CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2088, 2 November 1880, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, Novbiibeb 1. The weekly meeting of the Cify Council was held at 7 p.m. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Gapes, King, Bishop,Vincent, Taylor, Oherrill, Cuff, Hulbert, England, Lambert and Ayere. The credit balance at the bank was reported as being £1915 161 7d. The reoeipta for the week were £463 3s Bd. Accounts to the amount of £45110s 8d were passed for payment. A letter was read from Mr Charles Clark asking whether the Council would purohase the portrait of Mr E. J. Wakefield at a cost of £SO. The picture was now in Wellington, and would, it was thought, be an ornament to the Town Hall. The offer was declined, with thanks. A letter was read from Mr H. W. Faoker, offering certain terms with regard to a lease for the establishment of rails across Colombo street. Cr. Hulbert said that the recommendation of the works committee was that the terms that should be granted to Mr Packer were seven years' lease, at £SO down and £25 per annum afterwards. After some discussion, Cr. Taylor moved—" That the matter bo referred back to the works committee, to report at next meeting." The Mayor seconded the motion. A letter was read from Mr H. D'Elmaine, asking leave to erect a tent for Richardson's Show, &3., on the paddock in front of the Theatre Boyal and Criterion Hotel for several days. It was resolved that the permission be given, subjeot to £5 5s being paid. A letter was read from the Selwyn County Council, stating that the attitude of the City Council representatives on the subject of the Park roads rendered any further conference unnecessary. A letter was read from the city auditors, expressing their opinion that a departmental cash book in each department was necessary, and also that an alteration should be made in the form of the receipts given by the officers. The auditors also transmitted the accounts. It was resolved to forward the report of the auditors to the finance oommittee. The City Surveyor's report was read as follows: 1. The alterations and repairs to Cashel street bridge are completed. 2. The Manchester street bridge was repaired in July, 1876, when I reported to the Council that the repairs would enable the bridge to be mod about three years from that time. I find this bridge is still capable of carrying the traffic, but as all parts of the bridge, except the new bearers which I put in four years ago, are in a very decayed state, the bridge will require constantly watching, and perhaps soon closing. 3. The shingling of Chudleigh's lane is now finishsd. 4. Horatio street has been channelled, and the road is now being lowered to suit the channels. 5. Richmond terrace is being channelled. 6. Lyttelton street has been covered with broken metal and completed. 7. The Drainage Board having now finished their work in North street, the Bhingling of that street will be at once commenced. H. Tuesday of next week will be the Prince of Wales' birthday, and that day being one of the holidays allowed the Council's workmen, the men desire to know whether the usual grant will be made them by the Council to astist their picnic. C. Walkden, City Surveyor. The usual amount, £l2, was granted in aid of the picnio of the workmen. The report as a whole was adopted. The report of the reserves committee wac read as follows: 1. Your committee, in accordance with the Council's instructions, invited tenders for letting the old Post office, and now ask for authority to accept a tender. 2. Your committee have considered the question of erectinga suitable market on the Market place. While oon sidering such a building very desirable, yet they are of opinion that in the present financial state of the place it would be advisable to allow the matter to stand over another year, when there would possibly beleis difficulty in obtaining the ratepayers' consent to raising a loan for such a purpose. Your committee therefore ask the Council's authority to let the site for a further term of twelve months. —C. K. HtTLBERT, Chairman. The conditions of tender reserved the part of the building now oooupied by the caretaker. The Mayor said that the Benevolent Association had spent some £6O in improvements of the building. Tbe first clause was considered, and it was resolved to give the reserves committee power to let the building at suoh a price as they might be disposed to accept. On the second clause, Or. Hulbert said that the reserves oommittee did not consider that it would be right to go to the ratepayers now for a loan to erect a permanent market, though they felt the necessity of it. A report of the oity surveyor on the scavengering work of the city was road as follows :

In compliance with the wish of the sanitary committee that I should report upon the above subject, I will commence by describing the work that is required to be done. There are 5236 chains of channelling to be periodically swept and cleansed. This quantity includes private streets. There are 253 culverts and 696 bridges over channels and cross streets, which require careful attention, and a considerable amount of time to keep them in an efficient fetate of cleanliness and free from obstruction. A number of these culverts are nearly a chain in length, and to clean tbem it is necessary to fetch rods and other appliances from the yard. There are 102 underground sumps which require cleaning once a week, for this purpose the iron gratings have to be taken off and the pit to be emptied and the Btuff carted away. There are ten catch pits, to prevent the dirt and sand going into the river, which require cleaning ont once a week. Each of these catch pits contains about a cart load of mud and sediment washed in from the channels, which must be taken out and carted away. In wet weather there are a number of crossings over roadg to be swept. There are fifty-five places in the channelling in different parts of the town which are said to be offensive, and therefore require to be daily lushed and cleaned.

