CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 931, 19 June 1877, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, June 18.

The usual fortnightly meeting was held at the Council Chambers. Present —His Worship the Mayor, and Crs. Ick, Turner, Bird, Thomson, and Nathan. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The Mayor said it had struck him that the Government ought to erect a urinal in connection with the new Government buildings in Cathedral Square. He had spoken to the clerk of works and he had told him that the only way to have this carried out would be by the Council representing the necessity and their desire to the Government.

The Mayor was instructed to confer with the proper officer to have this provision made. On the motion of Cr. Ick an extension of four weeks’ leave of absence was granted to Cr. Jones.

Cr. Hobbs wrote apologising for Ins absence from that meeting through indisposition.

The Mayor said he had received from ExMayor Sawtell his link for the Mayor’s chain, which completed the number of those outstanding. The Town Clerk reported as follows: Received for week ending June 9th —Gfeneral rate, 1876, £6 15s ; Waimakariri rate, do., £1 2s 6d ; rent of Market-place, 7s ; rent of weighbridge, £7; received on account of Horatio street, £1; of Carlton right-of-way, £7l7s6d: licenses, £3 ; lines from Resident Magistrate’s Court and dog tax, £5 10s : total receipts for week, £36 12s. Received for week ending 16th June : —General rate, 1876, £sl 18s; Waimakariri do,, £8 13s ; general rate, 1877, £l9 7s ; Waimakariri do., £3 4s 6d; drainage, £8 Is 3d ; rent of Marketplace, 7s; licenses, £1 10s; received on account of Horatio street, 10s; fines from Resident Magistrate’s Court, £5 5s ; dog tax, £l7 10s ; total receipts for week, £ll6 os 9d ; total for fortnight, £152 17s 9d. Credit on general account, £440 4s 7d ; drainage loan account credit , £303 13s; drainage rate account credit, £3217 9s 3d; wages and accounts paid and to be paid by works committee for fortnight, £496 6s 7d. The surveyor reported as follows ; 1. The contract for forming and shingling Salisbury street east is completed. 2. The ditch has been cut in No. 4 block. 3. The drains have been cut in Barbadoes street north. 4. The paving of the carriers’ stands in Cathedral square find to Twentyman’s comer is finished. 5. A new urinal at the back of the Resident Magistrate’s Court has been erected. 6. Peterborough street west has been shingled.

7. Colombo street is now being coated with paddock has been cut, and the water drained

steam roller has not been out for several days, owing to the necessity of its being examined by the Government inspectoi. The report was approved as a whole. Letters were read from the Dunedin, Timaru, Napier, Kaiapoi, Nelson, Hokitika, G-reymouth, Picton, and Blenheim Borough Councils, agreeing with the proposal to_ hold a conference to consider the reduction to Municipalities on account of charitable institutions. _ _ On the motion of Cr. Turner, it was resolved that Cr. Hobbs be requested to act as delegate from the Christchurch Council to represent that body at the conference to be held at Wellington. The finance committee presented the following report: — . Your committee beg to report that the estimated receipts and expenditure for the period ending March, 1878, have been carefully considered, and have directed two copies to be made and laid before the Council. The committee recommend that these estimates be carefully adhered to. Banking Account. —The contract for the Council’s banking account has been considered, and your committee recommend that a subcommittee be appointed to confer with the Bank of New Zealand to ascertain the terms upon which the account of the City Council _ might be continued with that Bank, and failing any satisfactory arrangements with the sub-com-mittee, that the account be put to public tender. Reserves. —Tne committee considered the plan of the reserves submitted by the city surveyor, and recommend that the delegate proposed to be sent to Wellington on the question of the deduction from the subsidies should be also empowered to represent the Council, with the view of obtaining a Crown grant of all the reserves within the city. The committee are of opinion that such application may be made under clause 350 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876. C. W. Turner, Chairman. The report was received and approved. On the motion of [Cr. Thomson, it was resolved to appoint Messrs Nathan, Turner, and Hawkes, to make arrangements for the banking of the city account. Cr. Ick referred to the decision that morning in the Resident Magistrate’s Court with reference to the case of obstructing the City Council employees in the work of cutting a drain to let off storm water in Aid red street, and felt that the legal adviser to the Council should always be instructed to be present on occasions of this kind. Perhaps it would be better if the Mayor were authorised to give general instructions that Dr. Foster should always represent the Council when they were compelled to go into Court. It was decided on the motion of Cr. Turner, seconded by Cr. Bird —“ That Dr. Foster be asked to take steps to obtain a re-hearing of this case.”

