LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12189, 9 May 1905, Page 6

LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A M*cial iiifothiß of (!»• LytUltoii Boronili J1IJ1( - 11 wa " hr!a li,J, , t , *■"V,'" l ! , S. K. \V«'»,I.). Couiicillom J. Crubl., J. Canard \\ . rustcr C. C<y)k, ami \\ . ItaiU-.itf*'. Jhe Mayor inedo and i*i«m.-d the- iwia!(K> olaifttion, and took liis Miat. H.e Aluvor «ai<l that coii.Mdcrabio cxpoiiM--Jwml lHM>ii incunvd last y.'ur in nyr.-unn i-ctaiuint; wait,; tin- cstimaU-ri ftnving U-on 'lti.-e ivi-ro, jiowovor, good and iwlul v.orlw. 1 "lcxiwndituro in iinpiovomciit-> and n<-w wcrli in connection with thi? had a-*iu«HKl \ur>£} l'Ut awiiruit this, Hie output ot fiiis had increased cnorniousiy. A ivduc-tion m the prico of ga.s had bton made to tho consumers, but tiu-rc had Wn a ni-t profit on'tlu, y&r of 2MO. That amount, liowover, liad hwn al.sorlx'l l,y iiuprovcnuM-.tM. Tho litjlitinii ot tho htrcHjts had bet-n iniprov<Hl by tineubfititution of gn-s for korosono in tho-.,i; lampH in which thi» hittor liad pn.-vioiiw-Iy. Lwn iwcd. During tlio ><">i\ an oxi>erim«'nt liad Ikh-ii inado in tin , diroctiou of lightin« tho wharves with sas. and although the msiilt had not Ikm-ii aitog«thor sfttisfactdry, .should not Ik) altogether comlciiincd for that n-a--fion. Tho result would jxrhaps hsivo Im»cu different had tho lamps I>c»n plat- ■ «h1 on a solid and steady fou mint ion. .With tho obj<->ct of tiic , water Hiipply of tho town, woll.s had boentiiink on tho Heuthcoto eido ot tJio hill. Hn Jiad to express hi.s thanks to the chairninn of tho Finance Committw, Cr. Garriarcl, and tho Town Clerk and treasurer, IMr G. A. Ix-wiii, for tho irenner in which they had assisted him in obtAining, on tho best ikksHjlo t<»rms, tho money raisnd for tho oxtr:i works. H© alto had to thank all the rrumibcm of tho Council and memlwra of the etaff, cspociaUy tho Town Clerk, for the assistance given him during tho year. After reforring to various works which were desirable, tho Mayor eaid he thought tho time liad como when the Council should either increasa it* revenue by xaining tho rates, or else curtail its expenditure. In that connection, Jfowever, there were ono _or two matters to be omsidered, ono being the;pay of the men at the gasworks, where tho work had very greatly incrgaeed. Another was the salary of the engineer at /the pumping station, where there had been an enormous increase in the werk. In 1882, 18,320,000 gallons had beep pumped into the main j-csefyoir, in 1891, 25,830,000 gallons, end in 1904, 45,614,000 gallons. The -.salary of tha engineer, Mr Weir, was exceedingly small,' and it was only just that it should be increased.