CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4974, 2 March 1877, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Thursday, March 1. Present ; His Worship the Mayor, Councilcillors Cleland, Mills, Moeller, Kainie, Greenfield, Allen, George, and Dransfield. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The Mayor brought before the Council a letter he had received asking him to proclaim Wednesday, 7th March, a public holiday, in consequence of the Hutt Agricultural and Pastoral Society’s Show occurring on that day, and asked the opinion of the Council on the matter. The Council disapproved of the day being observed as a municipal holiday. A letter was also read from the Colonial Secretary, as follows ; “ Colonial Secretary’s Office, “Wellington, February 16, 1877. “ gjß ) —With reference to our conversation on Wednesday last, I have the honor to inform you that the Government desires, with the concurrence of the City Council, to hand over at once to that body the management of the charitable aid in Wellington. “ You are aware that deductions are to be made from the subsidies voted to local bodies, amounting to half the charitable aid expenditure incurred on their behalf respectively up to the'3oth June next. The other half is to be charged on the Land "Fund. “ If the Council is willing to take over the whole management sf the necessary charitable aid in the municipality, all deductions from the subsidy on this account will of course cease, and the Government will further subsidise all contributions made towards your charitable aid fund at the rate of £1 for every £1 per annum subscribed and paid by private individuals on account of the period ending the 30th June next. “ The society of the Benevolent Institution has received £l5O a year from the Provincial Government in aid of its subscriptions, and has with this, assistance relieved a great deal of distress. The'society has informed the Government that •it is not in a position to undertake the whole management of charitable aid in Wellington with such aid as the Government can give. The Municipal Council would probably find in the society a useful auxiliary in carrying out the duties which the management of the charitable aid will involve —I have, &0., " - “Chas. C. Bowen. “His Worship the Mayor, Wellington.”

In reference to an encroachment on Willisstreet by Mr. Flanigan, it was stated that the property was to be sold in a few days, and it would be sold subject to the reduction of the encroachment.

A letter was received from Mr. Baker. complaining that he suffered great annoyance and loss in consequence bf the Council’s servants trespassing on his property. It appears that Mr. Baker’s land adjoins the land purchased by the Corporation for the formation of a reservoir, and that access to this land cannot be had except through Mr. Baker’s land. A road has been made through the land, fences pulled down, and gates left open. The letter was referred to the Public Works Committee, PRBDERIOK-BTEEET. Tenders were opened for metalling Frederickstreet, and that of Messrs. Pudney and Carswell was accepted. Councillor George wished no tender to fee accepted in order to allow of kerbing being added to the specification. Councillor DraNSFIBLD said he was opposed to kerbing until some cheaper mode than that now adopted were brought into operation. A great deal of money had been wasted in kerbing. Councillors Mills; Cleland, Greenfield, Allen, and Rainie took part in the discussion which followed, the acceptance of the tender being decided by the casting vote of the Mayor. DESIGNS FOR THE TOWN HALL. It was resolved to hold a special meeting of the Council to consider the competitive designs for the new Town Hall sent in. They were reported to be ten in number.

INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES REPORT. A report from the Inspector of Nuisances was read and referred to the Public Works Committee. PUBLIC works committee’s report. The following was read : “1. A deputation having waited on his Worship the Mayor asking that further water mains may be laid in the neighborhood of the late fire, Old Custom House-street, your committee have instructed the Surveyor to obtain sufficient three-inch mains to lay down the whole length of that street. “2. At the suggestion of the Surveyor, as a saving of expense in hauling, the committee advise that a wire tiamway be laid at the George-street quay. “3. The attention of the committee having been drawn by the Town Clerk to the question of the charges imposed on timber, &c., lying on the breastwork, Custom House-quay, they have reconsidered the matter, but are of opinion that the recommendation of the committee, of the 21st November last, should be adhered to.

“4. On the application of Mr. E. Hibberd for a supply of water for u orking ice-making machine, the committee have granted his request on condition that he comply with any regulations that may be enforced as to meters, &c. A supply has also been granted for building purposes at the Bank of New Zealand, Manners-street, on payment of £2 per month. “5. On a petition received, asking that lamps may be erected at the end of Taranakistreet and Hopper-street, the committee advise that the request be granted. “ 6. The committee recommend that alternative tenders be called for the formation of Glenbervie-terrace, viz., with a cutting or with a tunnel.

