CITY'S ESTIMATES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 537, 18 June 1909, Page 4

CITY'S ESTIMATES.

PROPOSED REDUCTION BY £5000.

' REFERRED BACK. Tho report of tho city ongincer (Mr. W. H.. Morton) on the reduction of tho street works estimates by £5000, under the instruction' of tho council, was submitted to tho City Council last night. Mr, Morton said ho had gone carefully into tho estimates with a viow to reducing them from £40,000 to £35,000, and ,ho Would suggest tho omission of the 'following works from the original list:— . ; ; I } Second-class metal, No. 2 - district.—Donald M'Lean Street, £61 • Driiminond Street, £73; Tasman Street, £123. - Special works, 1 No. 1 district.—Oriental Bay improvement, £100; wood-blocking (blocks only to be purchased during current ye3r, and to be laid during the, next financial, year), deduction £1820. Concrete kerb atid channel, No'. 1 district.—Austin Street, £103;-Dixon Street, £144; Grant Road, £84; Hawkestone Street, £192; Maginnity Street. £48; Museum Streot, £30; Taranaki Place, £120; Wing(ield Street, £60. Concrete kerb and channel, No. 2 district.—Adelaide Road (west sido, boundary to Deo Streot), £126; Austin -Street, £196; Hopper Street, £119; Tarahaki Street, £96. Concrete channels, No. 2 district.—Donald M'Lean Street,' £70. Asphalt footpaths, No. 1 district.—Grant Road, £46; Austin Street,' £80: Thorndon Quay, £79. No. 2 district.—Austin Street, £92; Ellico Street, £105: Sussex Square, £26; Taranaki Street, £53. Stormwater drainage, No. 1 district.—Bunny Street, 2ft. 6in. culvert, £500. Streets taken over under 1905 Act, No. I.district.—College Street, £252. Islind Bay district.—Rosheeting macadamised streots, £200; stormwater culvert, ' £100. Northland district.—Storm<water drainage, Garden Road, 12in. drain, £170. Total reduction, £5273.

A DETAILED EXPLANATION. '" The engineer pointed out that it had to bo remembered that two months of the current year had already gone tin at the full rate of expenditure, tho amount for tho £wo months being £800 less than for tho corresponding two months in tho previous year, it must also be remembored that in connection with the estimates for street works fully 70 per cont. of the cost was for labour, only 30 per cent, being for material. While ho wasanxious to' carry out the wishes expressed by his' Worship and members of the council, regarding the continuanco of ■as many Men as possible in employment through tho winter months, ho must point out that it would be difficult to so reduce the rate of ex-' psnditure for the remaining part of the yoar Tfithout a reduction in tho number of men regularly employed by. the council. He had found it difficult to, select those' items to be cut out of tho original estimates, owing to the very bad condition which the channels and footpaths are in in- many parts <\ tho city, but'the'list""submitted was tho best choice he could,'make. With regard to suggestions'made .by members'of the council that renewal work should be stopped as much as possible, he desired to point out that tho now, work in kerbing and channelling was carried out so as to accord with the asphalting of footpaths to their full width, and also to'obviate repairs to the remaining/asphalt channels which exist about the city, and which are beyond repair. He was confident that the method now being adopted .would be found to-bo'the mostt economical, ■ besides' providing more permanent and efficient work. ■'/-' Work of this character was now bfiing. done at of, £osh..sog-, crusher at. the destructor, whereby all broken flags, were crushed up and tho material, reueod'and asphalt paths made of'the clinker ..from the dcstructor, the only matdial , requiring to bo purchased in connection]-, with /both tho above itoms being tho cement, tho'remainder of tho cost being en-tirely.-.for '.labour. In connection with, wood blocking, '. it..;would be!,understood 'from tho lisiy-ofdeßuStions thtt'S-fcit.Vi'-was 'proposed inerely'tb purohaso tho wood blocks for pav•jng Offito the, end of-.-the current.'-year, and to prorido no--cessary labour and material;- lor-foundations in- laying the * wood-paving' 'during the succeeding year.

i DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL. When the "amended estimates were beforo the connoil last night, ail amendment to rotor tho matter back was moved by Councillor Fletcher, and seconded by Councillor Morrah. ,'The question as to whether the amount of employment would' be 1 affected entered into the discussion,' Councillor -Dovino contending that /.snchi would not be the case, as tho reduction "\vaß""concorded with 'oost of' material; ( , v -s . ConncillorvM'Lareh' held that employment would necessarily be affected, and he thought that , if tho ratepayers .'were asked to sanction a loan to prosecute public works at the present time it. would be v carried. , ' The amendment was carried. ''