CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1048, 6 November 1877, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night. Present— The Mayor and all the Councillors. SPECIAL MEETING. Prior to the ordinary business being proceeded with, the Council sat as a special meeting to adopt a by-law regulating the speed of horsemen and vehicles when passing street crossings. The by-law was adopted, and it was resolved that it should be confirmed at a special meeting on the 10th December next. The Council then proceeded with the usual business. ACCOUNTS. The Town Clerk reported that the ordinary accounts for the week ending 24th October amounted to £253 7s 6d ; the Drainage Board rate to £6O 16s 3d ; for the week ending November sth, £27013s 8d ; Drainage Board rate to £9O 16s 8d ; bills to be paid, £358 9s 2d. CITY VALUATION. Tenders for the office of valuator were opened. Cr. Ick moved that the tender of Mr C. Cuff at £l4O be accepted. This was seconded by Cr. Toomer. It was remarked by the mover that the cheapest tender was not always the best, and Mr Cuff was a thoroughly fit and experienced man. Cr. Thomson moved and Cr. Bird seconded pro forma , that the tender of Mr Webster, at £75, should be accepted. Or. Briggs supported the motion on account of the undoubted competency of Mr Cuff, who was a tried and efficient man. It was to the interest of the ratepayers that the valuation should be efficiently done, and mere cheapness was not to be considered in comparison. The motion was carried, Crs. Thomson, Bird, and Bickerton dissenting.

THE WEIGHBRIDGE. The tender of MrLaurenson for the weighbridge in the market place for this year at £62 a,-year was accepted. He had tendered for three years at £7O a-year, but the Council held that it had no power to let the bridge for that period. THE BATHS. It was stated that no tender had been sent in for the baths, and the time was extended for another fortnight. THE WARD SYSTEM. Cr. Briggs brought up his motion for the division of the city into wards. He argued that the system would be a means of providing for representation in proportion to population, and of carrying out real local self-go-vernment. At election times it was often complained that members were returned by the large properly holders in the centre of the town, and that persons in the outskirts, with only one vote, had no power in the matter, or at least comparatively little power. The ward system would give the small voters their due weight. The various localities would also be better attended to under the ward system, as members would be familiar with the requirements of their respective districts. The division of the city as he proposed would also bring the power of all municipal matters more within the hands of the members. At present, perhaps, the Council was too much in the hands of its officers. He pointed out that the system woidd enable the Council to make more perfect sanitary arrangements then under the present mode of representation; also that the system was generally in vogue in the old country, and in other towns in the colony. He again read his motion as follows: —“ That in the opinion of this Council it is advisable that the City of Christchurch be divided into wards.” Contingent on this motion being carried, to move “ That the Council go into committee to consider (1) The boundaries of the proposed wards. (2) What steps are necessary to be taken under clause 21 of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, to give effect to the said resolution.”

Or. Radcliffe seconded the motion, and described how well the system had worked throughout the colony of Victoria. He felt that it would have a beneficial effect on the city of Christchurch. Or. Ick supported the resolution so far as affirming the principle of the desirableness of adopting the system. Bub he looked forward to the time when the suburban boroughs would join Christchurch, and he was doubtful whether this was the time to take action. It might be better to wait for twelve months. Or. Ruddenklau must oppose the motion, as he saw no reason as yet to depart from a system which had hitherto worked well enough. If the town had been divided into wards before now the outlying districts would have fared very ill indeed. He thought the resolution premature. Or. Bird was quite in favor of the resolution, in so far as the principle was concerned ; but he agreed with Cr. Ruddenklau that the question was inopportune, and he would ask Or. Briggs to defer it to some future time. Or. Thomson did not see anything against the motion, and did not think that there was anything in the argument as to inopportuneness. If in future any outlying district desired to join the city it could be added as an additional ward. He suggested that no specific number of wards should be mentioned in the motion. Cr. Briggs coincided with this view. Or. Toomer had studied the question of wards for many years, and he must say that he approved of it. He held that Cr. Ruddenklau’s argument of abiding by the old system was equivalent to adhering to stage coaches after the introduction of railway trains.

Cr. Pratt supported the motion, stating that it would be a desirable change made for the sake of advancement and expediency, and not with the view of making np for any supposed injustice under the old system. The old system had done well enough in its day, but the times were getting ripe for the proposed change. Cr. Bickerton agreed to the motion. The Mayor was sure that it was the general opinion of the public that the city should be divided into wards, and he should like to see the motion carried unanimously. In replying, Cr. Briggs said that it had not been his intention to hurry the adoption of the system, but that preparations might be made for bringing it into operation by next year. The motion was carried, Cr. Euddenklau dissenting. The latter clauses of the resolution were postponed till some convenient time. THE CANAL RESERVE. Cr. Bickerton moved, as he had given notice, and Cr. Euddenklau seconded—- “ That it is the intention of the Council to continue the avenue of the Canal Eeserve around the north bank of the river from the Antigua street bridge to Worcester street, and also from the north end of the Canal Eeserve to the bridge near the Carlton Hotel, as soon as convenient after the reserves come into their possession ; and that it. be an instruction to the City Surveyor that in doing any kind of work on the bank of the river he should bear this in view.” The motion was carried. CLAIM rOE DAMACtE. Mr Charles Turner sent in a claim for £2O on account of damage sustained by a black horse through falling into a gutter cut by the Council’s laborers, running from Armagh street to the rear of Cookham House. The city surveyor said that the work had been done at least four months ago, and this was the first that had been heard of the accident. The work was done under the supervision of the city surveyor for a private citizen. The matter was referred to the Mayor and the surveyor, to report in a fortnight. PETITION RE PHIVATE ROAD. Mr A. W. Money and others petitioned the Council to take over a private road, known as St. David’s street or Carter’s lane, on part of town reserve 170, and running north from Chester to Kilmore street. The consideration of the matter was deferred till next meeting. ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Mr E. 0. J. Stevens, M.H.E., acknowledged by note the receipt of the resolutions passed by the Council on the 25th ultimo, relating to the Public Health Act Amendment Bill and other matters connected wiih the Local Board of Health. REtM U C 1 KSEM ENT. The Under-Secrctary for Public Works wrote under instructions, stating in reply to a letter from the town clerk to date 25th Sept., f,hat the Minister for Public Works had issued iirections that the Council should be reimbursed in the sum of £l4B 10s, and informing the Council that, Mr Conyers had been instructed accordingly. Thg claim had been made by the Council for forming and shingling part of a road next the railway premises near the town belt.

LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH ACT. The Colonial Secretary, in replying to a letter from the town clerk of date 17th October, referred to the 14th section of the Public Health Act, 1876, which distinctly enacts that the Drainage Board shall be the Local Board of Health at Christchurch. If, therefore, the Corporation desire the law to be altered, they should prepare a Bill for the purpose, and have it introduced to Parliament by one of the members for the city. The Mayor remarked that a Bill had been prepared and forwarded to Mr Moorhouse. Or. Thomson said that he had been utterly ignorant of the fact until, while sitting at a meeting of the finance committee, a telegram on the subject was laid before him. He thought that if a Bill was prepared, as emanating from the Council, it should have been brought before the Council. The Mayor stated that in getting the Bill prepared he had only been carrying out the wishes of the public meeting. Cr. Briggs said that it had been understood by himself and others, when consulted by the Mayor as to a reply being sent to a telegram from Mr Moorhouse, that the Bill was not then on its way to Wellington, and that it would have been brought before the Council first. Cr. Ruddenklau, while condemning the irregularity of the proceeding, held that the Mayor had done nothing out of keeping with the wish of the Council or the public meeting. Cr. Pratt endorsed the remarks of, Cr. Briggs. Cr. Bickerton remarked that the Mayor, in this matter, had only discharged an executive duty. The Town Clerk read the Bill, the object of which is to make the Council the Board of Health within the belts. Cr. Toomer moved—“ That the action of the Mayor in the matter should be confirmed. This was seconded by Cr. Ruddenklau,gand carried unanimously. PAYMENTS FOR ASPHALT. A letter was received from the Colonial Secretary’s office, intimating that his Excellency would not be advised to exercise his powers of disallowance with respect to the by-law passed by the City Council for regulating the payments for asphalt footpaths. DOMAIN BOARD AND MUNICIPAL LEAGUE. Consideration of correspondence from J. W. Treadwell, regarding the following resolution moved by him at a recent public meeting in Christchurch, was deferred till next meeting —“ That the Domain Boards of New Zealand he abolished, and all their powers be vested in the respective boroughs, and that the Mayor and Council as a deputation from this meeting be appointed to confer with other boroughs, in order that a petition may be presented to the above effect to Parliament.” Mr Treadwell had sent a circular, enclosing this resolution, to twelve of the principal municipalities in New Zealand, and had received favorable replies from several of the same. The Thames Borough Council, in its reply, suggested the formation of a permanent Municipal League or Association, meeting at Christchurch or Wellington twice each year, the League to consist of the Mayor and two councillors from each borough. All matters, such as that referred to in Mr Treadwell’s resolution, should be brought before the League, which should have all Municipal Acts and amendments thereon laid before the Ministry of the day, sufficiently long before the opening of the session, to enable Ministers to decide whether they would accept them or not. The subscription to the League to be £5 a year from each municipality. The letter concluded by remarking that the matter in Mr Treadwell’s resolution was so important that no Council individually would like to move in it. FIRE INSPECTOR’S REPORT. The quarterly report of the chief inspector of fires, Mr W. Harris, was read. It showed that during the quarter ending October 26th, the Brigade had attended four fires, none of which called for comment. The inspector reminded the Council that the tank in Colombo street had not yet been commenced, and urged that the work should be completed as, should a fire occur in the locality, there was no water for the engines. There were other places requiring water supply, but that was the most important. The Clerk stated that arrangements had been made to facilitate the work referred to. Cr. Ruddenklau made some remarks to the effect that the fire brigade was most efficiently managed, and the city had reason to be proud of so excellent an institution, but he referred to certain details which should be attended to by the Council. The report was adopted, it being made an instruction to the works committee to have the tank constructed ns quickly as possible. It was resolved on the motion of Cr. Thomson, that the Council’s officers should have a half-holiday on each of the race days beginning at noon, and the whole of the Agricultural Show day. WATERING BATE. It was resolved that the prayer of petitioners for the levying of a watering rate should be given effect to, and that a special meeting should be held for the purpose of levying the said rate. SPECIAL MEETING. It was resolved that a special meeting should be held on the 19th instant to consider the propriety of taking over certain new streets between Papanui road and Park terrace. inspector’s report. The report of the Inspector of Nuisances was read and approved. Cr. Bird suggested that the street sweepers should be under the sole control of the inspector. A resolution to this effect was moved by Cr. Briggs and carried. LICENSES. A number of licenses were issued, and the Council adjourned at ten minutes to eleven o’clock.