CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2789, 14 December 1869, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, December 13. The weekly meeting was held at the usual hour, his Worship, the Mayor and all the Councillors except Councillor Tombs being present. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.

The town clerk, intimated that during: the week he had received from the city rates 1868 £4 ss; do. 1869, £76 Is; scavengering, £ls Is; Market place rent, 7s; total,. £95 14s; and that the credit balance at the Bank was £lll 8s lid.

Accounts amounting to £l3O Os 9d were passed and ordered to be paid. The surveyor reported for the week as follows:—A list, of the principal works completed by the City Council daring the past twelve months, together with a statement of the present number of artesian wells, with their progressive increase since 1866 had been prepared. The Hoon Hay quarry having recently changed hands, it bad been impossible' to procure an additional 500 yards of stone for channelling at the old price, and the Works Committee accordingly recommended that tenders should be invited for that quantity. A horseman had ridden across the wire suspension bridge during the week, but the police having obtained bis name he would be brought before the Resident Magistrate. The labour gang had been employed during the week in watering the streets, carting stone for channelling, carting rubbish and side drain scrapings, laying down stone channelling in Cashel street, from Colombo street to Cobb and Co.’s office, putting in box and culvert, and raking weeds off Cranmer square, mowing weeds in the streets, picking up loose stones, clearing out side channels, and taking a list of the artesian wells.

The following is a list of the principal works completed by the Christchurch City Council, for the year ending the 10th of December, 1869 :

Bridges.—Cart bridge across the River Avon, in a line with Worcester street, in one span of 60 feet. Foot-bridge across the River Avon, in a line with Antigua street having a span of 100 feet. Buildings, &c.—Stables, Market-square, for City Council horses. Alterations to cottage, Market-square; and offices, Oxford Terrace. Stone base to lamp, junction of the Papanui Road and Peterborough street. Triangles levelled at Cobb and Sawtell’s, Mrs Butler’s, and Moore’s brewery. Cranmer square (levelled by prison labour), fenced, planted, and laid down to grass.

Fencing.—Oxford Terrace, from Gloucester street bridge to Victoria Bridge, with iron postsand chains. The market-square and Ferry Road drain fenced with wood. Plantations,.—Two blocks on the North town belt fenced with wire, trenched, and planted ; and the whole of the plantations on the East and North town belts kept in order. The River Avon kept clear of watercress.

Stone channelling has been laid down in the following places:—ln High street, from St. Asaph street, past Messrs Cobb and Sawtell’s, to the Borough Hotel, in Manchester street. In Colombo street, from the City Hotel, to Cashel street; also, from Preece’s Auction Rooms, to Mr E. Reece’s; and from the Crystal Palace Buildings, in Chester street, to Armagh street; and from Mrs Butler’s, corner of Manchester street, up High street, as far as the Dunedin Club Hotel, making a total length of about 800 yards laid down by the City Council men. Stone-pitching cab stand, front of Messrs Cobb and Co.’s offices, High street. Two artesian wells sunk lor supplying water carts—one at the Post-office, and the other near Lane’s mill, Oxford Terrace. Seven stone mile posts, erected at a radius of one mile from the Post-office. The Ferry Road drain deepened as far as the Railway grounds, near the Gas Works Road.

Lamps.—Three new gas lamps, two of which took the place of the kerosene, viz.:— Two on the Fapanui Road, and one at the junction of Madras street and Lichfield street. Two new kerosene lamps—one in Cranmer Square, and the other in Durham street, at its junction with St. Asaph street. The following streets have been formed during the year : East town belt, from Ferry Road to the South town belt; South town belt, from the East town belt to the Gas Works Road j South town belt, from Colombo street to Madras street ; South town belt, from the Lincoln Road to Selwyn street; Antigua street, from Armagh street to Salisbury street; Peterborough street, from Manchester street to Madras street; St. Asaph street, from Barbadoes street to the East town belt; North town belt, from Colombo street to Manchester street.

The following streets have been shingled, viz.: —The East town belt, from Ferry Road to Armagh street; East town belt, from Ferry Road to South town belt; Gloucester street,from Durham street to Antigua street; Peterborough street, from Manchester street to Madras street; Kilmore street, from Montreal street to Antigua street; Peterborough street, from Montreal street to Antigua street; Salisbury street, from Durham street to Colombo street; Peterb rough street, from Manchester street to Colombo street; Worcester street from the River Avon to Antigua street; South town belt from Colombo street

to Madras street. In addition to the abovenamed streets been shingled, there has been 1900 yards of shingle used in repairs to the different streets, and about 490 yards of footpath shingle placed upon the different footpaths within the city during the past year.

