CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4950, 2 February 1877, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City .Council was held yesterday afternoon. There were present his Worship the Mayor, Councillors Moss, Moeller, : Cleland, George, Eainie, Allen, Greenfield, and Dransfield. ; MINDIES. The Town Clerk read the minutes of 1a5t..... meeting, which were'confirmed. • • ■ _ CORRESPONDENCE. Copies of.letters despatched since last meet* ing and letters received were then read. THE CORPORATION’S BANK. The following letter was received from the Colonial Secretary’s office : Colonial Secretary’s Office, Wellington, January 24, 1877, Sm,—l am directed by the Colonial Secretary to .(flaw your attention to section 108 of the Munici-pal-Corporations Act, 1876. which directs • that all moneys belonging to the corporation of the .borough shall be paid into such bankas the Council from time, - to time appoints and publicly notifies, to an account - to be called “ The Borough Fund Account.” With a view to ensure that moneys so payable are paid as required by law, I am to request that, in addition to the “ public notification ” Of the appointment of the bank, you will at the same time cause the Treasury Department at Wellington to be informed of any such appointment or change in the bank with which the Borough Council may open aa account.—l have, &c., ; G. S. Cooper, His Worship the Mayor, Wellington.' FIRE BRIGADES. ’ A letter from' the Insurance Agents,' agree* ing to pay £3OO instead of £2OO towards the fire brigades, was read. :: In reply to' Councillor Moss, his Worship the Mayor said the Council did not intend to take over the liabilities of the Fire Brigades. Such a proceeding had never been contemplated by him. Councillor Moss then informed the Council that the brigade with which he was connected contemplated resigning in a body unless they received; some assistance either from 1 the/Insurance Companies -or the Council.He had introduced the subject on the present occasion because he had been told that'a membei; of the Council had said at' a meeting of direc* tors ’of one of the Insurance Companies that the Council intended taking over thediabiUties 7 of the brigades ; and - die wished toknow whether such was the- case or not, because so far as the Central Brigade were concerned, they intended holding a meeting shortly for the purpose of considering their position, and the brigade would certainly break up unless . they could see some way out of the difficuties by which they were surrounded. The Mayor said the Council were willing to assist the' brigades by every means in their power,; but the discussion which ■ Councillor Moss was raising was irregular. ■ ;, - An application - from the Superintendent of the W.V.F. Brigade, for the ainount of grant* in-aid, viz., £l5O,- was granted. • . ■ - . APPOINTMENT OF CLERK, ; : -' There wei-e nine applications for the office of clerk. ’ They-- were, read by the -TOWN Clerk, together with the testimonials accompanying them.—The names of the applicants were:—Messrs. H. F. Blow, Ward, R. If. Wilson, G. Gordon, Si Hollister, G.S.Lockie, Schwartz, Collins, and Page. A show of hands was taken for each of the candidates, and Mr. Page was elected. ' - TENDERS. The next business' .before the. Council was the consideration of tenders for work in different streets. For Eiddiford-street there were two tenders, r as follows,:— Roberts,'' £IOO ; Carswell and Pudney,’ £d r 5 j "thS’'latter;_was accepted.—For Hobs6n-Btreet, 'the tender of Mr, Morrison* ''for'"£9'l23; Ager! chain, was accepted.—For Tinakori-road,- Mr. Morrison’s ■ tender was the lowest—£2l; 13e. 6d.—and it ' was accordingly;, Accepted,—-Hawker-street—Mr. Reeves’ tender was ao* cepted,- the amount of it being £94. Entrance to—Adels ide-road— Mr, - -Reeves!—was— the lowest - tender, namely, £132, which was accepted.- Epunui-street—Morrison, £35 10s. Thompaoh-strCet—Withregard to this; work a ' condition was that no tender over £SOO should be accepted’;’but' 1 the’lowest; tender; that of Mr. McLean, being. 1 for £684, it was resolved to accept .it ’ conditionally'on the residents of the, street-paying the extra £lB4. REPORT,OF INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES. The .report of the’lnspector of Nuisances was read.; ” ’ Councillor, All?n . called attention to-, the fact that paper 1 was thrown -out of the Government Printing Office into the street,'which he regarded as,a,grave nuisance, inasmuch as the paper blew about the place and 'caused .horses Jto take fright'. Therefore he thought the Council ought-to take steps to prevent the , continuance of the practice. , The Mayor informed. Councillor Allen that the place to which he referred was one of those mot - within the . boundary of the city at present, though he hoped it would be shortly. -He had ao doubt, however, that if the head of the Printing Office were; communicated with the practice of which - Allen hemplained would, be stopped. PUBLIC WORKS REPORT. : The report of the 'Public Works Committee was read as follows £ •‘■'Rr.'.-.'.v. . .

