CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1703, 5 August 1879, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The usual weekly meeting of the City Council was held last evening. Present — His Worship the Mayor, and Ors. Wilson, Binstoad, Tremayne, Clifford, Lezard, Cass, Ayers, and Gapes. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. FINANCIAL. The town clerk reported that the debit at the Bank was £3166 9s lid. Receipts for the week—general account, £689 2s 6d: drainage rate account, £72 16s lOd ; drainage account, No. 2, £247 12s Bd, Accounts amounting to £ssg 5s 10s, were passed for payment. MATCH'S EEMAEK3. His Worship stated he had received a letter from Glasgow, from the secretary of the relief fund, acknowledging the receipt of the money which had been subscribed in Ohrist-

> church. He had also received a lei ter from ' Mr Mellish, referring to an alleged inaccuracy in the compilation of the rate rail, which has ■ been brought under his notice by Mr Leach, the city assessor. The matter would be brought up later on in the evening. His Worship also stated that he had been waited on by the Kev. Mr Gumming, the master of the West Christchurch School, referring to the deplorable state of the streets in the vicinity of the school, which seriously militat'd against the attendance. There should be an average attendance of 800 scholars, whereas from the cause he had mentioned there was only an attendance of a fourth of that number. He could speak from personal inspection as to dreadful state of the streets in question, the condition of which, from a sanitary point, ought to be brought under the notice of the Board of Health. He hoped that the sanitary committee would at once take the matter in hand with a view of something being promptly done. Several influential merchants hud waited on him, representing the inadequacy in point of numbers of the police force for the protection of the city, especially at night. It had been urged upon him that the Council should take the matter into consideration with a view of impressing on the Government the necessity of an increase in the number of the force. SCATENGEBINOTwo petitions relative to street cleansing were referred to the works committee. CONFERENCE STEEBT. In answer to Or. Wilson relative to repairs in Conference street, the city surveyor did not remember the matter having been referred to the works committee. Cr Gapes said no instructions had been given with regard to the street. The city surveyor said the footpaths would bo attended to in the course of the week when tho necessary material in the shape of fine screenings was delivered. NEW LAMP. The city surveyor, in answer to a question, said that the lamp at the corner of Park terrace and Carlton bridge would bo erected in the course of eight or nine weeks. WOEK FOB THE UNEMPLOYED. The Mayor said Mr March had called on him asking if the Council could put on more men to stone breaking, as they had 3000 , yards of rubble to come in, and the work if it could bo put in hand would aid the unemployed. Or. Clifford said an had been made with two contractors to bring in 270 yards of metal, but another contractor was willing to bring in more if the Council would give the necessary permission, and that would give work to the unemployed. Cr. Tremayne suggested that the only work which could be given of the nature pointed out would ba for the men to break tho stone at the quarry and tent it over. Cr. Gapes said that the Council could give work to any number of applicants if they were willing to camp out and work at the quarry. Tho matter was left in the hands of tho works committee and the city surveyor, to see if they could make arrangements for stonebreakiog at the quarries, as the state of the roads rendered it impossible to bring the stone into Christchurch.

NOBTH TOWN BELT, A letter was read from Mr Salter, complaining of the disgraceful condition of the footpath on the touth side of the North Town Belt. Mr Salter waited on the Council in person, and further explained the necessity for something being at once done to the footpaths. The matter was referred to the city surveyor. THE BATE BOLE. A letter was read from Mr G. L. Mellish enclosing the following communication from Mr Leach, the assessor for the Borough of Christchurch. Mr Mellish stated that neither he nor Mr Walker had any recollection of the circumstances mentioned in Mr Leach’s letter; neither did he know under what authority the alterations in the rate roll, suggested by Mr Leach, could be made. Christchurch, July 19th, 1879. G. L. Mellish, Esq. Sir, —On the occasion of your sitting to revise the rate rolls of Christchurch, two or_ three errors unfortunately occurred in the revision. I had agreed with several of the ratepayers to a reduction in the valuation as stated in the list. The reductions wore made on the objection forms, and agreed to by me. The objectors did not appear, in consequence of my having so objected. .... x The City Council have no objection, as I believe, to the alterations being made, aa they are as-ured that except for your unfortunately being unwell at the time the Court sat, the same would have been made at the time. May I ask you, therefore, to take steps to have the alterations made, as claims for the full amount of the rates appearing on the rolls have been issued, I have the honour to be, Sir, Tour obedient servant, F. G. P. Lbach, Valuator for City of Christchurch. The following are the alterations required:— S.W.—No. 144, Thomas, .£240 to £2OO ; No. 582, Parkerson, £6O to £25. N.E.—No. 493, Mabley, £2l to £ls ; No. 660. Stoupe, £7O to £SO. His Worship said the matter was a serious one, but he did not see how it could bo altered now. The provisions of the Eating Act gave the Council no power to alter the rate roll until the next year. It was decided that the Council coutdl take no steps in the matter.

