CIVIC AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 20864, 6 August 1931, Page 15

CIVIC AFFAIRS

FORTNIGHTLY COUNCIL MEETING The City Council met. last night, those present being the Mayor (Mr 11. S, Black), Crs Wilson, Wilkinson, M'lndoe, Marlow, Allen, Taploy, Hayward, Shacklock, Mitchell, and llegg. THE GAS EXPLOSION. Cr Wilkinson, in moving the adoption of tho report of the Gas Committee, said tho now gas holder was now completed, and it was being filled with water preparatory to tho completion of testing. Cr Tapley congratulated the committee on tho completion of the now gas holder. Cr MTncloe; 1 hopo the new gas holder holds tho gas bettor than tho pipes at Mornington did. Perhaps tho chairman lias some explanation of the explosion there. Cr Wilkinson said the explosion was a big one, and occurred under unusual circumstances. A leak occurred in the gas main nearly half a mile away, by the High Street School. The employees of the department wore searching for tho leak when the explosion occurred near tho Mornington car sheds.' One of tho covers of the telephone conduit was blown into, the air, and two other manholes were disturbed. Investigations showed that tho conduit had been shattered for a distance of 300 ft, and it would entail fairly heavy expenditure to make good the damage. The cables themselves were not damaged, as they were enclosed in load casing. Fortunately no ono was injured, though several people suffered from shock. Presumably tho individual who struck a match in tho vicinity got tho greatest shock of all. He was not known, and possibly did not care to report himself. Tho gas main was a very old one, and tho committee was concerned about its condition. Possibly there had been a subsidence of the roadway in the vicinity of the school. The conduit probably had a fracture in it as well as tho gas main, or the gas would not otherwise have got into it. An old employee of the department said the gas main was put in about fifty years ago. An investigation would be made to ascertain its condition, and possibly it might have to ho replaced. Tho report was adopted. RESERVES COMMITTEE. In moving tho adoption of the report of tho llcservcs Committee, Cr Allen referred to the top-dressing of five football grounds, and four hockey grounds at Log.au Park, and said that tho £250 required would be provided by the Mammoth Art Union fund' trustees. Cr Shaddock moved as' an amendment to tho formal resolution declaring this work relief.work, that the number of grounds to be deleted, and the words “ Logan Park ” he also deleted. He explained that his object was that some few years ago the Reserves Committee started to level the Oval in tho same way as was proposed at Logan Park by unemployed labour. An opportunity to continue with tho work at tho Oval might occur again, and it could then be done without any further resolution being passed. Tho amendment lapsed for want of a seconder.

Cr Allen, in reply, referred to tlio complaints that had been made in various quarters regarding the fencing in of tlio Asylum Ground. It was decided to do that work for the protection of the boys playing football there. Some of them,' in the excitement of the game, ran out on to the tramline, and it was very dangerous. It was not to. bo enclosed from the public, and the fence went only part of the way round. There wero also two gates in the front, and tho public could have access by those gates at all time free of charge. The fence would improve ; the , ground by keeping it tidier and also' protect the boys. With regard to complaints regarding tho destruction of native bush, ho pointed out that certain clearances had been made, but it' was mostly undergrowth. With regard to part of Wallace street two native trees which were on tho street had been cut down, but they wero dead at the top. Undergrowth had also been cleared there at tho request'of residents, who statedthat undesirables congregated there and caused annoyances. Tho report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE. Cr Mitchell, in moving the adoption of tho report of tho Works Committee, said the committee had approved of some applications for street lights and had refused others. Tho lighting at Cargill’s Corner would bo improved by increasing, tho candle power, but more lighting could not ho provided for tho whole of King Edward street. It was felt that Rattray street was well enough lit, and more lighting for that street was not recommended. Speaking in respect to recommendations that certain works be proceeded with as relief works, Cr Mitchell said .t was unfortunate that the Unemployment Hoard was restricting tho amount of money available, so that if anyone went short of work it would not bo tho fault of tho City Council. Tho proposal to straighten' a fence and replace rotted timber with new at a property in High street, said Or Mitchell, was the alternative to building an expensive concrete wall against the owner’s properly. Cr Shacklock asked if it were tlio policy of tho committee to pay part cf the cost of a fonco in other snen cases in tho future. There, wero other streets where there was a hank sloping away from the footpath. Cr Mitchell replied that it was not the policy of tho committee. Each case had to bo considered as it came forward. There wore a number of .streets whore similar conditions obtained, and wherever possible some arrangement was made with tho owner. Tlio report was adopted. GENERAL COMMITTEE. Cr Hayward, moving the adoption of tho report of tho General Committee, pointed out that tho municipal baths would bo closed till September 5 for Ihe annual overhaul. Cr MTndoo said ho hoped tho. council would extend its sympathy with the “ learn to swim ” week to bo held shortly after tho reopening of the baths under tho auspices of tho Otago Centro of tho Swimming Association. The report of the committee 'was adopted. TRAMWAY MATTERS. Cr Wilson moved tho adoption of-the report of the Tramway Committee. Cr Wilkinson said that if all the regulations of tho Transport Bill wero brought into operation tho department might bo somewhat hampered. For instance, it was proposed to prohibit the running of buses with trolley poles, ■ - I that was what tho committee had in mind for Pitt street. It was hoped that that feature would bo combated by tho various municipal authorities. Buses with trolley poles should be treated as trams. Cr Marlow suggested that a larger car should bo run from Talnina, to town at 8.T 1 , in the mornings. Ho had counted forty-four people standing on a cm that seated thirty. This sorb of

