CITY COUNCIL

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1252, 12 March 1878, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL

Monday, March 11. The ordinary fortnightly meeting was held in the Council Chamber. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Ick, Bird, Ruddenklau, Pratt, Briggs, Jameson, and Radcliffe. city assessment. The Mayor said that the Resident Magistrate had been appointed judge of the Assessment Court, which would sit on 22nd instant, and he would desire the Council to employ an expert to speak generally as to the value of the city properties. Cr. Ick said it would in his opinion bo anomalous for the Council to appoint a special pleader to represent them, as they had appointed their own ofljeer. f Or. Brigg 9 could hot understand the idea of special pleading. The valuer had stated his intention publicly of opposing the objections made by the Council, and it would only be justice to the ratepayers to have an expert to defend or admit the valuations as might be found necessary. It should be known that many persons who had received the notices had expressed their intention of allowing the objections. Cr. Pratt moved— “ That Mr Huddlestone, or some other competent valuer, be employed as expert to represent the Council at the Assessment Court.” Cr. Jameson seconded the motion.

The Mayor explained that the suggestion that the finance committee had set up their opinion against an expert’s was a misrepresentation. All they wanted was that the valuation should be made similar to that determined on the previous year. In reply to Cr. Ick, the Mayor said he the Council could entertain the

motion involving an expense without a previous notice having been given. After further remarks, the Mayor said that- Cr. Ick should have made his objection before be spoke to the motion, but if he wished to insist on the point raised he must take the responsibility of doing so. He might mention that the expert if employed would not be asked to bolster up any case. He would go through the roll, and if he advised certain objections being abandoned, his advice would be carried out, and the persons interested would receive a notice to that effect. Cr. Briggs said he happened to know that the city valuer had taken fees from persons whose valuations had been objected to to defend his own valuations. In reply to Cr. Ick, the Mayor said that if Mr Cuff would stay out of Court he, as one member of the Council, would bo quite prepared to leave the objections in Mr Mcllish’s hands. Further remarks having been made, the motion was put and carried, Cr. Ick dissenting. FINANCIAL. The Town Clerk reported as follow'? ; Receipts for week ending March 2nd, £286 4s 6d ; for week ending March 9fch, £305 11s; total for fort night, £591 10s sd. Received account Drainage Board, £lO4 10s lOd. Cr. balance in bank on general account, £9OO 10s 2d ; Drainage loan account, Cr., £lO2 5s lid ; Drainage rate account, Cr., £1392 6s 10s; sinking fund account, Cr., £29 7s 2d. Bills paid and to bo paid by works committee for fortnight, £529 19? 8d ; on drainage loan account, £77 16s; to Drainage Board, £257 Is 3d. surveyor's report. The City Surveyor reported : No. I—The format on of Barbadoes street north will be finished on Wednesday next. No. 2 —l have prepared an epitome of all the water schemes for Mr Clark, and which is annexed hereto. They are twenty-three in number, and are as follows: —Four from artesians, seven from Waimakariri, seven from the Heiitbcote. three from the Avon, one from the Okuku, and one from the Hawkins. No. 3 —With respect to the request made by Messrs Harman and Stevens as to forming a r jad through property situate between Madras and Barbadoes streets, I cannot find tiny objection to a court or alley being formed, as shown on the plan submitted, subject to the provisions of toe Municipal Corporations Act, 1876 No. 'l—lt has often been remarked that the channels do not receive sufficient attention from the sweepers. It has just come to my knowledge that there are GSO wooden bridges over the channels and more than 100 culverts. 1 f course these cause a great amount of work, especially in muddy weather, when they get easily choked. C. Walkdbn, City Surveyor. Clauses 1, 2, and 3 of the report were approved. On clause 4 being read, the Mayor instanced a few channels where there was no water, notwithstanding which, they were regularly swept. Cr. Briggs said it was a pity the sweepers did not expend this surplus labour on the channels in the Papanui road. The report was then approved as a whole, correspondence. A letter was read from the Treasury in reply, respecting deductions made for hospital and charitable aid from the subsidy paid to the borough of Christchurch. The Council were referred to Treasury Circular No. 2-78, of 14th inst. (copy enclosed), in which would be found a full