CITY COUNCIL.—SPECIAL MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4271, 22 July 1875, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.—SPECIAL MEETING.

A special, meeting of the City Council was held in the Council-room, Canada Buildings, yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of considering the question of street tramways for the city. The chairmen of the suburban Highway Districts were also invited to bo present. The following gentlemen were in attendance : —His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Buchanan, Holdship, Isaacs, Cosgravo, and Brett; Mr. Tole, Chairman of Pon-

sonby district; Mr. Hughes, Chairman of the Grafton Koad district; and the Chairman of the Karangahapo Highway District. TUB THAMWAY QUESTION. His Worship the Mayor sated that the meeting had been specially called for the purpose of receiving and considering applications for the construction of struct tramways, but some other matters of business would also bo considered. The chairmen of the suburban Highway Districts had been invited, as the subject of street tramways was one in which they were materially interested. There had only been one tender received, and this he proceeded to open. It was from Messrs. Owen Jones and Company, and contained a marked cheque for £500, in accordance with the advertised terms.

Tbc application was read, and was as follows: — "Auckland, 20th July.— To his Worship the Mayor: Sir, —We, tho undersigned, hereby apply for the concession to lay down tramways on the streets of Auckland, in accordance with the Tramways Act, 1872, and respectfully beg to submit the following terms and conditions as required by the City Council, and advertised in the Daily Southern Vro.i.i oi the 2nd inst. : —Ist. That the City Council grant to the undersigned the exclusive right of laying down and working tramways in the streets of Auckland for 21 years. 2nd. That tho undersigned will bind themselves to lay tho tramway from Parnell along the New Beach Koad, when completed, through Custom-house-street and (Jueen-street to the foot of Grey-street (and to extend or branch from this route into any other street that may offer sullicient inducement), and from Queeustreet to the foot of Kranklin-street, when the proposed Beach Koad to Freeman's Bay is made. 3rd. The fare not to exceed 4d from I'arnell to Grey street, and Gd tor any distance beyond those places. 4th. The undersigned bind themselves to keep the streets in repair between the rails and one foot on either side of the same. sth. That all vehicles have also the use of tho tramway, except when any of the ears are approaching, when they must move oil'the tram. Gth. The JLT>OO to be returned, with interest, to the undersigned on completion of the lino from Parnell to Grey-street, and, in tho event of the undersigned failing to carry out the conditions of the concession, the City Counoil to have the right to sell the line and plant at public auction to parties willing to carry out the undertaking. 7th. The City Council to have the option, at the end of each 21 years, of either taking over the tramways and plant at cost price, or of extending tho concession for another term of 21 years. The undersigned to commence tho construction of tramways within twelve months.—We have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servants, Owen Jones and Co. I'.S.—Wo enclose herewith a stylo of carriage we intend using." His Wonsinp : This application would simply affect the Parnell Highway Hoard, as it says nothing of going in any other direction beyond r'raukliii-street. Councillor HoLUsuii* : It seems to mo tho proposal is very limited. Councillor . Bhett : Yes very. I think we shall do far better without tramways than with such as those proposed in the application. The Mayor said that he had within the last half-hour received atelegram from Wellington which he would read for their information. It was as follows :—" Wellington, 21st of July. To His Worship the Mayor,—Street Tramways. Mr. Henderson just returned from the South. His absence prevented the completion of arrangements. Steamer leaving. Will send formal oiler by lirst mail, with required security if Council will grant delay. Please reply.—Chas. O'Neill." Councillor lioLusuir eaid that it was very necessary they should thoroughly understand the Act. He, for one, had contended that the Act did not prevent them from attaching conditions after the concessions were made ; but since then he had seen Mr. Russell, whose opinion was that the conditions must be prepared and advertised before the tenders were called for. If such was the case, it would be. necessary, before they considered any proposal, to decide upon the conditions, and attach