thing- was giving strength to .the Go•vermncnt to impose the most stringent regulations. Ho wished to draw attention to tho fact that a bus was run ' from Tainui on .Friday nights,. and came in in front of tho train. Tho tram in that case was being made an auxiliary to tho bus, which was a wrong pnuCll Gr’ Mitchell said it was remarkable that members of tho committee were criticising their own committee. Cr Shackiock, in making a reference to the restrictions proposed under the Transport Bill, said that all that would shortly bo loft to local bodies would bo the levying of rates and the registering of dogs. Cr Wilson promised that the matters mentioned would be given attention, and tho report of tho committee was adopted, E.P. AND L. COMMITTEE. Tho adoption of tho report of the E P and L. Committee was moved by Cr Marlow, who referred to the proposed new agreement with tne Otago Electric Power Board ami stated that tho committee had considered that it should give some re bet to the board; While the committee considered it could ill-afford to give relief at present—it would mean roughly a loss of £I,OOO per annum to the revenue of the departmentit realised that the prices charged to the board were unduly hard.; Under the proposed agreement, however, tho committee had asked for a benolit from the board in another way. Ho thought the agreement would he satisfactory to both the department and tho board. He also drew attention to the new electrical wiring regulations, and said that one sometimes wondered if the Government was not carrying that matter a little too far. The regulations contained many important amendments, and it would appear that a number of the provisions would simply tend to increase .the cost of work to tiio consumer without any adequate return. Ho thought it was the duty of tho council to send the engineer to Wellington to fight those things as much as possible. They did not object to anything that was going to safeguard the public, but they did object to something that was going to increase costs without any adequate return. Cr Mitchell said that many of the regulations were irksome and most unnecessary. Cr Begg said that some time ago the council approved of the principle of buying New Zealand-made goods wherever practicable, but ho had been informed that a local (inn, which was prepared to submit prices for making numbers which were placed on polos, had been informed by some official in authority that it would not be a bit of use because it would not be able to compete with tho imported article. That was quite possible, but in till fairness local manufacturers should at least lie asked to quote. Cr Tapley endorsed the point raised by Cr Mitchell in regard to the wiring regulations, and cxpi o u?d the hope that the engineer, at uie conference to be held, would oppose any regulations that ho did not consider necessary. , , Cr Shackiock said that the standard adopted in Dunedin would shortly ho put into effect throughout the dominion. For quite a number of years Dunedin was the town, and its regulations were taken 'as an example, but unfortunately someone required a job, he supposed, and was trying to improve oh those matters. Some people thought that “ rcgulationism ” had run mad in some quarters. Soon there would be no enterprise loft for municipal bodies to undertake. Cr Marlow, in reply, referring to tho regulations, said tho council was in tho fortunate position of having the city electrical engineer a member of tho executive. He had gone through the regulations very carefully and had had a conference with the officers of his department and with other power boards, so that lie Would go to Wellington fully armed with the best method of dealing with the regulations. In reply to Cr M'lndoe Cr Marlow said tho increased revenue for the first quarter was £I,OOO, as compared with last year, but he did not yet know the increased expenditure. Last year they spent £O,OOO on the stoain plant, which ho hoped to eliminate ‘this year, and they also lad to pay £3,000 to the Tramways Department for the use of tho Deisel plant. They should therefore be ablo to got £02,000 off. tho expenditure side. He was grateful to Cr Begg for raising the point ho had, and would assure him that in every case local firms would receive a decided preference. The report was adopted.