There are seven public urinals to be cleaned and attended to da-ly. It has often occurred here that the streets have b-'come impassable in consequence of a heavy rain occurring in the evening or on Sunday, and in consequence of that the sweepers got orders from me to turn out at such tiinis, which they do, and for which they do not receive

any extra pay. To accomplish all the. above works there are eight sweepers and two carts and h lrsea with their drivers, and after a north-west storm a third oart is often obliged to be put '.n to assist in the work In addition to the above one horse and water cart ia kept for flushing purposes. _ It will be seen from the above that supposing the channels are to be swept twioo in each week, that each man must sweep daily 2<B chains (or 2} miles) of channel. ivg, besides cleaning forty bridges and culverts and one urinal and two tramps. In addition to which the crossings and flashings of channels has to be attended to. If id consequence of favorable weather 'he work it< got through sometimes more quickly than at others, thus leaving the men a port.on of their time at liberty, they are employed at the work of clearing the edges of the roads adjacent to the channels of grass and weeds, which woik ia highly necessary ia the summer months. I -nay here remark that nil the channels are not cleaned so often as twice a week, but there are also some that require daily attention and the efore, to arrive at a somewhat definite conclusion, I have reckoned twice a week all round.

It will be as well to bear in mind that new streets are constantly being formed and channelled, aad consequently the work of the bweepers is also being increased. In frtce of the above evidence, I cannot recommend tbat the staff of sweepers should be decreased, if the work is to be properly done, and consequently the expense cannot he diminished I have reported, both to the Council and to tbe works committee, that it is necessary to provide some plaoe to deposit the refnse that comes from the channels, sumps, and catch pits. At present I am putting it by the side of the river near the cemetery, and if I should be driven from th»t pi -co in the same manner that I have been driven from other places, I >hal have nowhere to deposit it; and if it should be necessary to cirt it to a distance;- it will greatly increase the cost of the scavengering work. C. Waxxdbn, City Surveyor. The report was adopted. In reply to a question from Cr. England, The Mayor said that by some mischance the letter appointing an interview with the Sydenham Council by the works committee had been mislaid, but an interview had now been arranged to take place on Wednesday next.

A deputation from the Tramway Company, comprising Messrs Turner, Coleman, Peacock, Packer, Ellis, Ac, waited on the Council. Mr Turner said that the directors had learned with great regret that some members of the Council had an idea that the Board did not recognise the authority of the Council. They had, therefore, thought that it would be well to have a conference, and they desired to say that they had no idea of acting against the authority of the Council. So far from doing so, they had sought the authority of the Council in all the preliminary steps. They had, therefore, felt that the report of the by-law oommittee as follows :

As the Tramway Company bare declined to fall in with any o( the suggestions of yonr committeo respecting the South belt line, opposite the railway station, and also their refusing to acknowledge the authority of the Council to approve of any deviations from original plans before they are carried oat, your committee can only recommend the Council to rtfuse to consider aDy farther concessions, or to agree to any farther Order in Council until the question of their authority is settled. . Yonr committee are prepared to recommend standing places for tram-cars, but desire more time to consider the license fees to be charged for drivers and conductors.

With regard to standing places, your committee beg to recommend two on the South belt near the railway station, as indicated on the plan attached hereto, and they will be prepared to recommend standing places in other streets, but desiro more time to consider the?e, as well as the license fees to be charged to drivers and conductors.

They did not for one moment accept that position, but wished to remove any objections and to ascertain upon what grounds they were made. They might have erred in small matters, but if they had done so it was in the interest* of the citizens. Therefore, they asked that the concession to go on with the line to the East bolt should be granted, because the whole matter was at a standstill, and they therefore asked the Council to give such instructions as would enable the deed to be prepared. The. Mayor said that he understood Mr Turner had asked the reason of the opposition.

Mr Turner desired to correct his Worship. There was no opposition; what the Board desired to say was this that the oommittee had arrived at their conclusions on wrong premises.

Or. Bishop said that he desired to assure the Tramway Company that there was no personal bias in the matter at all in the action taken by the by-law oommittee, but they bad taken tho steps they had in the interests of the citizens. With regard to the deviations, the committee held a very strong opinion that these should not be carried out without reference to the Council. Mr Turner had avoided reference to the great point at issue, viz., the deviation from the centre of the road to the kerb at the South belt railway station. This was, he thought, the first and great point, and all the other matters would group themselves afterwards. This, he thought, was the first point to be diseussed. As the tramway committee had no knowledge of what the deputation had to bring forward, it oould scarcely be thought that the committee should be bound by what he had said. On the question of the South towu belt station, he thought the oommittee as a whole were ignored. Some discussion ensued as to the Council going into committee on the subject. Cr. Gapes said that he objeoted to the Council going into committee, as it was a public matter. Mr Turner said that the Tramway Company wished the matter to be discussed in publio. Hon. J. T. Peacook thought that if they adhered to the strict rules of debate they would prevent the members of the deputation speaking. Some further discussion ensued, and ultimately it was resolved that there should be a free discussion.

