CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1763, 14 October 1879, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, Octobbh 13. The usual weekly meeting of the City Council was held at? 7 p.m. Present—Hiß Worship the Mayor, Ors. Taylor, Gapes, King, Bishop, Vincent, Cuff, Hulbert, Wyatt, England, Lambert, and Ayers.

The receipts for the week were announced as being £412 Os lOd. The debtor balance at the Bank on general account was stated as being £3053 83.

Accounts to the amount of £1358 83 lOd were passed for payment. It was resolved .that the petition of the inhabitants of ths portion of the city from Peterborough street to Colombo Bridge, to water these streets, be acceded to. Or. Taylor asked what was the pecuniary result of the labors of the City Banger. So far as he saw, they were paying £2OO a year for doing work which should be done by the General Government.

The Mayor said that the salary of the ranger was £l5O a year, and this had been more than recouped by the fees arising from the number of dogs compelled to be registered by this officer. In addition to this the great damage done to side channels and footpaths by cattle and horses before the appointment of this officer had been saved.

In reply to a question from Or. Bishop, The Town Clerk stated that £485 10a had been received for dog tax for the laßt three months of the financial year. Or, Bishop drew attention to the dangerous state of the turn near the Barbadoes street bridge, opposite the Star and Garter Hotel. The surveyor was instructed to see what could be done in this matter.

In reply to Or. Ayers, the City Surveyor stated that the Lincoln road between the Hospital and railway gates was under the control of the city. The Mayor, in reply to the same Councillor, said that he was not aware that there was a fund in the hands of the County Council for these works.

It waß agreed that the lighting committee have power to have two lamps erected between the Hospital and South town belt on the Lincoln road.

A letter was read from the Canterbury Fire Insurance Association, enclosing cheque for £250, being the contribution of the association towards the expense of fire prevention for the current year. The letter was received. A letter was read from the same association, forwarding a resolution to the effect that the association could not see its way clear at present to contribute, as asked, to the cost of erecting the proposed new fire bell tower, but that perhaps a reconsideration of the matter might take place at a future date. It wag suggested that aB the work was not one of paramount necessity, the Council might see the advisablenees of postponing the matter for the present. With regard to the reduction of rates in view of the new water supply system, the association could not give any reply, as the system might not be in work for some years to come.

Cr. Taylor briefly explained the action taken by the Fire Brigade committee with respect to the contribution of the Fire Insurance Association towards the erection of the new bell tower.

Cr. Taylor said that, with regard to the matter of reduction of rates of insurance, the question would right itself. If the Council provided better means for fire extinction than at present, and the present companies did not reduce their rates, it was probable that others would be formed who would. [Loud cries of " Hear, hear."}

A letter was read from certain owners of property in Cathedral square, stating that they hud laid off a right-of-way from Cathedral square to Gloucester street. After a desultory conversation, the matter involving tho removal of a building was referred to the chairman of the sanitary and works committee, and the surveyor to take the opinion of the city solicitor on the building by-law. A letter was read from the Ashburton Borough Council, forwarding the following resolutions agreed to by it:—" 1. That, in the opinion of this Council, it is advisable that a municipal association be formed, comprising all the boroughs within the Canterbury provincial district, for the purpose of furthering the interests of municipalities in general." "2. That copies of the foregoing resolution be sent to all Borough Councils within the provincial district, asking them to co-operate with us in this movement, and if they are willing to do so, a general mooting of delegates be held in Christchurch at a date to be fixed."

The Mayor said he thought the scheme should have gone further, and included all the Municipal Councils in the Middle Island. Cr. Gapes said that nothing had come out of the late conference, attended by MrHobbs, for the benefit of municipalities. . The Mayor pointed out that Cr. Gapos was in error in this, as many useful and important amendments were made in the Municipal Act by the conference, and adopted by the Parliament. It was resolved to reply that the matter was under the consideration of the Council.

The surveyor's report was as follows : 1. An application to hire the old Post Office building has bjen sent in, and will be laid before the Council.

