CITY COUNCIL

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4524, 28 November 1884, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL

Tiie regular weekly meeting of this body was held last night. Present: The Mayor, and Crs. Holland, Mackechnio, Cooper, Upton, Devore, Dignan, Connolly, MonS tague, Crowther, Aickin, Kidd, Goldie, Masefield, Waymoutli, La Roche, Burns, Garratt, and Morrison.

CoKREsrO-TDEKCE.—Letters were received and disposed of as follows:— From the Colonial Secretary, acknowledging receipt of announcement of Mayor Waddel's reelection.—From S. D. Hanna, offering Council £12 per annum, payable in advance, for the right to graze his cow and horse within the Springs enclosure, or £10 for the use of Tallow Co.'s 4 acres: Deferred.— From Board of Education, asking if Council would prefer to remove the whole 2,500 cubic yards of earth from Beresford-street School" ground on condition that Board should have permission to take from adjoining leasehold property sufficient earth to fill up hollow : Proposal agreed to.— From J. H. Bratby, complaining that a drain in Pitt-street was discharging sewage on his property: Referred to Engineer for re-port.-FromF.Proebstingnndanother,asking that the dust-cart should be allowed to visit tho side streets of Ponsonby as well aa the main road: Referred to Streets Committee. —From N. Z. Timber Company, applying for leavo to retain in their possession the hydrant granted for use in case of outbreak of lire: Referred to Waterworks Committee. From Geo. Buchanan, asking for help in re-erection of wall in Franklin Road to altered level: Declined. — From Thomson and Graham, requesting Council to do something to the road in front of their shop in Customs-street before the coming winter, as they had been flooded with water last soason : Applicants to be informed that tendors had now been called for the filling up of this road ; tho grievance complained of will be remedied before noxt winter.—From E. Mahonoy and Son, requesting that footpath in front of Queen's Head Hotel may be formed: Work authorised, Engineer's estimate being £6. —From Georgo Strong, stating that the removal of his gridiron from tho eastern side of the baths would entail upon him serious loss, and asking Council to boar the expense of removal: Application refused. — From Frances Wills complaining that in tho construction of a sewer 'through her property by the Council several valuable fruit trees had been cut down, and begging compensation therefor: Engineer instructed to report.—From Harbour Board, inviting Council to depute its Engineer to confer with Harbour Board Engineer re complaint of Cußtoms-street leaseholders anent alteration of lovels in that thoroughfare (copy of complaint enclosed): Deferred till later stage of the meeting.— Fi»om Samuel Vickers, requesting that the earth should be sloped from the front of Mrs Knox's property in Franklin Road: Agreed. From W. Dunn, applying for permission to place a lamp over Mr Hughes s tobacconist shop on Queen-street Wharf, that being the entrance to his billiard-room: Granted, subject to usual conditions. — From G. Holdship, stating that plan for proposed alteration of levels in Customs-street West had been placed in the hands of the surveyor, and that n deputation would bo in attendance that evening. — From W. F. Judson, enclosing 9s for scoria he had been obliged to get for the pipe track in front of his premises in Arthur-street: Referred to Streets Committee.—From L. Pitkethley, stating that his property between West and York-streets, and vines tiiereon, had been injured by sewage works, and requesting compensation in consequence thereof: Referred to Streets Committee.— From F. W. Revell, applying for permission to erect an iron shed at back of his new shop in Hobson-stroet: Granted on usual conditions.—From Frozen Ment Co., stating that a temporary wooden box had been ordered,to afford an outlet to the main sewer, the question of liability therofore being reserved.—From W. and G. Winstone, asking some consideration for taking earth from the Hobson-street cliff: Referred to Streets Committee. Oliphant-stbeet.—A petition was received from the residents and property owners of Oliphant-street, praying either for the extension of the water supply thither, or else the erection of n standpipe there,—Referred to Water Committee. Streets Committee. —This Committoe recommended :—(1) Letter from J. Macky, jun., and others re footrjath, Pictonstreet: That Engineer be instructed to clear the earth from footpath. (2) Letter from G. Sago ro footpath, Vine-street, asking Council to grant 1J to 2-inch pipe for water supply : Committee havo no recommendation to make re footpath, but recommend the application for tho piping to be granted only on usual conditions— viz., 60 feet allowed. (3) Letter from J. W. Carr re permit to eroct building off Wellington-street: That tho Building Surveyor bo authorised to issue permit with usual endorsement—viz., no right-of-way or other easement of any kind being granted. ( (4) Memo, from City Engineer re carts. That two tip-drays be tendered for. (5) Re unemployed: Committee report Council works being pushed on as speedily as possible. To others unemployed they can only recommend stone-breaking. (6) Letters from W. M. Hawkins an&F. Peacocke re nuisance, Seafield View: That Engineer be instructed to carry put the works in the manner most desirable by tender. (7) Petition from residents of Pitt and East streets re asphalting footpaths : Deferred, pending filling in of East-street. (8) Letter from Hesketh" and Richmond re right-of-way (Fitzgerald to Seccombe), Albert-street: That same be granted, on usual conditions.—On the motion of Cr. Cooper, the first part of clause 2 was referred back to tho Committee.—The report was then adopted. Stanley-street Sbweb.—The Special Legal Committee recommended re W. Blewden's refusal to proceed with Stanleystreet sewer contract:—" That the next , lowest tender (Mr Heath's) be accepted, and the Bum of £25 be i paid to him, and that action be taken against Mr Blewden for all losses sustained on the non- completion of i contract." The report was adopted. Questions. —The following information was given in reply to questions by Cr. Devore :—(l) That the amount of rates outstanding for the present year is £17,837; (2) That the arrears out-tending for previous years was £548 j (3) That the borough fund overdraft, after paying that day's accounts, was £8,000; (4) That extra assistance had been engaged in Engineer's Department, but had lately been dispensed ■ with.—lt was agreed on the Mayor's motion to withdraw £10,000 from fixed deposit and place it to credit at the bank to meet over- . draft. Ponsonby Levels,—Levels were submitted for the following streets, and it was : agreed to advertise them: —Clarence-street from Pompallier Terrace to O'Neill-street; St. Marys Road from College Road to London-street; New-street from College Road to London-street; Green-street; Harbour-street; O'Neill-street and Waite-mata-street. College Road, etc.—lt was resolved !• call tenders for tho College Road works. ' Plans and specifications were submitted for George-street culvert. Grey-street Drainage.—The Engineer r reported that when tenders came in next week for the Hobson-street works, the gully drainage of Grey-street could be advertised for. Albert-street Hoarding.—Geo. O. Clayton applied for and was allowed to enclose with a hoarding footpath in front of vacant section next Star Hotel. i Dost Contract.—The conditions of this ocntract were referred to the Streets Com- ' mittee. Patteso-T - street Drainage.—Tenders were received as follows:—Jas. Wilson, ; £2,575 8s 2d; Jas. Cleghorn, £2,831 Is Gd; ; Larkins and O'Brien, £3,014 16s; Elias Pascoe, £2,733 17s Cd ; John Walsh, £2,444. The Engineer's estimate was £2,600. The allocation of cost of work was as-follows : Ponsonby Ward, 525 feet; South Ward, 910 feet; North Ward, 177 feet. A discussion took place as to this allocation, which was then adopted on the motion of Cr. Aickin.—Tho Mayor then moved, and Cr. Dignan seconded, that Walsh's tender should be accepted.—Cr. Mnsefleld moved as an amendment that no tender should be accepted. Ho considered the work unnecessary until Freeman's Bay had been filled up. —Cr. Goldie seconded.—The motion was carried by 10 to 4. Salt-water Baths.—Cr. Connolly's motion, "That arrangements be made to enable the salt-water baths to be open for ladies for two hours on Fridays," was referred to the Legal Committee. Norkolk-street. — Cr. Devore moved, "That the Engineer be instructed to prepare plans and specifications for the culvert required in Norfolk-street, Ponsonby, and that the work be^declared urgent."—Cr. Upton seconded.—Cr. Goldie moved as an amendment the deletion of the words *' after Ponsonby."—Cr. Aickin seconded.—After an animated discussion the amendment was carried.

