CIVIC AFFAIRS

Evening Star, Issue 21077, 14 April 1932, Page 15

CIVIC AFFAIRS

FORTNIGHTLY COUNCIL MEETING The City Council met last night, those present being the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black), Crs J. Wilson, I' 1 . Wilkinson, J. L. MMndoo, J. J. Marlow, W. Hogg, F. AV. Mitchell, W. A. Scott, J. 13. ,Shaddock, and A. H. Allen. GAS COMMITTEE. Referring to the fact that the gas returns for March showed a decrease in the gas sent out, the Chairman of the committee (Cr Wilkinson) said he would not like to think that this represented a general decrease in the demand for gas. it had been a particularly line Easter, and it was no doubt ■ because a large number of people had gone ou.t of town that there had been ■ such a decrease in the quantity of the gas that had been used. j SPORTS GROUNDS. I Cr MMndoo moved the adoption of the report of the Reserves Committee, I which recommended certain allocations of grounds for football and hockey, lie said the committee had made as equitable an allocation as possible, though it was not possible to agree to all the requests, particularly those which asked for a reduction of charges. It had to bo remembered that the cost of looking after the grounds was considerably in excess of the charges, which in the circumstances were exceedingly low. The report was adopted. I MIXED BATHING, i Cr Allen, who moved the adoption of the report of the General Committee, said there had been a demand tor an extension of the hours for mixed bathing at the Municipal Tepid Baths. It had been decided to amend the timetable by substituting mixed bathing during the morning hours at present set aside for ladies only, and also during the afternoon hours at present allotted to men bathers. The change was proposed as the result of a lengthy trial of allotting separate hours for the sexes. The report was adopted. WORKS COMMITTEE. In moving the adoption of the Works Committee’s report, the chairman (Cr Mitchell) referred to an application lor a modification of the building regulations in respect to a building in George street. The committee, he said, recomended that the application be granted. It was in order to avoid mutilation of the frontage that the request was made. In regard to a petition from residents in Eitzroy street, the Chairman added that it was requested that in the esci mate for the current financial year an amount should be set aside for asphalting the footpaths, etc. It was realised by the committee that some expenditure was required in the street, and it was prepared to deal with the matter m next year’s allocations. The sum necessary, £7lO, was rather heavy The committee proposed to give temporary relief by spreading stone dust across the street as soon as possible. As soon as funds were available the committee would do what it could to meet the requests that had been made. I Cr Shacklock seconded the motion pro forma. He thought that the works department ought to confer with the water department regarding the methods adopted by the latter in scouring out the mains. In the street which he came down every day ho had seen water mains scoured. The water had jumped over the side channels, and had run down the centre of the road, doing some damage to the surface. Ho did not know how many other streets were bein'* treated in the same way. Cr MMndoo thanked the chairman for the prompt action taken in regard to Fitzroy street. This portion of the report was adopted. TRAMWAYS COMMITTEE. The Tramways Committee reported that it had decided to accept the following tenders;—(a) The Vickery Electric Company, Wellington, for the supply and delivery of four tons of harddrawn electrolitic copper trolley wire at the price of £CO 17s lid per ton, delivered at tramway store, based on electrolitic copper wire bars at £37 per ton; (b) Messrs A. and T. Burt Ltd. for the supply and delivery of two tons of cadnfium copper trolley wire at the price of £69 10s 7d per ton, delivered at tramway store, based on copper bars at £36 15s per ton. The tenders accepted were the lowest in each case. Cr Mitchell said it was rather disj ronraging to learn that the decrease in the revenue for the year was £12,130. Ho suggested that it might be possible to effect some saving by making a minimum fare of 2d on cars such as those which ran from the Exchange to St. Clair, or the Exchange to Normanby. This would apply only in the centre of the town and only on oars on long routes, object being to prevent cars from.being overcrowded by people who wished only to travel short distances. Other cars travelling shorter distances could take these people. At the busy times of the day the trams were crowded to suffocation, and often, he was certain, conductors wore unable to collect all the fares. Cr Scott recommended caution. The council should encourage people to use i the trains over short distances, he said. If 2d were charged people who rode only two or three blocks would walk. “ As a matter of fact,” he added, “ I do that, though I travel for nothing.” The Mayor: But you have a dog. Cr Wilson, in reply, said that if Cr Mitchell’s suggestion wore carried out it would be necessary to run special cars. A car must run every twenty minutes on the long routes at a fixed fare. If anything could ho done to improve traffic difficulties he could bring it under the manager’s attention. Cr MMndoo: What saving could we make by the withdrawal of concession tickets 9 Cr Scott: Wo can’t do that. The matter is governed by an Order in Council, The report was adopted. WATER COMMITTEE. Cr Begg, in moving the adoption of the report ot the Water Committee, said that, following upon an inspection of and report by the city building surveyor on the condition of tho buildings on Ewing’s land, which were taken over by the council, it had been decided that the structures be taken down by the department, and the material removed and stored at Silverstream for use from time to time as might be required. Tho report was adopted. ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT. Cr Marlow, in moving the adoption of the report of tho E.P. and L. Committee, pointed out that the work of reinspcctiiig electrical installations which commenced in 1927. was nearing completion, 14.000 reinspcctions having been made out of a total of 19,000 in existence at the commencement of tho work. Since then 6,000 additional services had been connected, and, when the balance of tho old was well in hand, work would lie commenced on the new connections. An inspection had to he

made every five years, and it was anticipated that the next inspection would not take so long. Cr Marlow said that authority had been granted to proceed with tho raising of about twenty-four chains of tho roadway at Waipori township to bring it above the lino of Mahinorangi Dam should the water rise at any time to the C7it mark. It was proposed that the work be carried out as a relief measure, with material obtainable in tho locality. The report was adopted.