CIVIC AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 18852, 29 January 1925, Page 10

CIVIC AFFAIRS

FORTNIGHTLY COUNCIL MEETING. The first, meeting for 1119 year nf tl;r> (lily Council was held lost night, those present, being the mayor (Mr H. L. Tnpley), Crs .Mac.Ma.uus, Mitchell, Hollidav. Sincoi'k, Wilson, Taverner, Shacklock, Tlancork, Sent!, Clark, Hogg, ami Douglas. GENERA 1. COMMITTER. Cr Sincock Inning moved the adoption of the report «1 the (leneral Committee, Cr Taverner, in referring to the proposed erection of a. convenience in the .Museum Reserve at a cost, of i>l96, suggested that a ohc.'iper form of structure he erected. More conveniences could 11 Kin Ixi erected in various parts of the city. (T Mitchell suggested that (ho discs asking people to keep to the left should he placed in a, bettor spot than at present in the. Octagon. Ho thought they should ho placed at the corner of streets. Cr Sincock. in reply, said it was desired to erect a convenience on the Museum Reserve in keeping with the surroundings. Ho referred to the difficulties of persuading people to keep to the left, and said lie would mention Cr Mitchell's suggestion to the, city engineer. The report was adopted. RESERVES COMMITTEE. Cr Hancock moved the adoption of the Reserve Cummitlcc’s report.. Cr Sincnek suggested Hint, (ho chairman should pay a visit to Btdleknowc.s, where a. considerable amount, of soil was being removed, and ho thought too much was being carted a wav. Cr M ac.Manns moved the deletion of clause 1 respecting the proposal submitted by Messrs E. 0. -Wes and others on behalf of the proposed Aquarium Company for the construction of an aquarium in connection with the Exhibition. The amendment lapsed for want of a seconder. Cr Hancock said that, the soil from Helioknowcs was being taken for the Exhibition, and be did not think that, the excavations would he any (longer to traffic. 'Die report was adopted. TRAMWAY MATTERS. Cr Houglas moved tin- adoption of (ho report of the Eiiiaine Committee.

Cr Clark asked if the clause of tin- report. asking for authority for lliree additional motor buses was in order. He .suggested that. it. was not competent, to bring the matter before the council until tlio Finance Cnmmitiee had dealt, wii.h it. The Mayor ruled that- the recommendation of the committee was ;n order, Cr Douglas said the proposed Dimes would eacli cost. £4.o()0. The three chassis ordered were landed last Saturday, 'j lie two hollies, which were being built locally, were nearly ready, and it was hoped they would lie creeled in three weeks' time.

Cr Sincock said the undergear on the, Roslyn line was in a very bad slate of repair. There, were pulleys missing, am) in this way the rope was badly worn. He also thought the line was ■undermanned. Cr Clark said ho was ghul the committen was obtaining more buses. He thought., however, that the public .should ho told that, while the committee, was purchasing more buses, it would now have less money to spend on Moniington, Maori Hill, and other lines.

Cr Douglas, in reply to Cr Sincock, said tlio latter should have approached Inm before making .such alarming statements, and ho would then have put himself in a position to he, aide to reply. He could not now reply till lie saw the manager. He had not the slightest hesitation, however, in slating that a good deal of what was said was totally unwarranted. The department had the utmost confidence in its officers.

Cr .Sincock; 1 arn conversant with what I stated and can .substantiate it.

Cr Douglas stated in reply to Cr Hancock that the matter of better lighting on Hie track in Eorhury road would he attended to.

In reply to Cr Sincock, Cr Douglas fain’ he, understood there was another rope or. order for the Roslyn line na well as the one to he, pul. into use. The report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE.

(T Wilson moved (he adoutum of the Works Commit tee's report. (T Clark moved thal the, clause regarding street paving be referred hack to the committee. The, reason that actuated him, ho said, was that, lie considered it was time, that, they had a definite policy regarding street paving. He consideivil Unit (hey should provide a street, to assist in taking (he heavy (rathe off (he tram lines. If certain streets were put down in asphalt they would tempt 1 radii: off the main thoroughfares. Cr Clark added that, once paving was started it should he gonn on with, Horn entrance, to exit, lie presumed (hat the, present, work was being carried out in accordance with the. schedule prepared in connection with the recent loan poll, lint it. was understood, tit. that, time that the council would not he committed to (he schedule.

