CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1986, 6 July 1880, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The City Council met at the usual hour last evening, there being present—The Mayor (in the chair), Crs. Gapes, Ayers, Lambert, Vincent, Taylor, Cuff, England, Bishop, Oherrill, Thomson and Hulbert.

The debit at the Bank was stated to he £23X4 5s lid ; receipts since last meeting, £2331 3s 8d; bills to bo paid, £BO4 4a ; drainage account, £66 15s fid; receipts, drainage account, No. 2, £233 14s 3d. A letter, apologising for absence, was road from Cr. King, and stating his opposition to the Eire Brigade Bill. The Mayor read a draft of a proposed Bill for delegation of powers to Local Board of Health, which was about to be sent to Wellington. It would be necessary for them to consider proposed Fire Brigade Bill, and he had received the following telegram on the subject from Mr Stevens, M.H.R. : “ Unnecessary to withdraw Bill, an, if unsuitable, it can bo dropped. Was assured the Bill was generally acceptable.” He bad also received a telegram from Messrs Richardson and Andrews, M.H.R.’s, expressing surprise that the Council was unaware of the action taken by Mr Stevens re the Bill. A petition was read from residents in New street, at the top of Madras street, asking that lamps should be placed in the street. It was referred to the lighting committee. The Council agreed to extend its patronage at the annual performance on behalf of the Foresters’ widows and orphans fund, to be given at the Theatre Royal, on the 29th instant. A demand was sent for the payment of £lO as subsidy for special wires to fire brigade stations. On the motion of Or. Gapes, the finance committee were authorised to wait upon the insurance companies and ask them to bear the cost of the wire. The manager of the Tramway Company (Mr J. B. Brown) wrote —“I beg to enquire whether your Council has arrived at any conclusion respecting the application of this company for permission to lay a tramway from Manchester street along High street to East town bolt. I desire also to ascertain from the Council if it would have any objection to the route of the tramway to Addington being taken from Cashel, Montreal, and Tuam streets, and brought along Oxford terrace to Cathedral square.” On the motion of Or. Taylor the matter was left in the hands of the works committee and surveyor to report at next meeting. The report of the city surveyor, as follows, was adopted:—

Several cases came on for hearing in the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, with respect to violating the building by-law, but, as several technical objections were raised, judgement was deferred. I have obtained permission from the Chairman of the Domain Board to deposit street sweepings and mud in the park, which will become valuable for use in that place and save the Council the expense of carting to some more distant place. The Tire Brigade committee reported : Your committee have had submitted to them by the Superintendent a design for a medal to be presented to members of the brigade for long service in lieu of t’-e present method of recognition of such service, and recommend that for two years’ service the usual certificate to be given,(for five years’ service a silver _ medal of the design submitted, for every additional two years’ service a silver bar to be added to the medal.

The Council voted a sum of £3O for the purchase of medals. The committee recommended that the Council adopt the proposed Eire Brigade Bill. The City Inspector reported : I have the honor to report that, having seen the statements made by the Inspector of the Local Board of Health re the sanitary condition of Christchurch, I cannot allow it to pass without commenting upon it. In the first place there are 323-1 houses on the rate rolls for 1880, and I find that there are 3177 houses, which have had pans emptied during the last quarter by the contractor, thus leaving a balance of only 57 houses not attended to. I cannot, therefore, tell where he can find 108, as stated in his report. Again, I have been requested by a great many of the ratepayers to make special call at their premises, owing to having received complaints from the Local Board inspector, and in doing so, in nearly every instance, I have not found anything to complain of, the notices being quite unnecessary. I think, therefore, under these circumstances, you will admit that the whole thing has been very much exaggerated. I quite agree they have done good, as the town cannot be too often inspected, but owing to so much of my time being taken up in assisting Mr Leahy, which cannot be avoided unless more assistance is obtained, I cannot devote so much attention to the general inspection of the city as I should wish. I have written to Mr Brightling, the contractor, drawing his attention to the manner his men leave the pans after emptying them, which is much complained of, and causes great uneasiness. Or. Hulbert considered the report alluded to was a complaint against the sanitary committee, of which he was a member, and the city inspector. Or. Taylor said he had personal experience that some of the complaints made were not unfounded.

The eanitary committee reported— Your committee wish to ask authority to call for tenders for 100 pans, as the 1000 contracted for have all been sold. The surveyor has been instructed to make a drawing and specification of an improved shaped pan. Tour committee instructed the inspector to keep his daily record book up and placed on the table every meeting of Council. We recommend that the city bo divided into two districts, and each inspector make the inspecting and collecting of such dis trict. Inspector Hobbs to report. Wo also recommend that the ranger make a house to house inspection, with the view of looking after unregistered dogs, and making a general sanita y inspection of promises, and record same in a diary. Tour committee visited the proposed site of the urinal in right-of-way at the back of the City Hotel, bnt could not satisfactorily settle the matter, as the site seems small. The aurveyor has been requested to measure the site and report. The inspector has been requested to report on the Local Board of Health inspector’s report re cesspits. The report was adopted. It was resolved, on the motion of Or. Cuff, to rescind a former resolution of the Council handing over to the Board of Health the duties in connection with the sanitary work of the city. The Council then proceeded to discuss in detail the proposed Fire Brigades Bill, each clause being taken seriatim.