CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1792, 18 November 1879, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, Novbmbkb 17. The usual weekly meeting waa held at 7 p.m. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Gapes, King, Bishop, Taylor, Vincent, Cherrill, Hulbert, Wyatt, England, Lambert, and Ayers. The receipts for tho week ending November 7th, were stated as being .£985 3s lOd, and that for the week ending November 15th, including the subsidy (£4201 2s) .£SBBB 14s. The two amounts collected for drainage rate account were stated as being £20112s and £703 2s. The credit balance at the Bank on general account was reported as being £2B3G 5s 6d. Bills to the amount of £2213 18s 8d were passed, and ordered to bo paid. The Mayor said that on November 10th they had held a meeting to consider certain amend, ments in the Municipal Corporations Act. The minutes of meeting would now require confirmation, as the amendments there carried might be necessary for reference on futura occasions. The minutes of the meeting were then revl and confirmed. The town clerk reported that tie city solicitor would forward the amendments as passed by the Council. Cr. Bishop aßked whether the payment of £7OO now passed for tho scavenging contract was for the September quarter. The town clerk explained that tho rates were being got in rapidly, and it would be unwise to issue the notices for the quarters not collected until the old rate was got in. In reply to Cr Ayers, Cr. Gapes said that the works on Cambridge terrace bad not been pat in the estimates for the year. Cr. Taylor asked what had been done about the erection of the new bell tower for the bell presented by the Union Insurance Company. He held a letter in his hand from the Superintendent of the Fire Brigade asking the question, and he wonld like to know when the bell was to be erected. He understood from Cr. King tha the clock tower had been erected so as to see whether the clock and tower could be erected in connection with the fire bell. This was the reason assigned for the erection of thi3 tower, which had been misunderstood. Cr. King said that he had a pet scheme of having Latimer square laid out, and the clock tower erected in connection with the fire bell. He had an idea that a subscription could be got for thi3 purpose, and he should be prepared next Monday to move that the clock and tower, with fire bell attached, should be erected in Latimer square. Cr. Taylor said that what he wanted was, to see that the matter of the erection of the fire bell should be kept before the Council. The Mayor said that the cost of erecting the tower in the yard was from £2O to £25, which waß different to £3O or £4O, as had been stated. Cr. England asked whether it was true that the Drainage Board had departed from their original Bcherae of not putting the sewage into the Avon ? If this was so the Council should interfere. The surveyor explained that a contract for a storm-water sewer had been let to take the storm water into the Avon near Madras bridge. This, he thought, would be a very great benefit to the city, as it would cnt off the water -which now flooded High, St. Asaph, and Tuam streets. This was simply a storm water Bewer, and not for sewage at all. In reply to Cr. Cherrill, The Surveyor said that the experiment of cleaning the wells was not complete, but he might Bay that the flow at the Po6t Office was a little better, and that in the Whateley road much better. When the experiment waß complete he would report the result to the Council. A letter was read from Peter Jansen, asking for leave to stand near the Post-Office with a galvanic battery for a month. The permission was granted subject to the usual conditions. A letter was read from Mrs Potts, asknowledging the receipt of a letter of condolence on her husband's decease. A letter was read from Messrs Harper, Harper, and Scott, stating that their client, Mr Macnamara, was now willing to forego the alterations required by him in the deed of submission, and ready to go to arbitration at once. Cr. Hulbert moved—" That the matter be referred to arbitration, in compliance with the letter of Messrs Harper, Harper, and Scott." Cr. Gapes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. On the motion of Cr. Taylor, Mr George Thornton was appointed a 3 the arbitrator for the Council. A letter was read from Mr E. B. Bishop, pointing out that a great public convenience would be served by a couple of openings beiDg left in Cranmer square, so as to allow of persons crossing it in a diagonal direction. Mr Bishop pointed out that he had asked the works committee to do the work provided he furnished the timber. A reply had been received by him to the effect that the works committee could not accede to the request, as a application had been declined with respect to Latimer square. Mr Bishop now asked permission to do the work himself. Cr. Bishop spoke strongly in favor of the work being done. Cr. Gapes moved—" That the work be done by the Council as asked by Mr E. B. Bishop in Cranmer square, and also