NELSON CITY COUNCIL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 19 July 1924, Page 11

NELSON CITY COUNCIL

FORTNIGHTLY MEETING The usual fortnightly meeting of the Nelson City Council was held last evening. There were present: The. Mayor (Mr W. Lock), and Crs. 11. Coltman, J. A. Stringer, F. Plum. I). R. Edwards R. Watson, A. 0. Nightingale, W. J. Mnffntt, G. I’. Russell and S. A. Gibbs.

PAYMENTS

Total £2737 10 7 CORRESPONDENCE Following correspondence was dealt with:—From Messrs Pitt and Moore, reporting result of judgment in Council v Hayes and others. —In the course of tire letter it was stated "although the dis-

cussion in this, action has been against the Council, we think that in the circumstances the Council has taken the pvoner course in obtaining a judicial decision on the nature of Queen's road and Victoria Heights."—The Mayor said the decision would involve certain matters; and it was. resolved to refer the letter to Committee.

From Pitt and. Moore, as to right-of-way (Iloulker). —Referred to Committee. From Fell and Harley requesting approval sub-division and right-of-way (Webley).—Granted. From G. F. Dodds requesting erection lamp in (Mount Street. —Matter already in hand. From residents Mount Pleasant requesting same. —Referred to electrical engineer for report. From Harley and Kerr as to condition of Toi Toi Street.—Committee to visit. From Glasgow, Hayes and Rout, forwarding guarantee to complete formation of Mount Pleasant Avenue.—Resolved to declare the street a public one. From Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society applying for contribution.—Resolved to grant £lO. From District Engineers railways requesting cutting of trees Hampden Street West. —Necessary action to be taken. From Miss F. Horton granting a four months’ option for purchase of land in Hastings Street and requesting reduction rates.—Referred to committee. The Chief Postmaster requesting to be charged for electricity at reduced rates.—To be informed that there is no reduction in lighting. From Glasgow, Hayes and Rout requesting consent to vesting of cemetery at the Port in a private owner (Moncrieff). —Referred to committee. From Inspector of Factories requesting work to be done, at power station.— Referred to Committee.

From Nelson Philosophical Society requesting extension of reserves by-law to Ururakau scenic reserve and waterworks reserve (Maitai). —Referred to committee.

From T. W. Forster, requesting permission to construct rockery near Collingwood Street bridge.—Refered to committee. Engineer to report. From F. T. Ledger, requesting approval of sub-division of land Mount Street (Lucas). —Granted.

SPECIAL COMMITTEE At a meeting of the special committee re the supply of electricity to the Waimea Electric Company there were present: The Mayor (chairman), Councillors Nightingale and Gibbs. Messrs T. Neale and A. Burton, representing the Waimea Electric Company, attended the meeting. After full discussion the following recommendations were agreed to : 1. That the Council be recommended to supply electricity in bulk at the city boundary to the Waimea Electric Supply Company Limited at the prices and on the conditions following, viz: (a) The prices to be at 6d per unit for two hours during the months of April to September inclusive and 6d per unit for one hour during the months of October to March inclusive, and 3d pciunit for ail other hours and 2d per unit for transformer losses.

(b) That an agreement be entered into for a three years’ supply and that the charges above mentioned be reviewed at any time on tho basis of the cost of production. (c) That tho current to be sold to the residents of Tahunanui only.

(d) That the prices to be charged to consumers at Tahunanui he not less than those charged in the city. (e) That the agreement be determinable by twelve months’ notico on either

siue. The report was adopted

LICENSE FEES FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS

A meeting of the special committee re license fees for public buildings was attended by The Mayor (chairman), Councillors Stringer, Russell, and Moffatt.

The committee reported us follows: That the following buildings bo required to be licensed and that the license fees for the same he as undermentioned : (a) All churches and places of public worship, without fee; (b) All Sunday Schools (including Salvation Army Citadel) JBIG/- per annum, Hie fee to be refunded at the end of the year if the buildings arc used for church purposes only or arc lei free of rent for other purposes; (e) All friendly Society halls, £2/2/- per annum: ('ll Cabaret Hall. £2l2<- per annum : (c) Marsilen Hall and Y.M.C.A.. £5 per annum : (f) Nelson Institute, £l/1'- per annum; (g) Rowing Club Sited.' £1 T/- per annum. Ilte fee to l.c refunded at the end of the year

if the building is not used for any other than Scout purposes; (h) Opie’s, White s Macau ley’s and Stallurd s Rooms, £l/1;per annum ; (i) Coney Park, £2/2/- per annum; (j) Empire Theatre and Theatre Royal, £io per annum ; (k) Paramount Theatre, £5 per annum ; M) School of Music, £5 per annum. I hat a bylaw to give effects to the above rci'ummendutions be passed. In regard to clause (b) Cr. Nigbtmgttlc moved tiliat- 'Sunday Scliols 'be free. Seconded by Cr. Watson. Cr. Russell said Sunday Schools would only bo charged if they competed with other halls, and ho was therefore in favour of the clause lo stand. The clause was allowed to stand. In regard I" danse (el it was resolved that the charges for the 't.M.t .A. he £2/2/-; a similar resolution regarding tho Marsden Church Hall was lost on the casting volo of the Mayor, the ilivision being: Avos: Cr. Plum, Edwards, Watson. Nightingale and Russell. Noes: Cr. Coltman, Stringer, Moftatt, Gibbs and the Mayor. The report as amended was adopted.

