CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5447, 11 September 1878, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

An adjourned meeting of the City Council was held last night in the Council Chambers. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Logan, Macdonald, Allan, Dixon, Allen, Diver, George, and Greenfield. ■ HACKNEY CARRIAGE BY LAWS. The remaining clauses iu the hackney carriage by-laws were discussed and passed. THE WHARF CpMMITTEE. The Clerk read the minutes of the last meeting, which were confirmed. Councillor Macdonald wished to know how it was two months and a-half had been allowed to elapse since the last meeting of the committee ? The Mayor said there was no fixed date on which the General Wharf Committee should hold their meetings. He thought that perhaps it would be better for the future guidance of the committee if there were some appointed time.

Councillor Macdonald continued. He saw no reference of the sub-committee authorising the calling for tenders for the erection of a new shed. Seeing that there was no minute, he would again like to know how it was ? He did not complain, but he thought matters of this kind should not be done out of the original course of business. If the committee had stated periodical times to meet it would do away with a good deal of the reproach that was now heaped on the Council. He did not believe iu hole-and-corner meetings. The Mayor said ho must object to such remarks being made. The plans of the sheds had been laid before the Council, and the subcommittee saw tha desirability of having the work pushed on as quickly as possibly. He might say that the work was being pushed on, and he saw no reason for the remarks mide use of by Councillor Macdonald. He believed the Wellington wharf would compare favorably with any wharf of its size iu the colony. He thought the wharf officials deserved great praise for the manner in which they carried out their work. He had seen the Lyttelton wharf, and there was tea the accommodation there of that of the Wellington one. He might also say that there was two-thirds of the work done on the Wellington wharf as compared with the Lyttelton one. This being so, he thought the officials did very well. He could not say how it was that there was no record of the tenders being called. Councillor Macdonald suggested that perhaps the minute was recorded amongst the proceedings of the ordinary Council meetings. When he made use of the expression “ hole aqd corner ” he had not the slightest intention of saying it in an offensive manner. In referring to the wharves he thought from what he heard outside that it would be advisable to build the large shed on piles alongside the wharf. The Mayor thouglifc there should be a distributing shed. Councillor Diver was of opinion that there should be a large receiving shed built by the roadside. If this were done he thought the work on the wharf could, be done much more expeditiously. On the motion of Councillor Macdonald, seconded by Councillor George, it was resolved that the Wharf Committee should meet every four wqeks. The Mayor said, in reference to the letter from the Chamber of Commerce to the City Council, he was totally opposed to the views of the Chamber of Commerce. That body was evidentlyunder the impression that the Council were not entitled to have the management and control of the wharf. No doubt, however, there were many differences of opinion on the subject. As regarded particularly the Queen’s wharf, he maintained it was the property of the ratepayers. hear.) They had purchased it with their own money—they borrowed the money for its erection, and consequently were responsible for it. The charges were gradually being reduced every year, and it was their intention to go on reducing as fast as they could, having of course all due regard to keeping it in repair. They had expended £30,000 on it, so that there need not be any great cry of what they had taken from it. He considered the wharf as much the private property of the ratepayers as any of the municipal reserves. They had been considerably abused outside the Council because they had not made more increased wharf accommodation. They must bear in mind that the Te Aro Reclamation Bill now before the House made arrangements for three extra wharves. The Council had done their utmost to get the Government to proceed with the erection of another wharf. He had waited with other gentlemen as a deputation times out of number for that purpose. Still the cry outside was that they had not done as well as they might. He maintained that they could do no more until they were iu a better position than they were at present. As regarded the general management of the wharf, they would require an entirely new *staff of officials, which would necessarily entail much more expense. From a statement that had lately been made it would be found that the wharf dues, &c., of Wellington compared very favorably with any port iu the colony; in many instances the rates were lower than in other ports. This fact, he thought, was a sufficient guarantee to show that there had net been the gross mismanagement that had been stated. It was a mistake to have nominated boards. (Hear, hear,) When they were elected by the ratepayers there was always some way by which they were comeatable, so to speak. This was not so much the case with nominated bodies.

Councillor Diveu quite agreed with the remarks of the Mayor. He thought they should borrow the £ i 50,000. They were not compelled to spend it all at once. He thought they should obtain the money at long date?, say for 50 years.

Councillor Macdonald suggested that the Council should send a formal resolution to the Chamber of Commerce. The Council bad been blamed for certain things that had not been done. The fact was the General Government were to blame. The Council had not had it in their power to do the work. There had always been a disposition, on the part of the City Council to meet the mercantile community liberally. He thought that if the Chamber of Commerce had been a little more liberal they would now have had the railway wharf. He quite agreed with the Mayor that the Board should be an elective one. Nominated boards had proved to be failures all over the world. He was convinced that the Council were quite as competent to manage the affairs connected with the harbor of Wellington, if it was vested in them, as any nominated persons representing the shipping interest. -He would move, —That the Chamber of Commerce be advised that the City Council cannot endorse the views held by the Chamber respecting the formation and endowment of the Harbor Board. This was carried, TENDERS. The following tenders were opened for the erection ot a wool-ehed :—Reynolds and Collids, £IO9O ; C. McKirdy, £1123 155.; J. Russell, £BBS j T. Gaborne £633 (accepted): W T. Richards, £1250. DRAINAGE. - The Clerk read Messrs. Crawford and Mace’s letter compensation, which have already been published. Councillor Macdonald remarked that he did not know whether it would be better to take the drain through Mr. Crawford’s land or not. Councillor George moved, —That the letters should be given to the City Solicitor, and that they be brought under the Public Works Act, aud be settled as soon as possible. Councillor Diver seconded the motion, and said the drainage scheme was going as smoothly as the law would allow, • INVITATION TO THE MAYOR. Councillor Macdonald said that before leaving the Council were desirous of testifying to the Mayor the good feeling that existed between them, and that they were anxious to invite him to a dinner, to be held next Saturday night, if that day was convenient. The Mayor acknowledged the compliment briefly, aud stated that he would be most willing to accept their kind offer. The Council then adjourned.