CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 56, 6 March 1875, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The Council met last night. Present, all the members but Cr Thompson. Several letters were read. From certuin gag consumers requesting that the Mayor and Council would use their "potent influence" to ensure a supply of gas during the day for those who desired lo make use of it; from George Garrotr, an employee at the gasworks, refusing to take the meters, as he considered it to he the duty of Mr Younger to do so, although for various reasons lie excused himself from if; from Captain Clouston and Mr Hould applying to have the water service laid on to their houses, the former on the left bank of the Maitai, and the other at Beachville; and from Mr «T. Hounsell requesting that the gaa might be laid on to his private residence. The letters were referred to tbe respective Committees, the Mayor remarking that he had already spoken to Mr Garrett, and told him that his first duty was to obey his orders, while if he had any complaint to make be was at liberty to do so. The ieport of the Finance Committee and statement of accounts were then read as follows : — Your Committee, deeming it their first duly to establish the credit of the City Council, have caret'uliy examined such books and papers as ate available, rrw re ratticularly those relative to the city rates accounts, and from such information as could be gathered from them, find that the ] resent overdraft at the Bank of New Zealand is £1722 lf>9. The Manngcr of the Bank of Xew Zealnn 1 had already refused cinques even for small amounts drawn up^n them, and refused to enUr Jinto ay lreth mg fation, four pgreenieiiis (inclusive of the oil Board of Works) having beca broken, Your Committee having: carefully prepared a scheme and made out a fit ittment of income and expenditure to 31st July, 1875, and which is appended hereto, waitei on Mr Watkins, the Manager of the Bank, who at once agreed that he w\ uld give you the amounts necesf ary lo carry on such works as ore needed, and the salaries of olDcera to tbo extent of suni9 elated, hut with the strict proviso that the town rates shal be c3Mectei as advertise'}, and with all rrai-ticahie disja'.cb. Your Committee must bring prominently bif. re your notic3 that the paj ments of the rate* hive bien advertised to be payable «t their office row 6C?en mouth* pas;, and it appears that ouly £177 4* has been collectel there and by personal solii ration of yvur Town Clerk 15y ustJetß delays nnd procrastination a considerable sum had b.e» lost by failures, deaths, nnd renio\a's, and which we have n> hesitation in stating would have be en in your treasury had promjiiiudu and diligence been used. All gool cit : z.n3. we are pcrsusdsd, will pny promptly when tluy feel certain neither favor or delay can he admitted, ani probably by this moans £350 pir annum would le added to Hih funds for the general gooJ. In concl' cling 1 , your Committee urgo upon the Council the careful consideration of their icbcmc, which will at om e give that Batisfaoticn t> the citizens to find that the trodit of the city is agiin CBtab ished, ant that the body of Councillors may think with S">n e prido that their city is not iu that moribund »»nd helpl,sily ciorjjani e I c tuilition sinia journals and person* have represented it. Josfcrti 11. Ikvikx, Chairman.

