CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2446, 7 February 1882, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

«, An ordinary meeting of this body mi held' last evening at seven o'clock. Present —His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Lambert, Bishop, Cuff, Vincent, Halbert, Louisson, Treleaven, Bowman, and Hiorns. The statement of finance was as follows : Receipts for the fortnight, £727 14i 8d % drainage rate account, £55 lis 2d ; Drainage Board No. 2 rate, £525 14s 2d; bills paid,. £570 16s 7d; bills to be passed, £231 11» lOd. The credit at the Bank was £2500 2s 43. A letter was read from Mr H. W. Packer.. asking for a reduction in the rent paid for the privilege of laying a line of rails down across) the South town belt. The application was. declined, on the ground that the terms of the concession had been agreed to by both, pirtios. The following letter was received from MrThomas Bearrell, architect:—" For some years paßt the necessity for a permanent market building for the City of Ohristohuroh has been very apparent. I now submit to theOhristohuroh Oity Council designs for such building, whioh would, I think, be in every way suitable, firstly because the whole of the> site is utilised, and this ia a great consideration, looking at the value of the ground, and secondly, the cost of the buildingß would be very small considering the area covered, and the materials used in their construction. __ I propose to construct the buildings of brick with white stone facings and galvanised iron roof. The oovered ways to be lighted and ventilated by glass lantern lights and louvree from cbove as shown on section. I have set the whole block 2 ft. back from the footpath, and propose to hinge a flip from the sill of each shop window, which may be lowered or raised afc will for the storekeepers to expose their wares upon. I will not enter into an elaborate explanation of the drawings, but will let them speak for themselves. The approximate estimate for the whole block is £6BOO. There are eighty-seven shops in all—viz,, forty-one fronting on Victoria street, Armagh street, and Oxford terrace, these, I think, would be worth £35 per annum each; and forty-six fronting on the covered ways. I estimate the annual value of theße at £3O, mobing a total rental of £2315 per annum, on an ou'lay of £6500." The Mayor said Mr Searell had sent thisletter of his own motion. He himself did not agree with the proposal. It was not shops that were wanted, but a market.—Cr. Hulbert was also of opinion that it would not be desirable to ereot shops to come into competition with private enterprise.—Or. Hiorns was rather in favor of the proposal.—lt «u resolved that the letter be acknowledged with thanks. The Oity Suiveyor's report was eaad aa follows: 1. The City Council's reserve near the night Foil reserve has been fenced in. 2. MrTurrell'«-rif*htof-way, from Montreal street, has been formed and metalled. 3. The late north-west winds caused a great deal of damage to the

teoea alongside the river, and the damaged trees lave been lopped and the branches cleared away. ■4. The laying of the Ferry road tramway hai been commenced in High street. 5. Pyko_ street has been formed, and will be at once shingled. ■«. I have received a letter from Mr Drewett, which is annexed hereto, asking for an increase of salary. I laid the matier before the works committee, and they recommend that it he increased .£SO per annum. 7. One of tha two houses in Queen street that was written about to the Council, and said to be in a d mgerons stato, has been pulled down, and tha other is in the hands of the police. 8. Tho fees colleoted for building permita during tha month ot January last amount to JJIB, and the permits issued during the Fame month were as follows : —Mr Simpson, Queen street; Mr Bickerton, Stewart street; Mr Mills. Horpforrl street; Mr Lloyd, South belt; Mr Carr, North belt; Miss Kelly, Walker »treet; Mr Greig, Kilmore street; Suffolk Brewery Company, Barbndoes Btreet; Mr Ptockd. High street; Mr Abel, Walker street; Wealeyan Paraonape, taot belt; Mr Parker, Gloucester street; Mr Ayers, High street; Mr F. A. Bishop, Colombo street; Mr Banks, St. Asaoh street; Messrs Duncan and Cotterill, Bedford Bow; Messrs Whitoombe and Co., Cashfil Btreet; Messrs England and Martin, Mollett's right of-way; Mr Cunningham, Lichfield street; Mr MbSweery, Manchester street; Barrett's Hotel, Manchester -Btreet; Messrs Cook and Roes, Armagh street; Messrs May ard Co., High street; Mr Nashelski, Hereford street; Mr Belmer, Colombo Btreet; Messrs Beauchamp and Bell, Colombo street; Messrs Dean Bros., Tuam street. C. Walkdbn, City Surveyor. The different olauses in the report were put and approved of seriatim. On the motion of Or. Hulbert, seconded by Or. Hiorns, it was resolved to procure the additional hose for the fire brigade, recommended bv Superintendent Harris, at a oost of £146 13s 41. Or. Hulbert atked if the water supply committee was still in existence, and whether or not it intended to submit any scheme to the Council. He thought that if they recommended the previous scheme or an enlargement of it, it would now be acoepted by the .ratepayers.