CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 708, 26 September 1876, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, September 25. The Council met at the usual hour. Messrs F. Hobbs, L. E. Nathan, and T. D. Jones, the newly elected councillors, made the usual declaration, and took their seats. A special meeting of the Council was held to consider a petition received to make a watering rate. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Ick, Nathan, Thomson, Turner, Gapes, Jones, Bird, and Hawkes. The minutes of the last special meeting were read and confirmed. Cr Ick moved—" That this Council having received a petition signed by ratepayers requesting a separate rate of one penny halfpenny in the £ should be made for watering certain portions of the streets as mentioned in the petition dated 11th September, 1876, do now agree to make the same." Cr Gapes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The ordinary meeting was then held. Same councillors present. The Mayor said that it would be necessary at that sitting to re-adjust the several committees of the Council. He had received a copy of the new Public Health Bill that day. He found that one among the few alterations from the present Act was, that instead of there being a central Board for each' province, the central Board would sit at Wellington. There was one complaint that existed under the old Act which would not be removed under the new one, and that was the source from which funds were .to be provided. The only remedy for this he could see would be by|an endowment to the city, or by a charge upon the consolidated revenue, and his experience had shown him that it would be useless to look to the latter, and the only source from which money for this work could be looked forward to would be from rates, The formation of the Drainage Board had done away with the necessity of the Council providing for the suburbs, as that body had initiated a scheme which provided for the drainage of all the districts. In his opinion it would be necessary that the central Board should exercise a close supervision over the Local Boards in thickly populated portions of the suburbs, to see that they insisted on carrying out the regulations of the Act. In the city they were doing all they possibly could by side drains, removing night soil, rubbish, &c, to conduce to the health of the citizens, and he trusted the Central Board would see that like precautions were taken by the Local Boards. He would not desire that the Council should be placed in the position of informers on the local bodies, but he , trusted that sufficiently stringent measures would be taken, which would compel the latter to properly carry out their work. He wished to leave it to the Council whether they considered a special meeting should be called to consider this Bill. He had received' a copy of the report of the foreman to the Waimakariri Board of Conservators, and the Council would be gratified to learn that though the protective works had been severely tried by last week's flood, they had acted splendidly, and from what Mr Warner, the, Railway Engineer, had told him, this was one of the worst freshes ever known in the Waimakariri river. Cr Gapes thought it would be advisable to call a special meeting to consider the Public Health Bill. Cr Ick felt that a committee should be appointed to consider the Bill and report. His experience showed him that more profitable work would be done in a case like this by three competent members, than if considered by the whole Council. He believed that the faults of the Bill lay in not pointing out how the required funds were to be provided, and would move—" That his Worship the Mayor, the chairman of the Sanitary Committee, and Cr Turner, be a committee to consider the Bill, and if necessary report to a special meeting of the whole Council," Cr Jones seconded the motion. Cr Bird moved as an amendment—" That the Council resolve itself into a committee at the end of the present sitting to consider the Bill." Cr Gapes seconded the amendment. On being put, the amendment was lost by the casting vote of the Mayor, and the resolution declared to be carried. The town clerk's and surveyor's reports were read. The following committees were elected : Works—Crs Ick (chairman), Thomson, and Bird. Finance—His Worship Jthe Mayor (chairman), and Crs Nathan and Turner. Bye-law—Crs Turner (chairman), Thomson, and Hawkes, Fire Brigade—Crs Jones (chairman), Nathan, and Hobbs. Sanitary—Crs Gapes (chairman), Bird, and Jones. Lighting—Crs Hawkes (chairman), Ick„ and Bird. A letter was read from the clerk to the Drainage Board, stating that the engineer to the Board had complained that the barriers placed upon the drain of the South Town belt for the prevention of traffic was being constantly removed, and carts driven overthe crown of the drain, and asking that steps might be taken to obviate a recurrence of this practice. His Worship said he had been requested by the Board to bring this matter under the notice of the Council. The penalty for the action complained of was a fine of £SOO, or. three years' imprisonment, the offence being made a felony by the Act. As the penalty was so heavy the Board were unwilling to take any decided action, and desired that the Council should, if possible, fence in thedrain. After some remarks from councillors, itwan decided to leave this matter in the hands jf the city surveyor. The Mayor desired to inform the Council that he, the town clerk; and Mr Cnff bad-

gone to the Rakaia, and selected a piece of land about 100 acreß in extent for a shingle reserve. The necessary application for a right to tha land or a Crown grant had since been made. A letter was read from Mr J. R. Johnston, stating his objections for paying the balance of rates for which judgment had been obtained against him in the .Magistrate's Court. By permission of the Council, Mr Johnston who was present, stated his case, after which he retired. After some discussion, the town clerk was instructed to write to Mr Johnston, asking him to pay in the full amount of rates, pointing out the course he may then pursue. In reply to a letter from the engineer to the Drainage Board, the town clerk was instructed to write that after consultation with the city surveyor, the bricks laid down for the outfall drain mav be purchased by the Board for £2 15s per 1000. It was also decided that the Board be written to, asking whether they desire to purchase a section of land in contiguity to the outfall drain known as Sawtell's section. ;■ At the suggestion of the Mayor,'the Council agreed to join with the Drainage Board in the expense of laying down pipe temporarily to drain the accumulation of water at the intersection of Tuam and St Asaph streets, place immediately after heavy rains. A letter was read from the AssistantSecretary for Public Works, informing the Council that a voucher for J 61260 had been passed forward for payment, this being the balance of the grant to the city. In reply to Cr Bird, as to the present position of the new Municipal Corporations Bill, The Mayor said he had that day received a private letter from a member at Wellington, who informed him that the Bill was still in committee, and that the clause allowing of cumulative voting at the mayoral election had been struck out. A petition, signed by fifteen of the Council's laborers, was read, asking for an increase of wages, instancing, as a reason, the higher rate of wages at present being paid to the men working for the various Road Boards. After some remarks, it was decided to defer consideration of thiß matter until next meeting. \ : lOn the motion of Cr Hawkes, seconded by Cr Ick, the application from a widow for remission of her rates, and favorably reported upon by the rate collector, was acceded to. A letter was read, signed by a number of freeholders in the block situate between the junctions of Armagh, Gloucester, Madras and Barbadoes streets, requesting steps to be taken to drain, form, shingle, and, if possible, take over a right of way, running through the block from Madjas to Barbadoes streets. The surveyor was requested to prepare an estimate of the expense, the town clerk to then write the applicants that, after the amount therein stated is collected and paid in, the work will be proceeded with. The following letters had been received since last sitting, and attended to by the works committee:—From the Minister of Education ; Messrs Banks and McDougal ; Thiele ; Bank of New Zealand ; five letters from medical men; Wellington City Surveyor, and W. Price, and a telegram from Mr B. C. J. Stevens. . The usual weekly report of the inspector of- nuisances was read. The inspector was instructed to defer taking the action stated by him for the present. The report was then approved. A number of licenses were granted, and the Council adjourned.