CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1655, 10 June 1879, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, June 0. The weekly meeting of the Council was held at teven o'clock. Present—Hi3 Worship the Mayor, and Crs. Lezard, Tremaync, Binstead, Cms, Aycrs, Jenkins, Gapes, Wilson and Cliford. FINANCES. The Town Clerk reported the debtor balance at the Bank, .£3571 7s Gd ; receipts during the week, <£294 9a 2d ; Drainage Board rate, 1878, £1 Us lid ; Drainage rate account cr. balance, <£Bs9 18s"'Id. Bills to be paid, .BMI, 10a lOd. THE MAYOR'S REMARKS. Hi 3 Worship stated he had received a le!tor from the Government relative to the letter forwarded in reference to the subsidy for the formation of the South Town Belt. He regretted to say that the Government did not see its way to grant such a subsidy. He had received a letter from tho Mayor of Sydenham, asking the City Council to put its wishes on the subject in wiring to be submitted to a special meeting of that body. He had also received a letter from Mr Clark, C.E. It might be remembered that Mr Hubbard had questioned tho mode in which the city were going to work on tho question of the water supply. The letter from Mr Clark was on that subject, under cover to him (tho Mayor). Th's letter ho would request the water supply committee to take into their consider ition as soon as possible. He had received a lotter from Mr Gillies, the hon. sec. Of tho K.itargatii Belief Fund. (The corroBjoidence appears elsewhere.) That letter would be considered at a meeting of the committee), to be held on Thursday. He had also

re :eived a letter from Messrs Harper on the subjeet of Cr. Wilson and the Colombo street bridge, which letttr would be laid tefore thorn. QUESTIONS. In answer to a question, Cr. Jenkins said ho did not remember any repolution with regard tt the erection of a lamp at the corner of Park terrace, by the Carlton bridge. If, however, Cr. Gapes would bring tho "matter forward formally, it woald bo attendtdto. In reference to the condition of the right-of-way at thf; back of the City Hotel, The Mayor said it was in a most disgraceful condition, and he hoped the sanitary committee would take all steps to cause tha nuisance to be abated. After some remarks from different members, tho matter dropped. In answer to a question by Cr. Gape 3, The city surveyor said he had served about sixty notices upon persons to repair the crossings across footwa; s in the city. Cr. Gapes said he would consider the whole matter, and probably bring up a resolution on the subject at the next meeting. Tn an-wer to a question from Cr. Cass, The Mayor raid Mr March had told him ho was prepared to send up to Waipara as many able bodied men as offered. A batch of fifty had gone up that morning, anl probably a larger batch would go up on the following day. Mr Walkden said ho had a largo number of applications for stone breaking. He had that day discharged eight single men whose places would be taken by eight married men on tho following morning. Tho Mayor diew attention to the filthy condition of the rear of tho premises lately partially burnt down in Cathedral square, aT:d the block adjoining. Cr. Clifford said ho would like to ask the Mayor if he were keeping a time table that evening. The question was not answered. Cr Wilson said that to complaints of the nuisance Bpoken of at tho back of T-ewi-i' had reached the sanitary committee. Probably it wa« the result of the late fire. The Mayor siid that rubbish of all kinds had accumulated on the spot in question. CLOSET PANS. A letter was read from tho chairman of the Board of Health on the su l jaot of closet pins in the city, and calling attention to the necessity of their being moro generally med. Cr. Tromajnc said the inspector was doing all he could to compel people to get night soil pa-s The inspector of nnisances wis called in, and aft?r some discussion had taken place, the matter was referred to the sanitary committee to take action immediately. Mr Hobbs said he had been repeatedly interfered with by the inspector of tho Local Board of Health. THE UNEMPLOYED The correspondence from the Government on this subject, referred to by the Mayor in his opening remarks, was read, also a letter from the Lincoln Load Board, stating that certain works .were about to bo undertaken by the B;ard. THE WATER SUPPLY. The following letter was read . 9, Victoria Chambers. Westminster, S.W., April 24tb, 1879. To W*. T. Hubbard, Esq., C.E., Christ church, Now Zealand. Sir,—l am in receipt of your letter dated 12th February las re Clrristchnrch water anpply, informing me that Mr White's scheme has been adopted by the committee of the Council, and I gather from your letter that yon had proposed one of the schemes which camo under my notice when iu Christchurch —" Tho pumping 1 station on tho banks of the Heathcote Eiver, with a reservoir on the mountain, at an elevation of 400 ft., aud an ISin. main, length '■! miles." You further say—" In designing tho scheme I exceeded the Council's instructions, but pvovidel for future increase of population for next ten years, more especially as our artesinns fare signally failing, or for 11 million gallons per day and G jets, which would require 432 feet head to overcome friction iu mains and secure the jet, 100 feet after leaving the lin. nozzle, and 200 feet of hose."

