CITY COUNCIL. LAST NIGHT'S BUSINESS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 26, 31 January 1908, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL. LAST NIGHT'S BUSINESS.

Last night an ordinary meeting of the City Council was held, the Mayor (Hon. T. W. Hif-Iop) presiding. There were also present Councillors Luke, Smith, Cohen, Bnllinger, Ilalos, Sbhirtcliffe, Fletcher, Oarmiclnel, Morrah, Murdoch, and Grodbcr. BATHS AND RESERVES. ' The Baths and City Kessrves Committee reported as follows -.—(I) That the application of the Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association for tho vis© of the Basin Reserve on the Ist February for a sports meeting and for leave to erect a barricade around the seals in front of .the grandstand at tho reserve (su.'h s^ats to be reserved for ladies) bo granted on the usual conditions. (£) That the application of the Swifts Amateur 'Swimming Club for the use of tha Te Aro Baths on the 15th February for their annual gathering bo granted, but that the matter of conditions be dealt with by the committee. (3) That the application of tho Y.M.C.A_ Amateur Athletic Club for tha use of the Basin Reserve for an evening sports meeting on Wednesday, the sth February, be granted. (4) That the rent of Mr. Henry Wright'; strip ,of Town Belt SO feet wide, .adjoining his property at Meinstrest, be fixad at £10 pe>- annum, the termination of the lease to be subject to three months' notice at any time. (5) That the offer of Mr. 5. W. Watson to sell to the council six swings for erection in the- Basin Restive- for £200 bo not entertainrd. (6) That accounts amounting to £50 15s 7d ba passed lor payment. (7) That the lessees of the Town Belt sections who have- not' complied with tho condition with reference to clearing of gorse, rciub, etc., on their land be called upon to carry out the' condition 5 ; of their ]&ases forthwith. (8) That the cnirin&er bo instructed to carry out tho necessary repairs to ths caretaker's cottage at the Botanical Gardens. The committee reported that it had visited the Thorndon Baths and recommended that the engineer be instructed to raise the level of the juvenile por\ tion of the baths. The committee will' make a recommendation at a future meeting dealing with the qusstion of weekly and Sunday hours the baths should be available. Also that a deputation of the Wellington Swimming Assedation waited on the committee and City Engineer in reference to tho alteration and enlargement of the Tc Aro Bsths. The committee will bring down at the next meeting the recommendation* dealing with this necessary work. Councillor ,T. P. Luke, in moving the adoption of the report, said some residents of Evans Bay desired that the old firo brigade shed should oe iemoved to the water's edge for -. bathing shod. The cost would not bo much, and he hoped the council would agree to it. Cmincillor J. Smith raid something should bo done for residents who were, now practically deprived of the Kills irme Baihs. Councillor Hindmarsh hrld thai in clause 4 the 0 should bo struck out in the figures £10. He thought £1 was ample for the council to charge Mi Wnghf, who should not be penalised for beautifying the Town Belt. ■H? moved that th" 0 after £J0 in clcusc 4 should be strucK out. There was no seconder, and the amendment lapsed. The report was a lopted. BY-LAWS AND STREET LIGHT- • ISCr. This • committee made tha following recommendations: — (1) That lamps' be erected (as), recommended by the electrical engineer) in Garrett-strcet, Lloydstrpot, and the junction of Bua^co-road and Overton-terrace. (2) That tho position of lamps be altered (as recommended by the electrical engineer) ip Gar-rett-street, Lloyd-street, and Crosbyterrace. (3) That, the request of the Karori Borough' Council for ah alteration in its present streot lights be granted, provided it pays the cost of' alteration, (approximately £40). tho lamps affected to be charged at £2 15s per annum in place of £3 10s per annum as at present charged. (4) That i the application for the consent of tho council to a right-of-way for Messrs. Fathers and Martin off Crawford-road be granted on the conditions laid down by the City Engineer. (5) That tho application of Mr. Hamilton Gilnier for permission to fix an ejector at the Grand Hotel (as recommended by the City Engineer) be granted, (fi) That the application of Mr G. London for permission to construct four pavement lights in Ghuznee and Cuba, streets be granted on the usual condition?, as iecommended by tho .City Engineer. (7) That the application of Mr. F. J. Fear for permission to erect a temporary building