CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11012, 9 July 1901, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL.

Tho Council met last night, when there wore present the Mayor, Crs. Gray, Clark, Wood. Payling, Taylor, Simpson, Macdonalrf, Morris, Sorensen, Loughnan, and J. T. .Smith. Tim receipts) since last meeting' were etated as being £518 5«. Accounts were jxussed for payment amounting to £1356 6s 4(1. The debit balance was announced as being £13,801 8s 4<l. The Mayor said the office stall had been <k"lay»*l (hiring the week by attending to the distribution <»f coolm and blanket*. The Itaiutifying Association felt naturally -in-

censed at the distraction which had taken

.■place of the itees planted on the South belt. Whether this was due to the action of people who were here at the Royal visit or as v protest by tho>e residing in the neighbourhood ho did not know, but the damngu was certainly a wanton one, and thfie ought to be .some means of putting «. atop to mcli a state of things. If people, objected to the trees being placed there they had a proper am* legitimate mean* by petition or otherwise. It was certainly much to be regretted that such a largo amount «if damage ba"d been done to a work which was for the public benefit.

The Progressive Liberal Association wrote as follows:—"By direction of my Committee 1 wisli to bring under your notice •the tiuLt'Mity of exercising the powers pos.vfw.il by the Council of acquiring areas i»f land and erecting therkm cottages suitable for occupation by workmen. You are, no doubt, aware that 'the prevailing prosperity m accompanied by its natural coroliary tinder the present conditions—a rise in Tcnt.s. So much is» this the case that the (teinaoii for cottages at from 7s to 10s per ■wevk lent is far in excess of the supply, t'ind many of the labouring clnse are unable to pay the rent* demanded. My Committee respectfully urges the Council to endeavour to meet this demand in the manner indicated,, ondrthtis confer a bf»m,fit on that por. tiun of the community who tire least iihvj to help tlwunsdviisi." The letter was received.

The Canterbury Drivei*' Union forwarded a statement of the terms proposed by the ■Union to be carried" out by the employers. The letter vm received , .

Inspector Ellison wrote, culling attention f'> tha nuisance caused by the stalls, tmrtowm, etc., standing in various parts of vie dty under the permits of this City council. Si tliri City Council de»ired" to-turn the city ulrwta into a retail market, the . police j of, course, had nothing to say. Cγ. Morris nton-d—"Tluit the matter be referred to ■the By-law Committee." Cγ. Payling sreonded the motion. Cr. G-ray «iid the, police were excellent at straining at gnats iintl swallowing a large quantity of camels. They complained &a to a solitary Asiatic st! ling ice-creams, but «bere was a) far greater nuisance in the shape of men wiling plants, etc., in the streets, whom the police fceemsdi unable to c?eal with. If this matter ■were referred to the By-iaw Committee, they would deal with dt. The motion was then }>ut and carried.

A lotto , <was received from Mr Fairlie Hobson ro policy with the Ocean Accident Insurance Oompatty. Or. Maodonald explained that at the last meeting of the Counv& the Works Committee <was instructed to insure with the Government, which had ibeen done.

Xlw> Christchuroli Beautifying Society notified that the planting on the South belt had been completed. A great deal of damage had been done to a number of trees/ which iaA now been replaced. Cγ. Taylor miid due ihad gone down the South belt, and caw at least n dozen trees pulled up by the roots and broken across, which looked like ■very -wanton damage. He moved—"That the Council take over the trees on the South belt, and that a reward of £5 be offered for the conviction of the offenders." The motion was seconded. Cr. Morris eaid that the boye of the West fjhriatchurch fcchoo! 3iad been addressed that day on the good effects of trae-jfanting, and they would now have d Ttiry strong corps of detectives, as the J>oys took a great intertet in the trees. Cr. Smith moved as an amendment—"That the letter be received, aird the matter be referred to the Works Committee, to co-op-•perute with the Beautifying Association in (tracing out the offenders." Cr. Simpson neoonaed ths amendment, which was "ferried.

The report of the Cemetery and Reserves Committee was adopted, and it was agreed tbut fre»h portions should be laid out in the Roman Catholic part of the cemetery. The Works Committee recommended that further application be made to the St. Albans Borough Council for payment of the amount due, and that proceedings be instituted if the application was not complied ■with. With reference to the destructor, the Works Committee reported that Messrs Meldrum Bros.' plans of the buildings had been considered, and ft had been decided that the erection of the machine room be left in abeyance ab present until the kind of machinery and the space it would occupy had been determined. The tipping platform end inclined approach were to be omitted, the refuse to be and distributed on the storuge platform by mechanical means. The position of the chimney shaft to be altered no aa to obviate the- necessity of the immediate acquisition of land from the Crown Iron Works. The Livr Surveyor had been instructed to prepare plans to embody these ■alterations, and have the work ready for inviting tenders as soon aa possible. The adoption of the report wae moved by Cr. Macdonald, and seconded by Cr. Taylor Cr. ftorensen moved aa an Amendment-'thstt the plans as already accepted be carri«4 out in their entirety, Cr. Loughnan necouded the amendment, which, after a lengthy discussion, was carried. Oft the amendment being put as the substantive motion, Cr. Loughnan moved, as a further amendment— 'That the drat clause of the report of the »Worke Committee with reference to the erection of the machine room being left in abeyance be adopted, but that the original plans with this exception be carried out." '1 lie amendment was agreed to by the Council, and added, to the .substantive motion, which was cixried.

Cr. Gray moved—"That a return be propared and kept as a record of the riehta-of-way token over by the Council." Cr.' Sorensen seconded tae motion, which was agreed to. " »

On the motion of Cr. Macdonald, the iaction of the Works Committee in ineuring the workmen iv the Government Office was approved. ■ On the motion of Cr. iSmith it was resolved to take the site of the new Council yards tinder the Public Works Act. The new rate" for the present year was igreed to be made and levied. The Council then adjourned.