CITY COUNCIL

Evening Star, Issue 15916, 23 September 1915, Page 9

CITY COUNCIL

The fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held last evening, and attended by the Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), Crs Sinclair, Carroll, Lunn, Cole, Hancock, Wilson, Shaddock, Taverner, Black, Green, Begg, Scott, Douglas, Hayward, and White Or Colo was appointed chairman of the Tramways Committee in place of Ex-coun-cillcr Menzies. Oi’s Hayward and Taverner were appointed the council’s representatives on the Board of Governors of th© King Edward Technical College, caused through the resignation of Ex-councillor Menzies and Air A. Washer. ■ —Civic Reception and Councillors.— Th© Mayor tendered an apology to councilors for a misunderstanding, possibly arising from his mistake, by which special provision was not made in tho Octagon Hall for the seating of councillors. Cr Black said ho would have accepted the Mayor's explanation with greater readiness if it was the first occasion. But the fact was that the last time the wounded soldiers came, so fax as the councillors were concerned, they did nob got an invitation. On this occasion he was .soay to see some association usurping the position of the council - at what was called a civic reception. He felt, further, that in the first place tho council had been lacking in not giving a civic reception on tho morning of the men's return, and he believed, that the few letters which had been published in the paper reflected the feelings of a great part of the public. No association should have been allowed to usurp the functions of the City Council. Or Sinclair said that the position arose through the councillors’ own fault. A civic reception was a reception by the public, who were represented by the councillors, and ho could not understand how it came about than the arrangements for a civic reception were left in the hands of a committee outside the council To obviate such practice he would move that a reception committee bo set up to make suitable arrangements for such civic receptions, tho committee to consist of Cra Cole, Black, Green, and White, associated with tho Mayor.

The Mayor said he welcomed’ such a committee.

Cr Green said the gentleman who had evidently been running tho whole show had refused to allow councillors to remain on the platform after the Mayor had beckoned them to come up. _ Cr Sinclair's motion was earned, councillors assuring the Mayor, however, that they accepted his explanation of what had occurred. —A Motor Car.— Or Green moved the adoption of the Works Committee’s report, in which it was recommended that a motor car be purchased for the use of the city engineer and the quarry manager, who had been using a motor cycle in the past. Cr Hayward moved, as an amendment, that this clause be referred back to the committee. He thought that they should call for tenders for the motor cai - . Or Carroll seconded th© amendment. Cr Green said that the committee had made all the necessary inquiries, and the car they recommended for purchase was an English-made one. It was costing more for the hire of a machine than for the purchase of one. A car would have to be obtained, otherwise the work could not be carried out. The amendment was carried, and the report as amended was adopted. —The Public Baths. — Cr Sinclair, in moving the adoption of the General Committee's report, said it was recommended that, in order to encourage school children to make greater use of the swimming baths, a. special concession ticket be issued, giving six baths for Is to school children of 14 years of age and under. The school children were tho real patrons of the baths. Hie Committee also asked for authority to effect repairs to the St. Clair Baths, at a cost of £4O. The report was adopted. . —The Tramways.— Cr Cole, in moving the adoption of the Tramways Committee’s report, said that the committee were endeavoring to push on the work effecting alterations to the cars, and putting new ones in hand as soon as possible. The report was adopted.