CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 98, 25 April 1884, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Counoil last evening was attended by the Mayor and Councillors Danks, Thompson, Newman, Maginnity> Wilson, Petheriok, M'Kenzio, FitiGorald, and A. W. Brown. The minutes of the previous mooting having been read, Councillor Petherick dosired to know whether he would bo in order in calling the Council's attention to tho statement of estimated expenditure presented lost week. Tho Mayor ruled that, as the whole question had been disposod of last mooting, the matter could not be roferred to again. The minutes were then confirmed. A letter was road from Mr. T. Ballinger. complaining that the Council had stopped the supply of water for hydrauli« lifts, and allowed steam boilors, Ac, to use it. Messrs; Luke, Sons and Williams wrote, asking for permission to use sufll ient water to tost maohinery whioh they had ereotod for Messrs. W. Nathan and Co. In oonneotion with tho question of water, Mr. A. G. Johnson roported that he and other officials of tho Corporation had boen through a part of tho oity, and had discovered no fewer than 19 cases in whioh water was allowed to run to waste through dofeotive taps. In tho majority of the instancos he believed tho householders were not guilty of culpable negligence. He asked the Council to ijistruot him as to what course of notion he .should pursue in the matter. Councillor Thompson thought that as the matter had bean drawn attention to no further oomplaints would probably be made against ratepayers. If, however, poople neglected to take warning, he thought it would bo well to select throo or four offenders indiioriminately and prooiod against them in Court. 'lho Mayor explained that the Counoil wore Sassinor through a period of groat ifficulty. The quantity of water at the disposal of the Council was very limited, and it was necessary that great oare should be displayed in disposing of it. Many of the grievances were woll-founded, but the position in whioh the Counoil were placed prevented anything from being done at prosont to moet the wishes of Mr. Ballinger and others. With regard to tho report of tho Inspector, ho had no doubt that if the representatives of the Press took notice of the matter no further complaints would be made against householders. Councillor Danks agreed with the Mayor that no ootion should be taken against tho offenders, and this view of the matter was endorsed by other councillors. Mr. Joseph Saunderi wrote asking to bo allowed to borrow or purchase 200 or 300 casks cement for the purpose of completing his contract at Wainui-o-mata. Ho explained that if he had to wait until the arrival of tho steamer British King, whioh had on board 800 oasks shippod to his order, he should be obliged to discontinue work for a time. Councillor Potheriok suggested that the request should be aooeded to. Councillor A. W. Brown moved that Mr. Saundors should be allowed to purohase 200 or 300 oasks at market rates. This was seconded by Councillor M'Kensie, and agreed to. The fortnightly report of tho Engineer was read. The only item ot interest was tho statement that yesterday morning the depth of water in the reservoir was 27ft Bin. Tho burgess rolls wore confirmed. Before the formal resolution on tho subjeot was agreed to, the. Mayor explained that in oonsequonoe of a ruling of the Residont Magistrate (Mr. Hardoastle), who held that an application for the substitution of a name could not bo granted unless both parties wore in Court, a number of people were on tho roll who had no right to bo there, while a number who should pos* sosb votes were not entitled, aooording to his Worship's decision, to tako part in municipal elections. Ho (the Mayor) thought it would bo well for the Counoil to take action in the matter, and endeavour to get an amendment of the Aot in tho direotion alluded to. , The City Solioitor read a statement of the progress made in the oase of Corcoran v. the Corporation. The Mayor remarked that the position of the matter really was that tho whole quostion of law had yet to be argued. A formal resolution in regard to the confirmation of the by-law for suppressing iiuisutoes in baok yards was movod by the Mayor and agreed to. The Tenders Committoe reported that they had acoepted tho tender of Messrs. Lyon and Blair for stationery, and that of Messrs. Edwards and Qreen for printing. The report of the Publio Works Committee (which has been already published in these oolumns) was considered, and, after some discussion, was adopted with tiro amendments. The first of these was in reference to the Wainui-o-mata wator supply (the discussion on which Bubjeot is referred to elsewhere), and tho second was relative to tho rooommendation of the committee that the petition for the erection of a lamp -at the corner of Lorno and Argyle streets should not be granted. With regard to this matter, Connoillcf W>l*on moved, and it was carried, that the proposal should be referred back to the committeo for further consideration. In oonneotion with tho rooommondation that Mr. Kershaw should be supplied with pipes to drain his property in Queenstreet, Councillor Brown explained, for the information of the ratepayers, . that the committee had diverted a dram on Mr. Kershaw's property, and considered it only only right that ho should bo assisted to'mike another outlet.