them to the application. If this was bo, it would alter matters materially ; and he supposed they must accept the lawyer's reading of the Act. Councillor Cosgrave thought that they should not grant a concession like that without knowing who are the other members of the company. Councillor Isaacs thought the concession asked for was far too liberal on the one side, and that the Council should not think of granting it. Councillor Holdsiiip did not think that such a concession as that applied for should be granted to any person who would not run the cars in the suburbs, for if they gave a monopoly to Queen-street, no one else could run cars to the suburbs. The present applications did not undertako to go to Newmarket, Grafton Road, Dedwood, or anywhere else, but simply to Parnell. The Mayor thought the offer a very different oi» to that made by Mr. Turner, who proposed going up Queen-street, and branching oIT to Pariiell, Pousouby, and Newmarket. Councillor Buchanan was of opinion that there was only one thing for the Council to do; and that was, to say that no eligible tender had been received, for if they received no better tender than the one before them, than the time had not come for tramways to be introduced into Auckland. The tender, he considered, was altogether one-sided.

Mr. S. K. Hughes, as representing the Graftou Uoad District, said that he thought it would bo a retrograde step to entertain the proposal. The application was to carry passengers to the foot of Parnell, for nothing was said of going through l'aruell, for fourpeuce; they could now go through Paruell for sixpence. Ho understood that tramways would run nearly to Onehunga for sixpence, or perhaps for 4d. The application oti'ured no gain to the public. Tin; public could now go to Pousonby every twenty minutes, and to Newmarket. The proposed tramways offered no advantages whatever, and were to stop at the foot of Upper Queen-street, and not to go up Grey-street until sufficient inducement offered. He would like to know who should be judge as to what inducement was sufficient, —the company that has the monopoly of the main etreet or the public, whose convenience it was consideied should be consulted in the construction of tramways ? He thought that accepting the present proposal would be simply to delay the advantages a tramway should give for a very long period indeed. The applicants wanted a monopoly for 21 years, and the Council then to take over the plant at what the company might say it had cost, and how could they know the company had spent the money to the best advantage, or else to grant another monopoly of 21 years. He thought the Council would be doing an act of injustice to the city to accept such a tender, as it would not meet the wants of any suburban district. He felt it would be wise to grant a further delay of three or eix months for better' tenders, and if such were not to be had, then ho would say most decidedly the time for tramways had not arrived.

Tho Mavor thought it was clear that the tramways would not benefit the city or drive the horses off the roads unless they charged less than was proposed by the application. Councillor Holdship considered that they should hare the Act thoroughly interpreted and explained to them, as they would bo unable to make any progress whatever until it was understood.

After some further discussion, Councillor Buchanan mored, seconded by Councilor Brett, "That no eligible application having been received, the consideration of the tramway question be adjourned for four months, when fresh applications will be received."—-Carried unanimously. Councillor IloLusuip was of opinion that at the end of four months the Council would be in just the same difficulty as now. Councillor Buchanan then moved, "That advertisements be inserted in the papers, inviting proposals for the formation of tramways, to be sent in to the Council at the timo stated in tho former resolution—four months hence." This resolution was seconded by Councillor Brett, and agreed to. PETITION KOK WARDS. His Worship the Mayor stated that the petition for the division of the city into wards had been referred to the Council for its opinion thereon. The letter from the Superintendent's office was read, and was as follows :—" Sir, —I am directed to return to you the petition for the division of the city into wards, to which certificates verifying the signatures have been duly appended. The Superintendent wishes to be informed with as little delay as possible as to tho views entertained by this Mayor and Corporation with regard to the petition. I have, &c, —V. E. Kice, for the Provincial Secretary." Tho Mayor said there have not one-fourth of the ratepayers signed this petition as it at present stands ; but there are a largo number of deductions to bo made, which make it farther off the required number. A considerable number ot those who have signed the petition are not ou our ratebooks ; there are a number of names that are not verified. That would be another ojectiou to the petition. And there are a still larger number of names of persons who have signed twice ; so that taking the petition after it has been analysed, it is a very long way from containing tho required number of signatures—oue-fourth of the ratepayers of the city. As ilia Honor asks for the views entertained by the Mayor and Corporation with reference to this petition, to be given with as little delay as possible, we should at once consider and decide upon the the question. Councillor Cosokave could not see the desirability of dividing the city into wards. At present it was well represented. There were six members from City East, and three from City West, and every application or petition received the due attention of the Council.

