AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11563, 29 January 1901, Page 6

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

I The adjourned meeting' of the Auckland I* City Council, held in the Municipal Build--1 ings, Coburg-street, last evening, was at--9 tended by His Worship the Mayor (Mr. | David Goldie), Messrs. J. Patterson ; (Grafi ton Ward), J. Hewson, G. Aickin, J. Court, I J. Stichbury, J. H. Hannan, A. C. Atkin, I F. E. Baume, C. D. Grey, J. Jamieson, 'A. I J. Entrican, R. Tudehope, R. Farr-U, R. I Salmon, J. Patterson (Kaxangahapo arcl), 1 A. Kidd, C. J. Parr, and T. T. Masefield. . II : The New Health Act: A circular was rei ceived from Dr. J. M. 'Mason, chief health 1 officer, asking for the Council's co-operation 1 in the carrying out of the provisions of the I now Health Act: and while pointing out | the most important /features: of the Act, I showing that nothing in the Act was inI tended to lessen i the powers and duties of 1 any of the local bodies, only and in respect 1 of ench powers as wore held by virtue, of I the Public* Health Act, 1876. which had been | repealed. Referred to the Legal Committee. I Agricultural Department's Premises on I Railway Wharf: The Inspector of the AgriI cultural Department forwarded plans of a I proposed iron shed on the Railway Wharf, 1 for the purposes of the Agricultural Depart- | ment, and asking a permit . - therefor. Re- % ferred to tho Streets Committee. \ Auctioneers' License: Mr. Edgar P. GoldsI bro' made application for a license as auc--3 tioneer in the City of Auckland. The apa plication was granted. 1 Sinking Fund Commissioner: Mr. J. H. \ Upton wrote withdrawing his resignation as: I one of the sinking fund commissioners. It was agreed to thank Mr. Upton for continu- ) ing to act. I Alleged Nuisance: Mr. A. H. Nathan for--1 warded a complaint of the danger incurred i by himself and other owners of property in ] Custom-street, by the existence of Mr. Sai\j ford's fish smoking establishment. Referred ' to the Streets Committee. ■• j Tilirangi Roads: Mr. Oliver Mays, clerk j to the Waitemata County Council, wrote I drawing attention to the serious damage to I the roads in Titirangi district, caused by .the j heavy traffic in connection with the auxiliary i waterworks. The County Council also de- j I sired to know what assistance the City Coun- | cil proposed to give towards keeping these I roads in good order. The city engineer re- j I ferred the City Council to clause 53 of the I I specifications for pipe-laying. .' Referred to | i the Streets Committee. i ] The Nihotvupu Track : Considerable corres- J Ipondence was received from owners: of property on the line of the Nihotupu track, re! compensation. The letters were referred to J the Legal Committee. Petitions: Mr. R. Farrell presented a pe-1 tition from lessees of the Council in the vicinity of the Western Park, asking that J the open drain through the park might be » attended to, as it was causing a nuisance. 5 The petitioners agreed to contribute £50 | towards the work. Mr. Court presented a | petition from residents in HargTeaves-street, I asking that the drainage on the north side lof that thoroughfare be attended to. Both I petitions were sent on to the Streets Com- § mittee for consideration. | J Streets Committee: The Streets ComR mitteo's report, which was adopted, con--1 tained the following paragraphs: M. I Wilson, recommending appointment of in--1 spector oven Nihotupu contracts. A. WatB son,< applying for position of inspector of I works, Nihotupu. Jno. Good all. applying a for position of inspector of works, Nihotapu : jj Applications to be invited, salary at the rate I of £3 10s per week, conditions to be prepared Bby Mr. Wilson. W. T. Bishop, asking per- | mission to transfer contract No. 2, road forg mation works, Nihotupu, to T. Anderson: '% Recommend transfer of contract be consented B to, with exception of stipulation for four I weeks' extension of time, which will bo oonf'sidered later on. H. Atkinson, re electric i lighting: Deferred until the report from I Mr. Wilson is obtained. Auckland Electric iTramway Company representative re electric lighting: Reply that nothing will he _ done |in the matter,-of electric lighting until the 1 report of Mr. Wilson is obtained. Engineer, Ire urgent drainage works: Cemetery G\illy Ito come noxt. Engineer, submitting plans I and specification, Douglas and Ryle Streets | report of Mr. Wilson is obtained. Engineer, Ire urgent drainage works: Cemetery Gully Ito come noxt. Engineer, submitting plans and specification, Dougks and Ryle Streets drainage: Tenders to be called, returnable at next meeting. Engineer, specifications for annual supplies, viz., engineer's stores and waterworks supplies: Tenders to be called, returnable next Council meeting. Recommend Council to authorise the commita tee to act in the matter of contract for ij bringing in water from Bendall's Creek. His I Worship the Mayor, and the chairman of I the Streets Committee, Mr. Kidd. having I visited the several places as appointed by I the Streets Committee, reported as follows: I As to kerbing and channelling road at en- | I trance to