AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13496, 24 May 1907, Page 7

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

THE ordinary meeting of 'the City Council was held yesterday. Present: v. The Mayor (Mr. A- M. Myers), Messrs. L- J.' Bagnall, 0, J. Parr, W. C. Seiners, B. Parrell, H. M, Smeeton, A. J. Entrican, K. Tudehope, P. M. Mackay. W. E. Hutchison, and Dr. Stopford. ; • \v; *■ ''" : "' . '•• ' , jjr. J. M." Mason (chief health, officer) and Or. j. is. l'urdy (district health officer) were jiresent during a. portion of the meeting. urAmage" Scheme: The Archhill * Road Board signified approval of a general drainage scheme tor Auckland and suburbs; the isemuera Koad Board, while objecting to a Greater Auckland scheme, favoured the formation of a Drainage Board; and the Epsom Koad Board, intimated that it was prepared to send a. delegate to discuss the drainage scheme. Received. ... ' ~ .

Damaged Street Lamps : The Gas Company requesitju tne council to join wun ihein in paying rewards tor information leading to me conviction of persons damaging street lumps, tlie. council paying nail uie reward. Agreed to. . /'./v-,'" ■ ■ jjount Aden Road: The offer of the Mount Euen worougn Council to contribute ijto, oiie-iiau actual casn compensation lor ian4 required to be taKen lor tne widening ol Mount Jiden koaa, was accepted. Tenders: The lollowmg tenders were received and referred to tne Streets ' Commit 1 tee:—Collection «nd removal >of nignaoil, 29s 3d per annum, J. Peach (one tender only). Cottage at Waitakerei (engineer's estimate, £480): P. A. Pitt, £413; John Morris, £469; A. B. Smith, £480. , , ■ Art Gallery: The committee recommended that in hanging the new pictures, the central 5 room in ' the gallery be entirely rearranged ; that Mr. K. W. Pay ton be, authorised to act in : arranging the ; hanging of the pictures; that any overplus of pictures from . the> central: room be ;rehung -in:. the side rooms, and any space necessary be provided, it required, by the - return of some of the loan pictures to their owners. - Carried. * Victoria Park: Reporting to the Streets committee, the.: engineer . stated that owing to the public taking- a short cut across Victoria Park, a path wad being v worn "in , the grass which would seriously injure the use of the - park as •;* a sports ground. It . was resolved to advertise, calling, attention to the damage being done, and requesting that the " practice be discontinued. -Should 1 the damage continue, the committee would have to consider the: advisability of closing the side gates. Mr.;.Tudehope said it was folly to talk about closing the gates, and suggested the erection of a fence along the side of the park, where there was a tendency to cross the turf as a. short cut.: Mr. Hutchison thought the closing' of th* gates should be tried, if . necessary. Mr. Parr said he did not think a fence would . stop the people crossing. Mr. Entrican suggested closing the Custom-street • gates at certain hours of the day as a trial. The Mayor approved of a trial being made. Conveniences: A suggestion was received from- Police Sub-Inspector Gordon,'to the effect that; the. Council should make a bylaw providing for the fining of persons committing a nuisance in the streets, as such persons had 'to be proceeded against under the Police Offences Act, which .provided for imprisonment only. A large number of offenders were strangers to the city, and should not be sent to gaol and branded as criminals. Referred 'to the Finance Committee. ■ The Mayor's Honorarium; The Mayor's honorarium was fixed by the Council at £400 per annum. His Worship facetiously assured the councillors that he would..do his utmost to expend the amount as judiciously/as ; possible. : : ;:. : f Finance Committee: The Finance Committee's report was adopted, as follows:— regard to the legal opinion .given to the town clerk,. Christchurch. re milk. clearing house, it was resolved that the Agricultural Department be communicated with, with a view to a conference on the subject. ' In regard to the instruction that ~ the committee be .authorised to . act in settling the' cost of the fire brigade .plant, and the rentals, etc., to be paid by- the Fire Board to the Council, it was recommended that the matter be deferred until the • city treasurer submitted ,a return showing the values of the several stations, the fire brigade loans; : etc. The city solicitor verbally advised that it-was not essential that the• Council should strike a rate .in order - to secure the Government contribution on' the ratable value of its property. On the instruction from the Council.- that steps be taken to revise the district electors' list, the committee recommended that thfe duty of compiling the -district electors' list, be placed upon .the city valuer: in future. Accounts: amounting to • £7240 3s lOd were passed for payment. . , , Streets Committee: The Streets Commit-, tee's report was adopted as follows:—On Messrs. Devore, Martin, . and Prendergast claiming £74 9s 3d,' alleged to.be due under J. Irvine's contract for road formation at abattoir, Otahuhu. it Was recommended that a. reply be sent that as the contract makes the : city engineer the sole arbiter in any dispute thereunder, the Council cannot . interfere. Messrs. Noyes "Bros, forwarded account • (£ll6 58) for , architect's . fees ■; for ' preparing* plans* and specifications - for - power station building. It was resolved to reply that the Council Was prepared • to' pay for draughtsman's work, in terms of agreement, but urifr&rchitect'srcOmmisgion."* On the - engineer recommending the relaying of about 170 ft of the .east side of Queen-street, at its unction with Wellesley-street, which was extremely- flat, and a mass of puddles under rain, and asking authority to expend up to £100 in making all necessary alterations to the concrete the 1 asphalt to be : relaid free of: cost to the Council, the committee recommended -that the work be authorised. ■ Petition: Mr. Somers presented a - petition [from residents in the vicinity of Cox's Creek. I urging- immediate attention- to an offensive open drain. • Mr. Parr presented petitions from * residents <of Hamilton .' Read, - for the completion of footpath and. kerbing. and from residents of Shelly Beach Road, for a lamp at ' Cameron-street. Referred to Streets Committee. . . •