CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1084, 19 December 1877, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Tuesday, December 18. The ordinary fortnightly meeting was held in the Council Chambers. Present —His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Bird, Ick, Toomer, Ruddenklau, Briggs, and Bickerton. MINUTES. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. lEAVE OP ABSENCE. On the motion of Cr. Ick a month's leave of absence was granted to Cr. Radcliffe on account of illness. surveyor's report. The City Surveyor reported as follows : 1. The works committee think that in view of the greatly increasing traffic of the city, and the consequently greatly increasing danger arising from wooden bridges over the street channels, the time has arrived when some construction of a more safe and permanent character should be substituted for the wooden bridges, not only for the purpose of lessening danger, but also for facilitating the cleansing of the side channels. They therefore recommend to the Council that no more wooden bridges should be allowed to be placed in the streets, and that all those already in use should not be renewed, but iron culverts substituted for them as they fall into decay. 2. I have made a fresh plan of Barbadoes street North, and as the fascine work was the principal expense in my last estimate for this work, I have left the fascine work out and substituted a different description of drainage, which I am in hopes will answer all purposes ; but I have arranged it so that if any additional work is necessary at some future time, it can be made without interfering with the work already executed. In place of the fascine drains I have inserted common field drain pipes covered with screened shingle. An estimate of the work I have handed to the chairman of the works committee. 3. The works committee nave given me instructions to channel the east side of Antigua street, also a part of Salisbury street East. •1. The formation of the South belt as far as Colombo street will be finished this week. In the remarks made on clause 1, the Surveyor replied to a question from a Councillor that it would cost fifteen times as much for an iron carriage bridge than for a wooden one. The clause was approved. Clause 2 was approved. Cr. Ick, as chairman of the works committee, said the surveyor had made a very careful estimate of the work, which it was found could now be done at a considerably less cost than by the former mode. [Hear, hear.] The committee would immediately call For tenders, having now received the authority of the Council. The remaining clauses were also approved. FINANCIAL. The Town Clerk reported as follows : Received for week ending December Bth General rate, 1877, £172 3s ; Waimakarin do., £2B 13s lOd ; baths, £3 14s; A. Jardme, £3 • rent market place and weighbridge, £5 10s'<id ; deposits, £3 10s ; cab cards and fines from Resident Magistrate's Court, £3 lis 4d; license fees, £2 ; watering rate, £6 Os 8d; hawkers' licenses, 10a—total, £228 13s 2d. Received for week ending December 15th— General rate, £137 3s; Waimakariri do., £22 17s 2d; rent of market plaoe, 7s; Horatio street, £1; fines from R.M. Court, £2 15s ; total, £164 2s 2d ; total receipts for fortnight £392 15s Id. Drainage Loan Account—Cr., £l9l 13s Bd. General Account —Dr., £26115s 2d. Drainage Rate Account —Cr., £1960 lis Bd. Bills paid and to be paid for fortnight, £093 7s 4d. POST OFFICE PILLARS. Cr. Ick referred without notice to the action taken by Mr M. B. Hart while Mayor to endeavour to have the pillar boxes erected and to be erected throughout the city made available for the receipt of newspapers as well as for letters, and to the consent of the po.-t office authorities here and the PostmasterGeneral to this being allowed and carried into force after Ist January, 1874. After pointing out what a convenience such a concession would prove to the public, Cr. Ick moved—- " That the Town Clerk be instructed to write to the Postmaster-General, asking him to give effect to a promise made to the City Council at the latter end of 1873 that the receiving boxes in the city should be made available for newspapers after the Ist January, 1874." Cr. Bird seconded the resolution, which was agreed to. NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. Cr. Ruddenklau moved, " That this Council {U,? pi opjcioc fcbat ilioir present offices are be-

coming unsuitable for carrying on the business of the city, and that it is desirable to take steps to erect new municipal buildings ; that the recommendation of the city surveyor in his report of November sth be acted upon, viz., the advising the Council to procure a piece of land adjoining the railway for the purpose of a depot for street metal. That a committee, consisting of Ob. Thomson, Ick, Pratt, and the mover, be appointed to report upon the above resolution." After referring to the unsuitablenesß of the present building for existing requirements, and also to the time which it had been standing, the mover expressed his opinion that, if it were not soon removed, they would find it blown down upon their heads some fine day by a strong nor'-wester. The resolution would not commit the Council to anything definite, if not deemed desirable. Cr. Ruddenklau also referred to the necessity for a piece of land being procured for a site for storing metal. The motion was seconded by Cr. Briggs, and agreed to. HOARDINGS. An application was read from Mr W. Widdowson, asking permission to use the footpath at the corner of St. Asaph and Manchester streets while erecting a building. Cr. Ick spoke strongly of thß inconvenience experienced by the travelling public—more especially by ladies and children —through contractors being allowed to use the whole of the footpath, while they simply used the room obtained as a 3tone yard. He would move—- " That permission be given to use half the footpath