THE CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 5591, 8 February 1881, Page 2

THE CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council, held this afternoon, was attended by His Worship tho Mayor, Crs Gore, Matii'jaon, Street, Tfa-c, Sciuillar, Allen, B?»rnes, CarrcJl, I hem o>, and F.sn. CORRbttPONDENCE. Tho Un!.:r-^ci.-r.-.ry acknowledged receipt of-in-. C-uu ii's iivter f;>r permission for ihe City Council 'o lower to the strte: ievel the ground upon which ihe buildmgs used *h the North Du-iedia police qutrteie were erected, the Council undertaking to reinstate tbe buildings ; and, by instructions of the Premier, expressed regret of the 'fckvernment that they were unable to p'.y with the request of tho Cmnoil in this A letter f cm M*r W. S. Douglas, aa to the er.cti.rn ef B acb, wa? referred to the Baths Committee, The C uccil refused to take any action :vith rt f-.r> n ;e to a protest from Mr Gaorgc Biytb apainßt the clectirn of Mr B. Ist a 3 as Ou,,<-i'ior fr H-'oh Ward, holding that, if -.-.•:. ■ :•* impr-p'-rly rej, v . ■ ' I* bre : o tvidtnea • f having Veen recsived by the returni g (ffijer, mr did it evm le r his i i {nature Mr" John Barnes, Councillor lor Leifch Ward, wrote protesting against the City

Oourcii'a action fn having a'lowel the RiHyn Trimway Company to erect two iron buildings on the Town Bait in line of Rstt sy street, cni sta'.icg thai; unless tl e bui!3iug3 referred t9 were removed forthwith he wculd take proceedings to compel removal—CsGore pointed out that although a--are the buildings were on the Belt the Tramways Committee had not give»-per-mission to have them placed there,—Referred to Tramways Committee. Mr John A. Birr wrote:—"Mr George Dunoan, from whom part of the land of the Silverstream reservoir was requned, has given me instructions to take action f r the recovery of compensation for being deprived of the wstor which has heretofore flowed iu the creok running through hia land. At the time whon Mr Duncan claimed compensation for the land taken an item of L4OO was pcluded for the creek, but consideration o ( |bat. part of the claim was (it the request of fhe Corporation) ik-ferred uutil the waterwere completed. I shall be glad to if the Cry Council will make any pro po?.il for settlement oj my clieiu'd claim for io s of water rights, without n sorting to I fc&l pr cess."—Referred to Water Supply Committee.

The Council agreed to assist the oountj oouacils interested in the matter oL the 0 ego Control Railway. A letter otork to the Vincent Conner! on the^ubjec 1 : was refi rred to the Legislative Committee,

t:» ivporfc at next meeting. Tho manager of tho Hardware Company wrote with re-pact to tho acceptance cf Messrs Burt's tender for the supply of material for City works during the ensuing year. Cr TgoaisoN was of opinion that Anderson and Morrison's tender wag the lowest, and that there had been something bordering on "crooked" work in the matter. Ho moved that Cra Al'ea, Matheson, and Gore be appointed a committee to go into, the matter,—Cr Carroll considered that the City Engineer was to bl&rao for not giving proper information to the various committees as to schedules, and that officer had gat a " rap over the knuckles " in connection vvith the matter.—Councillors were of opinion that it Wi.uld b3 unwise to re-open the question, aiid in dtfereuce to tho views expressed Cr Thomson was granted permission to withhis motion. Tqo South Dunedin Council wrote with reference to the nuisance caused by the Gasworks.—The Mayor mentioned that instructions had been given to the gas engineer to abate the same.—Referred to the Gaa Committee. MEMORIALS, A memorial from Messrs Bell, Hodgkins, and others, owners of property in Queen street, memorialised the Council as to works in that street.—R'furred to Works Committco with p'.«wer to aot, Residents in Stuart and Smith streets requetted the Council to form a sewor to drain these streets.—Referred to the Works Committee to report. The Council agreed to allow children attending the Albany street sohool to use the Pelichet Bay baths from 4 to 4.30" p.m. daily. Tae Council resolved to hold a Bpeoial meeting on Monday to eleot members to the Harbor Board ; and to consider an applicable n from the Roslyn Tramway Company aa to forming a street across the Town Bilfc. REPORTS, Tho following reports were read : The Works Committee recommenced that Lfi bs paid to Mr John Birncs in feepeot of change of position of boundary fence at his property at Qaeon street; Mr Barnes to remove the fer.ee back from Mia street-line, and lo build a retainicg wall to the satisfaction <£ the City Surveyor. That the south weighbridge be in future leased in the same manner and for the same period as the Sfcusrfc street weighbridge is leased, and that tenders be invited forthwith. The Committee further recommended the acceptance of Donoghue and M'Arthur's tender for repairing kerbing and channelling; she contract to extend over a period of six months from February 1, ISBI. As to a statement made at the last meeting of the Council, to the effect that certain City works were at present being executed in respect of which the sanction of Council had not boen obtained,

!tho City Surveyor reported that the work had been done by the Corporation daymen at the request of the member for tbe Ward, as it was very much wanted, and with the concurrence of tbo Mayor. The Gas Committee reported having fully reconsidered the pre?eat mode of recovering arrears for gap, and generally approved th« existing regulation r&lating thereto. The Committee recommended that the regulation ba stricbly enforced; and that the gaß duo on the 20Sh ot any month, and remu'ning unpaid on the Ist of the following month, be forthwith cut off, and legal proceedings be immediately taken for the recovery of ary then outstanding amount. As to W. J. Barton's application for the refund oE L 5 2a rec :utly paid by him under protest—this being the amount owing by William Langley for gaa supplied to premises in rear of Princes street —the Committee were unable to agree as to whether or not any departure from the usual practice should be male in this instance, and accordingly requested the Council to deoide the case. The Water Supply Committee recomnieadsd, rticrring to Mr Bai&eel's application f»r supply of water to his public baths, Moray place—also to the general question of tho Council's charge for water for public bathe —that 50 psr cent, discount off the usual charge ba allowed to the proprietors of swimming baths, and 25 per cent, discount j to the proprietors of all other public baths. As to the Harbor Board'a application, it was recommended that a 21 i water main be laid by Council halfway along the new crosswharf for the general vus of the eh'pping at a cist of L 45. Having cons:'de:ed Mr Campbell's report on the present state of the Silverstroara works, the Committee were of opinion that tho services of the two inspectors (Meecra Smith and Sligo) cculd not with advantage ba dispensed with at present, as it was necessary that the lining cf the tuanel, the fencing, and making good the slips on the race, etc., should be properly supervised. The Finance Committee reported that a sub-committee having conferred with Mr Hiilop, and, having carefully analysed aU his accounts for fitting up the clock and bella in the Town' Hall tower, find that allowing a commission on the labor only employed on the work (no commission on the materia!), Mr Hislop is entitled to reoeive LG93 8* 21. This 6um the Committee'accordingly recommended for payment in terms of the agref ment relating to the case. Oa the reading of the Water Supply Committee's report the deletion of the first clause was earned.