NELSON CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 24 June 1911, Page 3

NELSON CITY COUNCIL.

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING. The fortnightly meeting of the Nelson City Council was held last evening. Present: The Mayor ' (M.r. T. A. H. Field) Crs. Tsfiker, Hampson, B:sje-y, Frell, Sn-c-dgrars, M-cccer, Adams, Harley. Cr. Kershaw was excused, he being indisposed'. BALANCES. £. s. d £- s. d. General Ac. 17:091 14 2 Water Ac. 3,609 10 7 Gas Ac. 153 11 o Interest Ac. 2,045 19 2 Hospital, & Charit. Aid 360 16 5 Abattoir Ac. 193 14 1 Balance (Dr.) 23.052 17 9 • £25,261 11 10 23,261 11 10 £. s. d. Cemeteries Trust Ac. (Cr.) 254 8 9 Contractors' Deposits (do) 17 0 0 Trafalgar Park (do) 93 3 6 PAYMENTS. £. s. <l- - 301» 7 3 Gas 570 5 11 w at-er to 13 3 Abattoir 42 ] 10 Cemeteries 11 13 4 £976 1 7 CORRESPONDENCE. Messrs Martin and, Co.. tin; contractors for carting, appl'.ed for an increased payment owinig to the high price of hor.se ft-crly jj.cintir.g out thaL either bodies had granted. an inr-rc-aso for the reason- named. —Referred to iiiiance Committee. Res:dents applied! for an -extension 01 ithe ;ga,s service :i;l"iig A (')Pit mad. Granted. Air. J- Haiit. mana.ger <-F the Gas works, forwarded a< lengthy wntmiiiiication detailing what, he had done in the wav of keeping the gasworks in order for* the past 33 years aivd his duties at the present tim:'.—-Referred to Ga.s Com miit tee. . Mr. H. Rowe called aften':on> to the had state of the footpath r.nd vnad 'n "Hastings-street. —Referred to Committee.

Mr. J. H. Morton, City Engineer, .Vellington, informed the Council that .n-Lssura of wcrk prevented) him coming Ui Nekon to report in connection: with the water supply, as requested by the Council.—Referred to Committee. Mrs F:6her applied to have some work •lone to the footpath in WashringLrvn Roa<l.—Referred t'-> Works Committee,

Residents cf North Esk-strei-t wrote offering to take the gas if extended to xhat street. —Referred to Gas Committee with, nower to act.

Mrs. GYeensia.de complained c f the unreasonableness of charging her both a drainage rate and/ sanitary fes. No chance had been given her to connect with the new drainage system, amd she considered it unfair to impose ' both charges.—Cr. Siradgrass thought (that the present system imposed a hardship, and he moved that the letter be referred to the .Finance and Drainage Commit*ce s. —C arrie d.

Messrs ftringer and Atkinson wrote accepting the Council's -offer in regard to a 'bus service to the Port. They stated that they had crdered two new 'busses, which wou.VI be in Nelson early 1: Cc.ober. and thev urude7-took to- commence the service within one week from the arrival of the 'busses. The Council therefore was asked to- extend "the date '".f the commencement of the service '-cm September 13th. to October 7th.— el x tension granted. TEC TAL COMMITTEE'S - REPORT. iRe Metal Supplies' ami Mone Crusher.) The. Committer rer.or.cd : 1. That they rccommr.rd the purchase ■ f .1 Baxter stone erus-her at a. cost, of about £4CO (English price), t,, he oidor■<l by cable. ii.ntl thr.t 2 additional wets nl' jaws also be ordei <d.—R-of erred back Mill a 6 to 3 division) for a detailed re ,j• r t 011 the cost of the t rusher landed, a.nd <ll the working of f lie scheme. 2. Oil- leiter from- Mr. Worlev : 'J hat Mr. Worlev be thanked for his letter nixl tli-ijiL a. trial of a. small quantity ol metal from Mr. J-hrggitt's quarry he inside when ilie new ."tone crusher arrives.

3. That after the arrival < f the new stone crusher no metal other tba.n broken Boulder Bank metal be us<d <>n any of the main st reels.---Deferred. Report, as nmcil. adi.pt rd.

