CIVIC AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 21006, 21 January 1932, Page 13

CIVIC AFFAIRS

CITY COUNCIL RESUMES Tho City Council mob last night, those present being the flavor (Mr 11. S. Black), Crs Mitchell, Tap ley, Begg, Allen, Wilkinson, M'lndoe, Wilson, Shaddock, and Marlon*. CONCERT FOR RELIEF FUND. The Manager of tho Empire Theatre applied for permission to hold a Sunday night concert at the theatre at an early date in aid of tho citizens’ unemployment relief fund, and to make a charge for admission.—On the motion of Cr Tapley permission was granted. RESERVES COMMITTEE. Cr Munro, in moving the adoption of the report of the Reserves Committee, said that work which it was proposed to carry out on the Caversham Recreation Reserve would not have been done at all had it not been arranged as relief work. It was recommended that Mr Tannock and the speaker attend the conference of chairmen of reserve committees and park superintendents at Christchurch on January 26. Personally, ho had agreed because Mr Tannock had said he had never been accompanied by a chairman. Cr Munro added that his attendance would not cost the council anything. Cr Shaddock moved as an amendment that the clause referring to attendance at the Christchurch conference be deleted. Tie thought councillors would all admit that certain economies would have to be made in the future which had not been dreamt of. If the attendance at the conference would lead to someone in Dunedin getting a day’s work, it would be worth while, but ho thought the time had arrived when conferences could be safely suspended for a year or two. Tho amendment lapsed for want of a seconder. The report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE. Cr Mitchell moved the adoption of the report of tho Works Committee, which recommended:—“That the pur-, chase from Mr Arthur Ellis for tho sum of £125 of a portion of his land being sufficient to widen Kaikorai Valley road to GGft a frontage of four and three-quarter chains, and containing an area of approximately nineteen and a-half poles, be confirmed, subject to payment of this sum being deferred until after March 31, 1933. Tho sale is conditional upon the vendor allowing the batter of tho road to extend on to his property, and to a diversion of the Kaikorai Stream for a length of about one chain where it passes through the section being acquired for this widening.” Cr Mitchell, in referring to the above clause, said that, while there might be some criticism of the council purclmsing land at the present time, the offer was a very reasonable one, and he had no hesitation in asking tho council to approve. Cr Marlow, who seconded the motion, said the purchase would bo a cheap one for the council. If they did not buy it now, it would probably cost them a great deal-more in the future. Cr Munro referred to the following clause:—“The tender of Messrs Palmer and Son in the sum of £393 15s, has been accepted for the supply and delivery of 1,000 cubic yards of 2jin gauge broken stone and 500 cubic yards of quarry dust to the North road. Four tenders were received, of which the accented one is the lowest.” He asked if tne council’s own quarries had tendered, and if there was a great deal of difference in the prices. Cr Shacklock moved that the following clause be deleted from the report: —“ Approval has been given for one engineer member of the staff to attend the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers’ annual conference to be held in Wellington on Tuesday, February 23, 1932. The council pays the train and boat fares only for the officer concerned.” He said he moved his amendment to endeavour to make councillors realise the economies they would have to practise very shortly. The amendment lapsed for want of a seconder.

The Mayor said it was probably a good thing for tenders to be received from outside quarries. If their own quarries could not compete, then someone else would be working. It was a good thing for the chairman of the Works Committee to know, by comparison with the working of other quarries, how his own returns were working out. Cr Mitchell, in reply to Cr Munro, said that at this time of the year there was a special demand for the material from their own quarries. The report of the committee was adopted.