CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1879, 2 March 1880, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, Masch 1.

The Council met at the usual hour. Present—Ors. Ayers, Gapes, King, Wyatt, Vincent, Bishop, Oherrill, Cuff, Taylor, Hulbert, England, and Lambert. The Town Clerk informed the Council that the Mayor was to be present that evening. It was resolved that Cr, Ayers take the chair for the evening. The Town Clerk reported the receipts for the week to be £315 2s Id. The debit balance at the Bank was stated as being £1251 12s 7d. Accounts to the amount of £lßl9 4s 41, including £1395 7s to the asphalte contractor, were passed for payment. Or. Taylor, the chairman of the finance committee, said that on looking over the accounts that day, they were struck with the magnitude of Mr Smart’s account. They found that it was largely made up of repairs of crossings of the streets, and the committee wished to recommend that means should be adopted to save the very large expense now incurred. The committee would recommend that some more substantial method of forming crossings should be adopted in future, so as to prevent what they regarded as an uncalledfor expenditure. Cr. Vincent remarked that the repairs of one crossing alone cost about £25. Cr. Gapes said the works committee could not make up their minds what to recommend. To stone pitch the crossings would cost a great deal. The matter was now under the consideration of the works committee.

Or. Taylor said that what the finance committee wished to point out was whether some more economical method could not be devised for future crossings, so as to obviate the heavy annual expenditure. Or. King moved—“ That the matter be referred to the works committee.”

Cr. Gapes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Or. Cherrill asked whether anything had been done with regard to the driving of cabs round corners. He had asked this question every week for a month. The Chairman said the matter was still before their solicitor.

Cr. Taylor asked what course the Council was going to adopt to have the streets put in order after the Drainage Board and Tramway Company bad done with them. Or. Gapes said that the surveyor had been instructed to estimate the cost of repairing the streets.

Or. King said that the surveyor had reported that the cost was estimated at £2 per chain. The Chairman said that the matter had been referred to the Drainage Board, and they had arranged that their engineer and the surveyor to the Council should confer on the matter.

The surveyor said he had seen Mr Bell on the matter, but he did not think that they would be able to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion. Mr Bell talked about repairing the three feet opened by them, but he desired to point out that the drainage extended far more than this over the roads, notably in Madras street, Antigua street, and North Town Belt.

Or. Taylor asked whether the Council were not entitled to put the streets in good order and charge them with the cost ? With respect to the Gas Company they had taken this course, and he certainly should urge it being done with regard to the Drainage Board. [Hear, hear.) Crs. Hulbert and Cherrill thought the resolution passed last week at the instance of the latter would meet the case.

After some discussion, Cr. Taylor moved—- “ That the matter be left in the hands of the works committee and surveyor.” Cr. Gapes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Cr. Cuff asked what was the result of the cases in the Assessment Court for which the Council had passed an authority to employ an expert. The Chairman said that there was a letter from the assessor on the subject. In reply to a question from Cr. Cherrill, The Town Clerk said that the city solicitor had led him to believe that he would receive the by-law on Tuesday at latest. A letter was read from Mr Whitelaw stating that the valuation list was completed, except that of the tramway line, which was disputed. The case had been adjourned until next Wednesday. The total amount on the list was £219,G60. The reductions in the various wards were as follows :—South-east ward, as returned, £78,319 ; sustained, £77,320; reduction, £999. North-east, returned, £52,630; sustained, £51,580; reductions, £IOSO. North-west, returned, £47,552; sustained, £47,019 ; reductions, £533. Southwest, returned, £43,702 ; sustained, £43,141 ; reduction, £561. Totals, as returned, £222,203 ; sustained, £219,060 ; reductions, £3143. Totals for 1879—Returned, £216,702 ; sustained, £204,060; reductions, £12,642. Increase for 1880 —As returned, £5501 ; as sustained, £15,000. Percentage of reduction for 1880, 1.41; for 1879, 5.83 on the total amounts returned for each year respectively. The members of the Council unanimously expressed their satisfaction at the report. Or. King moved—“ That a bonus of £lO 10s be passed to Mr Whitelaw for his very satisfactory assessment.” Cr. Bishop seconded the motion. Cr. Gapes recorded his protest against the motion being put that evening. After some discussion the motion was withdrawn.

The city surveyor’s report was read as follows:

The estimate asked for by Cr. Gapes’ motion last week will be as follows :— 1

Concrete floor laid 12£t. wide, with channel at the back.

A new 2in. artesian. _ (This, 1 think, will be necessary, as the existing one I find is a long distance away, and gives a very poor supply.)_ A supply pipe running over the channel, with a brass tap every 20ft., and the necessary pipe and grating to carry oS the water. The above arrangement will cost 10s per foot frontage. C. Walkden, City Surveyor. The Chairman, in reply to Cr. Taylor, stated that the frontage was about 180 feet, and that nearly all this was applied for. After some discussion, Or. Gapes moved—“ That the whole frontage be done as described.” Cr. England seconded the motion. Or. Oherrill moved, as an amendment — “ That the reserves committee advertise for tenders for sites on the fish market reserve, and report on the space required and the price for letting, at next meeting.” Mr Hulbert seconded the amendment.

On. Taylor, Xing, Cuff, and Hulbert opposed the renting of the frontage prepared as proposed at so low a rate as 5s per foot. Cr. Gapes withdrew his resolution, and the amendment becoming the substantive motion, was agreed to. The report of the Inspector of Nuisances was read, stating that he had served notice on Mr W. Wilson to abate certain nuisances, which had not been attended to. He also drew attention to the fact that the drainage from the Catholic cemetery came out into the side channels. It was resolved—“ That the works committee serve notice on Mr Wilson to have side channels carried out and the streets formed.”