FESA'NCfi 'CO>MMITTE3 REPORT. 3. he -Committee reports inter alia: — On letter from M etssrf ell and Jackson '(Enner Glynn) : Gs-id-e ration/ deferred, the ivisit.—On letter from 1 Air. -ft-. 1?-. Jason (planting Old Cemet«--VY') : That t' Comk-ill co-'-.i----tribul<» -£@s ■l'CMKlitiirn.iiiUrpi n the C-iti-xffin' 'Owinmittee i-ont-ri.king a.ll addi--1 U'roiilil -'£2s providr-d thplantlng its done ■tinder -the supervision ? t-h« ' <>>u»-vil,-'iirid that the Mayor jvmCr?;. and 'J'fiski'r Ire appi inl act <vit*h the Citizoip' O.vm'triUe-e.—Q letter fr'cuYr' ■AJ-r -hKilejohn (Hrouk-str-t- watershed-) : \ Iftat the land be valid.—On letter] from Mr. R. Kenning; ha-t -Mr. Ken- | ning be paid £4 a wee as from the Ist April last an<l i.o be tV-i-iiued whilst he is performing his preset duties. —As to repairing big clam ai; as to water supply: Consideration derred till aie-xt meeting. OAS CO MM ITTEE'SREPORT. 1 lie Committee rcporte inter alia-: — As to automatic street interns : Consideration deferred.—As 0 -duties and s&!ar.y -of ga.s ma.n-ager : (a) That the »a.la.r v y- be -£3£o per aiMntK; (b) that: the 'duties he to un-riertake th«,management, ■manufacture, dist.ri'bulioti ii-nd sale of ga>s, subject to- the 'direstions of *-he' Council; tire i*f>n.riitVg of. Wlh£c-~ ti-ou (>l ; a'cco'u-rits atid keeri:nig 6f tlSi4 focVoks to rata in in the haids of the Town Clerk as at present. t) That tiie engagement be subject to tljee 1110n-the' notice on-either side. (dy That applications be advertised for i?A Wellington. Chri&ichtireh and J-hmedin; the applications to come before this Committee at its meeting- of the 14th July.—As to price of g-as: Consideration deferred.

As to the ga<s mnhatfiM', Cr. Ha Hey sa-:d that- if (iib Couii'cu was not- go: ng to hilVfe both a City Enginer and a- (Ja-s Engineer he would not- vote for a- gas engineer. He had understood that it was intended to hnvo t\vv> engineers, but he now believed that this was .not fn. iherefore- he would either liftvt> (W£i fcilgineera or iioftet il-6 Would like the CouticU (ti-j oy-tlsid-er tile whole matter in dofrifilitte'e. H'e said that a City Engineer was required, and J UiHt during the repeat stO'rni water was blowing cnt, of manhole at the j ucticn of Ilii rdy and V-an-guard-streats. There must- have been equal to a 9-,! rich p' p-e of water jii'4 UYe •fii-iiinage System, a»W ho\V coil!d septic tank work ured-cl" Such conditions. The dirainage 'pipes must be leaking like a sieve. It was resolved to defer consideration of the report to a special meeting of the Council to- be held next Thutvdav. WORKS COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

