AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13649, 17 January 1908, Page 7

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of the Auckland City Council was held last night, the Mayor (Mr. iA. M. Myers) presiding. Tboro were also present: Messrs. M. Casey, R. Tudehope, L. J. Bagnali, C. Grey, G. Knight, W. C. ! Somen-, P. M. Mack ay, A. J. Bntrican, J. | Court, W. E. Hutchison, C. J. Parr, H. M. Smeeton, and Dr. Stopford. lA Water Question: The Point Chevalier I Road Board wrote asking for the terms on I which the Council v.oyld supply water in bulk to that road district. The waterworks ! engineer stated that the cost of water would be lOd per 1000 gallons, th© Board supplying their own meter and reticulation. It was ! decided to grant the application on the I terms suggested by the waterworks engineer. ! Cold Storage: A letter was read from the | Department of Agriculture asking whether ! the Council proposed to provide a cold storage chamber at its abattoir. TH© Onehunga Borough Council was applying for ] permission to use. the Auckland Farmers' ; Freezing Company's works as an abattoir j for that borough, and mentioned as a reason in support of its application that a cooling chamber was available at th© Glasgow works. The matter was referred to tho Finance Committee. Anniversary Regatta: Mr. C. C. Dacro, secretary to. the Regatta Committee, wrote asking for a donation to assist in carrying out the forthcoming Anniversary Regatta. The Mayor t>aid that he did not. think it. would bo a good precedent to set for tho Council to subscribe to tho . regatta funds. The application was deolined. Lawrence-street: Tho city engineer reported that it would be impossible for the formation of Lawrence-strict to be undertaken out of this year's estimates, but that ho would havo the whole of the plans completed, with a view to provision being made for it on next year's estimates. The matter was deferred until next year's estimates are Ifeing considered. Fort-street: Tho city engineer reported that, he had cleared the sewer in Fort-Street of a large deposit of silt, and that it would ho necessary to relay this sewer as a part of the main drainage scheme. He was also laying new korbing and channelling along a portion of the. street. The engineer's action was approved. Finance Committee: The following decisions of the. Finance Committee respecting various communications were endorsed: —• Auckland Education Board, stating that they had instructed their solicitors to take the necessary stops to acquire, under the Public Works Act,, lots 29, 30, and 31 (leased by tho Council to Mr. Hendry), as a site for the Technical College building; Russell and Campbell, stating that they were instructed by Mr. Hendry to submit plans of a proposed building, which would be immediately erected on the property should the Council not enforce its notice to re-enter. Referred to tho city solicitor to advise. Australian Mutual Provident Society, stating re tho abattoir and electric power loans of £26,030 and £24,000 respectively, that, the head office advise that they will bo ablo to provide the money for both these loans on March 31 next; Australian Mutual Provident Society, enclosing letters from the head office in Wellington, addressed to the- Mayor, setting forth the terms on which the electric power loan of 3324,000 and the abattoir loan of £26,000 had been granted by the society, and agreeing to provide he total amount on March 31, 1908. His Worship the Mayor reported the action taken by him in placing both loans with the Australian Mutual Provident Society at 4J> per cent, per annum. Action approved. City valuer, recommending that the compilation of the- 1998-9 district electors' list bo proceeded with, and that six temporary hands bo engaged forthwiththree for clerical work, and three for housc-to-houso canvass work. Authorised. Town clerk, reporting that tho city valuer is the offioer of the Council whose duty demands from him a house-to-house visitation, in order to compile the valuation list, from which the names of persons possessing tho rating qualification are obtained, and it is merely an enlargement of hie duties to require him in making such houso-to-houso visitation to note down also the names of persons possessing the residential qualification, and to check as far as possible the correctness of tho names, etc., of those already on tho roll; that the only thorough method of cheeking the roll is by a systematic visitation immediately prior to the writing up of the roll; that the onus of enrolment rests with the voter, but it is absolutely necessary that some action should be taken by the Council to ensure some degree of accuracy in carrying names on from year to year, and this can best be done by the twofold check made, by the city •valuer in his annual visitations and by the employment of canvassers in January and February of each year. Authorised under the supervision of the town clerk. City treasurer, reporting re sinking funds to extinguish the fire brigade loans as they fall due: £3000, allocation from, first, issue of the loan under tho Auckland City Borrowing Act. 1899. Assuming the first amount be- set- aside at April 10, 1908. a yearly payment of £5 9s 4d (or exactly £5 9s 4 2-25 d) per centum will, if invested together with the yearly increment at 4- per cent, per annum, extinguish this loan when it falls due, vis!., April 10, 1921. _ £12.000, under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1900. Assuming the first payment he made at January 16, 1908, on a 4 per cent, basis, similar to the foregoing, a yearly payment of £2 8s (or exactly £2 8« 0 6-25 d) will extinguish the loan at the date of maturity, viz., January 16, 1932. It was resolved that on receipt of the payments from the Firo Board, the amount necessary to nay off the fire brigade loans be set aside and naid over to the city sinking fund 1 commissioners. Heme Bay Road: Mr. Rainey wrote thanking the Council for carrying out certain repairs to Heme Bay Road, find statins' that the residents were prepared to subscribe the first co.-t of erecting a lamp at. the fop of the road leading to the beach if the Council would maintain the, lamp. The offer wan accepted. The Fire Board: The Streets Committee reported that it had received l an application from the Auckland Fir© Board for a plan of the Auckland city areas _ showing (a) streets in which mains are laid: (b) size of mains and their positions; and (c) situation of hydrants: and asking to be advised of any contemplated changes by the Council in the .size erf the present mains or of their further extension. It wart resolved to reply that the plan in the possession of Superintendent Wool ley would bo brought up to date, and that on the completion of the city survey a copy of the standard plan with the particulars desired would he furnished at the cch<t of the Board