gasometer, Freeman's Bay: The t 1 work to be done, and estimate given -off I stone and totara wood kerbing with channel-1 | ling.: Re drain from Harclrnge-street, oppo-1 I site Messrs. Loyland, O'Brien and Co.'s: f | Recommend that concrete channel be laid | s down and a box put in up to the cliff con- I I neeting with the channel. Application by | 1 ratepayers, George-street, to have the street Jj 1 kerbed and channelled: That engineer sup- I | ply estimate of totara wood kerbing. I i Rating on Unimproved Values : The Legal j | Committee, reporting on the request of cer- \ tain ratepayers of Auckland for a poll" of | j ratepayers on the rating on unimproved 1 lvalues, recommended the Council to reply i! that " whilst the opinion of the city solicitor f I is in effect that the Council may legally in-1 } cur the expenditure needed to give effect to | j the -wishes of those advocating rating on | | unimproved values in having a list prepared | I showing the amount now paid by each indi-f | vidual ratepayer with the amount he would I ! have to pay under the new system, still | 1 your committee do not feel justified in re-1 I commending that such should be done just p I now, because (a) the cost will bo very much i 1 greater than stated, and (b) your committee | I feel that the time is altogether inopportune | | to alter the incidence of taxation just when 9 j the valuations for the year are about com- g | pleted and the officials busy preparing the E | rolls for the elections which are to. take jj j place shortly. Whilst recommending that | j the Council should not do such work at this | I stage, we would suggest that no impediment | j be thrown in the way of those desiring to jj obtain the information if they will do it 1 j upon their own responsibility and at their | own cost." Mr. R. Tudehope, as an amendi' ment, moved to the effect that the infor-1 ment, moved to the effect that the infor-1 mation be prepared at some opportune time jj at a cost not exceeding £25. His Worship j said he did not think that he was quite safe j said he did not think that he was quite safe j in saying that the cost of the work would \ jbe £200. After some discussion, the amend- ; ment was lost, and a further amendment by J Mr. Tudehope met with a similar fate. The j committee's recommendation was adopted. ! Salaries and Holidays: The question of j the salaries of several of the officials came j up for discussion upon a roport from the \ Departmental Committee. It was agreed i that the allowance annually voted to His ! Worship the Mayor be £300, instead of £200, the new arrangement to take effect at the 1 termination of the current term of offiae. j His Worship explained that the allowance once fixed could not be altered during the term of office of a Mayor. In fairness to/ the next Mayor the salary should be fixed ■ now. He might mention that the demands ! upon a Mayor were such that if he carried j out the duties in even an ordinary manner ! the whole of his allowance and more would be exhausted. The salaries of several of the officials were readjusted, and ,the following recommendation of the committee was j adopted: Your committee recommend that j the office holidays during the year be New I Year's Day, January 2 and 29,_G00d | Friday, Easter Monday, King's Birthday, 1 Duke of York's Birthday, Christmas Day | and Boxing Day, and that two weeks' holiday | be allowed .to all officials engaged in the | Municipal Buildings, including ; the water-1 works engineer, at such times at may be ap-1 proved by the Mayor and town clerk. j Electric Tramways: Mr. W. Coleman, on behalf of the Auckland Electric Tramway Company, wrote with reference to the pay- ] ment of license fees for the cars. He was of opinion that the company was not liable to pay such fees until after the inauguration of the electric system. The letter was sent on to the Legal Committee. Improving the Domain: On the recommendation of the Legal Committee, it was agreed to repair several of the fences in the Domain, and erect some necessary new fencing. Fire Appliances: The request of the fire brigade inspector for some hose was referred to the Fire Brigade Committee with power to call for tenders. Mr. Entrican thought that; the question of fire appliances was of E such importance that a special meeting of I the Council should be hold to consider the matter. The Mayor explained that the committee was at present' busy collecting information as to the prices, etc., and would present a report at an early date. |- Tenders: The tender of Mr. Hugh Gray, £189 7s lOd, was accepted for drainage work in Douglas-street, estimated to cost £192; and that of Mr. E Murphy, £126, for drainage work in Ryle-street, estimated to cost £137. Six . tenders were . received;' for each contract. Several tenders, received : for supplies to the engineers,' stores, were referred to the Streets .Committee to select one after consultation with the engineer. Applications were received for the post of f clerk of works in connection with the' Nihotupu water supply, and were referred to • the ; Streets I Committee with power to make a selection | after consulting the engineer of the scheme, § Mr. Wilson. f