BYE-STEEETS. A letter was read from S. Jones drawing the attention of the Council to the state of the bye-street in which he lived. The street in question extended from Madras street to Barbadoes street. It was resolved —“ That the town clerk call the attention of Mr Jones to the form of agreement provided by the Council to meet such eases,’* CITY SUETEYS, A letter was read from the survey office forwarding for the use of the city surveyor twenty copies of a lithograph, showing the position of the stone blocks, inserted to mark the correct lines of the streets, and to give definite starting points for any surveys undertaken within the city. The letter contained suggestions referring to the future erection of now buildings, fences, &0., and to encroachments on the footpaths within the limits of the city. Or. Cass moved—“ That the suggestions of the chief surveyor be adopted, and that the beet thanks of the Council be given to that gentleman for the valuable work performed and for the lithographs forwarded to the Council. Also, that the officers of the Council he instructed to take the necessary action in the matter.” teiangle. Or. Lezard moved “ That the attention of the Board of Health he called to the right-of-way in the Triangle.” Or. Binstead seconded the motion, which was agreed to. W. Hayward wrote asking permission to stand his ’busses for not more than ten minutes in the vicinity of the new Postoffice. It was resolved that the Council had no power to grant the request, as there was no public stand there. AEMAGH STEEET, Mr George Simpson wrote drawing attention to a foul lagoon in Armagh street. Cr. Trcmayne said the works committee hoped to be in a position to relieve the residents shortly. CAB LICENSES. W. Simmons wrote asking for the transfer of the license of cab 57 to another vehicle owned by him. The transfer was conditionally granted. SUETBYOB’S eebobt. No. 1. Oxford terrace east is being formed, and the earth from it is being used to make the approaches to Barbadoes bridge. No. 2. Messrs. Ford and Newton s nght-of-way is being formed. . No. 3. Seven new iron culverts are being placed in different localities, where wooden ones have hitherto existed. No. 4. Several roads have been repaired with shingle and broken metal, and I am using both shingle and metal as fast as I get it in. No. 5. Several extra carts are being employed to cart away the mud from the roads. No. 6. I have, by instructions from the lighting committee, advertised for twenty new street lanterns. C. Walkden, City Surveyor. The report was adopted. collectoe’s kepoet. The collector’s report was read and adopted. inspectoe’s ebpoet. The inspector’s report was read, and clause 4 being referred to the Board of Health, the report was adopted. BANGEE’S EBPOET. The ranger’s report was read and adopted. LICENSES. A carrier’s license was granted to William Lewis. WATBE SUPPLY COiniITTEE’S EEPOET. Tour committee having only late to-day received a communication from the Waimakariri can bnt furnish a brief report respecting the 1 progress of the experiment being conducted there ■ by Mr Stocks.

The airlock, which was supposed to have been put in thorough repair before leaving Christchurch, it appears was very fauUy, not one of its doors being airtight, and consequently the water could not be reduced to enable the men to sink, sundry bolts, fasteners, &c., were also wanting, bnt which have subsequently been supplied, and the faults in the airlock doors have been thoroughly rectified, and the sinking of the cylinder commenced in earnest on Friday afternoon last, it being down to the depth of nine inches (9ft. Sin.) by Saturday evening, and everything in good working order. _ Local men being found unwilling to work within the confined limits of an airlock, three willing men were sent up to-day from town, so that the work is at last proceeding satisfactorily, and the foreman expects to finish this week.

Tour committee hope, should tho weather continue fine, that the real pith of tho experiment (the pumping tost) may also be successfully put through this week, and if so a further report will bo provided at the next ordinary meeting of the Council. B. Cass.

The report was received. In connection with the water supply a letter from a correspondent referring to Lane’s Mill was referred to tho water supply committtee. BELT, TOWER. Cr. Gapes moved —“ That a bell tower ho erected at the Lichfield street station, for the purpose of tho bell being hung to tho height of 45ft. from the ground, at a cost not to exceed £2OO, contingent on tho Fire Insurance Association paying ono-half the cost/ 7 Cr. Wilson seconded the motion. Or. Casa moved as an amendment —“That on the fire insurance companies erecting or authorising the Council to erect a fire bell tower to the height of 81ft., as per design, this Council pledges itself to contribute a sum not exceeding one-third the total cost of the same.” Cr. Lezard seconded the amendment, which on being put was carried. INCENDIARY HIRES. Cr. Gapes moved—“ That in consequence of the large number of fires within the city of late, and it being the opinion of the citizens that such fires are the work of some incendiary, it is the opinion of this Council that the number of tho police force of the city is inadequate for the detection of tho offenders ;■ that, as the city is rapidly increasing in numbers and value, tho Government bo respectfully requested to augment tho said force immediately.” Cr. Binstead seconded tho motion, which was agreed to. Tho Council then went into committee, and subsequently adjourned.