Latimer square," Some discussion ensued, in the coarse of which the surveyor stated that the cost would be about £1 each opening. Cr Bishop Beconded the motion of Cr. Gapes. Cr. Taylor moved—" That the matter stand over for a fortnight, in order that the works committee might consider it in conjunction with the proposed alterations and improvements in the squares." Cr. King seconded the amendment. The amendment wa3 then put with the following result—Ayes: Crs. Vincent, King, Taylor, Lambert, Cherrill, England, Ayers. Noes —The Mayor, Crs. Gapes, Hulbert and "Wyatt. The amendment was then declared to be carried. The report of the surveyor was read as follows : No. I—The works committee gave the contract for 20,000 feet of totara to Mr Smith. No. 2—The channelling of New street and Taylor'B lane is completed. The lowering of these streets and Madras street and Moa place is being proceeded with, bnt owing to the large quantity of earth to be carted away it is necessarily slow. No. 3—The erection of the iron tower is now completed. No. 4 —With, regard to the work to be done on the Lincoln road, Mr Bell, the engineer to the Drainage Board, has promised to let me know in a day or two what drainage works are contemplated in that locality, upon receipt of which information I shall be able to report to the Council what improvements can be accomplished. No. s—The works committee have purchased two new horses, so that iny complement of six is now complete. No. 6—The following bnilding licenses were granted during tho month of October : —Mr Gibb, Madras street; Mr Thomas, strong room in Government Buildings; Mr Watt, Manchester street; Mr Goss, Kilmore street; Mr Carmichael, Lichfield street: Mr Matthews, Moa place; Mr Partus, Barbadoes street; Mr de Malet, Armagh street; Mr Morley, Baker's lane; Mr Dollan, Madras street; Mr Geogeghan, Queen street; Mr Walters, Kilmore street; Mr Stocks, Wilson street; Mr Hodd, Conference street; Mr Jones, Eaat belt.

C. "Walkdev, City Surveyor. Cr. Gapes said that the question of the artesian well supply for fire preventive purposes had been before the works committee that morning. The one in the Whatelev road cleared out, and no appreciable rise had taken place in the water. Under these circumstances the_ committee had decided to recommend the sinking of two additional wells to the second stratum of three inch bore, one at Whateley road and one near Matheson'a Agency. Cr. Cherrill suggested that it would be as well to wait until the matter of the water aupply scheme was settled before spending some ,£2OO in Binktng these two wells. Cr. King desired to call the attention of the Council to the fact that the water supply scheme would perhaps be some two years before it was carried out, in the meantime a tingle fire might occur which would cause a loss of three times the cost of these wells. Cr. Hulbert agreed with Cr. King, and would move—" That the surveyor be instructed to have two wells sunk to the lower stratum." Cr. King seconded the motion. Cr. Bishop said that he thought as this experiment was for the solo pnrpose of fire prevention purposes, they should aak the Fire Insurance Association to join the Council in the cost of these wells. Cr. Gapes suggested that the Insurance Companies should be asked to join the Council in putting down four extra wells. In reply to enquiries from Cr. Cherrill, The Surveyor said that the sinking of these wells with the present capacity of the tanks would not increase the delivery of the water to the fire engines more than a few minutes. Cr. Bishop said after the information afforded by the surveyor, it would be aa well to defer the matter. Cr. Cherrill suggested that a trial should be made with one well. He would move as an amendment, "That one well be sunk by the city surveyor as an experiment." Cr. Wyatt seconded the amendment. The amendment was put and lost, only Crs. Cherrill, Wyatt, and England voting for it. Cr. Hulbert's motion was then put and carried in this form, " That the works committee put themselves in communication with the Insurance Association, and request them to join the Council in the experiment of sinking four wellß to the second stratum." Cr. Bishop moved, "That the by-law committee be empowered to call in the assistance of Mr Stocks as a builder, and Mr Cane as an architect, in framing the building by-law." The) motion was agreed to. Cr. Hulbert brought under the notice of the Council the letter of the Ashburton Borough Council, suggesting that a convention of delegates from Boroughs and Municipalities in the Canterbury provincial district should be held to form an association for the consideration of

matters affecting the Borough* and Municipalities throughout the provincial district of Canterbury, and to bring then before the Parliament. He would move — " That this Council is willing to co-operate with the Ashburten Borough Council in an amalgamation of the whole of the Borough Councils of New Zealand for securing the objects stated in their letter of 10th October last." Cr. Bishop seconded the motion, which was carried.