CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 150, 22 June 1878, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The Council met last night. Present, all the members. On the pay sheet being read. Cr Harley objected to the iteiil " ExpenSe3 of diiputation, £15." He said that the Mayor had called a public meeting, hi which general interest was taken, but on the receipt of a ttelegram from the Government by one of the city members; it was postponed} and in its place a hbie and corner meeting Was held in a shoemaker's shop, when it was decided to send a deputation. They went, but did no good, for they got nothing more out of the Government than had been said in the $legraiti. It was true tHat they Had got Mr Duncan to help them a good deal, but his services might just as well have been secured by telegraphing to him. On these grounds he should oppose the vote. His Worship said that he shonld not take the trouble to reply to Cr Harley's remarks} but wpuid put the iteth, |?hicn was carried,* Cr's Harley and Little voting against it. i A letter was read from Mr Pitt on behalf of the trustees in Webley Brothers estate, asking for ah' extension of the time allowed for occupying fcfertdin , ldpd nettr the mill. After a lengthy conversation it Was decided, on the motion of Cr Everett, that the permission he extended until the Question of ownership be settled in the Court. Crs Harley and Crewdson voted against the restoration. 4 A letter fro,m the tinder Secretary, stating thai the Customs authorities bail instructions to test all kerosene before it was passed if the Council desired it and would render assistance, was held over for consideration. A letter was received from Messrs N. Edwards and Co. and Gross Brothers, 1 com- . plaining that they both had to pay Q pti? cent water rate in addition to is per ton for water. The generally expressed opinion was that, as the petitu hers made sixpence ou every tou tit" water Bolrl, they had not much to complain about, and it was resolved that the petition be not entertained. A petition from certain residents in Catnbri&'atreet, asking that leave be not granted to Mr Warren to erect a slaughter-house on | the mudflat, was referred to the Public Works Committee. The report of the Finance Committee contained the 'following'" recommendations: — "That Mr T s Scott be required to furnish the name of probable consumers in the district; before the gas be laid on to bis" house. Agreed to.— That Mr Warren's application for permission to erect a, slaughter, house be refused. Agreed to.— That the brick house near the Gasworks be repaired in order that it may be Used for a kerosene store. " On the motion of Cf Hooper it was resolved that plans and specifications be prepared and tenders called for.— That the Surveyor be instructed to plant poplars and willows lound Victory Square. Agreed to.— That the Surveyor be instructed to coufer with Mr Thomas Mackay regarding the compensation for taking the railway through the land now occupied by the Corporation stables. Agrfeed to.— That it was not advisable to send a representative to the Municipal League, as the City members could be communicated with in reference to any matter specially affecting Nelson. Agreed to.— That Mr Garrett's wages be increased from 10s. to 12s per day. Agreed to.— That the price of gas for cooking purposes be reduced to 10s per 1000 feet, after the Ist July, and that the price generally be reduced as soon as possible. Agreed to. The City Surveyor's report showed that during the month of May 701,360 feet of gas bad been made from 67 tons of Coal Pit Heath coal, and that the loss by leakage, &c. had been 15 per cent. The Inspector of Nuisances reported that he met with some dificulty in carryiug out his duties owing to the absence of any provisions for the removal of night soil. The nuisance at the lower part of Bridge street and at the back of the Postboy still continued. The back yards and such places were much improvedi A longdiscussion ensued, Cr. Crewdson speaking strongly regarding the " fever pit " near his house. The Council had made Mr Wither fill up the hollow near the Congregational Church, but would not make Mr Curtis, the agent for ; the absentee owner of the said " pit," perform a like work there. The reason, he supposed, was that Mr Wither was only an ordinary man, whereas Mr Curtis had once been Superintendent:— Cr Everett did not think they possessed the necessary powers. This was one of the questions that came before the, last, Municipal Conference, but, in common with; every^other suggestion it made, no notice whatever had been taken of it — Cr Harley moved that Sections 238 and 239 of the Municipal Corporations Act be put in force against the owners of property at the back of Bridge and Gloucester-streets. Agreed to. Several applications to store kerosene were granted on the recommendation of the Surveyor. . ■ ; ; .•■:■:•.■.•.,.. Cr Little again brought up the petition for asphalting with more signatures attached to it. On being asked if he had any idea of the cost, he said he did not know exactly, but thought it might be about 2s 3d, 2s 6d, or 2s 9d per yard. ' He moved tfcat the asphalting be proceeded with. This was negatived, the Ayes being Cra Little, Harley and Johns. Cr Little again moved in the matter of the market, saying that Mr Augarde's late premises might be secured for the purpose at a low rental, or purchased for £100.— Cr Harley seconded, pro forma.- Ct Crewdeon would prefer to see an open market in Tra-falgar-street; north.— The motion was lost, the Ayes being Crs Little and Harley. On the motion of Cr Harley, it was resolved that a bye law should be prepared to compel hawkers to take out licenses. Ayes : Crs Harley, Little, Crewdson, Hooper, and Hounsell. Noes : The Mayor, Crs Levien, Everett, and Johns. The Council then adjourned.