“7. ‘ lie division of Te Aro Ward.’—ln reply to letter from Colonial Secretary in the above matter, the committee recommend that the ward be divided as follows, viz. :—By .a line running along the centre of Taranakistreet, from the harbor to its junction with Wallace-street; along that s (; r eet to its junction with Bidwell-street; then o6 along Bid-well-street to end of said st ree t . thence along the western boundary of a o res N O3 - 687. 686, and 685, to the Town Belt • then o6 along the dividing line between lots 12 a n< J 13 of the western district of the Town B e lf to the boundary of the city. That th 6 western division retain the old name, viz., Te Aro; and that the new ward be called ‘ Cook’s Ward.’ “8. A letter has been received by your committee from Mr. D. T. Stewart, re removal of survey pegs from a piece of ground, bis property, at the junction of Nairn and Thompsonstreets ; hut they are of opinion that it is not the business of the Council to interfere in such a matter. “ 9- The committee recommend that tenders be called for the formation of a portion of Owen-street, at a cost not exceeding £l'4o. “ 10. The committee recommend that a part of Courtenay-place, at the east end, be fenced in and planted. “11. Instructions have been given to the Surveyor as follows;—To water Molesworthstreet up to Princess Hotel ; to water Willisstreet as far as the Scotch Church ; to repair Molesworth-street culvert ; to lay down a 12-inch pipe drain in Hawkestone-street; to alter gradient of Woodward-street and portion of the Terrace ; to put down kerbing at south end of Kent-terrace; to cover in a further portion of the Kent-terrace drain so as to widen the bridge ; to trap gratings near Dr. Kemp’s house on the Terrace ; to lay a 1-inch water-service in private street, off Taranakistreet, on the property of Mr. McKenzie ; to put down a drain in Edward-street; to expend a sum not exceeding £25 in repairs to Haystreet ; to put a layer of rock on a boggy place in Elizabeth-street, at a cost not exceeding £3O ; to obtain rock from land off Wallacestreet, paying a royalty of 3d.; to attend to repairs in Tory and Murphy streets, and to road through Town Belt at end of Constablestreet ; and to proceed with the drainage of Molesworth-street, the drain to be laid in centre of street.”’ Councillor Greenfield urged, in connection with the first part of the report, that the position of all fireplugs should be more completely marked.

Beport adopted. MANAGEMENT OF CHARITABLE AID.

His Worship the Matos, in reference to the letter from the Colonial Secretary on this subject, laid the following on the table, and it was ordered to be taken into consideration at the next meeting:— “ The charitable aid of the city of Wellington, chiefly provided by the Provincial Government, was dispensed for the last few years by the police and the Wellington Benevolent Society, the latter, as you are aware, a voluntary association, which has accomplished a large amount of useful work in a wise and unobtrusive manner. The abolition of provinces necessitates a revision of the entire system of charitable aid. The administration of charity is a rather incongruous function for the police, and the Benevolent Society has only dealt with the more plain and pressing cases of want. In answer to an inquiry from the Government, I am informed that the society states its inability, without, at all events, much larger funds than hitherto, to undertake the increased duties that would devolve upon it in caring for the entire poor of the city.

In these circumstances the Government have naturally turned to the City Council for help and co-operation in this matter, experimentally at least. The grants in aid voted by Parliament last session for charitable purposes will terminate on the 30th of June next, and until that date, when further and more permanent provision will require to be made, the Council may be expected to assist in this important department of work. The poor must be cared for, and at present the Council is the only representative body which can be fittingly entrusted with the duty. I differ from those who hold that the care of the poor should be relegated to the Government. It is desirable, not only on financial but on higher grounds, that the citizens should know the circumstances and cultivate an interest in the poor residing among them, and should take a more or less personal share and control in the arrangements necessary for the relief of the unfortunate. Additional duties and larger responsibilities will, as a matter of course, be entailed upon the Council if this proposal is agreed to, but if satisfied otherwise of its propriety, this consideration will not deter members from assuming the necessary duties and responsibilities. “ The question of charitable aid is new' to the Council. Pauperism as it exists in older countries, accompanied by direct taxation for its support, is happily all but unknown here, and by public liberality and wise and humane management we may indefinitely ward off that strictly legal provision for the poor which in large populations elsewhere is the only equitable mode of obtaining funds for that purpose. But cases of distress, arising from accident, death, and a variety of causes, must be reckoned upon as inevitable, and these should be relieved with a kindly promptitude, due care being exercised at the same time to afford no encouragement to idleness or profligacy. “Apart, however, from any legal provision for the poor, it appears to me that the time has come when some legislative provision is required at least in two directions ;—l. That husbands deserting or neglecting to maintain their wives, parents deserting or neglecting to maintain their children, and children refusing or neglecting to maintain their parents, shall be compelled, when able to do so, to pay for such maintenance. And (2) that persons coming into any locality, after a certain publicly defined date, to be taken as a starting point, and requiring relief before they have resided say three years continuously in the locality (with the exception 'of immigrants from Europe, who ought to be considered wards of the Colonial Government), while at once receiving such relief aa their necessities require, shall be deemed chargeable for the same to the locality in which they were resident on or before the date defined as above, and payment of any moneys thus expended shall be recoverable in the usual way. The poor have a tendency to gravitate to the centres of population, and without some such protection as I have the towns would be unfairly burdened, while the country districts might escape comparatively free of charge. The poor might be divided into a

variety of classes, but it will answer all present practical purposes if I classify them under two heads—the general poor, who can be relieved by grants of money or rations ; and the sick and bodily-injured poor, who require the treatment of a hospital. It is not now proposed to ask the Council to deal with the latter class, and therefore I confine my attention to the former.

