CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 7395, 15 December 1887, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

The City Council met last night. There were present-His Worship the Mayor (Mr R.H. Leary), CrsKimbell, Cramond, Gour ley, Hardy, Lee Smith, Sinclair, Carroll, and Barron. CORRESPONDENCE. Messrs Anderson and Morrison wrote stating that their tender for the supply of labbV and material for the gas and waterworks was now withdrawn.—lt appeared that the tender was the only one, and that it was accepted by the Council. The Bank hag Reived instructions not to pay the ohequa sent in by the firm as deposit money. The matter was referred to the Works Committee. T. Paterson and Co. wrote offering to lease the lower portion of the premises lately ooouWed by Messrs M'Landress, Hepburn, and Co., at a rental of L4f per annum.—.Referred to the Reserves Committee. WTKhglands" offered to lease section 12 of the-Cattle Market Reserve at L 4 per annum.—Referred to the Reserves Committee. , ~ .. The Otago Art Society wrote asking the Council to grant them the use of one of the vacant rooms: in the Town Hall building as a temporary public art gallery.—The Mayor recommended that the application be granted.' He said it was the intention of the Art Society to hand their collection of pictures over to the City Council in trust for the'eitiaens as soon as it was large enough. —Cr Lie Smith moved—" That the use of the library-room be granted during the pleasure of the Council."—Cr_ Sinclair the motion, which he said he could heartily support.—Cr Solomon said permission should only be granted during the pleasure of the Council. He believed arrangements were likely to be made whereby theengineer's offices would be shifted upstairs, and the offices at present in use let to the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards. —The motion was unanimously agreed to. A' largely-signed petition was received from ratepayers in South Ward and others interested in the welfare of the residents in and near Walker street regarding the Chinese tenements there. The petitioners referred to the filthy and dilapidated condition of the buildings, whioh are mostly oocupied by Chinese. They considered them unfit for human habitation, fatal to the health of the residents, and also as greatly deteriorating to the value of the better houses in the locality. For these reasons the petitioners were of opinion that such hovels should be condemned and pulled down, and expressed a hope that the Council would take the matter* into their serious consideration.—; The ;.matter was referred to the "Works Committee. Lieutenant-colonel N. Y. A. Wales wrote onjbehalf of the Volunteers askingfor permission to. extend the Pelichet Bay rifle range, So that practice could be held with theßemington-Lee rifles at a long range.— Referred to the Reserves Committee. '• ' '"' FINANCE.

The Finance Committee reported having passed for payment accounts amounting to Ll}lsß 2s 5d.-Adopted. WOBKS COMMITTEE.

The Public Works Committee reported that the following tenders for yearly contracts, commencing Ist January, 1888, had been accepted: Supplying ironmongery anil stores, A. Briscoe and Co.; supplying special lines in ironmongery and stores, A. Brfecoe and Co.; supplying timber and nails, James Gilmour; supplying oils, paints, glass, etc., Dunedin Iron and Woodware Company; blacksmiths' work, Thomas Sourr; winding publio clocks, A. W. Macarthnr (Town Hall clock), E. Souness (Colonial Bank and Hospital clocks).—Adopted. YVATEB BUPPLT.

The Water Supply Committee reported that they had no recommendation to make regarding Mr J. W. Hall's complaint of the water, supply to his premises for domestic services being charged with the special supply for hydropathic purposes. A complaint against Mr John Fraser, reservoirkeeper, of offensive and threatening lariguage, conduct, and gestures towards Mr James Cook and his family, made by Messrs Stewart, Holmes, and Denniston on behalf of Mr Cook, had been fully investigated, and a reply forwarded to the effect that tip Committee could not find any ground for the complaint. The following tenders for yearly contracts, commencing January 1, 1888, had been accepted:— Supplying certain labor and materials, Anderson and Morrison; carting waterworks; plant, James Duthie and Co. — Adopted,. .-'-;-' ' RESERVES. The Reserves Committee recommended that tenders be called for grubbing up and burning the gorse and broom on the Town Belt between the Glen road and Serpentine avenue.—Referring to Mr C. C. Kettle's letter as to the condition of the Triangle, the Committee were of opinion that the best method of improving the reserve was to level it and lay it down in grass, which is being gradually done, The Committee would be glad to put up iron posts and chains round the Triangle, but the cost would be about L3OO, and that amount was not available—a fact which the Committee deeply re-grettedv-r-The offers of Mr R. Good for the right to cut grass on the Town Belt along the, road from the North-east Valley to Opoho (10a), for the exclusive right to the grass in the Botanical Gardens (L 4), and for a renewal of the right to graze cattle on the Town Belt at the back of the Northern Cemetery (LI) hod been accepted.—An application from the Victoria Park Committee for permission to remove the whole of the fencing material from the Cattle Market Reserve had been declined.—The report was adopted, with the exception of the first- an amendment by Cr Oourley that the calling for tenders for gorse-cntting be deferred, being carried. ' QAB COMMITTEE'S BEPOKT.