Councillor Ho lush! p said that if he believed it was absolutely the desire of the majority of the people that the city should bo divided into wards, he would have no objection to the petition, but would favour it to the best of his ability. His opinion, however, was that this was far from being the case. From enquiries he had made from various parties, he had come to the conclusion that very many who had signed tho requisition did not know what they were signing ; that they signed it because they were asked to do so. He believed that if the petition had been thoroughly understood a great many who had Bigned would not have done so. He was satisfied that the general opinion of the outside public was that the city could be better governed as at present than in any other way; and ho felt sure it would always be so until its boundaries were increased in extent. Doubtless the time would come when it would be advisable to divide the city into wards ; but being so thinly populated as at present, he was quite satisfied that no hardship takes place, by the fact that the elections are not made by tho different wards. Better men, ho thought, would be found to represent the city, as a whole, than would be found if it was divided into wards. If it was the general opinion and wish of the people that the city should be divided into wards, he would willingly favour that view ; hut as he thought such a step would be contrary to the desires of the ratepayers, and as the petition was not siguod by the requisite number, he should hesitate to give his consent to the thing being done, though he was not sure that the Superintendent had not the power to deal with the matter outside the Council. He believed that it wae the unanimous opinion of the Council that it was not desirable that the city bo divided into -wards, and that many—and especiajly the respectable portion of the ratepayers—are satisfied with tho existing state of things, and that to alter the city from what it now is would bo a great injustice to the majority of the people. Councillor Isaacs strongly opposed the Setition, as not being genuine. He consiered the time had not come when the division of the city into wards was necessary.

The Mayor them moved the following resolutions, which were seconded and carried unanimously:—l. That in the opinion of this Council it is not desirable for either the better government, the peace, or the prosperity of the city of Auckland to be divided into wards at tho present time. 2. That the petition presented to his ilonor the Superintendent requesting him to divide the city into wards is not signed by the requisite number of persons, .and that in other respects the Act has not been complied with. 3. That copies of the above resolution be forwarded to his Honor the Superintendent. THE CORPOKATION' ACT. It was agreed to forward the following petition to Parliament with the exception of clauses 2, 4, and G, which upon consideration were expunged. The petition as prepared for the consideration of the councillors was as follows :— "To the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled.—The petitition of the Mayor and City Council of Auckland humbly sheweth : That the following amendments to the Municipal Corporation Act are desirable:—(lst.) That the Municipal Corporation Act, ISG7, and the various Amendment Acts thereof should be consolidated into one Act. (Carried.) (2nd ) That the City Council should have power to levy for the non-payment of rates without the outlay of legal proceedings. (Struck out.) (3rd.) That property in the occupation only, not owned, by the Governments of the colony or province should not be exempt from the payment of rates. (Carried.) 4th. That the residences of officiating minsters of religion should be liable to be rated unless they are bona fde Church property. (Struck out.) sth. That section 317 of the Borough Statutes of Victoria, relating to the paving, flagging, and kerbing of frontages at half the owner's expense, ho introduced. (Carried.) Oth. That interest at the rate of 8 per cent, per annum may be received on unpaid rates, as described in the Borough Statute of Victoria, section 237. (Struck out.) 7th. That sections SO and 112, relating to a deposit to be paid by persons nominated for election as Councillors, be introduced. (Carried.) Your petitioners therefore humbly pray that the foregoing amendments may be introduced, and your petitioners, aa in duty bound, will ever pray." It was agreed that the petitions, as amended, should be forwarded to ■ his Honor the Superintendent, Sir George Grey, to bo presented to Parliament. This concluded the business.