“Under the head ‘General Poor’ will be included all those cases requiring other than hospital relief, orphans, widows, the weak, and the aged. In assuming the care of them, at least temporarily, I propose that the Council should take advantage of existing arrangements as far as possible. The Benevolent Society should be communicated with, respectfully requested, with the aid ii the Council, to take charge of the details connected with the whole of this department of .. charitable aid.

“It appears to me out of the question to expect that this amount of work can be accomplished without official assistance. I would therefore recommend the appointment of an officer, to be called the Relieving Officer, whose business it would be to attend the meetings of the Benevolent Society (assuming that it undertook the duty I have indicated) and carry out the instructions given by its members—an officer who should make himself acquainted with the particular circumstances of every individual seeking or requiring relief. The duties cannot be onerous, and the salary need not be large. “ I estimate the expenditure required for the general poor at about £llsO per annum, computed by taking into account the sums disbursed by the police and the Benevolent Society during the past year. Thus: — Charitable aid paid directly by police, £4BO 14s. 6d.; charitable aid paid to Benevolent Society, £137 10s.; subscriptions expended by Benevoleut Society, £289 25.9 d.; funerals of paupers, £125 ; Relieving Officer, £lO4 ; contingencies, £l4 2s. 9d. Total, £llsO. “To meet this expenditure of £llsO, there would be the Benevolent Society subscriptions, the amount of which would be doubled by a Government grant of an equivalent for every pound received, and the City Council might be expected to supplement the deficiency in the sum required by a vote from the municipal funds, estimated by me at £550, on the understanding contained in the letter of the Colonial Secretary, that the Government made no deduction from the subsidy payable to the Council.

“ Subscriptions and donations would thus continue payable to and be acknowledged by the Benevolent Society, and the estimate might be stated as follows ; —Subscriptions to Benevolent Society, £3OO ; Government equivalent, £3OO ; vote of City Council, £550. Total,. £llsO. Various other points require attention, but it seems inexpedient to burden a merely tentative scheme with them.” THE DRAINAGE SCHEME. Before the discussion on this matter was resumed, the Mayor read a letter which had been received from Dr. Newman, asking, as secretary of the Medical Board, that Mr. Climie’s report should be referred to a Board, composed jointly of medical men and engineers, to report upon it. (A laugh.) Councillor Cleland considered the scheme had been a sufficient time before the public for criticism, and the citizens and the Press had availed themselves of the opportunity and had criticised the scheme. The criticism had been mild, and on the whole very favorable, adverse opinions generally being based upon some of the details. He trusted, therefore, that the Council would go on with the work at once, and he moved the adoption of the report. Councillor George ridiculed the idea of a Medical Board being appointed. The gentlemen composing that association and the engineers had had the same opportunity of discussing the report as their fellow-citizens had had, and they should have made use of the opportunity. He should second Councillor Cleland’s motion, adding, with the consent of the mover, that a small committee be appointed to confer and arrange with Mr. Climie for the carrying out of the scheme. Councillor Moeller considered the whole Council should form the committee. Some loose discussion followed, Councillor Dransfield desiring some ihfortn'ation as to details from Mr. Climie, which, was, duly afforded. Councillor Moeller then moved as an amendment,—That in consequence of the great expense of constructing and working the system of underground drainage, as reported upon by Mr. Climie, it is, in the opinion of this Council,, expedient that a system of surface drainage should be substituted for it. The Mayor: I understood you were in favor of the scheme. Councillor Moeller: Never mind what you understood- It is of no use delaying the matter. Ido not for a moment believe you will adopt the report, for the cost will be double £84,000. The Mayor: On what data, do you say? Councillor Moeller : On no data at all. (A laugh.) On the same data as you tell me it will cost £84,000. Councillor Mills said this matter of drainage had been before the Council for a number of years, and they had had at different times a good many communications on the subject, but nothing had been so satisfactory as this-report of Mr. Climie’s. It appeared feasible,-and could be carried out at reasonable expense. Then let the Council adopt the scheme, and administer it with the greatest care, and not shirk grappling with the subject any longer. Councillor Kainie thought the Council must go on with the scheme at once. Councillor Greenfield also strongly supported the adoption of the report. Councillor Allen having pro forma seconded Mr, Moeller's amendment, it was put and negatived ; and Mr. Allen then moved a further amendment, to the effect that the report be referred to Mr. Blackkett, or some other competent engineer. This was also negatived. Councillor Dransfield then moved, as a further amendment, that the request of the Medical Association be complied with. He pointed out that the most careful consideration should be devoted to the report, and that any and every opinion should be courted ; and asked why the report should not-be- compliedwith. He had been exceedingly sorry to hear the letter laughed at.. He was in favor of the report, but still would like to hear everyone express their opinion, and he could conceive of no reason why the Medical Association should not consider the report. It would only delay the matter for a, fortnight at most. Councillor Mills said he should not oppose the amendment, but he regretted the delay. The amendment was agreed to. The Council then adjourned.