Mr Turner then said that they had a most valuable concession, which tbey valued very highly, and they said this, that they had a right to go to the railway station to take up and put down their passengers, not to block up th*e footpath with their cars. In this they were at one with the by-law committee, and they asked the Council to allow them to carry out the traffio in the way laid down in the agreement between the Council and the Tramway Company without let or hindranoe by the Corporation or any one claiming under them. They, therefore, said that the Council should take such steps as would enable the Company to carry out their work. To put the tramway into the middle of the road was a proposal which, in the interests of their shareholders, they could not agree to. Besides this, the oab and private carriage traffic would be limited to 50ft. between the tramway line and the kerb. Or. Bishop asked whether Mr Turner meant to submit that evening a modification of their South belt line. Mr Turner said that the line had been made by the company under the deed of concession sanctioned by all the officers of the Council, and no objeotion was made. Now, for the first time, these objections had been raised. To show how the oompany had tried to meet the Council, he would point out the passing place at Montgomery's, whioh was made under the supervision of the officers of the Oounoil and without protest. Or. Bishop aßked the surveyor whether he did not protest againßt the loop linos in Cathedral square and in the Market Place ? The oity surveyor said he had called the attention of the Council to it Mr Turner said what the company wished to know was where they had done wrong, and if possible to set it right. Cr. Hulbert said he believed that the tramway oommittee, which was Jthe works committee, had been requested to represent the danger of the passing places both in Cathedral square and the Market Place. Of this oommittee Or. Gapes was chairman. Cr. England thought that there would be great difficulty in allowing the tram-cars alongside the kerb, because there was a large private and cab traffic. Mr Turner said the concession had been granted by the Oity Council to go alongside the kerb. This was a valuable concession whioh they thought very highly of. Then they were asked in a curt letter to take up rails whioh had eost them thousands of pounds, which had been laid down under the supervision of the public authorities, apart from claiming that no vehicle with flange wheels should run on the line. They asked for only the same rights as the other members of the public. If the Counoil were prepared to take this view of the question they would

1 lay before them a plan which would reduoe tke inoonvenienoe to the publio to a minimum. > It would cost the company soma three oi ' four hundred pounds. They had spent £27,000 on the lines, were bringing some 300 or 400 passengers daily into the city, and saving the oity authorities some £4OO or £SOO a year. If they wished to consider this plan he would lay it before the Council. The Hon. J. T. Peaacek said that the Council had very generously given them a very valuable concession, which they valued highly, but they had also subsequently gazetted a by-law which had placed a cabstand after they had granted this concession. ["No.no."] Or. Ay era said he could not allow this statement to pass without contradiction. He distinctly denied what Mr Peacock had said. Mr Turner said there could be no doubt about this, that the tram line would not have out off the part of the cabstand had the company stuck to the plans deposited with the Council. Mr Peaosek said that they considered that they had a right to go through the cabstand to make the line a practicable one. Cr. Ayers said the by law committee had gone with the chairman of the directors of tho Tramway Company to see whether the tramway would cut through thsir cabstand, and it was found it would not. Cr. Ohorrill said that there was no doubt the cabstand had been cut through, and the cabmen had discovered that they could block the tratnears. He thought, on the whole, the publio ootivenienoa would be served by the Dramway cars being put out into the belt with a pathway, kept free from wheeled traffic, for the passengers by the tramway. There was no doubt that the Tramway Company had a right to their frontage as they now had it, but it was liable to be blocked up at any time by the cabs. This being so, he should ; hail with satisfaction the proposal made by ; Mr Turner, if it was feasible. Mr Turner said that what the Council had covenanted to give the company was the right to use and enjoy the undertaking for twenty-one years without let or hindrance from the Corporation or anyone claiming under them. What they now said was this, that they were ready next morning to alter their course so as to go outside the cabstand, the Council reserving to the company the right to use the frontage to the railway station. They looked upon it thus, that the Council asked them now to give up a part of the concession so generously given to them by the former Council, but they did not think it was right to do this and undo what had already been done by the company under the supervision of the City Council officers, at their own expense. They had tried to carry out the suggestion of the committee to stop at the door of the refreshment room, but they could not. They now proposed to take up their lines some 20ft eastward of the entrance of the railway station, the whole of the best part of the frontage being given up to the publio. They would alone ask leave to erect a barrier at the end of their line to prevent the oars running off. The plan as proposed was then laid on the table by Mr Turner and examined by the councillors.

