CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2112, 30 November 1880, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The City Council met at seven o'clock last evening. Present —His Worship the Mayor (Mr Iok), Ors. Ayers, Lambert, Hulbert, Cuff, Oherrill, Taylor, Vincent, King, Grapes, England and Bishop. The Mayor announced that there was a debit balance at the bank of £BOS 14s 4d. A statement of accounts for the week ending the 29th November was read, showing the total receipts to be £228 18s 3d. Bills to be paid, £307 19a 2d. Receipts on drainage rate 1879 and 1880, £3 Is Id; Drainage Board rate 1879—1880, £lO 16s sd. The accounts were passed for payment. The correspondence since last meeting was read, including one from Mr J. P. Oliver, which had been received by the Mayor during the day. It was decided to take the letters in their proper order. A letter was read from Mr Tribe, as follows : City Council Office. November 29th, 1830. His Worship the Mayor and Councillors. Gentlemen,—l beg to tender you my thanks for yonr kindness and consideration in voting me compensation for the loss of my situation, thongh at the same time I cannot but respectfully expreas my aßtonishmoat that an officer of more than thirteen years' standing should have been thus summarily dismissed without any reason assigned, or without having had an opportunity afforded of rebutting any charge that may have been brought against him. I have not time, nor do I feel equal just now, to enter fully into matters which have at last culminated in my dismissal, but I crave permission to be allowed to do so on some future occasion. I have, &e„ P. C. Tkibe, Collector. Perhaps the Council will be good enough to grant me, I won't say a testimonial, but a certificate of the time I have been in the service. It was agreed to accede to both requests contained in Mr Tribe's letter,the testimonial to be drawn up by the departmental committee. The Mayor stated that in accordance with a motion by Or. King, the Town Councils of Auckland, Invercargill, Dunedin and Wellington had been communicated with in reference to the cost of the consumption of gas in the lamps of the respective towns, and answers had now been received. The lettors were road, showing the number of lamps, the cost thereof, arid tho amount of gas consumed by them in each town. Following is a table of the comparative returns:—

Or. King intimated that he would open digmission on the subject at next meeting. The aubject was postponed by consent till nezt meeting, the town clerk being instructed to furnish each councillor with a copy of the above return. A letter from the Tramway Company was read, containing certain suggestions for the settlement of the tramway disputes. A report from the tramway committee of the City Council was also read, making the following recommendation: — Your committee recommend that a trial be given to the proposal of the Tramway Company for standing places A and B, mentioned in their letter of the 17th inst., such trial to extend over a period of one clear for the purpose of practically testing the working, with a view to ascertaining whether or not the traffic would be interfered with before permanently settling the question. E. C. Bishop, Chairman. Cr. Bishop moved the 'adoption of the report, and made some remarks in support of the course suggested. Cr. Gapes seconded the motion. His Worship said the recommendation of the committee seemed to be the most reasonable outcome of the matter.

The report was then adopted. The town clerk was instructed to write to the Tramway Company, stating what had been done in the meantime.

In reference to certain charges brought against the town clerk regarding the alleged non-payment of his rates, A letter was read from Mr J. P. Oliver, stating that certain inconsistencies in the administration of the functions of the Council having come to the knowledge of the ratepoyers, he (Mr Oliver) sought to have an inquiry made into certain alleged facts. The first of these facts related to alleged nonpayment of rates on different oocasionß; it was also stated that the town clerk was, in his conduct towards his subordinate officers and the public generally, " other than exemplary," and charging Mr Haskins with general inefficiency as town clork. The Mayor remarked that it would be only right to give Mr Haskinß an opportunity of answering these charges. Cr. Taylor suggested that the letter should be referred to a committee, who could make inquiries into it. The charges made were ntv perious, and he thought they ought to be VJJ tiii ed to the departmental committee. U£ Hulbert asked whether the departmental committee had not already had the matter under consideration ? Cr. Yincont said a portion of the matter had come before the committee, and it appeared to them that the charges in reference to the non-payment of rates were very frivolous indeed, and not worthy of further

comment. His Worship—You have only considered one matter then ? Or. Vinoent —Only the one matter. Or. Cuff wished to offer a few remarks on this subject, in the belief that, after the Council heard them, they would arrive at the conclusion that the complaints made were not in reality worthy of their consideration. In the first place, he would ask the Oounoil to receive with caution all communications emanating from the person whose name was attaohed to the letter under consideration. He (Or. Ouff) had known the gentleman for some time by repute, and it appeared that he had always been notorious for Btirring up mud and creating disturbances whenever the slightest opportunity presented itself. The committee had gone into the charges brought against Mr Haskins in reference to the nonpayment of rates, and found that the Council had little or no claim to censure the town clerk. With referenoe to other reflections contained in Mr Oliver's letter, they bore evidence that tho writer had reoeived assistance from some of the Council officials who were not working and had never appeared to work well with Mr Haskins. Personally, he could say that he had always found Mr Haskins to be a most zealous offioor, and one thoroughly competent to fulfil the difficult duties of hia responsible position. Then, as to his salary of £4OO, which was made so much of, he thought if they compared this with any other city worthy of the name in New Zealand, they must acknowledge that Mr Haskins was not receiving anything more than adequate and fair remuneration for his services, his salary being lower, in fact, than that of any man occupying a similarly responsible position in the colony. But apart from this, as he had said, he thought they should be careful what credence they gave to letters of this kind from a person bearing the reputation of the writer, especially as the letter bore the evidence of a certain amount of animus on the face of it. Or. Gapes wished to say, on behalf of the town olerk, that he was not, to his knowledge, in any way to blame in relation to the matter of Garter's lane. It was then resolved to refer Mr Oliver's letter to the departmental committee. The report of the oity surveyor was read and adopted aB follows: 1. Horatio street has been channelled and reformed ; North street has also been finished and shingled. 2. I am going to lay five informations for breach of the building by-law. 3. Now that the new artesian is connected with the tank in Victoria street I find that the supply of water is adequate to feed the water carts. Or. Hulbert reported that a test was about to be applied to one of tho city fire bells, and on behalf of the Fire Brigade asked for authority from the Oity Council. The request made was mmediatoly granted. Or. Lambert withdrew his motion, given notiee of at the previous meeting, in reference to the enlargement of the Viotoria street tank, having ascertained that a sufficient supply was already available for fire-preven-tion purposes. Or. Bishop moved—" That steps be token to initiate a system of lettering or numbering the different blooks throughout the oity, to afford a more ready means of indioating any particular locality, and that the by-law comImittee prepare a report for the approval of the Oounoil." The motion was carried.

Cities. 1a £ ?! Cost of Lighting each per Tear. Qaantity Consumed per Lamp per Tear. Cost per lOOi-ft. Christchurch... £ s. d. 8 9 12 0 183 8 3 0 a. a. ] 11,000 12 6 Wellington ... Dunedin Iuvercargill ... Auckland 184 7 9 llf 477 8 8 0 1S2 5 15 3J 145 3 5 0 34,045 10 6 net 6i p. hr. 10 0 6,513 12 6 14,773 11 2