CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 8716, 7 January 1892, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last evening, and was attended by the Mayor (Mr C. R. Chapman), Crs Solomon, Toomey, Carroll, Allen, Hardy, M'Gregor, Barron, Haynes, and Gourley.— Cr Swan .wrote apologising for his nonattendance, aa he had another meeting to attend to.—Cr Fish's abaenoe was verbally apologised for by Cr Carroll. CORRESPONDENCE. Cr Carroll wrote :—" Hla Worship the Mayor and members of the City Council. Gentlemen,—Permit me to return you my warmest thanks for your kindness in passing the resolution at the last meeting of Council thanking me for the manner in which I discharged the duties of mayor during my year of office, a oopy of which I have received from the town clerk, I aooept it as an extension of the consideration shown me bv all members of the Council, which made" the duties a pleasure to me." After a few complimentary remarks respecting the manner in which the exmayor fulfilled his duties, the letter was received. John Johnstone, of Cumberland street, called atttention to the amount of rates he was paying on his property fronting King street and Cumberland street, and stated that he was payiog as muoh now as he had pajd for the last twenty years, notwithstanding that he had to take considerably smaller rents. He therefore asked the Council to make a reduction in the amount of rates. He considered that a reduction of one-fourth wonld not be an unreasonable concession to make.—Referred to the Finance Committee to report. A. Tapper drew attention to the open drain at Montpellier, which ran across his section. He would feel obliged if the Council would give instructions to hive tbo cnlvort continued a few yards, so that the ditoh could be filled up and the road put in order.—Referred to the Works Committee to report. Jamea T. Turnbull, of London, wrote that in this age of improvements he thought the time had arrived when the post office letter pillars and the lamp-post nearest them should be made one.—Referred to the Works Committee to report. The Secretary (Mr H. Inglis) of the Dunedin Cycling Club wrote asking for permission to use the track round the oval on the Southern Recreation Reserve for a bicycle r&oe on the evening of Saturday next, commencing at 6 o'clock. -- Cr M'Gregor said that if the request were granted there was a possibility of damage being done to the reserve, to the fence probably, which was now in a very " shakory " state. There were several other tracks in town that might be used, and the Corporation should not encourage clubs to go on the reserves.—Cr Barron thought they should encourage the club if they could afford it. The club, however, should be asked to find a d«posit so that the Council wonld be protected in the event Of damage being done. He wonld move: "That the request be granted on condition that the club find a deposit of L 5 to indemnify the Council from any damage or loss."—Cr Solomon seconded.—ln reply to a question, the Mayor said that no charge could be made on the occas3ion. —The motion was carried.

George B. Hall, replying to a letter from the town clerk informing him that L 5 was to be offered to him in settlement of his claim respecting the flow of water into the D.I.C. buildings, said be would respectfully ask the Council to reopen the case and to refer the matter to the Works Committee, and allow him to be present, when he would be pleased to give them foil particulars relative to his claim.—The request waa agreed

to. George Arundel called attention to the very bad state of Ellis street, which had lately been repaired with metal until it was now highsr than the ground on which the bouses stood, with the result that the late heavy rains had flooded the neighboring sectiono.—Referred to the Works Committee to report. Bishop Moran requested the Council to remove the lamp iu Smith street, which is at present opposite the right-hand corner of the Roman Catholic Cathedral ground, to a position opposite the new fl'ght of Bteps leading to the Cathedral porch. The biahop also requested the Council to raise the footpath to this flight of steps about six inches at the left-hand side.— Referred to the Works Committee to act respscting the lamp, and to report regarding the matter of the footpath. Henry Lamer drew the Council's attention to the top of Russell street, where the rain, after a heavy Bhower, poured down on to his property from the road,—Referred to the Works Committee to act. William Smart wrote that he would be obliged if the Council would take steps to have the road at the corner of Arthur street and the Maori road kept in a clean condition. The gutter at this spot was very seldom cleaned out, and all the refuse from the road found ita way on to his section.— Referred to the Works Committee to act. Captain Robin, on behalf of the Otago Hussars, wrote applying for the use of the shed on the Southern Market Reserve &a an orderly room and riding schooI.—CrBARRON moved : "That the application be granted during the pleasure of the Counoil, as the building waa useless to the Council."—Cr Allen had pleasure in supporting the motion. He considered the Hussars should be encouraged, and if the building was of no aae to the Council it ought to ba granted.— Cr Solomon thought it better to refer the matter to the Reserves Committee to report, and moved accordingly.— The motion was withdrawn in favor of the amondment, whioh was oarried.