SPEC lA I j P EPORTO I hr follo-' ii.g ; pr.ci 3! repot If -erre-rub-nutted by the " City Engineer CONVENIENCES IN TRAFALGAR STREET Tite depth of the sewer at Bridge Street is just over seven fed but is frequentK- blocked up t-o within three

feet of the street level so that it would not be safe to put the building underground more than two feet. The great uifliculty in connection with a building at or so near the, street level is to obscure a view of the interior from the street level. This can be done by means of a screen wall across the entrance but unless there is someone con slantly in charge as in the larger ceil tresc.’ the place is sure to become a nuisance from a misuse of the walls. 1 estimate the cost of a suitable building

and fittings at about £1550. This will provide for a brick building with tiled Ilnur and tiled walls to the height of 4 l ed.

ROCKS ROAD Tim portion of this road outside the City was declared a main highway in N.Z. Gazette No. 40 of 12th June last, [’here has been no notification" yet ol the finding of the Commission recently held in Nelson to apportion the cost ot tlie maintenance of this road and I take it that, such finding cannot now be operative. Section 9 of the Act vests re sponsibility for the road outside the City in tlie Main Highway’s Board ami the" Board presumably takes charge upon the issue of the proclamation. Section 11 subclause 26 requires that the District Board shall draw up a scale setting fort! in accordance with the proportions fix od pursuant to the act the amounts tc be paid to the Board by the several local authorities of the district, etc. 1 am nnabh to find any power under tin Act to require the City Council to look after the road outside its distirct. I have io suggest that the Council should at once notify the Tahunanui Town Boaro that it takes no further responsibility with regard to the road outside the City Boundary. In Die some Gazette the Nel-son-Blenheim road is also declared a Maiii Highway. The Council should ascertain its pusition with regard to it contributions towards that portion of tlie road in Pelorus Road Dsitrict.

STREET PLANTING Referring to my report of the 16th ultimo, in which 1 advised that no fur tiler planting should be done on the edg<of me footpaths because of the electric and telephone wires I wish to add further that planting on streets running east and west is not advisable. Trees planted along the northern sid“ ■ l ’ “-esc streets will shade, tlie roads and keep them soft and those planted on the south side will shade the houses o:i that side .The only streets therefore which can be planted with safety are those which have a margin of grass between the path and the roadway and which do .not run cast and west. The following could be planted : Tasman Street South, Brook Street. Ngatiuwa Street, Vanguard Street South. Washington Valley, Britannia Heights, Wellington Street, St. Vincent Street South, Kawhai, Tipalii, Russell and Emu no Street.

TIIE RODING RIVER AS A SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY

1 reported fully on this question about 1912 but unfortunately no ecpv of the report can be found. From the notes made at- the time 1 am able to state tlie main facts. Mr Atchison Smith’s report preposed an intake above Goad’s Creek. It was considered there was not enough water at that point to warrant the expenditure necessary to bring the river through the bill. Mv proposed intake was below the junction of the stream from 3rd house. I gauged the stream at this point arid found the flow to be 3j million gallons per day. The Brook stream

was running about 335.000 gallons per day. My proposal was to bring the river through the hill by tunnel 90 chains long the cost of which the pro sent time would be about £30,000. Tlisi is practically all that is required fur the purpose of water supply. In my report, 1 pointed out the possibility of a hydroelectric: scheme for the City and as Mr Henderson reports to-night, that, extension to the power plant will be required in tlie near future it would be worth going into this matter more fully. Since my report the question of water supply for Stoke and Tahuna have arisen. Both these districts could be conveniently supplied by a separate main over F.nner Glen from the Weir and this would get over one of the difficulties of the scheme, viz : —the flooding of tlie Brook Stream. The pumping of water from the Maitai to service reservoirs on the hills have been mentioned as a feasible way of augmenting the City Supply. Undoubtedly if. is ail effective way of dealing witti 1 be question but there are no advantages in it such as there are in the Reeling scheme. ’The report was referred to committee.

OTHER REPORTS

The usual report of the City Engineer and Sanitary Inspector dealt with routine -matters.

Crs Coltman and Russell inquired us to when a free rubbish service would he instituted ; and the first named intimat'd that he would give, notice of intention to move in this direction. It was resolved to serve notice on properly owners regarding their premises.

The abattoir manager reported that the following stock were slaughtered during the fortnight: fh? cattle, 5 calves, 591 sheep, 50 lambs, 17 pigs; total 787.

GENERAL On the motion of Cr Gibbs it was resolved io instruct the. engineer that sufficient room be left fur cars to turn at the proposed rockery on the Church Hill .•.ml that the palm trees be not. interfered with.

Cr Gibbs said be was not at the meeting of the Council which decided to give a rebate of rates to the Bowling . Club for this year which lie was quite in agreement with ; but lie suggested that 'the Club still be asked next, year to get a reconsideration of their valuation. The Mayor said he understood the Club had not lodged an objection, as it was understood that the Council was going to consider the question of remitting rates.

The matter of providing additional streets on the Church Hill was referred to eumimttee on the motion of Cr Coltman.

Several other matters were dealt with before the Council adjourned.

Following pity merits were authorised :— £ s. cl. General Aceounl 777 15 it: Gas Account 912 6 10 Water Account 105 9 2 Abattoir Account 97 18 0 Electrics Account 844 0 9