The Committee reported inter alia: On letter from residents, Shakespeare Walk : (a) That the street Vie metalled with river gravel.; (b) ;tr 'io ln-ilip : Consideration deferred.—-0u letter from Mr. F. J. Li.ey ; That, the free use of the Park he granted cm. some date wh It'll is not already engaged. siiUject to ilife usual condition^.-—letter frc.fß rcsidejitSi Rsrllbiid-avenue : (a) That the Waimea County Council be aiskeid t'o hiie their road-grader for the purpose of grading the \vater-ta.bles ill the city where requiring to be graded; (b) that the weeds be cleaned off the footpath.— Qn letter from Chief Health Officer i (a) That the RailAva.y DdpartiYi.clnt be requested to take (steps by placing .shields on the mcoi'ihtr ]:,ucs to prevent nats from OOmiritj ashore from vessels in tjort ; (b) That tn •o Inspector of .Nuisances make a special bouse to house inspection to see that the back-va.rds are kept clean ar.nd that- the public be requested to see that ,r*ubb.:,sh is not allowed to be cumulate.—A's to Milton'is Aci v J : (a) That a sufficient .number of pipes be removed to allow of a strip as 'wxle a® the present enclosure being made along the Ha J i fax-street boundary; (b) that the railway manager be requested) to allow the strip to l>o carried along tile boundary of the railway Land and ithat the ■ ?trip be planted, r.nder the supervision of the Mayor and Crs. Harley and Snodsras? ; (o) that, the Railway' Department be a>4ced to have the hoand'ing removed. —As to trees. Botanical Hi Thai the matter be referred to a. Special Committee consisting of the Mayor and Crs. Fell, Sned.gra.ss, and Mercer, and that the committee be given power to act.— On letter from residents. (a.) A's to Hampde.n-street : That the water- ta.bles be attended to and *foni-e more gravel be placed on the fcfotpath on the .niorth side ; that some .slight repairs be made to the footpath en the south s:die; tha.t some gravel be placed on the footpath, nea.r the .school ; that the water-table be attended to near t : he corner of Waimea-road and Hampdenstreet; (b) as to Kawai-street: That the footpath be kerbed a:nd 'some gravel placed thereon; that the street be repaired as 60011 as the road-grader is available and that in the meantime the holes be filled up ; that th' 9 water-tables from Kawaiistreet to Motueka-strect.— be cleaned out anid the holes filled up Deferred for a report of coot of concrete kerbing.—>on letter from Mr. J. ,Ba.ker : (a.) That Mr. Holland be given notice -hat the drainage from his brewery must not be allowed' to- go on the street; (b) that a ditch- be cut on the western, side of Kaw.ai-street to connect with existing dram. (Work to be done at once.) —On letter from Mr. W. McGoe: That the water-table be cleaned out and' the tootpath repaired en the nci'theira side of Washington Valley.—On letter from residents, Wa iu»3 * -street : (ia) That the foreman report to/ the Council as to the best method'of carrying out the "work; (b) that the waiter-tab Los be graded and the footpath attended to in Coll in g-wood-sreet near the corner of Wainui■street.—As to footpath, Grove-street, south side: That the water-table anid footpath .near Collingwood-stre et bridge be attejidc.d to. —As bo sewer cross Lug Tl-afalgaT-street: That the attention of the Council be called to a Teported leak.

As to the pipes on Milton's Acre, it was resolved, on Cr. Mercer's motion, that a special committee, consisting of Crs. Harley, Fell. S-nodgrass. Bisley, and the mover, inquire as to the purchase and use of cast iron pipes, and into the manner of the keeping of the Council stores. It wasi further resolved, on Cr. Hurley's motion, that Milton's Acre be cleaned up. Cr. Bisley moved- that all clauses entailing expenditure be deferred for an estimate of -cost. Cr. Snoclgrass moved as an amendiment that the Toport as amended be adopted. The amendment- was- carried- by 6 to 3 (Crs. Trask, Bisley, Mercer). FOREMAN'S REPORT. The Foremam ire-ported in detail on the work carried out during the fortnight. GENERAL. Cr. Fell moved' that the Baths Committee obtain a. report 011 the cost of suitablo baths near the Trafalgar-street Bridge; and also on the cost of roue'h shelter sheds at Tahuna.—Seconded by Cr. Harley and carried. (Cr. Hurley was added to the Baths Commi(tee). Cr. Adams, in, view <;f the danger of damage to the pipes near the weir, moved lliat s-t.cps be taken to protect them. —The matter was referred- to the Finance Committee and Cr. Adams, with power to aet. Tlie Mayor stated that lie had been given to unci erst and, that the old Saltwater Baths could' be 1 einutated fur about £SOO. The suggestion was referred to the Baths Committee to obtain

a report. The old baths should never have been dismantled. (Crs. Harley tilid Adams agreed -,,-ith this btatome i it).• Cr.- Mercer' moved that the matter of a fitone-tt-.msher ibe discussed at the special rtleetiHg of t'he Council to be held ne xt- Thai-rs d a v.—Cairriedv

