CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 801, 16 January 1877, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, January 15.

The usual fortnightly meeting was held at the Council Chambers. Present His Worship the Mayor, and Crs Ick, Nathan, Turner, Bird, Hobbs, Thomson, Hawkes, and Joneß.

The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.

Some conversation took place on a request from the Waimakiriri Board that £3OO, collected by the Council, should be paid to them. The Mayor said that the Board had had a meeting recently. The accounts were made up to 30th June last, and, with clerical assistance from the Council, the accounts would in a very little while be made up to the 30th of December.

Cr Ick was under the impression that the Board had a paid clerk of their own, and that the ratepayers should not be asked to pay for a clerk to assist that body in making up a statement of their expenditure. It was stated by Crs Turner and Hobbs that this assistance had been promised to the Board to help them in making up an elaborate statement which was desired by the Council, but which the Board really need not supply. The total sums expended by the Board had hitherto been audited by the Provincial Auditor, and found to be correct; and that body seamed to be willing to supply the information asked, and under the circumstances they would not object to the account being passed. After further remarks from councillors, Cr Nathan moved—" That the sum on the town clerk's paper be excised." He felt that as business men, having refused to vote th J s money until a statement was submitted, they would only be stultifying themselves it they now passed the account. The motion was not seconded,

Crs Hobbs and Thomson pointed out that this money did not belong to the Council, who had only collected it on commission. Ultimately the account was passed as it stood.

The town clerk reported as follows : Receipts for week ending January 6th, account general city rates, 1876, £157 5s ; Waimakariri do, £26 4s 2d ; fines from Resident Magistrate's Court, £8 15s; rent of Market place, 7s; rent of Post-office, £75 ; from Supreme Court for stone, £3O 3b ; deposit from Mr J. L. Wilson, £75 ; contribution account Hereford street bridge, £255 4s; rent of weighbridge, £7; licenses, £l7. Total receipts, £65118s 2d. Receipts for week ending January 13th, general rates 1876, £96 18s j 1875, £7 15s ; Waimakariri, 1876, £l6 3s ;1875, £1 5s lOd; watering rate, 1876, £l4 2s 8d ; rent of market place, 7s ; Bale of wood at Old Fire Brigade Station, £64 15s ; fines from R. M. Court, £1 5s ; licenses, £24. Total receipts, £226 lis. Grand total for fortnight, £B7B 9s Bd. Or. on general account, £6157 4s 7d ; drainage loan account Cr £3616 12s 9d ; drainage rate account Cr. £3355188 8d ; bills, &c, to be paid on general account, £llOl 16s lid ;on drainage loan account, £1224 7s Id. The city surveyor reported : " 1.1 find that on about 25 chains of Park Terrace the gas main is exactly under the centre of where the concrete channel ought to be laid, and as the gas main ought not to be covered it will be necessary to shift it further into the road or to considerably reduce the width of the path. "2, Baton place has been formed and shingled, and a drain with concrete invert constructed, to drain that locality. "3. Tenders for 6000 cubic yards of shingle will be laid before the Council. " 4. The laying of concrete channelling in the small streets is commenced.

"5. The buildings at the Old Fire Brigade Station, Market square, have been sold by auction, and the ground will, in the course of a few days, be cleared. "C. Walkden, City Surveyor."

On No 1 clause being read, Or Jones was sure that if the liberal directors of the Gas Gompany—| Laughter] —were applied to, they would remove the main pipes at their own expense, The city surveyor desired to say that, when he was forming Park Terrace, he was not aware that a main had been laid along that place, It was eventually decided that the pipes should be removed to the desired position at the expense of the Council. The second clause of the report was approved. Four tenders for supplying the shingle referred to in clause 3 were received, and that of Mr J. L. Wilson was accepted. Clauses 4 and 5 were approved.

At the request of Cr Ick, the Mayor and city surveyor were appointed a committee to point out a site for an advertising board in place of the position fixed near the Supreme Court. Cr Turner suggested that it would not be a bad plan if the Council permitted the whole of the bill stickers to paste their papers over the Post office, to assist in keeping up the building a little while longer. (Loud laughter.) There were a few other buildings in the city which in his opinion required similar propping assistance. (Laughter.) A letter was read from Mr Wm. Dearsley, applying for a return of a rate paid by him in error.

It was decided that under the circumstances the request could not be complied with.