Mr Turner then said that, under tbe deed of concession, they looked to the Council to protect them against the cabmen, and the directors wishing to give the publio the conveniences of the tram cars on the race and show days, requested the Council to take suoh steps as would prevent the cabmen from offering any let or hindrance to the work of the Tramway Company. So much for the railway question. Now he came to the granting of the oonc •• sion on the Lower High sheet line to the East town belt. He asked them to allow them to go on with this work as laid down on the plan. Cr. Bishop said what the committee objected to was the passing places not stated on the original plan being constructed without referenee to the local authority. Mr Turner said that the Council had no right to ask that the company should come to them to request the sanction of the looal bodies. The deed gave them the right*, liberties, and conveniences necessary to carry on the undertaking. Hence the Council had no right to request the Tramway Company to oome and get their sanction. Cr. Hulbert asked whether the company in making any deviations from the lines already laid down would do so without consulting the City Council ? Mr Turner could not say what would be done in the future. If they desired to get another concession, they would have to go for a fresh Order in Council.

The Major said he did not think that what had been done by a former Council should weigh with them as regarded the concession to the East belt.

Mr Turner said they had received a letter, dated July 19th, from the City Council, saying that they were prepared to grant the concession from Cunningham's corner to the East town belt, on the condition that the passing place at the East town belt should be removed. Nothing had been done in the matter, and the expenditure of some £IO,OOO on the line going down the Ferry road was stopped at the outset. Or. Bishop pointed out that the letter did not say anything about the same concessions being granted. The Tramway Company had sent a draft deed of concession, whioh had been declined by the Council. Mr Turner said they had the power of asking the Heathcote Road Board to apply to the Governor to approve of the overriding of the Council not to grant tbe connection between the lines from .the East Belt and the Ferry Road. Or. Gapes thought that the plan laid before the Council that night would be the most feasible settlement of the whole question of the railway station line.

Or. Bishop said it seemed to him that the whole matter had resolved itself into this. The previous concession was a most generous one, and he thought that if the present Council could get for tee ratepayers a part of these privileges, they should do so. It resolved itself into a question of barter. The Tramway Company had a concession whioh they wished to hold, and the Council had other concessions to give for the relinquishment of certain parts of the generous privileges whioh the Company had got from the previous Council. Mr Peacock warmly protested against the matter being called one of barter. _ The Tramway Company had been notified in the matter by certain rags of paper, and now they found out that it was a question of barter, put forward by Cr. Bishop and those who wero working with him. They had come prepared to make concessions, but were met with the statement that it was a question of barter. Mr Turner wished to know, with regard to the question of barter, when suoh a proposition was made. Cr. Bishop said it appeared to him that he was being oastigated by the Tramway directors because they could not get all they wanted. It had been said that the delay on the Ferry road Tramway was inoonvenienoing a large section of the public, but he and a number of others, wero of opinion that the present lines of the Tramway Company were inconveniencing a large number of people. Some further discussion ensued, and then Mr Turner called attention to what the Tramway Company thought a violation of the deed of concession, vis.—by placing a cabstand across the two points round the Godley statue where the company had a right to erect a platform—the company therefore requested the Council to take steps at an early date to remove the cabstands, so that the cars might run in at the two points, viz.—near Messrs Hey wood and Oo.'s and the fruit shop. Another point was, that the Council should delegate to the lompany the power of licensing their own officers, taking a lump sum in payment of the license fees. In reply to Ur. Bishop, Mr Turner said all the terminal and departing traffic would arrive and leave the Cathedral square station on the site of the present cabstand. Some further discussion took place, Or. Hulbert warmly objeoting to the remarks of Mr Peacock as to Cr. Bishop, and also a remark by Mr Turner that the cabmen would not have obstructed the Tramway had they not been of opinion that they had the moral support of the members of the Council. The Counoil then resumed.

Cr. King moved—" That this Council have a deed of concession prepared in terms of a letter dated July 19th, for a concession to tho Bast belt, in accordance with the plans deposited, dated 20th September, 1880; the cost of the deed to be defrayed by the oompany." Or. Gapes would second the motion. Some diecnssion ensued, and ultimately Or. King obtained leave to alter his resolution so as to include the provision that the oompany should not make any passing places on the seetion thus granted without consent of the Oounoil, which was put and carried. The other matters were deferred, and the Oounoil adjourned at 19.45 p.m.