CITY COUNCIL : ANNUAL MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6271, 22 December 1881, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL : ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of the City Council took place yesterday. Present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr. J. M. Clark), and Councillors Aickin, Crowther, Fleming, Hemus, Thompson, Offer, and Waddel. Annual Departmental Eeport3. — The above reports in a pimphlet form, were placed upon the table. The Matok's Address.—His Worship in a brief address, reviewed the operations of the Council during the past year. The departmental reports, ho said, showed very fully what had been done, and on that head his references required only to be brief. One of the most important questions they had to consider was that of finance, hu* he would not allude to it at length then, as he intended to do so at the end of tho financial year, which closed next March. There had been a very gratifying increase in every department of revenue, more especially in tho waterworks account, and in rates, tho practical result of'which would be to place at xhe disposition of the Council for public works a sum of from £2000 to £30(10, instead of the lesser sum of £1000 which' had alone been expected. The consolidation of the loans had released certain moneys which had beenTargely appropriated to public works, and tho result was great activity in the Surveyor's department. Recurring again to finance, he would allude to the arrangements with the National Bank which had just been concluded for three years. They were not so favourable as those of last year, but judging from the roport of the Comptroller-General of this colony, on his recent visit to Australia, they were more favourable than those obtained by most public bodies in Australia. They had reason, therefore, to be satisfied. Tho mistakes made in our waterworks system at tho" reservoir and pumping house, which had been so frequently alluded to in the Council and by the Press, wer6 now nearly all rectified. The pipes had been carried out of the stagnant bight of"water, from which the city supply had been drawn, into the running stream. By carrying tho pipes still further to the head spring and enclosing it, it would be practicable to get the watc? as pure - as"it" could possibly be"~obtained, and free from vegetable growth. The supply was also equal -to five times Auckland's present population. It was intended after the holidays to rejfUe tho water tariff. No decision had yet been arrived 'afr'ns to tho rate, but it would bo in the direction of a reduction, and of giving water to largo consumers by meter at a lower figure. Owing to the manner in which the city of Auckland was hemmed in, the questions of maintaining aFiro Brigade, water supply, and drainage, affected* neighbouring districts, and would require consideration. The remedy for the conflict 00 authority and interests in such matters was to'l extend the city boundaries, not pieccmeal, heret and there, but by absorbing tho most neighbouring suburbs. No ono would contem--1 plate revortiwr '» th ° " 111 boundaries of the! from Onehunga to the Whau Port- 1 ago —but tho settled districts adjicentto the ■icity should be amalgamated with it. They j could then go to capitalists with increased securities, and obtain a loan_for waterworks extension, which would giveTo all tho districts absorbed a splendid water supply, and owing to the increased consumption, at lower rates than any hitherto in force. He would now refer to the question of a Town-hall. Considerable difficulty had arisen m endeavouring to carry out tho wishes of the Council. A Bill had been carried through the Assembly last session, empowering the City Council to build on the triangle at the foot of Grey-street, but tho area was found to bo too small. The j»roprietors of tho adjoining property, which it was desired to throw in, asked a figure beyond the available means of the Council. The question had been referred to the Council's solicitor as to whether the property referred to could be taken under the Public Works Act, and dealt with by arbitration ; also as to whether part of tho sum available for a Town-hall could be legally devoted to acquiring! the property referred to. He congratulated; the Council upon the establishment of the! Albert Park, and the steps now being takon to fit IFTor a place of public recreatioa. The only blot was the presence of the armoury building, but, as negotiations wore going on with the Government, its removal was only a question of time. As to the question of city drainage, tho | main sower extonsion was now"*"*Softiploted, and had effected a great improvement in that respect. It would have been better if the original suggestion of the City Surveyor had been carried out by the Government by discharging the sewage at the end of the breakwater. At present it went into a corner, where tho water was still, and tho foreshore at times partially dry. Negotiations were now going on with tho Government, and the Hon. Mr. Whitaker assured him that endeavours would bo made to carry out the wishes of the Council and its officers in regard to carrying tho city drainage to deep water. In conclusion, he had to thank the councillors for the co-oporation extended to him during his term of office, and the attention which had been to their municipal duties. His past year's experience in the Auckland City Council had impressed him with the belief that there was a total absence of jobbery, and that in that respect, as well as in the painstaking fulfilment of duty by the councillors, it would compare favourably with any other public body in the Australian colonies. His Worship then made the declaration required by law on assuming office for his second term. —Mr. Aickin congratulated tho Mayor upon his unopposed re-election. It was tho fitting reward of his assiduous attention to the inayoral duties. —Messrs. Crowther and Hemus also referred in complimentary terms to His Worship's services to the city, and the pleasure they sharod with the general public in his accepting office for a second term.

Correspondence.—A letter was received from Mr. John Milne, Secretary to tho Coffee Palace Company, in reference to the architectural projections of the proposed Coffee Palace, objected to by the City Surveyor. The directors now proposed that they should only commence with the lirst floor, and be sufficiently guarded to prevent inconvenience to the public.—The letter was referred to the Finance and General Purposes Committee.

Tenders.—The various tenders for the annual contracts wero received, read, and dealt with as under :—For Timber—Auckland Timber Company: First class heart of kauri, 13s lid per 100 feet; second class, 8s sd. New Zealand Timber Company : Firstclass heart of kauri, 13s ; rough heart, 10s Gd ; second class, 7s Cd. The tender of tho New Zealand Timber Company was accepted. For ironwork, nails, etc., that of George Leahy was accepted. 11. M. Heighton's was informal. For removal of city refuse : George Wilson's was tho only tender (accepted) at £42 per month; £1 jier month each for extra streets. The extra streets of the past year being included in the preseut contract, made tho contract a reduction by that amount. For carting scoria ash, Ueorge Wilson's was the only tender, and it was accepted. For coal : W. and G. Winstone, Bay of Islands, 22s lOd per ton; Joseph Bennett, Kamo, 18s Gd ; Malcolm Niccol, Whauwhau (VVhangarei), 18s 6d; Bay of Islands, 22s 3d; F. Japger, Bay of Islands, 23j; Joseph Craig, Bay of Islands, 22s Gd; "VVhangarei, ids 9d. The tender of Malcolm Niccol was accepted with the proviso that the Council have power to use local coals offered for trial tests. For printing : Tenders received from Messrs. H. Brett and Atkin. That of Mr. Brett was accepted. For supplies to pumping station, waterworks : Tenders received from Messrs. T. and S. Morrin and H. F. Anderson. They wore referred to Mr. Erriugton, tho Engineer, in order that he might report as to quantities and averages. Dog Collar Difficulty.—Mr. Thompson stated that that thero was considerable soreness outside over this matter. There was no contract made this year, and he had heard that the price given to the late contractor was higher than he received uuder his contract of lastyoar. —The Town Clerk said that was incorrect, tho prico was that of last year, and was less than I paid for dog collars by the Parnell Borough Couaoil. Ho had stopped the supply of collars, so that the balance could be tendered for. Of the 1000 required, 600 had been received, but the remainder (400) could be obtained by tender. — Mr. Thompson remarked that an examination of the collars satisfied him that they wero not equal to tho sample forwarded.—The Town Clerk explained that the manufacturer would exchange any collar objected to. Inspector Goldie had generally approved of the work of this manufacturer. —This brought the business to a close.