A letter was read from the Commissioner of Police, forwarding a list of convictions against those cabmen holding licenses as owners and drivers during the past year. It was resolved to consider the list and licenses later on. and in committee. A letter was read from Mr H. E. Alport, hon sec of the Popular Sports committee, applying for the amount of £6 charged by the city surveyor for assisting in erecting the grand stand, and preparing the ground for the late sports. On the motion of Cr Jones, seconded by Cr Hobbs, the application was acceded to. Or Thomson would, however, prefer that in future the Council should vote a specific sum towards the object, so that they would know for certain their total liability. A letter was read from Mr W. H. Mein, Oashel and Colombo streets, complaining of the roadway in front of his premises being monopolised every Saturday afternoon by two or three persons owning fish barrows. When he remonstrates with these persons they remove their barrows for a yard or two and back again, and tell him that by doing so they have complied with the bye-law. He begged the Council would take some action to prevent further repetition of this annoyance.

A discussion took place on the advisableness of alloting the piece of ground occupied by the late fire brigade station as a market for selling fish, The nuisance complained of was admitted to be most annoying, but under the present bye-law the action taken by these fishmongers was held to be quite in accordance with its requirements. Cr Nathan felt that it was the duty of the bye-law committee to take the bye-laws in hand at once, and grapple with this and other matters immediately. He would move—- " That the letterjof Mr Mein be acknowledged, and he be informed that the subject is under their consideration." He would also move—- " That the committee on bye laws report to the Council at an early date." Cr Jones seconded the first motion. Cr Thomson would like to know who the bye-law committee were. He would like to suggest that the Council should be formed into two committees to consider and remodel some thirteen or fourteen bye-laws which required attending toThe motion was put and agreed to, and after some discussion Cr Nathan withdrew his second resolution.

Cr Jones said he would give notice of motion to revoke the resolution permitting hawkers to remain on any one spot for fifteen minutes at a time.

Cr Hobbs pointed out that under a clause of the new Act the resolution could be revoked at that, meeting by a unanimous vote of the Council. The following report by the finance committee waß read by Cr Hobbs:—

"The finance committee have carefully considered the application from the Drainage Board to undertake the collection of its rates, and beg respectfully to recommend that the City Council agree to do eo. The rate of commission to be agreed upon. They consider it will be conducive to economy, and also be much more convenient to the ratepayers to be able to pay all the different rates to one public body and at one office. " Fredk, Hobbs, Chairman."

He would move that the report be received and adopted. Cr Jones seconded the motion, and considered the report a very satisfactory one for the ratepayers. The motion was put and carried, Cr Ick dissenting. The following report of the committee on clause 350 re endowment of land, was read:— " The committee have met and considered the above subject, and have been advised by two of the members for the city respecting the same. "We recommend that an application be made immediately to the Governor-in-Council to reserve 2000 acres of land under clause 850 and 351, as an endowment in aid of the borough funds, and requesting permission, on behalf of the City Council, to select the same. "Should a favourable reply be received, your committee will be prepared to point out the most suitable locality from which the land should be selected. " Fred. Hobbs, Chairman." The report was received on the motion of Cr Hobbs, and on the motion of Cr Bird, seconded by Or Hawkes, was adopted. The report of the committee on " Private streets " was brought up, as follows : "Your committee have considered the subject of new streets, and what course should be taken with them for the future. "Your committee have gone carefully into the powers given to the Council to deal with private streets as set out in the new Municipal Councils Act, 1876, clauses 184 to 213 inclusive. •Your committee consider that very considerable inconvenience and injury to health has been caused, and will be more so as population increases, by the practice of certain persons cutting up their sections for speculative purposes, and selling them in small plots, leaving roads of various widths unformed, and generally with no provision made for drainage of any kind. By this system the sellers have made a large profit, but have left the site for the roads in a state of nature, to the injury of the purchasers and the city generally. " Your committee would recommend that the system should be put an end to, and that the provisions of the Act referred to be stringently carried out. •' Your committee find so far .back as 23rd November, 1874, the following resolution was passed—' That no street, private or otherwise, shall be made or taken over by the City Counoil of a less width than 40ffc; and that when applications are made by private persons to the Council to make or form such street, the same shall only be after the city surveyor has estimated the cost, and the money paid into the Council by the parties making the application, or those interested in the same;.' and recommend that its provisions be strictly enforced, with the necessary alterations in width, viz, 66ft, to agree with the requirements of the new Act. '• C. T. Ick, Chairman of Committee."

On the motion of Or Jones, consideration of the report was held over for a fortnight. The following report from the committee on asphalting was read : " Your committee beg to report that the system of asphalting the footpaths referred to thtm to consider and report upon has been duly considered. " Your committee have made the following calculation—viz 4019 chains of 2 inches in thickness, 33 yards at 2s, or £3 6s the chain, will amount to £13,262.

" They consider the properties should pay towards this amount £6631 ; grant from Council, £3000—£9631 ; leaving to be provided for, J 83631; total, £13,262.