CABMEN'S GRIEVANCES,

A petition was received from seventeen cabmen in favor of bylaw cases in future being brought before the resident magistrate, as they believed justices were capable of being "influenced." The petitioners directed the attention of the Council to the cases heard on the 4th inst., expressed the opinion Inat the fines were ao small as to constitute a mUaarriage of justice, and that something more was necessary " to have any effect on the persons so fined, or to have much influence on those cabmen who are at alt timeß prepared to break the law." The petitioners lurther asked that vehicles starting from the St. KUda stand should not bo allowed to ply to Caversham.—Cr Babson said the letter should ba sent to the General Committee, ;jud that if they could not deal with it then the justices of peace in the colony should take it iuto consideration. Th» Council did not want to tell these gentlemen that they were guilty of contempt of court—for it was contempt of oourtj there was no doubt si that. The best way to deal with the matter was to refer it to the General Committee.—Agreed to. INSPECTION OF DAiBjIES. Mr J. Smith, clerk of the Waikouaiti County Counci!, in reply to the Council's letter of the llth iost., forwarded the following copy of a resolution passed s>y the Council dealing with the matter of the inspection of dairies : —** That the letter from the town clerk, Dunedin, of the llth inst., re the inspection of dairies within this county be received, and the clerk directed in reply to state that the Council is still willing to appoint the City Council's inspector inspector for the county if the City Council fixes as the rate of remuneration for the discharge of this duty a Bum that can be agreed to by this Council. So far as known there are but a few dairies within this oounty from which milk is sent into Dunedin for sale by other aocyeyances than railway trains." The Portobello Road Board wrote stating that Mr T. Portertield had been appointed inspector of dairies for the districtj and the Peninsula Road Board intimated that Messrs J. Bishop sad O. J. Hodge had been appointed for Peninsula. Referred to the General Committee, with power to act in the case of the communication from the Waikouaiti County Council. WOBKB COMMITTEE, The report of the Works Committee, which has been already published, was brought up. ■ In a letter to the Council, Cr Swan objeoted to the second clause of the report, on the ground that the granting of water supply should be left to the Water Supply Committee. ...... Messrs Fitehett and Thornton (solicitors) wrote, on behalf of Mr Brown, objecting to the proposal in the report relative to th» drainage of Heriot row.

Cr Gotjrlby moved the adoption of the report, with the exception of the olause respecting the drainage of Herlot row, whioh wat referred back to the Committee. —Carried unanimously. OTHER REPORTS. The reports from the Water Supply, Reserves, Gas and Finance, and General Committees, aa presented, were also adopted. COMMITTEES. On the motion of Cr Solomon, seconded by Cr Barron, Cr Alien was appointed to the Finance and Reserves Committees, and Cr Carroll to the Gas, General, and Water Committees. MAYORAL SALARY. The next business being the fixing of the salary of the mayor, His Worship retired, and Cr Carroll took the chair. Cr Solomon moved and Cr Barron seconded—"That the salary for the mayor be as previously, L 400." The motion was carried unanimously without discussion. His Worship thanked the Council, and remarked that when he sought the office ho did not look for a.salary. He hoped to discharge his duties satisfactorily. TENDERS. The following tenders were received for painting two gar-holders:—J. Rosenbrook, L7S;G, Rendall, L 73; C. Lemon, LB7 153; J. Nesbit, LI 50; and T. Pledger, L 155 Ids.—Referred to Gas Committee. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting of the Council was then held to hear applications for admission to the burgess roll. Eight applications had been received, and, on the motion of Cr Carroll, these applicants were included among the burgesses of the City, and the roll amended accordingly. Cr Barron moved-" That the meeting of the Council as the Domain Board be adjourned for a week to enable the councillors to go thoroughly into the question." Cr Haynes seconded the motion.

Cr Carroll thought the proceedings of the Council as a domain board must be necessarily formal, for their position could not be improved by hours of discussion, Cr Solomon also urged that the proceedings were entirely formal; they could only do the work necessary nnder the Act. Cr Barron, in reply, thought that they ought to know their position. He had opposed their taking over the Gardens, and he now found that the Gardens cost the citizens L6OO per annum. They were wasting public money in tbia matter, and the question certainly ought to be considered and discussed. Amongst other matterß, they might discuss the withdrawal of the Government subsidy, which had only been paid for one year. The motion for the adjournment of the meeting was negatived on the casting vote of the Mayor. The report and balance-sheet were then accepted as read, and were adopted nem din. The Council rose at 9.45 p.m.