2. Several applications in answer to the advertisement for a hydraulic engineer have been sent in, and will be laid before the Council. 3. The works committee have given away tho following contracts: —To Messrs Duncan Bros., for iron water-cart; to Mr Dnflbar, for dog collars; to Messrs Vennal and Moore, for channelling. 4. The channelling of Madras street and the forming of New street is commenced. 5. I have sent a large quantity of earth into the Monastery grounds. C. Walkden, City Surveyor. An application was read from Mr J. L. Fleming, offering £6 per month rental for the old Post Office.

Several councillors expressed their fears as to what the building was to be used for, the offer not stating this. Ultimately the offer was referred to the works committee, with power to accept it if they thought fit so to do.

The report was approved. The report of the Inspector of Nuisances was read and approved. A letter was read from Mr H. Toomer, junior, asking for the patronage of the Council on the occasion of a concert, to bs given on October 30th. by the Third Battalion Band.

The Mayor pointed out that this band had given its services gratuitously on many occasions, and the Council granted its patronage. The report of the finance committee was road, as follows : Tour committee beg to report that the question of obtaining stone and shingle for next year's nso during the current financial year has been carefully considered, and tho result arrived at is that your committee consider that all the stone and shingle required by the city surveyor to be delivered before the bad weather sets in, can be procured in ample time by inviting tenders for the supplies in three or four months' time from now, thus placing the matter financially in a satisfactory position. A lengthened and desultory discussion ensued, and ultimately it was resolved that the works committee be empowered to procure enough broken metal to keep the twelve old men, who had been in the employ of the Council so long, employed. Cr. Grapes moved—" That an architect bo engaged to modify tho design for town hall and municipal buildings which iB under motto of 'Well considered,' and in such modifications to so arrange both the Victoria and Colombo street elevations for small shops or offices, as the case may be, and also slight internal brick partitions for such rooms as space will allow in addition to town hall, supper room, &c, on the ground floor, such rooms to be for lettisg at a rental for tho purpose of making the said buildings reproductive, and meet interest, &c, upon borrowed capital, and that the upper floor consist of Council Chamber and other necessary offices. Fur-

ther, should the ratepayers consider at any future period that the revenue of the city could afford the annual amount necessary to meet interest, &c, upon loan, the said fronts and partitions could be removed, and the building converted into its original intended design." He desired to point out that "Well considered" stood second to "Bobbie Burns" in the decision of the combined committee. It was an expensive design, but the opinion of the ratepayers was that they should have a good town hall or none at all. The revenue from the shops, &s., would be about £2OOO per annum, and, with the rent of cellarage, would meet the interest and sinking fund on the loan. Ors. Hulbert, Ayers, Taylor, and Wyatt opposed the resolution, on the ground that the question had practically been decided, and that they would be spending money in alterations of plans which they had not in their possession. The resolution was then put, with the following result: —Aye—Cr. Gapes. Noes —Ors. Bishop, Taylor, Hulbert, Ayers, Wyatt, King, Lambert, Cuff, England, and Vincent. The report of the designs committee was road and approved, recommending " Avon " and another plan for submission to the ratepayers, the second to be selected by the Council.

Cr. Taylor moved—" That the sum of £7O be appropriated by this Council for the purpose of erecting the bell presented by the Union Insurance Company." Cr. Lambert seconded the motion.

Cr. King moved as an amendment—" That the surveyor be instructed to provide a plan of the proposed tower at a coßt of £100." The amendment was not seconded. Cr. Ayers then moved—" That the matter be deferred for the present." Or. Vincent seconded the amendment.

The Mayor said he felt sure that the Insurance Companies intended to forward an additional £250 to that already sent as their annual contribution for a bell tower.

After some discußsion, Cr. Ayers withdrew his amendment, explaining that he had moved his amendment under the impression that it was to be a temporary work. Now that he was informed that it was to be a permanent one, he asked to withdraw his amendment. The amendment was withdrawn.

Or. King then moved as an amendment—- " That the surveyor be instructed to prepare a plan for a fire-bell tower at a cost not exceeding £100." Or. England seconded the amendment, which was put with the following result: — Ayes: Crs. Grapes, Bishop, King, Vincent, Hulbert, and England. Noes—Crs, Taylor, Ayers, Cuff, Wyatt, and Lambert. The amendment was therefore carried.

The Council then went into committee to consider the applications for the post of engineer to the water supply scheme. On resuming it was reported that Messrs Hubbard and Black well had been appointed.