The following is a list of pipe culverts laid down during the post twelve months : —X on the Hohth town belt, from the gas works road to the south drain (double row of 16 inch pipes); i, Oxford Terrace, near Victoria Bridge ; 1, junction of Salisbury street and Durham street ; 1 from Kiver Avon to junction of Colombo street and Kilmore street; 2, junction of St. Asaph street and East town belt; 1, junction of Peterborough and Madras streets ; !, junction of Gloucester stree* .ad Cambridge Terrace ; 1 junction of Cambudge Terrace and Worcester street; I, junction of Oxford Terrace and Armagh street; 1, Colombo street and South drain Jo replace old wooden bridge, double row of 16 inch ; I, Madras street and Salisbury street, double row of 15- inch (Salisbury street drain) —making a total of 12 pipe culverts. The following wooden culverts have been put down during the past year :—l, junction of Hereford street and Montreal street ; 1, junction of Lichfield street and Montreal street; I, junction of South town belt and Colombo street; 1 junction of Salisbury and Antigua street; 1, junction of Madras street and South ■ town belt; 1, junction of Kilmore street and Cranmer square; 1, junction of Lichfield street and Durham street; 2, junction Antigua street and Peterborough street; 1, junction of Antigua street and Chester street; 1, junction of Manchestf r street and Gloucester street; 1, junction of Lichfield street and Durham street—making a total of 12 wooden culverts.

Artesian Wells.—l have completed taking the number of additional artesian wells sunk in the city of Christchurch during the past 12 months, and find the increase to be 95 private wells and two public ones. In the year ending December, 1866, there were in the city 152 private wells and 11 public ones. In the year ending December, 1867, there were 261 private wells and 16 public ones, or an increase of 109 private and 6 public wells. In the year ending December, 1868, there were 344 private artesian wells, and 18 public, making a total increase for the 12 months of 83 private and 2 public wells. At the present time the number of wells have increased to 439 private and 20 public wells ; the additions duringthe year being 95 private and 2 public wells. I have also to call the attention of the Council to the fact that the wells within the city have decreased in the amount of flow, and also that they will not rise to the same height as they did last year by some 12 inches, although, owing to the amount of rain that as fallen during the past month, they are not so low, by some inches, as they will be after a month’s dry weather. If they should decrease at the same rate as they are doing; at present, it would be advisable for the Council, in some way, to restrict their flowing to waste in such large quantities as they do at present, otherwise, those wells situated in the higher parts of the city will not be able to rise above the surface of the ground. For the information of the Council, I have appended to this report a list of the number of wells in each quarter and block, and have marked the same upon the map. Taking the total number of wells within the city at 469, and allowing an average of 6 gallons to each, per minute, it would give a daily supply to the city of over 3} million of gallons.” The first report was discussed. The clerk, was instructed to advertise for 500 yards of stone for channelling. Councillos Bishop called attention to the trough of the well in Cranmer Square having been used by boys and others for washing their hands and feet, and pocket handkerchiefs in. The immediate residents had subscribed for the well, and now use the water in the trough. Such conduct as he had notedv therefore, was very objectionable, and should.be put a stop to. After some discussion, the matter was left in the hands of the Works’ Committee, with instructions to report at next meeting of the Council.

Councillor Sawtell referred enlogistically to the manner in which the Works’ Committee bad fulfilled their duties during the past year, as shown by the report of works carried out, and his own personal observation of their uniform energy and attention. He thought some acknowledgment at the hands of the Council was due to them, and moved that a vote of thanks should be accorded. The motion was seconded and carried nem eon.

A discussion took place on a proposition made by Councillor Hart to discontinue lighting the lamp at the Government Suspension Bridge during the ensuing six months. There was a strong feeling against leaving the bridge unlighted, in consequence of the dangerous nature of the ground, and the steps at the West end. The matter was ultimately referred to the Works’ Committee, with a suggestion to learn whether or not the lamp at present in Oxford Terrace can be removed to the east (Terrace) end of the bridge, and made to answer the double purpose of lighting both bridge and terrace.

The following correspondence was read:— Letters from Messrs Harper and Co., Aberdeen, forwarding, in conformity with a request from the Council, photographs of their iron suspension bridges, together with drawings of other bridge materials manufactured by them, and referring the Council to their agent at Ceylon, who had patented the bridges, for any other information they might require respecting the bridges. Letter from the lessee of the weighbridge, demurring to the allowance of one week’s rent made to him by the Council as recompense for the time which the machine was undergoing repair, and pointing out that his loss was more than the money he might have received during the time the weighbridge was closed, some customers doubtless having transferred their business to another machine.

After some discussion, the Council decided to double their former allowance.

Councillor Hart suggested that the weighbridge offices should be lined with boards. The matter was referred to the Works Committee, with permission to do what was considered advisable.

Letter from the Secretary of the Times Cricket Club, requesting permission to lay down a match wicket alongside the one being used for practice in Cranmer square, and to be allowed to regularly practice in the square. On the motion of Councillor Bishop, seconded by Councillor Hart, the necessary permission was granted. It was also understood that the square would henceforth be thrown open to the general public for amusements. The time for which the Lyttelton. Times was appointed official paper to the Council having expired, the Press was appointed for the ensuing six months. On the motion of Councillor Jameson, fourteen days’ farther leave of absence was granted to Councillor Tombs. The Council then adjourned.