CITY COUNCIL

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14546, 24 December 1912, Page 7

CITY COUNCIL

■ FORTNIGHTLY MEETING, Tho Cifey Council inefc Inst .night. Present—Tho Mayor (Mr ll.,Holland), and Councillors W H. Cooper, H. D. Acland, E. Smith, W. 11. Smith, Jas. McCullough, W. Millar, F. Uurgoyrio, A. Williams, 11. J. Otley, C. D. Morris. Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Hunter, Sbrensen, Gat>es and A. S. Taylor. FINANCES. Accounts amounting to £22,983 wore passed for payment. In his statement tho Mayor drew attention to the fact that of the total general rate levied of £50,838, .only £9095 had been collected, although eight months of the Council's financal year had expired. As councillors were awaro, the Council was paying interest on overdraft, and it seemed a pity that this should ho done when there was so much money outstanding. It pointed to the necessity for effect being given to a remit that was before the last Municipal Conference, affirming that tho penalty should operate before the end of tho year. Nothing could be done at present, but he hoped councillors would keep tho matter before them; it seemed to him a serious matter inJ connection with the finances of tho Council. When a letter from tho Royal Lifesaving Society was before the Couiicc! in which application wns mado for financial assistance, Cr. llurgoyne said that emphatically the opinion, of the public was that tho Council was not justified in spending the money of the public in the furtherance of objects with which the Council was in sympathy, but which were not objects upon which the money of the ratepayers should be spent. He pointed out that so far tho Council's unauthorised expenditure was over £1CK)O, and exceeded the limit. • ..CORRICSPONBENCE. Captain R. N. Davy, O.C. tho Canadian Cadets, wrote to the Mayor:— "Please convey to your Council and the citizens tho appreciation of their kindness to the Canadian Cadets, and extend' tho season's greetings on our behalf." The letter was received. The secretary of the Canterbury Head Centre of the Royal Life-saving Society wrote asking if the Council would' assist tho society in its work by making a grant towards its tunds. ±Io stated "that the society was anxious to j further push forward its work and giyo j the public a greater sense of security when visiting the various seaside resorts -.nd to do this it was seeking to appoint patrol men at the various galas conducted during the year. The Sumner Branch also applied tor hnancial assistance. It was decided to receive both letters, an amendment that £10 10s should bo voted being negatived. ■ EM* Mander and El-zabeth Forbes wrote asking permission to preach at Broadwnv's corner on Saturday nights, at the City Hotel on week-day n:ghts, at the Rind Rotunda \ ictona square on Sunday nights and in Cathedral square- on Wednesday nrtcrnoons. It was decided to grant the permission asked for.

ALLEGED OFFENSIVE ODOURS. The clerk of the, Paparua County Council wrote that he had vaatod tho municipal abattoir, and round that there was an objectionable smell from tho tank and from the liquid matter in the drains, and that, there was also an accumulation of drainage m the gravel nit from which a rep- disagreeable odour arises. The City Council was asked to take the necessary steps to abate tho nuisance. . " Cr. Morris, in moving "That the letter bo referred to the Abattoir Committee with nower to act, said that the committee was using every possible

endeavour to guard against anything in tho way of a nuisance. As the Council Was aware, tho .committee had been subjected to a lot of pin pricks from people living in tho vicinity of the abattoir who had some reason for making a mountain out of a • molehill. The City Surveyor was having made a cover to tho tank with a ventilating shaft to take away any offensive odour. Ho .admitted that a certain amount of sewage got into the gravel pit, but other arrangements had been made, and ho did not think that there would be any grounds for complaint. The motion was agreed to. , MISCELLANEOUS. The By-laws and Finance Committee recommended that Mr H. R. Smith (the Town Clerk) be appointed a. Snk- ; ing Fund Commissioner, in conjunction Mith Messrs Beswick and IDargreaves, in respect of which the last-mentioned gentlemen are commissioners. I The report W-as adopted. I Cr. Burgoyne (chairman of the committee) reported that 3lr Herbert Macintosh ha<l been appointed motor inspector under By-law No. 6. Tho committee's action was approved. Cr. Morris reported that tho tender of Mr W. P. Spencer had been ac- . coptecl at £96 per annum for tho lease lof the Council's reservo at Chaney's Corner.. This was £6 per "annum increase on what the reserve was previously let at, and under the new lease the lessee paid tho rates. The committee's action was approved. Tho Mayor wished councillors the compliments of the season, and the Council, by acclamation, reciprocated. Tho Council adjourned, after dealing with matters connected with the Lake Coleridge electrical scheme loan, till I February 3rd, 1913.