CITY COUNCIL REPORTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9242, 20 December 1888, Page 5

CITY COUNCIL REPORTS.

The annual office reports of the different departments of the City Council were issued yesterday.

Town Clerk's Rktort. — The Town Clerk's report contains information, succinctly put, in reference to tho most important matters which have come under the consideration of the Council, the changes in the membership, etc. We find that the number of persons using the Salt Water Baths was 21,247, the numbers using the Fresh Water Baths : — Males, 22,671 ; females, 589; boys (schools), 2251. Waterworks Department,.—Amount of moneys received in this department during the past financial year was as follows : — Water by assessment, £6816 6s 7d ; water J by meter, £4634 lGs 3d ; water by shipping, £1563 17s ; water by non-consumers rate, £12 .'is 3d; water by permits, £3 19s ; plumbers' licenses, £24 19s 4d ; rent, Western Springs, £118 12s Sd : total, £13,174 14s Id. The quantity of water pumped during the year was : — Ponsonby reservoir, 477,377,880 gallons ; previous year, 397,277,340ga1. ; Kybcr reservoir, 21,860,300 gallons; previous year, 81,544,970 gallons; quantity of coal consumed during the year was 1742 tons lewt. The number of consumers lit present is 0130, 355 being by meter; last year, 0,090; showing an increase of consumers for the your of 40. There are IS drinking taps, 16 horsetroughs, 10 urinals; also Public Baths, street watering, etc., Library, offices, New Zealand Institute, Park, Domain, Cricket Ground, Abattoirs, etc., supplied free of charge. City Engineer's Report.—Mr. W. Anderson, city engineer, states the contracts which have been let and carried out during the year, and the expenditure in the different wards. The total expenditure on street contracts is stated thus :—North Ward, £6106 19.-1 ; South d 0.,£3278 5s od ; East do., £4191 6s 6d; Ponsonby do., £3523 9s 'Hd ; Karangahape do., £1693 10.s 10d ; Graf ton do., £2041 8s: total street contracts, £20,834 19s GAd. Librarian's Rkvokt. —Mr. E. Shillington, librarian, reports respecting the catalogue, condition of the books, attendance, reading-room and chess-room, donations, accessions by the Council, lending library, etc. The total number of volumes in the Free Library on the 31st October was 7772 ; in the Grey collection, 5135 : total, 12,907. Pamphlets in Grey collection, 3124 ; MS. volumes in Grey collection, 121 ; documents, 145; treaties, 2. Total volumes and MSS. in both libraries, 16,299.

Firk Brigade Inspector's Report.— Mr. J. Hughes, in his report, states : — The total number of calls were 119, namely: j>3 were slight or not very extensive damage, fl were serious or extensive damage, 25 were chimney fires, 27 were suburban fires, 5 were false alarms. On comparing the number of calls of 18S8 with those of 1887, the following results are found : In the number of culls, a decrease of 21 : in slight or not very extensive damage, a decrease of 3; in serious or extensive damage, a decrease of 17 ; in chimney fires, an increase of 1 ; in false alarms, a decrease of (i. I have pleasure to state that the working plant is in good order, and the officers and men have carried out their duties during the year satisfactorily. A few of the men received injuries while attending fires, which caused a largo draw on the Brigade's sick and accident fund, happily all recovered ; the nature of the work involves a certainty of accidents. Mr. Hughes concludes his report by expressing his thanks to the officers and men of the Police Department, Salvage Corps, and turncocks, for their assistance and support. Sanitary Inspector's Report.—This report (by Mr. G. Goldie) states that the deaths registered within the city for the year ending 31st October were 'M'2, beint,' a decrease of 22 deaths as compared with the previous year. The classification is as follows : — Zymotic disease, 76; parasitic disease, 2; dietetic disease, 5; constitutional disease, G9 ; developmental disease, 20; local disease, 1(50; violent, 11; unspecified, 17. In speaking of the death rate, Mr. Goldie says :—"The deaths of infants and children under the age of 1 year and live years show a decrease, the total number being 1(51 for 18SS as compared with 210 for ISS7 ; even with this decrease the death-rato of infants and children is nearly one-half the total number of deaths for the whole year. This great, mortality of infants and children under 1 year and 5 years still continues, no less than 119 children under 1 year and 42 under 5 years of age have died, the total number beiner 161. This death-rato is in excess of "any other city in New Zealand." In regard to the total death rate, he says : —" lam pleased to say that the city continues to compare us a healthy city to the other cities of New Zealand. The death rate is less per 1000 of population, compared with the other three cities, as will be seen by the following, viz.:—For Wellington, 13"39 per 1000 population ; ChristcTnirch, H\S7 ; Dunedin, 11-39; and Auckland, 9.18." Domain' Rancikr's Report.—Mr. W. Goldie, Domain Ranger, states what has been done during the year in the Domain and in the Albert Park, the latter place having been placed under his charge in February last; and also with regard to the trees in the streets.