" Your committee consider the balance to be provided for to be so small that it would be better to pay it out of general rates, setting apart a certain sum, to be decided upon by the Council, every year. " They recommend, as the whole of the work of asphalting the footpaths in the city may take two or three years to complete, that the machinery pointed out in the Act for raising a loan for the purpose should not be put in motion, "C. T. Ick, Chairman."

The report was received, and, after some remarks from Cr Nathan in opposition, the report was adopted by 5 to 2. Cr Hobbs, as ex-Mayor, presented a link towards the Mayoral chain, initiated by Mr M. B. Hart during his year of office. Though he objected, in many respects, to robes or pomp, he yet thought the idea of a chain, to be worn by the Mayor in his official capacity, was a very good one, to which no exception could be taken. He desired to mention that there were some citizens who had been in the Council, and who were desirous of contributing links to this chain, and it would be for members to say whether any person who had not passed the chair should be entitled to contribute a link towards this object. On the motion of Cr Jones, seconded by Cr Ick, the presentation from Cr Hobbs was received, and it was decided to add the link to those already received. It was decided that no previous member who had not passed the chair would be entitled to contribute a link towards the Mayoral chain. 3 Cr Hobbs moved the following motion of which he had given notice, amended by permission of the Council—" That the Council authorise the taking of the necessary steps under clauses 179 and 180 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, and clauses 21, 22 and 23 of the Public Works Act, 1876, to acquire possession of town section No 733, for the purpose of providing and maintaining public offices within the city in which to hold the meetings, and transact the business of the Council, and for the use of its officers, and for holding public meetings, and transacting public business relating to the city, and for the further purpose of widening that portion of Colombo street which lies immediately opposite the Bank of New Zealand. And that the Council cause a survey to be made, and plans to be prepared, shewing generally the purpose for which it is intended to apply the land, and the nature of the works proposed to be executed, as required by section 21 Public Works Act, 1876." After lengthened remarks from the mover, in which he pointed out the necessity of Colombo street being widened at that spot to lessen the danger to life through accidents ; the futilo efforts of the finance committee hitherto to obtain a few feet of the land at a reasonable price for this purpose; and the advancement of the ratepayers" interests by now taking the whole of the property, which could be so acted upon as to bring in a return of revenue that would result in all the desired improvements being obtained without a fraction of cost to the j ratepayers, Cr Hobbs hoped that the resolu i tion would be endorsed, at least so far as

allowing the matter to be submitted to a meeting of the ratepayers for their approval or otherwise.

Or Turner seconded the resolution with pleasure. After remarks from Councillors,

Cr Nathan moved the following amendment —" That Mr Morten be communicated with, in order to ascertain if he is willing to sell section No 733 to the Council upon terms of payment that may be determined by arbitration, in accordance with the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, subject to a vote of the ratepayers endorsing such purchase."

Or Bird seconded the amendment pro forma, for the purpose of supporting the resolution moved by Cr Hobbs. Cr Jones would oppose both motion and amendment.

After further discussion, the amendment was put and lost, Crs Nathan, Jones, and the Mayor only voting for it. The resolution was then put and carried. Cr Hawkes said he was informed by the surveyor that the swimming baths were now ready for opening, and on behalf of the bath committee, would move the following resolution—" That the swimming baths be opened for use by the public on Wednesday next, for swimmers only." Cr Turner seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The Mayor said he would suggest to the Council that the present bathing place in the Park should be done away with, as it was found a nuisance to ladies who visited that place. That portion of the river was also made useless for boating, through bathers frequenting this spot. He thought if councillors would look at the matter in a right light, they would agree with him thai this bathing place should be done away with. It was decided to defer consideration of thiß matter for a fortnight. Cr Nathan moved the following motion:— " That the question of the investments of the Council be referred to the finance committee, with power to act." Cr Hobbs seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Or Thomson moved—" That the public works committee be authorised to have the footpath from the lamp in Market square to the Post-Office asphalted." Or Turner seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Cr Jones moved—" That in accordance with clause 272 Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, this Council do appoint Mr W. Harris to be chief fire inspector for the city of Christchurch, and Mr Herbert E. Alport to be a fire inspector, and that the Mayor be requested to make the appointments by warrant under his hand."

The motion was seconded and agreed to. On the motion of Or Turner it was resolved—" That a letter be addressed to the Commissioner of Police to enquire whether one of the senior members of the police force might be permitted to undertake the duties of cab inspector to the Council, and to ask him what remuneration he would suggest should be given."

The Council then went into committee to consider the licenses and letter from Commissioner of Police, and on resnmiag adjourned for a fortnight.