AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11871, 24 January 1902, Page 3

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

The Auckland City Council met last night. The Mayor' (Mr. Alfred Kidd) presided and there wore J also present: Messrs. J. :W. Hewson, H. T. Garrati, A. E. Glover, IJ. T. Julian, Jrk>. 'MoLeod,: J. H. ! Hassan; T. T. Masefield, J. Court, P. Dignan, •A. Kosser, C. Gray, J. Patterson, F. E. Baurae and O. J. Parr. / Mr. Stiahbury sent an apology for. bis absence and Mr. Rosser .was appointed to sign cheques till Mr. " Stichbury" returns. ;! ' ' - ..V.-.'' "■:"■'' '- .

< : Be3ith; of Empress Frederick: The h German Coiisul-Gciieral for Australasia wrote from Sydney" that ho had : been commanded by Etis ■ Imperial Majesty >to 'thank ';■' the Mayor, i councillors and citizens • for their sympathy :on ; . the death of the Empress Frederick,. :-. -..•■:■-,• •. ■••:;

; > Valuation Rolls;, The secretary to a conference of .local, bodies held in ? Canterbury wrote asking ' the co-operation of the ? Council in securing a reform of the method insisted on by Government for compiling the valuation rolls ; of local authorities. The letter was referred to the Legal 7 Committee. ,1 Eden Terraee District: The ' clerk to the Eden Terrace Road Board wrote asking a conference with the Grafton Ward members of the City Council re the streets/ at the junction of the two districts. , It.; was left to the'ward members to arrange a meeting. _Claim for Flooding-: The licensee of the Freeman's Bay* Hotel asked compensation for flooding at the hotel.' , The engineer' reported that the ; flooding was caused by. the stoppage; of the \ private connection ■■ and '. therefore the ' Council was not liable. Tab; letter was referred to the Legal Committee. Soafield View Road: Mr. S. I. Clarke wrote asking repairs to footpath, Seafield View Road. :■■, The engineer reported < ; the matter would receive attention. Referred to the Streets Committee. ■ "". v Librarian: Mr. E. Shillington applied for si:; months' leave of absence to enable him to take = a voyage to . England. Leave ■ of absence was granted on full salary the Library Committee to make arrangements for the conduct; of the library during Mr. Shil-ling-ton's absence. ' * -"-■■:;.".-.-. ;v Art Gallery: Mrs. M. C. ; Ireland wrote• ' offering to lend a piece of Gobelin tapestry, l "A* Scene in Boccaccio," ,to be hung in the"' ; Art Gallery. The letter was referred to the Legal Committee. ' •■ , " ,'• Domain Pastures: : Mr. J. J. Craig wrote asking the Council for a rebate of £50 off the rent of the Domain pasturage on the ground that he had sustained loss through : the volunteer and contingent camps and the grass being destroyed *by the large ; numbei of people visiting the Domain while the camps were there. The claim was re-' ferred to the Legal Committee. Petroleum Licenses: : Between 50 and 60 petroleum; licenses were granted. ■ ."'."-■' l Spring-street: Mr. Parr presented a petition for the drainage and general •improvement of Spring-street, which was referred to the Streets Committee. • ~ ■ Drainage: Plans were submitted for extension of Wallace-street drainage, and it was resolved to call for tenders. It was resolved to close Hackott-strcet, between Shelly Beach Road and St. Mary's Road, for a month, in consequence of drainage works. ■ Tenders: Five tenders were received for waterworks supplies and engineers' stores, and were referred to the Streets Committee, with power to accept a tender after receiving a report from the engineer. The following tenders were received for completion of Cemetery ', Gully drainage:— Billington, £1141 13s , lOd; Geo. Knight, £1025 9s; Alex. Watson, £1890. -Mr. Knight's tender was accepted. •■■ The engineer's estimate was £1260. .-