explanation of the principle on which the deductions referred to had been made. It was shown that the deduction from Christchurch for last half-year was £3457. A letter was read from Messrs Bain and Warner, Christchurch, agents for Messrs Wright and Edwards’ (Melbourne) water augur, saying that in view of the apparent failure to procure water from the lower strata, owing to the impossibility of the pipe being driven, they begged to bring before the notice of the Council the invention shown and explained on accompanying circular. They were expecting a machine over shortly, and would be prepared to try it. The Mayor said the letter had _ boon acknowledged, under instruction of the Finance Committee. A letter was read from the secretary to the Drainage Board, asking the Council to fix a date when a sub-committee of the Board could meet the finance committee of the Council to consider the subject of contribution to be paid by the Board towards the cost of assessment. The Mayor said he had endeavoured to arrange a meeting, hut it happened to be during the week of Mr Clark’s arrival, ai d Mr Harman was very busily engaged at the time. After some remarks it was decided to leave the matter in the hands of the finance committee. A letter was read from Mr G. D. Lockhart, saying he had observed in the newspapers that the Council were about to come to some arrangement with the Tramway _ Ooiupany Limited, saying lie held a long list of promoters of the Christ church Tramway Company, and asking the Council not to commit themselves to hasty arrangements, with any company until at least his company had an opportunity of propounding their scheme. Cr. Jameson said if Mr Lockhart prepared his list of shareholders, and registered the company, his letter would no doubt he then considered in the ordinary course. Cr. Briggs moved—“ That the letter be received,” Mr Lockhart had had ample time to take the same action that the registered company had already taken, and had not availed himself of the opportunity. Cr. Jameson seconded the motion. In reply to a question the Mayor said that a tramway committee had already been appointed, and had consulted with the directors of the registered company. Cr. Ick said he hoped that whatever the Council might determine on with the company already , registered, who had brought their scheme before the committee, he still hoped the Council would not give that company exclusive privileges. The motion was then put and agreed to. CITY TRAMWAYS. The Mayor asked Cr. Jameson, as one of the committee appointed to meet the representatives of the Canterbury Tramways Co., to state the conditions that had been mutually agreed upon. Cr. Jameson said the committee had had several interviews with the deputation from the company. The company had been duly registered, with a capital of £50,000. A large number of shares had been taken up, and the consent of the Council was only waited for when immediate action would be taken. A lease for twenty-one years was required, with the right to lay down rails to certain points dtifirif’d. —viz., from Cathedral square to the Railway ; Cathedral square to Papanui (the Couneii only being asked for permission to the belt), and the third routed would bo from Cathedral square to Addington. All these lines the company would be prepared to commence at once and to complete them in two years. The maximum charge would be 3d for each journey. Cathedral square would bo the starting point of each route, and the charge mentioned would be from 7 a.m. to (5 p.m., children half-price. After (5 p.m. the fare would he doubled,. These, as he hod said, woujd be the maximum rates, and the company would bo prepared to reduce them if it were found that a fair profit was being made on working expenses and allowance for wear and tear. Road metal would ’ be carried free of charge, and also metal for j repairing the streets—< he Council to supply ! trucks. The committee had considered j whether it would be wise to grant a 21 years’ ) lease without some reservation, and felt that a ! clause should be inserted in the deed which t would enable the Council to step in and deter- ? mine the lease at the expiration of 14 years. ?, A clause had been agreed to after considerable argument, which would enable the Conn- , oil, by taking over the material, to close the 1 lease after that time if it was considered e desirable by them and the other local bodies through which the tramway might be laid. The amount to bo paid for the plant would bo i ascertained by valuation. If after the 14 r years the Council desired to acquire the tram- - ways for the purpose of working (hem themb selves, they could do so by paying for the t plant, to be arranged by arbitration, the goodwill of the remaining 7 years to bo also valued e and the profits taken into consideration, A 9 draft deed bad been prepared embodying the

