CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1266, 9 April 1878, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, April 3. A special meeting and an ordinary meeting of the City Council were held in the City Council Chambers. Present—His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Crs. Pratt, Jameson, Radcliffe, Briggs, Ruddenklau, Bird, and Ick. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and eon firmed, the following bucsi« ress was transacted. BUILDING BY-LAVT. The Mayor explained that the special meeting had been called for the purpose of confirming the building l.y-law. The following letter was read : Hertford street, April Bth, 1378. To his Worshipful the Mayor of Chiistehurch. Sir,—As president of the Canterbury Association of Architect 3,1 am instructed tj submit for tu ■ consideration of the Council the enclosed suggestions fur alterations in proposed new building by-laws for the city, to which the association has given a considerable amount of time and care, and having gone through each clause seriatim, and made such suggestions as they venture to think will not only facilitate the working of the Act, but a'so make it more generally acceptable to the public. It is suggested that tin clauses relating to parly-structures should also he included, which, while not making it compulsory on adjoining owners to join in a party wall, jet provide the necessary and simple rutes whereby owners can, if they wuh, raise up party- structure J, and that withmt the trouble and expen e now necessary in procuring the proper legal docuu euts. The end and object of the-c clauses relating to party-structures is to provide easy machinery

for owners, if they wish to save frontage and expense by putting up party-walls, and as the value of land in the city is now very considerably (I may instance a frontage in Hereford street which has chang-d hands at the rate of £2OO per foot), it is quite possible that the omission of these clauses at the present time would entail an extra expense to an owner of 88300, as he must put up with a less frontage. As an illustration : it i 3 quite possible that on treacherous ground it -would be necessary in a lofty building to project the footings lit. Gin. on either side of wall. This (in the abseuce of a party-wall being agreed to) would at the price named (£:'.QO per foot) cause a loss to the owner of .£OOO, as he would be compelled to build the face of bis walls above ground Ift. Gin. within his boundary, and thereby on his whole fron'age lose 3ft. The association would further suggest that should it be out of the power of the Council to adopt such provisions for party structures, that the Council should take necessary steps to get an Act passed to legalise such measures as they are of opinion that it is in the best interests of owners of property that they should become laws. Should the remarks and suggestions 1 am instructed to make appear in any way vr gae or incomprehensible, through the use of technicalities, I shall be happy to give vim voce explanation of the same if it is thought by the Council desirable. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, Frederick Strouts. President Canterbury Association of Architects. The Council then considered the alterations to the by-law recommended by the architects, and adopted some of them, after which Cr. Ick moved, and Cr. Bird seconded, " That this Council hereby confirms the resolution agreed to on the 7th of March last, No. 16, adopting the by-lc.w to provide building regulations for the city of Christchurch." The motion was withdrawn without being p»t, as the Council resolved at this stago to adjourn the special meeting till fight o'clock on Wednesday (to-morrow) night. The minutes of the special meeting were then read and confirmed. MUNICIPAL OFFICES. Before proceeding to the business of the ordinary meeting, Cr. Ruddenklau asked what had been done in the matter of the Council buildings. The Mayor replied that when the Premier was here suggestions had been made to him us to the old Provincial buildings. No answer had yet been received from the Government. Until it was known what site, or what buildings, would be available for the municipal offices nothing could be done. It would be well to allow the matter to remain in abeyance for a while. Cr. Bad cliff e thought the Council should use their utmost endeavours to get the oil Provincial Council Chambers. Why should the citizens be put to the expanse of building municipal offices when that building was lyii g idle. The Mayor replied that such was the view which had been taken by the deputation to the Premier, and the matter would not be lost sight of. HOUE OF MEETING. Cr. Ick gave notice of the following motion —" That the resolution, bearing date October Bth, 1877, making the hour of meeting of the Council seven o'clock, be rescinded, and in lieu thereof the following be adopted—' That during the winter months (say from the first of May till the first of November) the regular hour of meeting of tlu3 Council be J o'clock p.m." The motion will bo discussed by tho Council at the ordinary meeting to be held on Tuesday in Easter week. ACCOUNTS. The Mayor announced that the credit balance at the Bank was £ll2l 2s_Bd. Tho revenuo for tho fortnight wa3 £7ll- 3s 21. Drainage Board rate, £46 18;. 1.1. Expenditure—Bills paid, £1485 lis 8d; bills to be passed, £749 8» 3d; total for two weeks, £223A 19s lid; bills pad by finance committee. Interest on coupons, £462. The drainage rate account had a credit balance of £1396 18s Id. SURVEYOR'S REPORT.