iiad waited upon the manager of the Bank, who had expressed himself perfectly satisfied with the statement as just read, and was willing to meet all the weekly expenses of the Council, provided tbat they guaranteed that the income and expenditure should continue to be i& accordance with that statement If the rates could be collected as proposed the overdraft would very soon be materially reduced. The Mayor said that everything depended upon the collection of the rates. All that the Bank manager required was tbat they should collect wbat was owing to them without fear or favor. He had every desire to assist them, and the ratepayers of the town Bhould feel grateful to him for having pulled the Council up when he did, thereby keeping them within business limits. Cr Webb wished to know how their present position was to be reconciled with the Act, which only allowed them to have an overdraft equal to onefourth of the previous year's rates. Cr Harper said that the debt had been incurred by the Board of Works before the Council was constituted, and consequently the clause referred to was not applicable. He would move the adoption of the report, and thought that they should devote all their energies to collecting the rates, as, at present, there was an overdraft of £1700, upon which they were paying interest, while at the same time an equal amount was owing by the ratepayers. He thought they should not be under any obligation to^ their banker, nor be placed in such a position that be was able to dictate to them, as they had ample funds at their disposal if they would but oollect them. After some further remarks, the report was adopted unanimously. The following report upon the gasworks was then brought up by Cr Habpeb and read : — Having learned from tb.3 Manager that the supply of tar is far in excess of the demand for consumption, would recommend to the Council that as soon as practicable tbe as me bo utilised for asphalting the Bide walks of tbe streets also tbe providing a shed for the storing of a quantity for sale in casks of tbe size usually imported; also the purchasing of a few iron tanks for storing such tar as may accumulate. We learn from tbe Manager tbat he has now but one sound retort out of the nine. Of the remainder, four ure entirely useless, the other four are in use but very leaky, and require continual patching. As we understand that three new iron retorts made by Mr Moutray are to be fixed next ireek, and that hx new clay rctcr:s are on their way from England, would recommend that a further supply of c'ay retorts be immediately or<Vei from England, bo that an extra supply may be always on hand to meet breakages from ar cl 'ent or otherwise. The Manager reports that at present two stokers only are employed, wiio work twelve hours per day and seven dayß per week, their w«ges being £3 per week. Your Committee would recommend that three stokers be employed, and tbat the third should be competent to act as foreman in the necosary absecce of the Manager, whose cu ics as City Surveyor must entail an otcisional absence from tbe works. As iu the event of a considerably increafed consumption of gas, the present gas bolder would 1 e inadequate to the profitable voringeftua concern, jour Committee would Buggcst that the Council take into consideration t u .e question of providing another gasbolder. ttaving inspected tbe Manager's residence, your Committee Avould recommend that it be shingled, p9pered, and painted where required. Gbo. Harper, Chairman, Robert Gray, W. C. WilkiVs. Cr Burn thought the report would require consideration. Some of the works mentioned were certainly quite necessary, aa if the consumption ot gas was increased by one-half it would be impossible to keep up the supply. The Mayor said that there were between £3000 and £4000 lying to tbe credit of the gaiwoiks account, which sum, however, was beyond tbe control of the Council, but might possibly be obtained from the Provincial Government if it were shown that it was re* quired for necessary works. Cr Wilkins thought some of the smaller matters referred to in the report should be attended to at once, but with regard to the others further information was necessary both as to the actual requirements, and the ways and means. He thought too much was required of the labor men, who should not be aeked to work for more than six days in the week, nor on those days for so long as twelve hours. Cr Hakpeb was of opinion that the Council should have a full and exhaustive account of the actual cost of the works, the value of the plant, and the amount of interest to be paid annually. Tbe Mayor Baid that what they principally wanted was a thoroughly efficient manager, in whom tbe fullest confidence could be placed. Cr Burn thought it was unfair to reflect upon the management, as the wotks had been handed over to tbe present manager in the most disgraceful condition. If be had bad his way the Council would never have taken them over in the state they were in. Under tbe late management, too, there bad been a shameful waste of coke, which had been wheeled away and buried, but was now being turned to account. Cr Webb would like to ask Cr Burn if, while blaming the late manager for the Btate of the retorts, he was not aware that he had made application to tbe Provincial Government for cew ones? Cr Burn believed that the retorts had been spoilt by mismanagement. The City Sukveyob: Mr Mayor, will you allow me to say a word? The Mayors Certainly not, Sir. It was then resolved that six tanks be procured for holding the tar, and { that estimates be obtained for putting

the manager's residence at the gasworks in repair. After passing the accounts the Council adjourned until Friday the 19th tast.

.I.jm.M.vTi:** Ac* 'oust of Inoomk nnd E.v--j-iixniTVUK of the Nklson City Council Irom Mnivh 4th to .T.ly 3lst, 187'. I '■>, come £ 8. d. £ s tl. To'al rate 2200 0 0 Collected 177 4 0 I72i_ IG 0 l.a'an_2 of ra'cs due to 'ate Bond of Works, say 140 0 0 Log Tickets, estimated by Mr Shallcrass 22.. 0 0 Balance due on Provincial (_ ..vernment vote ... GO 0 0 Fines uuder Bye-hws, estimated 10 o 0 .£2157 It! 0 To halauce available towards extinguishing overdraft ... Ir.SO 10 0 Contingency — Any sum that may he voted by l\ovi cial Council say 200 o 0 Expenditure — £ s. d. £> a. d. Town Clerk, 5 months 125 0 o do 2 months overdue bQ 0 o 1 7/» o 0 ; Surveyor, 5 months 104 3 4. ditio, 1 (.verdue 20 16 0 12;. 0 0 Day labor, 2 men for 22 weeks 13S 12 0 do, 3 men, 22 weeks 10l 4 0 23!) 16 0 T> tal in salaries £539 Ifi 0 Ilorsc-fccd, estimated 70 0 0 Printing and Stat onery, owing and for cur ent five months, estimated 90 0 0 Sua try Bmall accounts due to tradesmen 27 10 0 Contingencies ' 5) 10 0 'I'o halanc. 13S0 10 0 .___ 57 IG 0 To B :nk overdraft £1710 15 4 Cr Everett stated that tbe Finance Committee, of which he was a member, (.For continuation see fourth page _