inaccessible by either roads or footpaths. He had heard that all the children in that neighbourhood once inside the doors had to be kept there. He knew of one owner of houses in that locality which remained empty for one reason—viz, that people could not get to see them, and for another that if they did succeed in paddling to them they did not care to repeat the experiment. Cr Bird fully endorsed from personal inspection what had fallen from the previous speaker, and felt that something should be done at once to remedy the existing state of things. He ought to mention that it was not altogether the fault of the Council that the roads and footpaths spoken of were in their present state, as a fair proportion of money had already been spent there, but it was on account of the peaty nature of the soil. Cr Turner spoke of having tried to ride down Madras street north first, and then, having to return, attempted Barbadoes street, but in each case ran the risk of himself and horse being swallowed up. Something should at once be done to alter this, and the dangerous spring in that locality at once fenced in. Cr Gapes thought that the works committee should be empowered to take some temporary action for the relief of the residents. Cr Ick was very glad that the matter had been brought forward, as the works committee had incurred a very great deal of odium for a matter in which they were blameless. Or Hawkes moved—“ That the city surveyor be instructed to prepare plans and estimates for the formation of the portions of those streets mentioned in the petition, and that the works committee be empowered to afford the residents temporary relief.” Cr Bird seconded the motion, which was agreed to. A petition signed by several persons was read, asking that a private road should be formed between Armagh and Gloucester streets. On the motion of Or Hawkes it was decided to issue the required notices to the residents interested. The following letters had been received since the last sitting of the Council, and attended to by the works committee From Heathcote Road Board ; telegrams from other provinces (3) ; town clerk, Nelson ; Avon Road Board (3) ; Commissioner of Police (2) ; Edwards, Bennett and Co, Provincial Secretary, O, R, Blakiston, Drs Park and Townend, Fire Police, statistical returns from South Australia, The levels of Horatio street, as laid out by the surveyor, were adopted, on the motion of Cr Gapes, seconded by Cr Schmidt, On the motion of Cr Gapes it, was resolved—“ That the notice boards be removed from the west side of Cathedral square.” The rate collector reported favorably on two applications from widows with families for the remission of their rates. On the motion of Or Gapes, seconded by Cr Jones, the rates were remitted as asked i The usual report of the inspector of nuisances was read and approved. Several hawkers,’ cab, and carriers’ licenses applied for were granted. In reply to Cr Bird, his Worship said that under the bye-law a payment of 5s would authorise the inspection of a stove pipe on any premises in the city which might be considered dangerous.

Cr Ick gave notice of the following motion for next sitting:—“That the City Council purchase one of Aveling and Porter’s 20 ton steam road rolling machines.” The Council then adjourned.