Cr. Hawkes here entered the Chamber, and after a short interval objected to his name being placed on the committee to arrange for the city banking account, as he considered it should' be decided by tender. After some remarks the Mayor’s name was substituted for that of Cr. Hawkes. A letter was read from the clerk of the Licensing Court in reply, saying the question of urinal accommodation had been submitted to that Court, and the Inspector of Police had been requested to report to the Court whenever it was found that further accommodation was necessary in any licensed house. A letter was read from the Treasury, Wellington, informing the Council that under a resolution of the House of Representatives a return would have to be sent up supplying a statement of the assets and liabilities of the Borough up to 30th June. A petition was read signed by Mr J. Dowds and others asking the Council to form arid metal a right-of-way known as Chudlcy’s lane.

Referred to the surveyor, to report at next meeting. A petition was read signed by Mr J. Ideasman and others, residing in Eaton place, saying that as the residents had formed, drained, ami metalled that street at a cost of £42 they held that the action of the Council in refusing to take it over was very unfair. The town clerk was instructed to reply to the petitioners, quoting the clause of the Act.

A letter was read from Mrs J. Dickey, South belt, informing the Council that a drain had been cut through her land without permission, to a width of 4ft. and a chain and ahalf in length. The writer thought this too much to take from her section, as she had only the rent from her few houses in her old age" to live upon, and her tenants were giving her notice that they objected to an open drain, and also to the' bad state of the road. Referred to the works committee, with power to take any necessary action. A question of the inattention of the present night contractor to properly cleanse the pans, was mentioned by Cr. Hawkes, and referred to the sanitary committee. A letter was read from Mr W. Eraser, drawing the attention of the Council to the necessity of a lamp being placed at the corner of Durham street and South belt, and pointing out that this lamp had been promised by the Council some time since. Referred to the lighting committee. A letter was received from Mr 11. 13. Grisbrook, Whately road, complaining of some work done by the contractor in that road, at the corner of Montreal street.

The Town Clerk was desired to acknowledge the letter.

The Mayor brought under the notice of the Council the case of Duncan Beaton, who had not paid his rates for two years. The man had been summoned, then brought up on a judgment summons, and committed to prison for a fortnight. It was now a question whether the Council desired that the house owned by Beaton should be sold. Eventually it was decided to refer the matter to the Mayor, who, in conjunction with the city solicitor, was requested to bring up a report at the next meeting. Or, Ick desired 1 o ask the Mayor whether the Waimakariri Board of Conservators had taken any steps to publish their balance-sheet for public information, as requested by the Council. The Mayor said he had been informed that

the statement had been submitted to the Provincial Auditor for his inspection. It was still in the hands of that gentleman, and after lie had passed it, it would no doubt be published. , , . The Mayor said ho had pist received a telegram from Kaiapoi saying that that Borough Council had elected his Worship the Mayor, Mr E. Ellen, to act as their delegate at the proposed conference at Wellington. A letter was read in reply from Mr E. Gilkcs on account of residents in Young’s Bane, stating that the cost, BUI7 10s, for making that lane was beyond their power to

pay, but they still urged that the work might be proceeded with. It was resolved that the town clerk should write, pointing out that the amount would first have to be paid before the Council could undertake the work.

During the reading of the city inspector’s report, some strong remarks fell from councillors on a case decided that morning in the E.M. Court, of drainage of -water from low lying sections in Aldred street, and to carryout which a drain had been cut through private land. The inspector was also called in, and some instances of boys driving cabs who were only licensed to drive stage carriages were brought under his notice. The report was approved. A number of licenses were granted and others deferred, and the Council then adurned for a fortnight.