—Or. Hiorns said the committee -was still in existence, but after the rebuff whioh they had reoeived from the ratepayers, he did not think they would be inolined to bring the matter forward again just yet.—Or. Lambert referred to the fire at Gisborne, and asked whether or not there was a water supply there.—Cr. Hulbert said in that case damage to the extent of £IOO,OOO had been done, and the same thing might occur in Ohristohuroh any day. The Mayor suggested that a motion should be tabled with a view to the question being discussed at next meeting. He was of opinion that a soheme should be considered without further delay.—Or. Hulbert subsequectly gave notice that he would move at next meeting—" That the water supply committee take into their consideration the question of an efficient water supply for the city of Ohristchuroh." Or. Bowman called attention to the state of -the tramway lines, and asked whether it would not be better for the Council to take the matter in hand, so as to prevent tho possibility of accidents occurring.—Or. Bishop -■aid it had been admitted that this was outside the jurisdiction of the Council—Cr. Vincent suggested that the repairs might be made, and the cost charged to the Tramway Company.—The Mayor thought the city surveyor might again call the attention of the company to the matter. Or. Yinoent said the company should be informed that if they did not keep the lines in proper repair the Council would bo obliged to -take the extreme course of cancelling the concession. The Mayor said he would have a letter sent somewhat to that effect. Or. Louisson moved—" That the'ftime has arrived when the Council should consider tho advisability of erecting cart bridges to replace the present footbridges across the river in Antigua and Gloucester streets." These were two of the principal streets in the town, and he saw no reason why they should be left without cart bridges, particularly as the traffic was rapidly increasing. He had reoeived a numerously signed petition in the cose of the Antigua Btreet bridge, which he would present at the proper time. Or. Lambert seconded the resolution. He could speak more particularly as to the necessity for a bridge at Gloucester street. —Or. Cuff opposed tho motion, on the ground that _ the Council was not at present in a position to carry out these works. In his opinion neither of these bridges was required. There was already sufficient means ■of communication in the vicinity of Gloucester Btreet, and with regard to Antigua street there was not sufficient truffle to warrant the expenditure.—Cr. Lambert agreed with the lost speaker, and thought that if there was -any money available it should be applied to improving the existing bridges in other localities that required repairs.—Or. Bishop sympathised with Cr. Louisson in the matter, and did not tee why the two streets mentioned in his motion should be left out in the cold.—Cr. Hiorns supported the motion.—Or. "Treleaven thought that the street orossings were of far greater importance than these bridges.—Cr. Hulbert said he would support the proposal if the Council had the money to expend in the way suggested. The Mayor -said the question was—were the bridges necessary, and could the Counoil afford the expenditure? The matter had better be referred to the works committee and the finance committee for their report. Or. Bishop suggested that the works committee should be asked, when forming their estimate for next year's work, to take the question of these bridges into their consideration.—Cr. Liuisson expressed his willingness to acoept this suggestion. With regard to the financial aspect of the question, whenever any new works were suggested, it was at onoe said that there were no funds. He did not himeelf see the necessity of having a floating balanoe of £2500 not bearing interest when there were pressing works to be done. It was resolved —"That the question be referred to the works committee to ascertain if there are funds whioh can be allocated for these works." The Counoil then went into committee, and on resuming adjourned.