CITY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11051, 1 September 1896, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

ORDINARY MEETING. An ordinary meeting of the Christchurch City Council was held yesterday evening; present—The Mayor, and Councillors Gray, Sorensen, Samuels, Kincaid, Bunting, Raiding, Prndhoe, Woods, Sandstein, Smith,° Andrews, Connal, Stewart and Appleby. FINANCE. Items of finance were reported as follow:—Debit balance at the bank A 3472 15s lOd. Receipts since last meeting— General account <£776 16s 7d, suspense account <£s2 11s Id, cemetery account £2B 10s, interest account .£159 7s 3d. Ex-penditure—-General account <£62B 2s Bd, suspense account <£2 ss, cemetery account £l4 16s Sd. The accounts presented wore passed fcopayment. THE MAYOR. The Mayor apologised for the absence of Councillor Loughnan. He said that the draft regulations prepared by the Committee of the Milk Supply Conference had been printed and circulated, and. the conference had been summoned to meet in the City Council Chambers on Wednesday night next. NOTICE OF MOTION. Councillor Gray gave notice of the following motion: —“ That, with a view to a more definite arrangement being made in, regard to the matter, the following resolution at present standing upon the minutes of this Council is hereby rescinded, ‘ That in the opinion of this Council it is desirable that in case of dea th of employes of the Council of over three years’ standing a sum not exceeding one month's pay for each year’s service be granted to tho widows or children, if any, of such employes.’ ” THE MOTETT SOCIETY CONCERT.

In response to a request from Mr F. Vincent, secretary of the Mote It Society, the Council’s patronage was granted to the concert to be given in the Temple of Truth by the Society on Thursday next in aid of the Samaritan Home.

THE _ lITM AN MARKS WARD. The Mayor read a letter from the Secretary «f the Hospital Board, inviting the Council to attend the'layiagof the foundation stone of the Hyman Marks Ward on Thursday afternoon. He stated that lie had instructed the Town Clerk to reply accepting the invitation.

THU C'.TY SURVEYOR. The Works and Finance Committee reported (1) that the Committee bad considered the Council’s resolution of last meeting relative to remuneration to the retiring Surveyor, anil had decided to recommend the Council to terminate the engagement with- the City Surveyor by giving him three months’ notice from Sept. 1, and that <£soo should bo voted to him ns a compensation allowance for loss of his office. (2) Tho Committee also recommended the Council to advertise for a city Surveyor at a salary of £3OO a year. The Mayor staved that, as there was some doubt as to the power ox the Council to make the grant.,propqsed to the city surveyor, a letter on the subject had been sent to the acting Auditor-General.

A reply from the acting Auditor-General was read to the effect that he failed to find any authority in the Municipal Corporations Act for Councils expending their funds in retiring or compassionate grants to officers. ■

Councillor Appleby moved—“ That finding itself unable to carry out the recommendation of the report of the combined Committee, the report be referred back to the Committee.” Councillor Sandstein seconded the motion.

Councillor Gray moved, as an amendment —“ That Clause 1 of the report be adopted, with the substitution of the words ‘that he be re-engaged as consulting engineor at a salary of <£loo per annum’ for the words ‘that £SOO he voted to him as a compensation allowance for loss of his office.’ ” Councillor Andrews said ho would second the amendment if Councillor Gray would make the salary £l5O a year.

Councillor Samuels said he would second the. amendment as it stood.

Councillors Sorensen, Payling - , Woods, Smith, Sandstein and Kincaid were opposed to paying so low a salary as £IOO, and suggested that it should be £l5O a year. Councillor Connal suggested that it should be £125 a year. Councillor Gray said that he would make a compromise and alter the amendment so as to make the salary £125 a year. It would not be fair to the ratepayers, he considered, to pay a larger sum to a consulting engineer who might not be required once a month.

Councillor Samuels said that he would agree to the amendment being altered so as to make the salary £125 a year, and the amendment was altered accordingly. After further discussion, the amendment, as altered to provide for a salary of £125, was lost on division by eight votes to six. Ayes; Councillors Gray, Stewart, Samuels, Appleby, Prndhoe and Connal; noes: Councillors Woods, Andrews, Sandstein, Kincaid, Sorensen, Bunting, Payling and Smith.

Councillor Gray moved, as a further amendment—“ That the salary be £l3O per annum.”

Councillor Samuels seconded the amendment, which was negatived by eight votes to six, the voting being the same as before.

Councillor Sandstein moved a further amendment to the effect that the City Surveyor’s services should be dispensed with, as proposed in Clause 1 of the report, and that he should be re-engaged as consulting engineer at a salary of £l5O per annum.

Councillor Woods seconded the amendment, which, after a long discussion, was carried by eight votes to six. After some further discussion, the amendment was put and carried as a substantive motion by eight votes to six. On Clause 2 being considered, Councillor Stewart moved that it - should be referred back to the Works and Finance Committee for further consideration and report. Councillor Appleby seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously.

Councillor Sandstein moved— I “That the Works and Finance Committee bring up a schedule of duties of the consulting engineer under the new arrangement.” Councillor Appleby seconded the motion, which was agreed to. Councillor Gray gave notice that he would move at next meeting—“ That the resolution terminating the City Surveyor’s engagement and appointing him as consulting engineer at a salary of £l5O a year be rescinded.” WORKS COMMITTEE. Tho Works Committee recommended that a site in Worcester Street should be acquired for the purposes of a Council’s yard. The site in question is on the north side of Worcester Street, between Cathedral Square and Manchester Street. Consideration of the report was postponed to next meeting. THE TEMPLE OF TRUTH. Councillor Gray, as chairman of the Fire Brigade Committee, stated that he had received a report from Superintendent Smith, fire inspector, to the effect that the alterations recommended to the exit from the gallery in the Temple of Truth were in a forward state, and would be sufficient when completed to provide for the safety of the public in case of fire. INSURING EMPLOYES. Councillor Stewart gave notice that at next meeting he would move—“ That all the men in the employ of the Council who are not insured in the Accident Insurance Company be so insured.” After dealing with some applications for licenses the meeting terminated.