X. With respect to tha-contrnct for reducing the upper end of Taranakl-street, the committee recommend that one foot more lie taken off the road at the top end, and as the. contractor Js. wiliing .to_ execute the wqik at the same rate as for the contract, that it be-given to. him. . They further, recommend that a pipe drain he laid, as a! continuation of; that already jvontnmted for, at a cost of about £45. V -y < ~! 2. The neceesity of’.providing a: fresh morgue having been brought before the committee, they recommend that the Trustees of the Hospital-be communicated With with a view to obtaining a part ol the Hospital grounds as a site.-, ■ : 3. On the application of’ the architect for the Club that the Council contribute a share of the cost of laying-down a brick-drain through’ acre No. 467 on Terrace -site of -new Club, the committee are of opinion’that the request cannot be acceded to. ’ 4. On: the! report of the Inspector of Nuisances re depositing rubbish on'and adjoining Old Custom House-street, and suggesting that"a fetTce be'erected, the committee are of opinion that the suggestion should.be carried out. . ' - - - 'Si An: application from.'Mr.- Gisborne re drainage of Boulcoti street has been referred to-the Surveyor to attend to. The Surveyor was also instructed to attend to other places of a similar-nature 6. A-supply of watef fpr building purposes for the new Club now having been granted: oh conditions to ibe narhed/ the Committee [recommend that the payment be at the rate of £2 per month in advance, for term of contract. , 7. The committee recomiuendthat Danicl-street, off Constable-street.be formed half breadth of the street, at a cost not exceeding £l4O. , ’ ‘ ’■ IKSTKUCXIONS TO SOBTEYOR. - To lay down four side drains on the reclaimed land, :as recommended in his report of SSrdj to take .off storm. '- TdUydowh a pipe drain’ in Tinakorl-road from the junction of Glenbervle-terrace northwards to the drain crossing the road.: The contractors for pipe drains to > erect a lamp at junction of May and Jfolesworth fi *To* S attend to drains • at Congregational Chapel. .■Woodward-street.;;,! K - 1 - To repair hole In bridge *at bottom of Kent-terrac* drain, audio extend the fluming abont soft. To repair gratings at lower end .of Taranafci-streel and at the pound, r The Mayor stated that he had communicated with Dr. Johnston, who concurred in the recommendation’ contained , in thereport*.and the only thing now was to oommunicato with’ the Trustees of the'Hospital.: • . With regard- to the -waterworks contract, the Mayor stated that .the ektra work,- for which a bonus was to be paid; tad been executed. ’ \ T ■* , Councillor Mokllkr asked why the building regulations bad not been-printed-and advertised? . t v -- • • , . - ; The Mayor explained that the’printing war not yet completea,and that thers was no. particular hurry for/ the advertisement, as the regulations would not come into force for several 'months/'’-' ’’ 1 “ ’ :. T -

FIXING A WATER BATE. ’ ' The MaVok, i“ accordance with notice given at the previous meeting, introduced the subject of a water” rate.'and, reppatedrwhat be - had said in advance of striking-' "the 'rate forthe half-year. . . He ’ proposed that the 'rat•> be i per cent.', and submitted; the following estimate of income and- expenditure for (6h«t half-year from Ist; January ~"to:-30tK' June, 1877 ;—lncome—Rate era' proptoties supplied with water, valued at £96,970; at ithe raSre of 4 ■ per cent, per annum, -£ISI9 jSg.';- rate on properties not supplied wiftl-'wafer, I valued at £20,998, :at the ; rate o£]2 j!e»jcfflit.tper scutum, £209 19s. 7d.; rate on-. sjtoi-ea,/valued at £32,535, at the rate of annum, £406"-138. 9d.; General ’Governments £2OO ; addition-'-to .‘‘assessment, £100; machinery, 7 £IOO ; wharf; £300; total, £8235 . Is. 4d. Expenditure