Ci\ Fell moved that at the special meeting the position ifi regard to the City Engineer be discussed.—Carried. (Ji : . Di.°i«y called for a return of the wages sheet aiid' /b»mber of men employed m 1900, as compared wRh 1911. . THE BANK OVERDRAFT'. Cr Fell move-di moved according to notice of motion: That the necessary steps be taken to pas-s a special order authorising the raising of a. special loan of £24,900 for the purpose cf (1) Repaying the. Bank overdraft as existing on 31st March, 1910; (2) repaying the Itoc'ks l.'oad loaf I f»atju<ing in 1912. And further that the special order shall provide—(ti) That the said satm shall be repaya'ble at the expiration of £0 years tr.itli interest iii the meantime at a rate not exceeding 434 10s 0d per cent, per annum; (b) that a- sinking fund of 13s 4d .per cent, per annum be provided in connect ion wi.'t.h, the said loan; (c) that a special rate be struck upon all rateable property in the City of .Nelson sufficient t*> provide interest, sinking fund and o.ther the sa'i<t ]-6aii: Cr. Fell said that whe.fi th-fe CouneiJ threw out Or. Hani peon's larger scheme, the course now proposed was the only one open. The overdraft was nearly up to the limit, and l the Council was paying 5 per cent., and if money got tight they might have to pay more. They might get the money at less than 4-i per ceci.., and there would be the advantage of a fixed term, awl a lower interest charge on their appalling overdraft. It was bad policy tihat such an overdraft should ever 'have been incurred 1 , aind he was prepared to accept a propesa! that their -overdraft at the end of any financial year should not exceed the amount of rates outstanding. Cr. Hampson seconded, and' strongly advised thro Council to h a.v;e .similar terms as those proposed for all .future loans. Conditions were, favourable th-6 loan, and the proposal was a wise one.

Ha-fley's opinion was that the pro posal was st mistake. To get the lorui at 4 per cent, would require a premium, and per cent, would 1 mean, a greater interest charge. He did not think it would be legal to have another overdraft if the present one was wiped out: and it would be very inconvenient if the Council could not have ail overdraft. The Council would' be obliged to have an overdraft.

Cr. Tasker thought that as the Council had reached- its limit, there was no other -course open. He would be sorry to see the> Council start and stack up another overdraft. It wornkl .not cost anything to carry out the proposal. Cr. B'is'ey- was strongly in favour of t/h© motion, . It would be good business to start anothfer overdraft. Cr. iAdams would 'like to be sure that if the present overdraft was wiped out the next Council would not run up another. The Mayor thought the only advantage im the proposal would be the sink ing fund, thus in, time paying off the amount. He would Like to see no more overdraft; but he saw the force of Ci". Harley's remarks, especially in regard to the gas and water accounts, which were trading accounts'. He would be ouite satisfied if an overdraft- on general account was mad® -impossible in the future. The motion was put and carried .by 6 to 3. Ayes (6) : Crs. Taslcer, Hampson, Bisley, Fell. Snodgrass, Mercer. Noes (3)': Cr s . Barley, Adams, and the Mayor. FIRE PREVENTION. Cr. Snodgrass moved according to notice : That the Council take into consideration the best method of improving the'means of fire prevention. He would like the principle to be affirmed, an.d the matter referred' to the Works and- Finance Commat-tee. He thought it was a peculiar position! that the Council should hand over £4OO a year to be spent by the Fire Brigade. Cr. Hampson- seconded ,and said that something ought to be done with regard to fire prevention. He hoped' the Committees would l report at an early date as to the best method' of going to work. He would like to know whether, if the Council decided ini favour of a Fire Board, the ratepayers had iuot to be consulted. The Town Clerk could' not answer the question straight away. The motion was carried, and on Cr. Snodgrass's motion the matter was referred to the Finance and Works Committees. The Chamber of Commerce f.arward.ed a co.py of a resolutr.pm. urging upon the Council the importance of .immediately installing a>n adequate system of fire prevention and fire control.

TEE TIP, The Mayor moved according to r.otioe : That the resolution- passed by this Council on the 9th June, 1911. ma-kirtg a charge of threepence a load for ruibbis-h deposited' at the tip be and the saitie is hereby rescinded. The May or said that it would be inadvisable in, view of the clearing up as a result of the plague outbreak, not to put any obstacle in the way of rubbishi -being deposited. Cr< Hairley seconded the motion, which was carried'.unanimously. \ The Couttcfi rose at 11 p.m.