CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 7650, 28 June 1888, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Tbe fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night. There were present— The Mayor (Mr Dawson), Crs Kimbcll, Solomon, Gourley, Barron, Hardy, Lee Smith, Cramond, Cohen, Sinclair, and Carroll. COHRESI'ONDKNCE. Mrs Silk complained of the state of the crossing to her hotel. If something was not done to it soon she would expect to lose all her trade.—Referred to the Works Committee to act. Maurice Joel wrote complaining of the state of the footpaths and roads opposite his premises in Crawford and Water streets.— Works Committee to act. ""■" Daniel Campbell asked that the Council should repair the footway in the Arcade, and complained of larrikins playing football there on Sundays.—Cr Barron moved—- " That it be referred to the Works Committee to report." The Arcade was private property, and the Council had nothing to do with it. The other matter was within the province of the police.—The motion was carried. A letter from the lloslyn Council requested that the footpaths on the Town Belt roads leading to the several streets in Roslyn from the Middle District School should be repaired and made passable for traffic Received. An application by the Union street School Committee for an asphd.lt crossing in Cumberland street was referred to the Works Committee to act. I'KLICriKT I'.AV STATION. Mr James Allen, M.HR., wrote: "Enclosed you will find a plan showing the proposed extension of the Pelichet Bay station. Several residents have sent me objections, and I desire to know the opinion of the Council. The additions would encroach on the road, and I am not clear whether that portion of the road belongs to the Railway Department or to the Council. Would you kindly instruct me." Mr Fish,_ M.H.R., also telegraphed urging the Council to object to the closing of the stieet. Mr G. E. Eliott, as chairman, of the recent meeting at tho Albany street Oddfellows' Hall forwarded the resolutions carried at that meeting, and invited the Council's co-operation. Cr Cohen suggested that the Council should go a step further than was indicated in the telegrams, and while addressing the Government on the subject should endeavour to get them to give an assurance that all street lines north of Rattray street should be extended across the Railway reserve, as the needs of the City required. As there appeared to be considerable misapprehension on the subject he had to ask that the Town Clerk would at a convenient opportunity lay before the Council a copy of the City Surveyor's letter of February 16, 1875, together with the plan then forwarded to the City Council by the Government, and a letter from the Harbor Board of March 25, 1875. These letters would throw some light on the matter. 'The Mayor, in reply to Cr Solomon, said it was indisputable that the street line in Albany street was the property of the Crown. He had been informed by the offioers of the Railway Department that they had recommended that the permanent station should be erected at Pelichet Bay, but the Ministerial reply was that there was no funds for the purpose. The new station arrangements were merely temporary, and were intended to meet the demands of the travelling public. It would never do for the City to be charged with the cost of forming and maintaining the proposed street extensions.

Cr Gourley strongly urged the Council to insist on the extension of all the Btreet lines shorewards, as did Cr Barron, who moved, and Cr Kimbkll seconded—" That this Council request the Government to give an assurance that all the streets north of Rattray street across the railway reserve, when required, will be kept open," Cr Cohen said, in reference to what had fallen from the Mayor, that it was not desked by the people at the north end that the City Council should make the street extensions. That duty would, of course, fall to the Harbor Board, who would be pecuniarily benefited ; but it would be for the Council, when the streets were properly formed, to consider whether the City should undertake their future maintenance. What was desired was that the Government would,

as the requirements of the City demanded it, grant the extension of the street lines across the railway reserve, and not force people to take a circuitous route to gain access to the shore. It only required to be pointed out that Frederick street was the northern frontage of the proposed export dock to show how important it was to have the opening up of that street assured. Tho motion was carried. THE GAS BALANCE.

The Mayor, in moving the adoption of the Gas Committee's report, said it was highly gratifying to know that there was a credit balance to the Gas Department ot nearly LIO.OOO. This showed conclusively that that department had been carried on in a business-like manner, and if they had a few more departments like it they would soon get rid of their overdraft—(Hear, hear.) The various reports were adopted. PREPARING THE BURGESS ROLL.

Cr Cohen moved—" That a gratuity of ten guineas be voted to Messrs Ibbotson and Creagh for preparing the burgess roll for the current year." He asked the Council to perform a simple act of justice. The recommendation of tho Finance Committee, that the usual gratuity should be granted, had been negatived under a double mistake—that the work was to be distributed among the clerical staff, and that the voting of a gratuity was a new thing that had grown up during the last year or two. In regard to the first matter it had been ascertained, and ho thought the town clerk would bear him out in thut, that the compilation of the roll required sphcial knowledge, and could not be undertaken by any officer. Messrs Ibbotsen and Creagh did the work thoroughly well, and deserved consideration at the hands of the Council. The work was special, if ever work was, and employed them for nearly a month every night till all hours. The highest payment was in 1876, when special clerical assistance was called, and the town clerk was voted ten guineas, the bill totalling L4l 10s. In 1875 L 33 was voted ; in 1877, L2O ; in 1878, L 24 ; and from that date till this year L 25 was regularly voted. He asked the Council to vote the officers named LlO 10s a piece this year, which was L 5 less than they had hitherto received, Cr Smith seconded the motion with pleasure, as the work was essentially overtime, and was well done by the two officers, whom experience had proved to be most competent to discharge it. The decision of the Council on a previous occasion was an act of meanness ■.

The vote was supported by Crs Gourley (who said he had found it Was impossible to allot the work to all the clerks), Kimbell, and Sinclair; and opposed by Crs Carroll (who was willing to vote five guineas), Hardy (who thought the work was fairly within the officers' duties), Solomon, and Barron (who considered that the circumstances were in nowise altered since the vote was previously taken). The Mayor also spoke in favor of the vote, saying that the work was excellently performed by the officers named.

The vote was carried by 5 to 4 MOTIONS.

The motion of Or Cohen re Union street bridge was referred to the Works Committee, it being stated that the Committee intended taking immediate action in the matter.

Cr Kimbell's motion re unauthorised expenditure of the Gas Committee in testing gas mains was withdrawn after some discussion.

TENDERS. A number of tenders were referred to the several Committees.