£36,000 for nine months from Ist October, 1876 to 30th .Tune, 1877, £2430; salaries, . £450 • wages and material for extension, £250 valuation, £SO; contingency, £56 ; total, £3236. Councillor George moved by way of am end--1 ment that the rate be 4J per cent., hut afterwards, withdrew it, and the motion was therefore carried. The Mayor then gave notice that he should move that the next meeting.be special,sfor the purpose of making the following •.resolutions ,i: by-laws : —' ' . “1. There shall be an ordinary, and there

-niay be an 'extraordinary' supply of water. ' The Ordinary supply o water shall be;for '•domestic purposes only, and shall mean a supx>ly strictly for such purposes ; the Council i ’ reserving the right to determine in every case . what shall be considered an, ordinary supply in - the circumstances of each particular case. ’ (6.) An extraordinary supply of water shall be charged for extra, and at such price as may be arranged. A supply for baths shall be an exetraordinary supply, and from and after the ;lst of January last shall be charged at the rate of

£2 10s.‘per annum. ,“2. All water henceforth supplied to ma-. chiuery of any kind shall be supplied only after the applicants have provided themselyes with meters to guago the. supply, when the water will be charged at the rate of Is. per 1000 gallons; payable monthly. Meters shall be approved of by the Engineer, and fixed in ‘ such places as he may direst, . _ ■ ' “ Any person using water for machine purposes hereafter, without being provided with a meter, shall, upon conviction, be liable in a penalty not exceeding £2 for the first offence. r <<3. Any person wilfully or negligently cansing or permitting, any waste or improper use of water, by leaving it to overflow so as to mn into the street or other open place, by washing vehicles, house walls, of windows with it, shall he’guilty of an offence, and liable, •;Hpon conviction, to pay a penalty not exceeding £2 for'eommitting the same. , - \ "‘ New applications for water supply must ,be accompanied by ‘paymeiit of a sum equal to the rate for the, broken period of the current half-year.” '

... - THE TOWN HA IX. ' Councillor Moeller then moved the resolution of which he had given notice at lastmeet- • jn,/, That the advertisement calling for competitive designs for the erection of. a Town ( Hall be withdrawn. He explained that his ;• /. idea was simply to . postpone the erection of a ' ;i Town Hall to a, more suitable time. At pre■i i- * sent, he maintained, to proceed with such an ' undertaking would be extremely inconvenient, ' ind he had opposed Councillor Greenfield’s motion accordingly, believing firmly that the Council Had quite enough on their hands, just now in the shape of public works, which were , t qf far greater importance as affecting the rate- ' payers than a.Town. Hall could possibly be. " They had "undertaken a waterworks scheme which would absorb £20,000, and _ they pro- ; posed certain wharf -extension which would take another £20,000, and perhaps more; whilst-in,a few days_time they would have i ’ before them Mr. Glimie’s report in reference to the scheme ohdrainage proposed ; and he was confident tjhey would; find by the time all ; occounts were-in, that j their rating power r - was greatly Strained,. He would not say any ■ more on the subject, but content himself with , moving the resolution standing in his name. I ■ No one offered to speak to the question. ? The Mayor therefore put the motion, which ■ was negatived on the voices, | , v. ’Councillor Moeller called for a division, after, the Mayor’had -declared the motion to “be .lost, but it .was ruled that he was-too -■..late., ’■■■;. ■ ' , , ■ ' I - THE DRAINAGE QUESTION. The Mayor stated that the committee bad repoctedjon Mr. Climie’s report, and the subject could be entered on at that meeting if Cquncillora desired. ; . Cn thq suggestion-of Coimdllor DraNsfield . ;it was .resolved topostpone consideration of the report, as the afternoon being then well advanced,‘CoimciUors would not be able to doit justice/: , ‘ - ! . . NOTICES OF MOTION.- ._ . ..... —(j o imi;]] or George gave notice of motion as follows,—That a suitable staff of workmen and carts be permanently, employed in scavenging, "■ ‘aid ‘ that arrangements bo made for. the - periodical removal of house refuse, the cost of ’Such work being paid for out of the rates. : /Councillor AlLen gave notice/ to ask the • L , (Sty Surveyor if the works done on Lambtonquay,, from" the ’ St, * George’s Hall up to, the Government Buildings, 'are 'according to. the ■'specification; 1 and that the specification be laid' , bn the table. ' ' ■-- .;;The Council then adjourned.