CITY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8147, 19 April 1887, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

♦ ) An ordinary meeting of the City Council | swas held last night; present—His Worship 1 ■the Mayor, and Councillors Tait, Goes,] Prudhoe, Grins ted, Hulbert, Andrews, j Bowman, M'Laren, Brice, LouissonJ Manning, and Hosting. | finance. I £ The debtor balance at the Bank was; mk2299 14s 7d. The receipts since the' abrevious meeting were:—On general Recount, £76 Us 7d; cemetery account, ■BI2 9$ 6d; suspense account, £2. The Hfcayments were : —On general account, i ■8586 Is 81; loan account, £lO2 15s lOd; Suspense account, £5 18s lOd; cemetery Account, £3 ss. , R CORRESPONDENCE. 9 A letter was read, asking for a reduction fof the usual license fee for the Japanese » Village Company, who found the fee almost 'prohibitory. The letter was received, and the request was refused. Prom the Buller Council, forwarding a copy of a lesoluiion passed by that body as to hospital and charitable aid, to the effect that neither the present system nor that proposed by the Bruce Council was satis- ] factory, and suggesting a detailed scheme* for making the burden fall upon the morel kwealtby class. ■ | a The letter was received, and its con- ! I sideration was deferred for a fortnight. I From the United Charitable Aid Board, I forwarding a statement of the estimated I expenditure, and requesting the payment of I £746 8s 2d, the amount of the contribution I due from Christchurch for charitable aid. The letter was received. From Mr W. H. Shaw, re the exhibition of horse-taming, asking the attendance and patronage of the Council, as also the granting of the necessary certificate gratis. The proceeds of the exhibition are to be divided between the Hospital and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Cg ; Animals. Councillor Louisson moved—" That the request be granted ” Councillor Andrews seconded the motion, which was agreed to. From Mr E. Cuthbert, forwarding his account of £lO 10s for reporting on the dam | at Lane’s mill. The letter was received. j Councillor Hosking moved—" That the! amount be paid, as some recognition of the I services rendered by Mr Cuthbert.” I Councillor Manning seconded the motion,! which was agreed to. | Councillor Grinsted moved—" That a| similar fee be paid to the City Surveyor! jfor his services on the same occasion.” I | Councillor Hosking seconded this, but itl |was withdrawn. I IS From the Drainage Board re tho acquirJ ;ing by the Council of the water power afl [Lane’s Mill. I The letter was received. I I Councillor Louisson moved—" That it bfl [referred to the Works Committee.” H Councillor Hosking seconded the motion • which, after some discussion, was agreed to ’ Prom the Colonial Treasurer, re the Im iperial Institute. (This has already beei published.) The letter was received. Mis Worship stated that he would h< happy to receive and forward to the Trea : sury any subscriptions entrusted to him. ; From the Chairman of the Jubile< ; Memorial Executive Committee, soliciting ’ ithe co-operation of the Council, and en?; (closing a subscription form. | : The letter was received. | Councillor Tait moved Council assist the Executive Committee in| the matter of collecting subscriptions foig the Home for aged poor, and do all in| I their power to make the Jubilee a success.’; Councillor Louisson seconded the motion J [which was agreed to. I REPORTS. I The Inspectors’ reports were read and; approved. S WORKS COMMITTEE. j i The following was read : : “ Your Committee has investigated the (cause of the recent fire in the Library, and [finds out as follows: —The safe in the Surveyor's room required drying, and a fire | was put into it for that purpose, but finding' [that it would not draw if the door was [closed, it was thought that the air flue heading from the strong room was damp And was not acting properly. To overcome ■be difficulty a piece of tubing was attached So the gas pendant with a jet piece at the End of it. This was lit and placed in the j Knouth of the flue to cause it to draw better. [ EThe safe could not be kept open on account! Bbf the fumes from the coke escaping into* |fche rooms and preventing the men from| rworking. It is thought, from levidence, that, in consequence of the safe| poor being closed, and the extra pressures; Spf gas at night-time, that the flame from. She jet smoked, and caused soot to accumu-| Sate on the sides of the air flue, which, after; Some time, caught fire from the combined? : {lnfluence of the super-heated air and bricks, t, phe fire travelled to where it came in con- ; ; pact with the end of a joist bearing part of ffche floor of the Library, where it was dis- ;• {■covered. This appears to be the true and £ jbnly explanation of the fire. Mr Eoberts [ fays he gave instructions for the light to be * |aut ou t, but this does not appear to have Iboen done, and Good Friday being a holi- \ May, the safe remained closed and the light! Burning. The fire was discovered on I Saturday morning. Your Committee hast directed an iron grating to be placed at the|; Mouth of the air flue.” |' Hr In connection with the above, the mg was read: — ? I " Sir —Herewith I forward you plans andl

[sections of air shafts and chimney flue an j [the south-west angle of Library, where the I [fire occurred on Saturday last. It will be | 'seen that the joist which caught fire is ad—_ S jacent to the air shaft leading from the- I Surveyor’s safe, and is in no way con— a nected with the chimney fine. Air shafts I might very properly, indeed very often are | Constructed entirely of wood; but in this I ®ase it was more convenient to form it in | She brick wall. The shaft is carried from- « jahe outlet in safe to the foot of the vertical 1 Corner of Library. Adjoining this is 1 Smother air shaft leading from Drawing % iOlfice, and in the angle of the externaL $; wall is the chimney flue from the same j| |room. These air shafts are continued up B |above roof, and are covered over at top— 3 |the exits being at the sides of the shafts* § |and protected by iron gratings. _ The g Ichimney flue is carried up about 6ft higher, g |The joist is a trimming j oist, and it passed g; |lver a slate which covered the air shaft at a he top of the part built at an angle. It is f listant 3ft 6m (three feet six inches) from S he outlet in safe. The gas bracket which, w had fixed is in the centre of the safe, andM> listani from the outlet 4ft 6Ln (four feet®, ix inches). It was never anticipated that||| ■ny flame would be pat nearer the outlet9| ban this, nor did I give any instructions or one to be placed nearer. Still, a gasil et might with perfect safety have heemm ilaced directly under the outlet, and no-M iarm could have resulted by placing a a mall gas jet in it.—l have, &j., S “ S. Huest Sbageb, Architect.’ r » The Works Committee’s report was ! adopted. § t STRIKING RATES. f lIA formal resolution, striking a rate of | in the £, was moved by Councillor | nouisson, who explained that the average i »yment under the new rate under the 1 Sresent valuation would not exceed that ll 10£d under the valuation of last year, n Sore services were included in the general 3 mto than had been ever included before. I ■ Councillor Bowman seconded the motion. I ■ Councillor Hcsking moved, as an amend- I 1 lent—“ That the rate be lOjd in the JB.” I This was not seconded, and the original I i lotion was carried, with one dissentient. ' f A special drainage rate of 2d in the JB ; tas carried, and the Waimakariri rates* ; s agreed to at the River Board meetkig i WBsApril 15, were agreed to. These rates were the same as those levied last year. I JUBILEE COMMITTEE. ! On the motion of Councillor Hulberfc, . [permission was given to the Jubilee Com.I Imittee to hold their meetings in one of tha l(|ity Council’s Committee rooms. Is After disposing of some applications for Council adjourned.