CITY COUNCIL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 142, 14 June 1912, Page 8

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Auckland City Council, held last night, was attended by Messrs C. J. Parr (Mayorj, TudeSope, Casey, Mennie. Read, Nerheny. Trevethick, Shaw, Michaels, Conrt, Glccson, Gaudin, Knight, Mac£ay. COMPETITIOXS SOCIETY FINANCE. A balance-sheet submitted by the Auckland Competitions Society showed the following particulars on the expenditure side: — Advertising, £275; salaries, judges' fees, and expenses, £283; theatre rent and expenses, £257: money prizes, £231. . Entrance fees provided- £114, sale of day tickets £224, evening tickets, programmes, etc, £SBS 1/1. The total TecelDts were £1327, and the expenses left a credit balance of £SO. N.OT INCONSISTENT. The Trades Council Federation wrote protesting that the action of the local bodies applying for exemptions from the enginedrivers , award was not consistent with the said bodies' alleged support of the Arbitration Act during the recent hibour dispute. The Mayor explained that the position was quite misunderstood. The engineer said the waterworks engineers had to work at all hours, and the electric power-house had to go on fox the twenty-four hours, and all the Council asked for exemption was in the matter ot hours. Every other condition was compiled with, but the Council's employees could not keep the ordinary hours. CHARITABLE AID. A request was received from the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board for £5302, the amonnt of the Council's annual contribution due to the Board. "It will have to be found," was the comment of the Mayor. MORE LIGHT. The City Coroner wrote forwarding the rider wadded by a jury in a recent inquest, to the effect that an additional street lamp was wanted' in Beach-road. In the vicinity of the fire station- The letter was sent on to the Works Committee. INSANITARY HOTELS. A letter was received from the Health Department asking for-the enforcement of the sanitary by-laws concerning hotels, to prevent; among 'other things, basement kitchens. The matter was sent on. to; the WorßVCommJttet. •} > t- •; POOR PRESSURE^ The Newmarket Borough Council requested to be connected with the Mount Eden reservoir, to supply the higher levels of the borough about. Pact-road, .Huntlyavenue, etc-, where the pressure was poor at present. The waterworks engiDecr reported faFourablr, but the matter was sent on to the Water Committee. WIDENING HIGH^STREET. The Mayor's action in offering Mr Charlton Dawson £75 for a strip of land two feet wide, facing High-street at the Durhaxnetreet corner, was conuiraed. His Worship explained that a new building was about to be erected on the property, and at the suggestion of the City Engineer he approached the owner with a view of getting a, strip to widen the footway, which at present is only one loot wide. He advised that the plan of continuing thin widening process for the whole length of the street be kept steadily in view. In his opinion High-street must eventually become oae oi the city's main thoroughfares. A CABMAN'S GRIEVANCE. A deputation from the Cabmen's Union <»anpii attention, to an alleged breach of the city iby-laws. Mr T. Loug said a system of running cabs on shares 'With the drivers had been instituted by the larger cab proprietors to evade the provisions of the cabmen's award, the court having held that it -was a partnership, and that the men contracted themselves outside the scope of. the award. He contended that this system -was a -breach of the city bylaw So. 385, section p. which provided that no cab oiEner could) let his vehicle to another person 'Htdthout the consent of •the traffic inspectot" Mr Long said some of the men as much as 100 hours a •week to earn £3. The most serious feature ■was that if any of these men -were killed their dependants would not be entitled to any compensation. Other members of the deputation spoke of the hardness of the share system on the men. One man said he had to put in eleven hours a day to make £2 a ■week. In answer to the Mayor the deputation said practically all cabs in Auckland were worted on the share system. The deputation asked the Council to refuse to allow any cato being let ont on this share system. His Worship said he was not aware that the system obtained so largely. They wonld like to see the cabmen get a "fair deal," and if the Council could do anything in justice he thought they -would do so. It was agreed that the matter go to the Finance Committee, masters and men to be present, and the traffic inspector to report. MOUNT -EDEN BRANCH LIBRARX The Tery satisfactory number of twelve tenders -was received for the erection of the branch library at Mount Eden. Mr Bartley is the architect, and his estimate was £2674. The tender of A. J. Holmes, £2704, 'being the lowest, was accepted. Other tenders eirbmitted) were: McKrnstry, £2847; J. J. Holland, £28SS; W. Mand, £2590 - O. E. Farrow. £2SMS; Hamnn, £2996; H. Small, £3136: Lamb and Co., £3552" Grandieon, £3650; Cox and Gillander £3700; J. Webster, £3826; and Grace Bros., £3970. •REGULATING TRAFFIC. Tie Electric and Waterworks Committee reported with regard to the Licensed Carriers' Association's request that all tram cars should come to a full stop in <Jneenstreet before crossing intersecting streets, that it <wonld not enit <-TitrHTig conditions or prove efficacious. SHELL! BEACH-ROAD. ■In reply to a tetter from C. H. Jones drawing attention to the state of Shelly Beach-road, the city engineer verbally reported that as the tramway company would shortly start laying tram rails in that street be •proposed submitting proposals for the formation of the street to be carried out concurrently with that work. , DEVON-STREET. The city engineer was authorised to put Devon-street in order, at a cost not -exceeding £100. HOTEL LICENSE FEES. j The FiDance Committee recommended, in respect to the Gieborne Council's letter about the insufficiency of hotel license fees, that a reply toe sent that the present system of hotel license fees is inequitable, and that same legislative adjustment is necessary, i