Yon also consider the quantity required by the Council iu the advertisement for the scheme, which it was my duty to review, as " utterly useless." You wish mo to confirm yonr views, imd to sta'e how far up the AVaimakariri the water must be derived to furnish the required quantity and pressure. At this distance, rind under the circumstances of my connection with the subject, I hesitate to take any active part in a discussion which may impede the Council in any course which they, after due consideration, may think proper to take. I am, however, very willing to assist, if I can do so, by a further expression of my views. It was not my duty to go into the details of a complete scheme, but I did remind the Council in my report that under the ordinary conditions of town supply one-half of the daily quantity, which they had fixed at one million gallons, wonld he required in four or five hours, and if they now adhere to this qnautity uuiformly distributed through tweuty-four hours, I can only presume that in their judgment it sufficient, for it must bo remembered that the conditions of Christchurch with reference to its water supply being obtainable over the whole area, and a little above surface level, at a nominal cost. It is, however, possible thnt by multiplying' the artesian pipes the pressure would be 'educed, in which case the water would require to bo lifted by the consumers. On the other hand it is also possible that iu many ca°es the artesian pipes cease to run owing to corrosion and the various impediments which arise to pipes so placed. I think it may be assumed that the present quantity will continue to bo obtainable, and if so. it will have a very important influojco on the consumption of water delivered under pressnre when the proposed new works are established —iu fact, where the water can bo provided as at present gratis, comparatively few people will \iay for a supply under pressure, and if so, it would be a mistake to provide works to deliver a quantity s ich as would undoubtedly be necessary it the present supply wore not ia existence. The above remarks apply more particu : arly to water required for domestic purposes. I may also hero state that for the distribution of the water for domestic purposes the pressure which would givo a jet of 100 feet iu Cathedral square, and which I stated iu my report to be 140 feet, would be ample in assuming one milliou gallons to be delivered during the twenty-four hours, or 112 cubic feet per minute, but, accordiug to ordinary circumstances, where a town consumes this quantity of water, the works should be capable of delivering three time 3 the quantity, or 33u cubic feet per miiuvte. Water, however, may be required for other purposes, such as extinguishing tiros and for mechanical power, when mannal labor is expensive. For both these purposes, undoubtedly, a higher pressure is required, and it wonld appear probable toat when the Council were framing these qnestions they had this iu mind.

Keceut experiments in extinguishing fires in this metropolis (made I was In the colonies) have shown that the head producing the jet is to tho jet IfiO.OO. If then yon add to this 50 feet as the head consumed in passing tho water through 200 feet of hose, the pressure in Cathedral square would require to be IGO MSO - 210 feet. I fail, however, to see that a reservoir would require to be at an elevation of 400 feet on the Heatbcote mountain to give this pressure, oven if tho larger quantity of water you asjume, viz., .'!WO gallons per minute, should be required to pass through an IS-inch pipe. I am quite unable to give the length of pipe which would be required if the Waimakariii be adopted as the source, however, I think tho rise of tho plain is not uniformly twenty feet per mile; but it is easily calculated, having determine! the quantity and the pressure at which it is to be delivered in Cathedral square. There are many paints to be considered in connection with those of pressure and quantity, which I cannot here go into further than to point out, that, if a pumping scheme is adopted, it would manifestly be a useless expense to pomp the entire quantity "for the daily supply to a height sufficient for the extinguishing of fires, or to a height which will give a pressure of 210 ft. when 140 ft. would be sufficient, and in adistriet where coals are expensive, ai in Christchnrch, economy would be obtained by making such an arrangement as would give the higher pressure needful on the occurrence of a fire, and the lower pressure upon all ordinary occasions, this could be accomplished by reservoirs at different levels on the Hc.tthcotc mountain.

