CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2516, 2 May 1882, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the Counoil was hold last evening at seven o’clock. Present — His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Ayers, Bishop, Vincent, Louisson, Hirer, Hulbert, England, Lambert, Treloavon, and Bowman. The statement of finance showed that the credit at the Bank was £2021 3s 9d ; receipts for the fortnight, £514 14s 9i; bills paid, £753 15s.

A letter was road from Mr David Oraig, Sinking Fund Commissioner, stating that the Sinking fund account to March 31st was ready, and would be forwarded as soon os the necessary certificate re investments was obtained from the Government auditor. A letter was received from Mr G. W. Simpson, calling attention to the bad state of the road in Queen street, and stating that those having frontages on the part of the road referred to —halt a chain wide—were willing to give half a chain of their land if the Council would form and channel the street free of cost to those giving the land. Referred to the works committee.

Messrs Neil Black and W. Jameson, city auditors, wrote certifying to the correctness of the accounts of the city treasurer for the financial year ending March 31st, 1882, and to the satisfactory manner in which the books are kept. Mr Thomas Tail, applying for permission to number the houses in the city. He said he had made a canvass of the principal streets, and a sufficient number of the residents were willing to pay for having their premises cumbered to make it worth his while to enter upon the undertaking. The charge would be lo for a Sin number, except in regard to business premises, where special terms would have to be made,

Or. Vincent thought the numbering of the houses should be undertaken by the Council, and not to bo entrusted to’private individuals. Besides, the time had hardly yet arrived when this work was necessary.

Or. Lambert said an attempt to number the streets had been tried before, and failed. When tho proper time arrived, the Council should take the matter in hand itself.

The Mayor was very glad this application had come before the Council, and he would heartily support it. If the matter were left to the Council it would never be done, and it ■would be better to hand it over to a private individual on condition that only a certain charge were made. The numbering of the bouses would be a great convenience to the public, and such a thing was necessary in every well regulated city. Or, Hulbert thought the time had hardly arrived for adopting the course proposed. A great part of tho city was still unbuilt upon, and many houses would be pulled down and rebuilt, which would cause confusion in tho numbers. If a private individual were to undertake the work he would be met with great opposition from the owners of houses. _ Or. Bishop referred to the great inconvenience at present experienced by visitors and others in ascertaining whore people lived. If this work were loft to the Council, it would be a great many years before it would be carried out. It would be done much better by private enterprise, and the cost was very trifling indeed. Or. Treloaven thought the work would only be half done if left to a private individual, and that it should be undertaken by the Council.

Or. Bishop moved—“ That the matter be referred to the by-law committee for their report. Or. Lambert seconded the motion, aud it was oarriad.

Tho city surveyor’s report was road as follows

(1) A plan herewith shows the position of the crossings in High street (colored blue), which wore the subject of an application from Mr Crocker, and the works committee recommend that the one marked A should be granted. The works committee requested me to furnish the Council with the coat of different aorta of paving for crossings, Ac. Asphalt crossings cost 5s per superficial yard. Crossings laid with stone pitchers cost 10s 6d per superficial yard, and the crossings laid with wood in the same manner that they are laid in Wellington, will cost 2la per superficial yard, (2) I have called the attention of the works committee to the fact that it will be absolutely necessary to provide means nest summer to batter snpply the water carts with water, and I have suggested that two largo tanks be erected, the one in the Market Place and the other at the top of Cashel street at the river, both tanks to be supplied by pumps from the river, and the works committee recommend that my suggestion be complied with. (3) A petition has been sont in requesting that a lamp may be erected in Stewart street. The lighting committee cannot recommend this to be done, as there is no gas main in Stewart street. It is, perhaps, as well to point -ont that ona lamp would bo useless in Stewart street, as it is 18 chains long, and the street is not straight. There is a main at both ends ; that is to say, along the South belt, and also one along St. Asaph street. (4) The bnilding belonging to Mr Qreen has been removed from the right-of-way running from Colombo street to Manchester street, and the requisite notices will be at once served and the work of channelling and forming commenced. (5) The agent for the Mastodon Minstrels has requested to be allowed to erect a temporary balcony for the band over the footpath in Gloucester street in front of the Theatre. (6) It has b:en reported to me that a private street leading from Madras street North is becoming a nuisance, in consequence of want of proper surface drainage. The street is at present unformed, and if it were formed and channelled it would abate the nuisance.

The report was dealt with as follows :

Clause I—Or. Ayers explained that the creasing selected was the one that would be most used by the public. It would, perhaps, bo instructive if the city surveyor would state the relative merits of the different materials for crossing. If wood would last ten times longer than asphalte it would be cheaper to use it. He moved the adoption of the clause.

The City Surveyor said his experience of wood pavements in England was that they were a failure. Of course there was a greater amount of traffic in London than there was likely to be in Ohristohnrch, and the English climate was leas favorable. As far as stone was concerned we had no granite that would stand, and the coat would be double that of asphalts. Or. Louisson opposed the motion, which was supported by Ors. Hulbert, Ayers, and Traleaven.

Or. Lambert moved as an addition to the motion—“ That the crossing be of asphalte.” The motion was carried with the addition proposed.

Clauses 2,3, and 4 were approved. Clause s—lt was resolved that the application be refused.

Clause 6 —On the motion of Or. Ayers, it was decided that the work should bo done according to the Act. Or. Ayers called attention to the bad state of the footpaths and side channels at the north-east corner of the belt, and asked whether it was not the dnty of the Avon Hoad Board to keep them in repair. The Mayor thought that in the case of boundary roads half the expense was borne by the Eoad Boards, and the Council carried oat the work.

Or. Ayers moved —“That the Town Clerk be instructed to write to the Avon Boad Board, directing their attention to the bad sanitary condition of the north end of the oait belt, and informing them that if the work was r.ot done by the Road Board the Council would carry it out under the Municipal Corporations Act.” Or. Lambert seconded the motion, which was carried.

Or. England moved the following resolution— “That the question of licensing churches and chapels be referred to the bylaw committee for consideration, and if necessary to obtain legal advice ; to report at next meeting.’’ Tho motion was seconded by Or. Lambert and carried.

Gr. England, referring to a previous discussion in tbe Council on the eubject of insurance rates, said ho had obtained some figures which bore out the statements ho had made in regard to this matter. Tho return was as fallows: Christchurch insurance rates—Wood building and contents, iron roof, lined walls, detached 30ft and over, 20s ; ditto, and detached under 30ft, 22s 6d. Auckland insurance rates, in localities adjoining the city where there is no water supply— Wood buildings and contents, iron roof, walls lined with timber, detached 30ft, 10s ; ditto, and attached up to four in a block, 15s ; ditto, and detached under 30ft, 12s 6d. Those portions of Auckland not having any water supply (Parnell, Ponsonby, and Newtown) are in a very much worse position than Christchurch—no tanks or steam fire engines. The Council passed resolutions striking the following rates, payable on tho 29th May : General rate, Is tin the £ ; special drainage rate, 3d in tho £; Waitnakariri rate, 2d in the £.

After disposing of some routine busineju, the Council adjourned.