only." Cr. Toomer seconded the resolution. Cr. Kuddenklau did not think any inconvenience would be experienced if permission were given to use the whole of the footpath, provided it was seen that proper precautions were taken and strictly carried out. They had no such restrictions in London and other large cities. He would move 'as an amendment—" The permission be given to use the whole of the footpath under supervision of the surveyor." Cr. Briggs seconded the amendment, and referred to the facilities given to contractors in Dunedin. The Surveyor, by request, explained the difficulty he constantly experienced in compelling contractors to keep their hoardings in proper order. The Mayor thought it would be a pity if the contractors were so confined in their work as they would be if they were only allowed five feet. After lengthy remarks, Cr. Ick, speaking to the amendment, said ha would point out to councillors that until very lately not more| than half the footpath had ever been allowed'. He simply thought it a hardship to have to compel ladies and children to leave the footpaths and go into the street. On being put the amendment was .lost and the resolution carried. TANK AND FOUNTAINS. In reply to Cr. Briggs, Cr. Ick said the works committee had inspected the tank opposite Matheßon's Agency, and it would be immediately pumped out and repaired. Mr Mat son had promised a donation of two guineas towards this object. With reference to the fountains the works committee had waited on Mr Anderson, who had presented the fountain in front of the Bank of New Zealand to the city, and that gentleman did not raise any objection to its removal. The committee now intended to remove the fountain to the centre of the wide footpath in Cathedral square. With reference to the fountain opposite Cobb and Co.'s when the tank was sunk near it drew away the water from the fountain, but the city surveyor intended to confer with Mr Cuff, who was surveyor at the time, to see what course would be the best to take to remedy this. The drain on the North road from the Carlton Hotel to the river spoken of, was under the control of the sanitary committee, and not the works committee. LAMPS. In reply to Cr. Bickerton, Cr. Ick said the committee would be very happy to erect the lamps long promised in St. Asaph street and elsewhere, as soon as the gas mains were extended. CORBESI'ONDENCE. A letter was read from Mrs J. Badden, asking the Council to cancel an account for a lamp post in Cathedral square, broken by one of her men. The Council declined to accede to the request. A.>;:>.• was read from the hon. secretary of »J Jets committee, asking for a grant in aidof.n unds in lieu of the labor usually granted by the Council. Cr. Briggs strenuously opposed the application on principle. When they were rated at 2s or 2s Kd in the pound, as he had had lately to pay, it was, he thought, high time that they should not expend any of the ratepayers' money in providing amusement for the public. The public had the amusement, and they should pay for it. He would oppose the application if he stood alone in doing so, and would move—" Thatthe application be declined." Cr. Bickerton would support the motion solely on account of the extreme poverty of the City Council and the necessity for carrying out necessary works. Cr. Ruddenklau trusted the application would be acceded to this time, as for years the committee had received a donation for assistance from the Council. If the application were declined they might depend upon it, it would be found the sports would fall through, as gentlemen would not come forward and interest themselves in getting them up. Cr. Bird spoke in favor of the request being complied with. After Cr. Briggs had replied, the motion was put and carried, the Mayor regretting that the matter had not come to him for his casting vote. Ayes—Crs. Briggs, Bickerton, and Toomer. Noes—Cm. Ruddenklau and Bird. _, _ _ , A letter was read from Mr E. J. T. bord, offering to let a piece of land in a paddock on the south side of the Railway station, opposite the gasworks, as a site for the storage of metal. Referred to the committee previously appointed. . A letter was read from the RegistrarGeneral, requesting to be furnished with a statement of the number of inhabited houses in the borough, to enable him to estimate the population as on the Ist pros, for statistical purposes. The Clerk was instructed to forward the particulars asked for. A letter was read from Inspector Broham, in reply, saying representation would be made to the proper authority with a view of having the fines made heavier after repeated convictions for riding or driving over footpaths. Received with t&uifo).

leave of absence. Leave of absence for fourteen days was granted to Mr W. Murray, assistant clerk. inspector's report. The usual fortnightly report of the City Inspector was read. Among other matters the inspector referred to numerous complain bs being received as to the practice obtaining of selling hides, skins, and tallow, within the city. He would suggest that these persons be compelled to sell merchandise of the kind complained of outside the city boundaries. It was resolved to refer this clause of the report to the Local Board of Health. The report was approved. by-laws. In reply to Cr. Bird, The Mayor said the present by-law committee had considered it necessary to go through the whole of the by-laws, with a view of consolidating them. This had been one reason of the delay in bringing them forward. NORTH BELT DRAIN. Cr. Briggs again referred to the state of the drain on the North belt, lending from the Carlton Hotel to the river, and the Town Clerk was instructed to make a note of it, and have sweepers sent there. SANITARY. In reply to Cr. Toomer, The Town Clerk said that action was being taken to remedy the nuisance complained of at the rear of Mr Dunford's. The Council then adjourned.