I, liowovfi', formed a very decided opinion that the best and cheapest supply of water for Christeliurch would be obtained from the Avon Bprings. Here the purity, without filtration, is undoubted, and can be permanently insured. The quantity is abundant, as testified by the river flowing through the city. Moreover, by pumping direct into the mains, as is very commonly done in this country, it is quite possible to concentrate the higher pressure necessary on the occasion of a fire, within a small area of the town. In no other way can the varying requirements of pressure be so readily and economically obtained. I purpose sending this reply to your letter through the City Council for their information. Yours faithfully, W. Clark. The letter wa3 remitted to the "Water Supply committee. THE COLOMBO STREET BRIDGE. The following lotter was read : Hereford stpcot, Christchnrch, N.Z., June 6th, 1870. His Worship the Mayor of Christchnrch. Dear Sir, —We have considered the question submitted to us as to Mr W. Wilson's liability to pay tho ono hundred pounds guaranteed by him towards the bridge in Colombo street, and are of opinion that although the promise was made in the presence of the other councillors, and a record of it was made in the minutes of tho proceedings of the Council, and action was taken upon it by the Council, still as Mr Wilson did not bind himself by writing in such a manner as tho strict letter of the law requires, it would bo useless for the Council to attempt to compel performance of his promise by proceedings at law. We are, dear sir, Yours truly, Harper and Harper. Cr. Jenkins moved—" I hit two months be 1 allowed to Cr. Wilson to collect the mouiei promised, ami other sums expected for the enlargement of Colomb) street bridge, he renewing his guarantee in writing to this Council, to enable the work to b? put in hand at once." In moving this motion, Cr. Jenkins said if Cr. Wilson would consent to the motion the work would bo proceeded with by the works committee. Cr. Cass seconded the resolution. Cr. Wilson said he would not object if the timo were three months instead of two. He would probably have given the guarantee before this but for tho spirit in which the resolution was moved last week, when he Lad used the word " vindictive," which he had afterwards withdrawn. | After some discussion, the resolution was amended by the insertion of the words " ten weeks " in'lieu of the words " two months." The motion wa3 agreed to unanimously. After some further discussion, the following resolution was moved by Cr. Cass, seconded by Cr. Ayer 3, and agreed to unanimously—" That

on completion of a legal agreement between th Council and Or. Wilson re the cost of repairs to Colombo street bridge, the necessary repairs be proceeded with, in accordance with a previous resolution." surveyor's report. 1. The works committee requested me to place an account from Mr Hale (which is hereto annexed), before the Council to be passed. 2. I have written to Mr McNamara concerning the East belt bridge. The town clerk has a copy of my letter. 3. The channelling of the North bolt and Oxford terrace is being proceeded with. 4. The following building licenses have been granted.—Mr (Joss, High street; Mr Purdie, St. Asaph street; Mr Theakston, Hereford street; Mr Andrews, Gloucester street; Mr Jackson, Peterboro' street. C. Wai.kdkn, City Surveyor. The rep rt was adopted. inspector and ranger's reports. These reports were also read and adopted. ADVISiJR TO THE BOARD. Cr. Binstead moved—" That Mr Neck, soli cifeor, bo asked to undertake to l'-gally advise this Council on all occasions required by it, for an undefined period." The motion was seconded by Cr. Clifford. Cr Jenkins moved as an amendment—" That Messrs Garrick and Cowlishaw continue to advise this Council on all legal matters appertaining to municipal m itters of this Council, and that they now bo retained as solicitors to this this Council " The amendment was seconded by Cr. Wilson, and, after some discussion, was carried. THE SOUTH TOWN BELT. Cr. Gapes moved Borough Council paying one half, this Council proposes to pay one half the cost of forming the south side of the roadway, also the footpath of the b'onth Town Belt from the railway station to the Lincoln road, provided the said works be commenced without any unnecessary delay, for the pnrpose of prov ding work for married men who are now suffering for the want of employment. 7 hit a committee be appointed for the purpose of conferring with Sydenham Borough Cauncil upon the subject, such committee to consist of the Mayor and Cr. Gapes." The motion was seconded by Cr. Ayers pro forma. Cr. Cass moved as an amendment—" That the Mayor bo authorised to inform the Sydenham Borotigh Council that this Council is willing to boar ba'f the cost of forming tho south side of the roadway of the south belt, from the east belt to tin Lincj'n road, with a view to finding employment for the unemployed, provided that the Sydenham Council channel and form the footpath along the same." The motion was seconded by Cr. Wilson, and a r ter a good deal of discussion was carried. HORSE TROUGH. On the motion of Cr. Lezard, it was resolved to remove the horse trough near Madras street in Latimer square. HEMLOCK. Cr. Wilson moved —"That the owners or agents of the paddock opposite the Theatre have their attention drawn to a quantity of hemlock growing there, which, resembling parsley, might lead to accidents of a serious character." Cr. Wilson spoke of the necessity of the herb in question being eradicated. Cr. Cass siconded the motion, which was carried. The Council adjourned at a quarter-past ten o'clock.