The clause referring to the Catholic cemetery was referred to the local Board of Health, • A clause having reference to the nuisances caused in the suburbs by the non-adoption of the pan system was referred to the local Board of Health.

The report of the sanitary committee was read.

The following report was read from the water supply committee : Your committee beg to report that, according to their ins'ructions, they attended a meeting held at the fire brigade station on Friday afternoon last. There was but a very limited attendance of ratepayers, but those who were present were opposed to any water supply scheme which would cost so large an amount as the one at present before the ratepayers. Besides the opinions of those present at the meeting, Superintendent Harris stated that he , had received replies from a very large number of influential ratepayers (who had been specially asked by him to attend the meeting) that they did not require any fnrther information regarding the present scheme, as until it has been demonstrated that no cheaper ithema will satisfy the present require-

menta of the city, they would not vote for the present scheme. Your committee also found, on making enquiries among the ratepayers, that there is so large a feeling against the great outlay at present contemplated, that they think it would bo advisable to withdraw the present scheme, and to take steps to obtain an alternative scheme which can be carried out, and at a less cost.

W. Vincent, Chairman. Or. Vincent said that after hearing what they had done, the committee felt it would be wiser to withdraw the whole scheme, and to consider whether a scheme could not be devised which would be commensurate with the wants of the city at a much smaller cost. He believed that information could be had of a scheme which would satisfy the requirements of the town at from £50,000 to £70,000. They might also say that the feeling was against the building of the town hall, and that this also might be withdrawn, and either that the suggestion of Mr J. P. Jameson should be adopted, or a town hall erected on the site near the present building. He would move the adoption of the report. Or. Oherrill seconded the motion. The water supply scheme had been handed to them as a legacy by the late Council, and the committee were .tied down to the Waimakariri scheme. Three engineers had reported favorably on that scheme, so that they might take it for granted that it was the best, provided they could supply 50,000 people to take the water and the large capital required to start it. The water supply committee were quite aware that it would be difficult to get the large amount of capital required, but they trusted to the favorable points of the scheme and the return likely in years to come to arise from it. Mr Blackwell was prepared, he believed, to give them a scheme of pure water for drinking purposes, and a sufficient pressure for fire prevention purposes, also to give sufficient for domestic purposes and for machinery. The scheme would bo one of gravitation, and would bo worked by automatic machinery, not by steam, and would bo as effectual in its way as the Waimakariri scheme would have been. He understood that the rapid strides made in machinery, the latest improvements, advices as to which had only just come to the colony, had rendered the scheme a satisfactory one, which before would not have been so.

Cr. Taylor deprecated the withdrawal of the scheme after the money which had been spent, without going before the ratepayers. He thought they should allow it to be put before them, so that the expenditure they had incurred should not be all wasted. If Mr Blackwell had a scheme, let him submit it to the ratepayers after the present scheme bad been rejected. Or. Cherrill explained that the water supply committee intended to withdraw the scheme only ia order to allow the alternative scheme to be prepared, and then both schemes to be submitted together to the ratepayers. Cr. Taylor pointed out that this was not contained in the report at all. In reply to Or. Lambert,

The Chairman said that no alternative scheme had been put before the committee. Ors. England and Wyatt expressed surprise at the sudden change which had come over the water supply committee. The latter pointed out that months ago the opinion of the great body of the ratepayers was opposed most strongly to the scheme, a fact which the committee should have known.

Cr. Hulbert called attention to the great scarcity of water in the north-east ward. He denied most strongly that there was a good supply of water for domestic purposes in Christchurch. To build concrete tanks and erect a pump would cost as much as ten years’ water rate, even on the present expensive scheme. What the water supply committee saw was the want of water for domestic and sanitary purposes, and they did not wish to jeopardise the getting of a water supply scheme of some kind. The two schemes might go before the public, and they might, if refusing the Waimakariri, take the other one.

Cr. Gapes said that he was astonished at the turn affairs had taken. The committee had urged the scheme as the beat one that could be got, and were confident that it would bo carried by a large majority. [“ No, no.”] And now they came down and wished to withdraw the scheme. He thought that, having gone so far, they should now submit the matter for the consideration of the ratepayers. What he said was this, let the committee, if they believed in the scheme, go before the ratepayers and fight the subject out like men. He was opposed to the adoption of the report. After some further discussion, Or. Cherrill and Or. Vincent obtained leave to add words to the report, which would show clearly that the idea was to withdraw the scheme temporarily only, so as to see if as alternative scheme could not be procured. The alteration was the addition, after the words “at a less cost,” of the following, “ so that the two reports can be submitted at the same time to the ratepayers.” The Chairman said that until the alteration of the report, showing that the scheme was only withdrawn temporarily, he should have voted against it being adopted. The committe had received information of a most important nature, showing that a scheme nearly as efficient could be got for a very reduced cost. Had this not been so he should have been opposed to the report being adopted. The motion was then put and carried. For : Ors. King, Bishop, Vincent, Cherrill, Cuff, Hulbert, England, and Lambert. Against : Crs. Gapes, Taylor, and Wyatt. Or. Vincent moved advertisement respecting the water supply, town hall, and drainage loan be withdrawn temporarily, with a view to the further consideration at a future date.”

Or. fluff seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Cr. Lambert moved—“ That this Council deprecates the action of those in this city who expose their wares for sale on the Lord’s Day, and that they deeply regret that the Municipal Acts do not empower the municipalities to make a by-law to suppress such practice ; and further, that this Council pledges itself to act in conjunction with other municipalities to petition the Governor in Council, or the Legislature of this colony, to pass an Act to prevent Sunday trading.” Cr. Taylor seconded the motion, and stated that the action of the Council in this matter had met with the approbation of all rightthinking persons in Christchurch. _ The motion was agreed to unanimously. The Council then adjourned at 10 p.m.