CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19152, 8 November 1927, Page 5

CITY COUNCIL.

LAST NIGHT'S MEETING. The fortnightly meeting: of the City Council was held last evening". Those presen.* "'ere: The Mayor (Mr J. K. Archer), and Councillors. D. G. Sullivan, M.F., E. K. M<:Combs, T. H. Butterfield. G. B. Hunter, P. Sharpe, K. M. Macfariane, J. W. Roberts, G. Manning, £. H. Andrews, A. Heaven, A. E. Herbert, J. W. Beaniaod, M. E. Lyons, and Clyde Carr. The financial statement jrave the following details;— General rate levied £124.539 collected £10.243 3s 3d, leaving outstanding «114.296 12s 9d. The receipts Riuce the last statement amounted to £35,503 0s 2d, and accounts authorised for payment csnie to £31.526 17s 7d. , A letter was received from cleric »o the Transport Apper.l Board, enclosing copies of the decisions of the Transport Appeal Board for the Xo. l r ' di*trlc: m connexion with apppals heard by the Board s>n fcep* temher 2Sih, 1027.

Abattoir, Reserves, and Milfc Committee. The committee reported as (oilows: The sowing down of the newly cultivated grounu at Bealey avenue lias lieen completed. The Superintendent of Parks and Gardens has reported that drivers ot' motor-cars are in the habit of cutting across between the trees, thereby damaging the newly-sown grass plots; he has therefore been authorised to obtain an estimate of the cost ol' erecting a rough rubble boarder round the plots, and also to erect notices there and on other reserves, requesting persons to refrain lrom damaging public property. Mr G, Van Asch, who owns o.iO acres or land planted in pinus insignis ad.ioimug the Council's plantations at Bottle Lake, hps offered to lease to the Council at a nominal rental the house, buildings, glasshouses, and orchard on his property for the use of one of the Council's employees engaged id aft prestation work. In addition to the land abovementioned, there is a considerable area unplanted, upon which Mr Ann A?«'h spates a. nursery could be established. _lho committee has replied thanking Mr Aan Asch tor his offer, which it is unable to recommend 'the Council to accept, as the leasing of the property would entail an expenditure tor which no provision has been made. A letter has been received from tha Barrington Croquet Club stating that _it Prepared to accept the Council s otter or the pieoo of land at the north-east corner Ot the Park, in lieu of the ground now occupied by it. which the Council intends to lay out as a children's playground. The cub has asked that in order to protect its members from the east wind, a hijrh fence bo ciccteu round the new area. The eommtttce has referred the matter to the Superintendent of Parks and Gardens, to make the best arrangement possible. , The secretary of the Children s 1 layground Committee has also written thanking the Council for its solution of the controversy .•oiiccrning the playground site, and (Matins that it has in hand the sum of £194 10s for tho purchase of equipment, Th , Q tee has requested the Playground Committee to hand over the amount, mentioned and has instructed the Superintendcut of Park-, and Gardens to confer with the Pla>„iour»l Committee, and report with regard to tho purchase of suitable equipment for'™ lar " in? out of 'the area, as early as possible. The report was adopted.

By-laws, Finance, and Departmental Com- ' raittoc. The committee reported as follows: The C'itv Treasurer reported^that all effort.-) to obtain 'repayment ot a sanitation advance granted in September, 1914. liave been fruit less, neither instalments of principal nor interest having been paid. The owner ot the property -disputes the amount owing on account of the charge being greater than lie amount tendered for by the contractor, lhe Drainage Board insisted upon an alteration 111 the length of pipe used, increased the cost. The amount outstanding is i.w 0., lun. and the committee requests authority, undei the provisions of the Sanitation Empowering Ant, to sell the property for the purpose of obtaining payment. Mr E. Wilson, No. 126 Madras street, spplied for permission to install one 500 sallon tank and to erect a suitable petrol pump at his garage, No. 326 Madras street * or in connexion with his taxi-cab service. The committee granted the request, subject to the usual conditions. __ It is recommended that the tender of Mr J. Reid, of .£6O 9s 7d, for the supply ot 2660 doc: collars be accepted. The report was adopted.

Electricity -Committee. The committee reported as follows A commencement has been made in the Department's workshop on the manufacture of 11,000 volt steel cubicles for use in the new sub-stations to be built during the present summer, and in which it is proposed to utilise the oil switches removed from the old Armagh street switch gear. At present the erection of a new sub-station in Hills road sub-station has been assembled, and the equipment, such as oil switch, current •transformers, etc., is being installed. Tenders, as follows, have been received for the erection of a new sub-tsation in road:—Head and Webb £329, G. h. Bull £349 10s. In view of the fact that there were only two tenders received, and that an identical sub-station in Bealey avenue will also be required in connexion with, next winter's load, the committee decided to recommend that Mr Bull be offered the erection ol the Bealey avenue substation 1 ) if willing to do 50 at tho same price as the lowest tender. This he agreed to do, and as a satisfactory method of dealing with both jobs, tho coiu« mittee recommends that the contract for the Hills road sub-station be placed witli Messrs Head and Webb for £329, and that in Bealey avenue with Mr G. I*. Bull for the same figure. The report was adopted.

Water Supply and Works Committee. The committee reported as follows: — , It has been found that the lowering ol the surface of the road iu connexion with the widening of Smith street has resulted in insufiicient covering being given to a 1-in storm-water sewer running down the carriageway. It will therefore be necessary to move 1-i chains of tlm sewer on to the footpath ou the western side of the road. The estimated cost of this work is ,£l2°. aD( I authority is requested for putting it in hand. In 1~14 a loan was raised by the Heathcote County Council for th» purpose of constructing channelling and for asphalting footpaths in the Avonside district. At tho time the loan was raised a number of the streets were without footpaths, and consequently channelling and asphalting could not be carried out. Since then, however, footpaths have been formed, and owners of property fronting on these streets are required to pay the interest rate on the loan, although they receive no benefit from the loan. JJumerous requests have been received from the owners iu question that the work provided for. in tho loan be carried out, but as no provision has been made on the estimates, it ha 3 been impossible to meet their wishes. The committee has now decided to communicate with them and state that if they are prepared to pay 6d per lineal foot towards the cost of doing the necessary work, tb& committee will provido the balance and have the work put in hand. Authority for this expenditure is requested. The committee recently invited tenders from sixteen firms for the supply of 10,000 feet of three-quarter inch galvanised pipe for use in connexion with the reticulation. Twelve firms tendered, the lowest quotation being that of Messrs Hollobon and Son for the supply of Canadian pipe at standard price, viz.. 6fd per foot, less 51J per cent. The committee therefore recommends that this tender be accepted. The report was adopted.