The amendment was seconded by Cr Taverner, who suggested (hat, Manor place Cmold he paved, and lie thought. Unit if this was done a fair amount of fra flic, we.iild be diverted from the. main street. Cr Wilson said that there was still a small part, of the Octagon requiring attention.

Cr (shael.lock said that when one of the main streets was asphalted the, streets connecting with it should he, attended to. Traffic'taking Crawford street had to negotiate two very acute angles at the present time. If Manor place was done it would make the. entrance to Crawford street easier.

Cr MacManns said that the work should not ho done at the, present time, hut should he held up until a. slack time, as far as labor was concerned.

Replying, Cr "Wilson said (hat it was the police of the Works Committee to finish a street once work was started in it, hut there were other matters to consider ns well. Many applications had been made Hy have work carried out in various places', but the committee was doing everything it possihhy could. The amendment was carried on the casting vote of (lie mayor, and the icpnrt as amended was adopted. GAS COMMITTER.

Or Scott moved the adoption of tlio Oas Committee’s report. A numhei of He" mains had been laid down, winch meant l,hat more gas would be consumed. The report was seconded by Cr Wilson, and carried without discussion. WATER COMMITTER.

Cf Pipgg moved the adoption of (lie! Water Committee's report There was no cause for alarm regarding (he water snoplv Prior to last Sunday’s rain all the reservoirs had shown a considerable decrease, hut matters had now improved. Cr Shack lock said that there had been complaints from Anderson Bay of a shortage of water. Cr Begg said that the trouble at Air demon Bay was due to the fact that the mains were not largo enough to carry the pressure right up the bill. Bast year, pwiliirly enough, t-hoso on the l high lovpis obtained plenty of water, but at that time they had hosing restrictions m force. This year however, the pressure was cut down considerably by those who kept their hoses going all nightTheVpbrt was adopted, FINANCE COMMITTEE. Cr Taverner, who moved the adoption of the report, of tlie Finance Committee, said they had found a suitable applicant for the’balance of £4OO unallotted nut of the £5,000 Covernment loan for workers' homes. Cr Wilson regretted the resignation of Works Inspector King, and paid a tribute to bis organising ability. Cr Mitchell moved as an amendment that the following clause be referred back to the committee ; that authority be granted to enter into a new working agreement with the gasworks _ stokers governing their wages and working conditions for a further period of one year on terms which have been tentatively arraimed with the men. These terms provide for an increase in the rate of pay from Is lUd to 2s per hour and fourteen days’ annual holiday per annum in lieu ft£,' %

latter privilege no double time is to be paid on Christmas Day, New Ydarks Day, Labor Day, and Good Friday. Those are the only alterations from the existing aereomont.” An expression of opinion was requested from the council to the effect that, it objected to payment for no work when overtime rales were paid. Cr Mitchell said lie believed in the council being a model employer and paying 'good wages, but he raised the matter on principle. Cr Hailiday seconded the amendment. Cr (dark pointed out that (ho men concerned in this matter worked seven days a week and worked on all holidays when oilier people were on leave. it would cost, the council a great deal more if it had t.o pav overtime for Sundays. Cr Douglas eulogised the services of Works Inspector King. He also slated that if there was much more, of the " pinpricking ” which they had hail that night (lie referred to Cr Siucock's remarks in connection with the Roslyn tram line) there would he a good many more resignations. The corporation was to he congratulated upon the officers it. had had from time to time. fir Scott said the council was fortunate in having a good and a loyal staff at (lie gasworks. The arrangement, was a. very fair one. IT MacManns said that it was very had grace for Cr Mitchell, who had just completed a nine-months’ holiday, to object to the men getting fourteen day,-.' Imlidav. (Laughter.) Cr MacManns said that if these men went (<• the Arbitration ('our* they would probably get even greater concessions than they had. The amendment was lost. Cr Regg, (lie mayor, and other council lors also praised the work of Chief Inspec)or King. The report nf the committee was adopted.