Compensation Claim: D. Driscoll wrote asking compensation for injuries received by himself in Victoria-street on January 9, which he alleged was caused by stones placed there by the Council. The claim was referred to the Legal Committee. V ; Streets Committee: The Streets Committee reported : —J. H. Dalton, re proposed continuation of Clarence-street through his property: The previous decision of December 4, 1901, to be adhered to, that provided the opinion of the city solicitor is favourable to the extending of existing streets at/a less width than 66ft, Mr. Dalton to be offered £200 for a strip of 50ft through his laud. Mount Albert Road Boarff, as to supply, of water for the district: Reply that the Coun- , cil is unable to supply from, tho gravitation main, but is willing *o supply from Mount Eden reservoir at the by-law charge. Ratepayers, Hopctoun-street, as to drainage of Hopetounistreet:' Your committee recommend that the work bo done -in\c?ue course, ' the "'cost being estimated at £225. District health officer, as to the condition of the outfall drain, New-street: Your committee recommend that the pipe be extended down the bank, and a channel cut through the sandstone, at a cost .of £20, to carry tho drainage out to low-water mark. The lowest tender for castings, that of Messrs. T. and S. Morrin and Co.! has been accepted at £14 15s. Tho report was adopted. Lease: The Finance Committee reported:A. M. Myers, asking that the compulsory building clause in lease of lot 5, Wakefield-streot,. be omitted:. Your committee recommend that the application be granted provided it can be legally done, and the cost is borne by Mr. Myers, the city solicitor to be consulted. Adopted. Revision of Salaries: The Finance Committee having considered the applications, and reviewed the whole' of the salaries* recommended that the following increases of salaries be made, viz.':* Town clerk, £50 per annum; assistant town clerk, £10 per annum; cadet town clerk's office, £10 per

annum ; city treasurer, £22 per annum ; city engineer, £50 per annum; cadet engineer's office, £10 per annum; waterworks engineer, £50 per. annum; engineer No. 2 pumping station, £15 per ■ annum; assistant sanitary inspector, £20 per annum; assistant librarian, £25 per annum; sexton, Waikumete, £10 per annum ; caretaker fresh water baths, £15 per annum; and that Mrs. Lovell bo paid at the rate of £20 per annum in recognition of her services for cleaning the offices, etc. i. The Mayor moved the adoption of the report. Mr. J. W. Hewson held that the committee should have fixed a maximum

salary for each office,' so that new officers would know that they could work up to that maximum. So moved, *' That the report be sent back to the committee for that purpose, and for the purpose of tho committee- reporting on the duties of each official." Mr J. H. Hannan seconded. After discussion the report was adopted, the assistant town clerk's increase being, on the motion of Mr. Pan-, altered from:■ £10 to £15. On the motion of Mr. Julian, seconded by Mr. Glover, an increase of 5s per week was granted to Mr Garrard, dog catcher. Bella, Vista Drainage: In answer to Mr. Parr, the Mayor stated that on account of pressure in the engineer's office, it had been impossible to get the plans of Bella Vista drainage completed, but they would bo before the Council at next meeting. Electrio Tramways: Messrs. J. G. White and Co., tramway contractors, wrote asking permission to distribute street poles in the channels along the Ponsonby tram route, and other city routes. The poles would, they said, be placed in such position as to inconvenience tho publio in the least possible manner. .The - city engineer reported on the ' request: "So many complaints have reached this office about tho rails being placed in the street channels, causing dangerous obstruction, I would suggest that in future poles, rails, etc , should be placed in depots ".■■whore they will not interfere with tho public traffic." The matter was left in ■ the _ hands of the engineer. ; There ■ was a similar request to deposit conduit tiles and other material on the city portion of the Pssmell route. The engineer recommended that this request bo granted, provided the tilos waro so placed as to J cause : no inconvenience, and were properly lighted. This matter was also referred to tho engineer. Mr._ Parr's motion, with reference to the placing of tramway material on the streets, had ".: not been reached when the Council rose at ten o'clock.