various points alluded to, and he would ask the Council to look through it, and if they approved of it, to consent to the company going on with the work as quickly as possible. The committee had considered that these conditions would be satisfactory for the interests of the public. The rails would be laid flush. The best materials would be used throughout, and the carriages would be very handsome, designs of which had been submitted. Parcels would bo carried, and instead of horse power, modern noiseless mechanism would be used. The gauge, which would be 4ft. B)in., was universally adopted in America, England, and on the. Continent. The company were desirous of erecting accommodation in Cathedral square, and proposed to have a glass verandah placed on iron posts for the protection of passengers who might be waiting. The roadway for 18 inches outside the rails would be handed over to the company, and they were willing that their carriages and plant should be inspected by an officer of the Council. The Mayor said the company would like an expression from the Council that evening, as they were desirous of completing their arrangements with outside bodies, who were waiting the determination arrived at by the Council, lb had been suggested that the matter should stand over for a. fortnight, and perhaps Cr. Jameson would give a special notice of motion to be discussed at their next meeting. Cr. Radcliffe thought it would be advisable to call a meeting of the citizens to consider, what he felt a very important question. The Mayor said the question of tramways had been before the public for the last six months, and some objection would have been raised before this if the work were not considered desirable. Cr. Radcliffe said it was a very important matter running tramways along the streets, but if the citizens were agreeable that was all that was necessary. Cr. Jameson said that nothing positive had been arranged or promised, and the preliminaries had only been put forward for the consideration of the Council and public. The Sydenham Council had agreed at once to a 21 years’ lease, but the committee thought a reservation of 14 years desirable. If the Council took the core of the company’s profit away from them it would ho hard to throw the lines in the surrounding districts on their hands without giving them some compensation. He might also mention that if two-thirds of the outside districts determined to have the tramways, the company would not require permission from the Council to come through the city. The Mayor said the salient points had been mentioned, and it would be as well for the Council to express an opinion of general approval or otherwise. Cr. Tck quite agreed that very liberal terms ought to be given in such a case. In reply to Cr. Bird, Cr. Jameson said the outside Boards had agreed to a 21 years’ lease, A general opinion was expressed by councillors favorable to all the points laid before them. Cr. Jameson said he would give notice at a later stage that the whole matter be considered at the next meeting of the Council. The Mayor said he believed that nine gentlemen had already taken 1500 shares, and many were merely waiting for the assent of the Corporation, when the whole of the capital would be subscribed for. BARBADOES STREET CONTRACT. A. letter was read from Messrs Timms and Spencer, late contractors, asking the Council to re-consider their determination of not returning the deposit paid by them, as the terms of the surveyor’s specification had misled them. Mr Timms, who was in attendance, said he would have been very glad to have carried out the work in the same manner the surveyor had since done it. He and his partner understood they were compelled to take out the whole of the soft stuff in the road, which they considered unnecessary. After further remarks, and an explanation from the surveyor, Cr. Ruddenklau moved—“ That the question stand over until the next meeting of the Council. Cr. Ick seconded the motion. Cr. Briggs moved as an amendment—- “ That the sum of £7 bo paid to Timms and Co, value of work done by them as estimated by the surveyor, and that the further consideration of the claims of those contractors and the previous ones be deferred until the work is finished.” He was aware these men had gone to considerable expense in providing horses and carts to complete the contract in a workmanlike manner, and he thought it only reasonable that they should be paid-for work actually done, whatever course might ultimately be adopted with reference to the deposit. On being put the amendment was lost, A further amendment by Cr. Jameson — “ That Timms and Co, receive the whole of their deposit, and the first contractors half”— was also lost. Or. Pratt moved as another amendment — “ That Messrs Timms and Spencer have their deposit money returned, ’ ’ • Cr. Briggs seconded the amendment. This amendment was also lost, and Cr. Ruddenklau’s resolution carried. inspector’s report. The usual report from the city inspector was read. The report referred to the obstruction caused by the wooden bridges over the side channels, which caused a very great expense in keeping clean. The officer suggested that only mm bridges should be allowed in future, Cr. Ick said a resolution of this kind had already been passed by the Council. He thought that one preventative would be compelling property holders to J cut off all branches of trees overhanging the footpaths. The fallen leaves at this time of the year was one great cause of obstructing the channels. Crs. Ruddenklau and Jameson suggested that the sweeping should be let by contract. The clause was referred to the Sanitary Committee. overcharge by a cabman. A clause of the Inspector’s report referred to the conduct of a cabman named John Murphy, who was fined 20s for making a charge of 15s, and eventually it was dcter-i mined to give the man a notice that on the very next occasion of a complaint being made against him, his license would be cancelled for ever. notices op motion. The following notices of motion were given for next meeting : Cr. Jameson to move—“ That the terms upon which the Council will be prepared to allow the Tramway Company to use the streets of the city be considered on March 25th.” Cr. Briggs to move—“ln pursuance of a resolution passed by this Council on the sth day of November 1877, affirming the desirableness of the city being divided into wards;— “1. That the city bo divided into four (4) wards. “2. That the boundaries of suph wards bo delineated by lines drawn from Antigua street to the East town belt, and from the North to the South town belts through Colombo street. “ 3. That the operation of the ward system shall apply to the election of members only. “4. That the necessary steps be taken under clause 21 of the M.C. Act, 187(1, to give effect to the foregoing resolutions.” The Council then adjourned.