The Costlet Bequest. — Cr. Upton moved, " That the Legal Committee be requested to report upon the general conditions of the Costley bequest to the Free Publio Library, including the position of the present holders of the money, and

of tho City Council in respect thereto." He thought the trust should bo defined and its legal bearings fully stated. Ho al: | considered tho Council, not irresponsit o trustees, should administer the money. Cr. Devore seconded tho motion. He did not favour tho administration of the bequest by tho Council, for it had already mis'* appropriated other fund. .—The Mayor said* that the trustees wero quite willing tQ-trans-fer the bequest to tho'Council.— The motion was then put and carried. Freeman's Bay Reclamation.—Cr. Waj I mouth moved: "That this Council invi'o the Harbour Board to a conference to arrange the best means for reclaiming Freeman's Bay, and the disposal of the sewage which will flow into that bay." He said that he had brought forward this motion with special reference to the sewage system. He could well enough see that Mr Clark's system of drainage would never be carried out in connection with Freeman's Bay, and he wished to see tho drainage of that district mado part of a general scheme. The first thing to bo done should be the running of a wall the whole length of the proposed reclamation—say to Shelly Beach, and tho extension of the drain to low water mark, floodgates being provided for tho admission of silt barges. As part of the general scheme there should bo a canal cut between the Manuknii and the Whau, which would afford an increased tidal scour to the extent of a knot an hour, tending to the deepening of the harbour and the disposal of the sewage.—Cr. Upton seconded the motion.—After some discussion, in the course of which Cr. Aickin said the Harbour Board would not commence the Freeman's Bay reclamation until the arrival of the dredge—nine months hence—tho motion was put and negatived, only four voting for it.—The rough minutes wero then read and the Council rose at 11.20.