The following report ironi the surveyor was read: — 1. In reference to an application from Messrs Hanmer and Harper to have a right-of-way situate between Lichfield and Twuu streets taken over by the Council, and which was referred to me at the Council's last sitting, t bog to report that it seems to me contrary to the Act to take it over, as it is neither wide enough for a street nor an alley. 2. Be railway siding, I have seen his Worship the Mayor of Sydenham, ani he has promised mo the necessary docu-J cnt to enable me to send in an application to have the siding laid. lam informed that ii will be laid without expense to the Council. _ 3. The cost of forming and shingling Avon Btreet would be £oo 6?. A resolution was passed instructing the town clerk to inform Messrs Hanmer and Harper th;>t th; Council could not take over the right-of-way in question The second paragraph was considered highly satisfactory. With regard to the third paragraph the Council came to no resolution. The report was received. Cr. Ick informed the Council that the lighting committee had been endeavoring to induce the Gas Company to extend their mains so as to enable the Council to place lamps on the belts. He read the correspondence which had taken ph.ee between the committee and the Company, from which it appeared that the Company were not in a position at present to extend the mains, but that, a 3 soon as the necessary pipes arrive, a main will be laid along the East Town Belt from the Ferry road to the Avon, and along the South Town Belt from Colombo street to the Windmill road. Thbwill be done during the next two months. The company also promised to attend immediately to lamps at Durham street, opposite Aldred street, Durham street East side and Cambridge Terrace, Moukley's corner. The one required at the junction ot Kilmore street and Oxford Terrace is beyond the limit of the Company's mains at present. During next year the mains will be extended round Oxford Terrace, and in the mean time a kerogene lamp can be erected at the place named. CATHEDBAL SQTTABK. It was resolved, after some discussion upon plans which were submitted by the town surveyor —"That the works committee have power to cut down the large trees and level the ground in Cathedral square, with a view to further improvements." TENDEBS FOB SHINGLE. Tenders for the supply.of 2000 yards of shingle were opened from the following : W. Mears, 4s 7d per cubic yard ; Donoghue and Smith, 4s 5.U1 per yard ; K. Jack man and Co, ii 6d per yard ; John Brightling, 4s 2d per yard. The last was accepted on the motion of Cr. Ick, seconded by Cr. Ruddenklau. EIKE BBTGADE. Mr W. Harris, superintendent of the fire brigade, reported to his Worship : In compliance with a resolution of the fire brigade committee, I forward youjeport of fires and expenditure of brigade from 27th July, 1877, to March 31st, 1878. During that time the Drigado have attended seventeen fires, but with the exception of the fire in Coloiubo street and Cashel street, the loss by fire in the city has been very small. The Council voted for the working pxpenses and now uniform of the brigade i;slt>, and the expenditure has been £7 Icms than the sum voted. The committee a-k that the sum of ii(3l2 may be voted for the coming year, which wil!i include the usual charges and the cost of 1000 feet of new hese, oriercd by direction of the Council. During tbe lust session of the General Assembly the Government promised to have the public buildings and both the brigade stations connected by telegraph. Nothing Las yet been done. This is a most desirable work, and I recommend tho Council to urge the matter forward. ' Tb. 9 report wes approved. yiKE INbUHANCK ASSOCIATION. A letter from the Eire Insurance Association was read. It icclosed a resolution passed last month by the association to the effect that the City Council be advised that the association will make their contribution £250 this year instead of £2OO, and the association consider the Government should be called upon to contribute, an none of the public buildings in Christchurcb are insured. The association expressed a desire to be furnished with particulars of expenditure on accouut of the Eire Brigade. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed by the Council at the small amount, contributed by the association ; the sum of £250 compared so miserably with the amount of profit* derived from tbe city by insurance com-

] panics, and the great saving of loss for which the companies were indebted to the efforts of the brigade. Cr. Pratt moved, and Cr. Ick seconded—- " That the letter from the association is very unsatisfactory, and that a detailed statement of the cost of the Fire Brigade last year be forwarded as requested, and failing a more liberal contribution the Council will feel bound to take into consideration tho whole question of the cost of fire prevention. GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY. The Mayor said that the subsidies payable to the city should be based on the receipts from rates, &c, up to the end of March ; but Government had, just before this year's account had been rendered, sent the subsidy due in June next. This might, be very clever on the part of the Government, but the city lost considerably by it, as the subsidy was calculated on the returns for last year. TENDERS FOB SCAVENGERING. Tho tenders for seavengering were opened, and on tne motion of Cr. Ick, seconded by Cr. Radcliffe, they were referred to the sanitary committee to report upon at the next general meeting. CHARITABLE AID. The Mayor announced that a letter had been received from tho Government, stating that after the 30th of Juno the deductions on account of charitable aid would cease, the Government intending to haud over the management of hospitals and other charitable institutions to local bodies. CENTRAL CtCMETERY. A letter from the Selwyn County Council, re a central cemetery, was read. It has already been published. The Council then postponed the consideration of other business till Wednesday (tomorrow), at half-past six.