The Gas Committee reported that the tender of the Brunner Coal Company for the supply of fireclay and firebricks for the year ending December 31,1888, had been accepted. Seven applications for new supply had been received during the fortnight ended December 9. Cr Babbon said he would oppose the adoption of the report. He had opposed the motion to accept the Brunner Company's tender in the Gas Committee for this reason: that/the Committee had referred the matter to the Gas Engineer, and that he had reported in favor of the material which Mr White had tendered to supply. Cr Lee Smith hinted at correspondence havingpassed from the Engineer to tenderers, which had quite justified the Committee in ignoring bis advice. He was . sorry the letter had not been referred to in the report. The'MAYOB said the Engineer had been asked for an explanation, and as he had not £et replied the letter had not been noticed i the report. Cr KTivfßicT.T, said he would like to know, before he voted in favor of the report, why the Engineer's advice had been ignored. The Mayor said the Engineer Had not reErted against the Brunner material, he not ving tested it. .' ' ' CrCABBOii knew from tests that had been,made that the Committee had aoted wisely in accepting the tender of the Brunner* Company. Cr Kimbeix moved—"That the Engineer be "asked to report on the relative merits of articles under discussion." ■ The amendment was not seconded. Cr Solomon argued that the Committee were not at all bound to accept the advice of an expert. They had to act in the best in- . teresta oftHe ratepayers. Cr GotTBiEY thought they' should use everything that, could be produced in the Colony, even if it were only half as goodas the imported article. On that ground he would support the acceptance of the tender. 'The adoption of the report was agreed to; Crs Barron and Kimbell voting against it. - GkNEBAZ COMMITTEE'S BETOBT.

The following report from the General Committee was read, :-r ' Your Committee beg te report as follows : 1L Legislative department— With reference to the question of the. drainage of properties into the main sewers,' i requiring to be constructed through? r adjoining - lands, your Committee having' evnnuered motion No. 1,144, the City Suweror'si report on Mr Cairns" complaint, the netttiimuof James Same and others, and the tM?fUlJttJm?m'dt&niouon' the subject, reooinBead that flEafliament be moved to amend the law relating to drainage so as to admit of owners pfpropertr within the City connecting „*-" the common sewers by „, iarrtlnf where necessary, through the *» ittoperty of adjoining owners on such terms and ™" eon3*ion»«iay be'deemed to pro- - O) The sapertatendent baring reported as to itSmHltlHimiet pawning* f for ' |liii(|iil|psu^tnlrVatalls I rlr-TiT-'- < -~*' ftu (r' i fcosed*eSSifl«»oyonr'Ctomaifttee reoommend, be MMffettH

(2) The following tenders for yearly contracts, commencing January 1, 1888, have been accepted:—Supplying four horses and two drivers to Fire Brigade main station, E. M'Kewen, at 5s per night; supplying horse and driver to Great King street fire station, E. M'Kewen—day time, each call out, 10s 6J.; do, each false alarm, ss; night time, eaoh call out, 12a 6d; do, each false alarm, 7s M. (31 The superintendent's report for the quarter ended 7th December inst. is hereto attached. , , , . (4) The quarterly pay-sheet and premium for firemen's insurance, together amounting to Lll3 4s 9d, have been passed for payment. Cr Solomon opposed tho recommendation of the Committee with regard to drainage, and moved that it be not agreed to. The motion was lost, and the adoption of the report as read was agreed to. A RECESS. It-was resolved that the next ordinary meeting of the Council be held on the 11th January. A MARKET. Cr Hardy gave notice of the following motion:—" That a committee be appointed to take into consideration the propriety of establishing a market for the sale of produce generally." TENDERS. Tenders for the supply of colonial cement and various oils for the Gasworks were referred to the various committees.