in Old Customhouse-street be granted for- six months, and to be renewable every fix. months for a period of 3£ years. < (8) That the track arc lamp at Roseneath be, shifted from pole 68 to 69, and that the Electric Engineer be instructed to improve the lighting of the Roseneath district, tho total cot.t not to exceed £25. Councillor Godber moved the adoption of tho report. * In a reference to the recommendation contained in clause 6, the Mayor objected, on general principles, to tho .granting, of permission to instal pavement lights, which ■would facilitate the turning of cellars into work rooms. T/be practice should bo discouraged in regard to cellars which were wholly below the level of the street, and to test the feeling of tho council ha would move that the clause be referred back to the committee.. . Councillor Carmichaol said that the case of Mr. London 'was tho first one in whiih the council had taken objection, and to persevere with it in this instance would be unfair. Councillor Luke supported this viewj while, giving his support to the general principle of what the Mayor had said. Councillor Luke would support a resolution to, have effect in regard to futuio contracts. The Mayor said there was no right for people to assume the right to get such specifications passed- In' this instance tho top- of the cellar was shown on a level with the Street, and it was nonsense to say that such a place could be properly ventilated. The matter of using such cellars for workrooms was one which would have to be mado the subject of' legislation before long. In deference' to the expressed wishes to the council (and the statement of Councillor Smith that the cellar at Mr. London's building was only intended for a store room), he would withdraw his present amendment, but he stated now that should any similar application come before the council he would oppose it ti> Lhe utmost Tho whole report, as brought down, was agreed to unaltered. FINANCE AND PROPERTY. The Finance Committee recommended : — (1) That Mr. W. Edmonds, late carptakor of the Karori Reservoir, be granted a compassionate: allowance of 10s per week (2) That Mrs S Ash, widow of nn old Corporation employee. b«> granted a com passionate allowance of 10e per week for two years. (3) Thai

no alteration be .made in thn charges for water supplied to tho Wellington Harbour Board. (4) That authority be given to close with Messrs Andersor. Bro.i. and Mr. Kingdon and othcis finrunning a ruWcrt through their sectionr at leland Bay. 1 5) That consent bp granted to the proposed sub-loase of property in Willis-street fiom Turnbull and" Jones to T. P. Lyons. (6) That a special order br passed effecting lcarerin perpetuity to the following tenants of the Mangahao .Endowment and such others ar. may ap-ee to the terms: — J. D. C. Ciev, o, Albert Beetham, John Moynahan, W Boydon, James Champion, T. Mexted, S. Bly, M James, M. Taylor, G. Bottomley," R. Rae, E. A. Sloan, and A. Reope. (7) That Mr. W. H. Buswcl), lighting inspector, bp granted a bonus of £10 and an increaso of salary of £26 for the extra work done in connection with the clcc trical installation at the Brooklyn and Kelburne pumping stations (8) Tint an officer be appointed to carry out the work ot disinlpction of premises in the city. (9) That a conference be held with representatives of local bodies and land owners Interest«d in the new Hutt pipo bridge, and that delegr.ues bs appointed by this council to meet other representatives, in order to finally deal with the matter. (10) That tho agreement with the Wellington Harbour Board for the wood blocking of Customhouse and Waterloo quays bo approved. (11) That accounts amounting to £4366 4s Gd be passed for payment. The committee reported that it had settled Mr. A. J. Ibbotson's compensation claim for land dedicated at Childers-terracc, Kilbirnie, for the sum of £20. Referring to clause 3 the Mayor, in m ovine; tho adoption of the report, said the offer made to Mr. Anrlerron and v agreed to by him, wns £175, and £50 was offered and agreed to by Mr. Kingdon. With regard to clause 6 most of the tenants had agreed to <he terms. A faw otherr. remained out, but they would probably come in in the course of a few dayr. With regard to rlsusc 9, he eiid every little body which had contributpd wanted fomething done to which others objected. It was most necessary that finality should bo leached in thb. matter, and this could ba done by th° delegates. He moved the adoption of the> repoit. In reply to Councillor Ballinger, -th« Mayo. 1 said clause 7 was not a matter for the Tramways Commixes The report was adopted.