Tramway Passes: The Streets Committee reported that the city engineer had reported that the Tramways Company had abolished all complimentary and annual tickets issued to City Council and Governmont officials; but that the company was arranging in a few instances to issue annual contract tickets, available for the whole of their system, for £10 103 each; that it had been customary for ten officials in. his department to have annual contract tickets available on the lines within the city boundaries at £5 each; that complimentary tickets available for the whole of the system had previously been issued to Mr. Wrigg and himself; that annual contracts would bo available for Council officials at £10 10s each, or special Id tickets at a reduction of 10 per cent.; that he considered the cheapest, arrangement for the Council to adopt would bo to obtain annual contract tickets available over the whole system for 11 officials; that on a basis of 300 working days in the year the contract tickets would cost on an average B£d per day. The waterworks engineer reported that the tramway passes under the old arrangements having been withdrawn, he would require three passes at £10 10s each per annum for himself, the tap repairer, and the waste inspector. The committee recommended that season tickets be obtained for the five inspectors of the sanitary department, the clerk of wor&s, cue foreman, the timekeeper, and the chief of the survey staff, the city engineer to interview the Tramways Company with regard to the charge for the city only; also that season tickets be obtained for the three officers of the water department. Mr. Bagnall said it did' not seem necessary for the officials to make four trips a day over 2d sections, and he thought it -would be cheaper to pay the single fares as required. Mr. Bntrican said he had been surprised to find that any of the officers of the Council had been in "receipt of a free tramway pass. Ho thought this was most improper arid that such favours should not have been accepted. The matter was referred back to the Streets Committee. Carters' Holidays: The Streets Committee reported having received a report from the city engineer stating that he had had a conference with representatives of tne Carters' Union, with a view to coming to some arrangement as regards the claim of the union for Council's carters to be paid for the Prince of Wales' Birthday; those who were not working to be paid the ordinary day's pav, and those who were working Is 3d per hour additional to the ordinary day's j pay; that the men stated that they had no power to alter the claim made by the union, and further that the union was not propared to go outside the award of the Arbitration Court; that under these circumstances there appeared to be no option but to pay the union's claim; that the Council was paying wages in exoeas of those laid down by the award of the Arbitration Court. It was resolved by the committee that the amount claimed be paid, and that the qucs-

lion of carters' ■wages arid the Arbitration award bo considered at the next meeting oi the committee. . The report was adopted. - Motor m«n's Licenses: Th© Klcctrin Commit teo reported that tive chief electrical engineer had reported that ho had interviewed tho candidate for motortaen's licenses since the New Year, and had advised the traffic inspector to sign them in every caeo. Re-g-ardin? the candidates who had not previously field a license, be had closely questioned them as to their duties, and examined their reports from the company. They had each been driving for 1+ days in charge o' an old driver, and had been at tho end of that time put through a practical examination by the traffic inspector. He should like to know whether the Council wished him to continue examining candidates for motormen's licences, or whether it would be satisfactory for Mr. Turner to send on to him only such men as were doubtful. The committee recommended that all applicants for motormen's licenses be passed by the electrical engineer. Consideration of the report was deferred. Contractor's Deposit: On the motion of Mr. Mack ay, it was resolved, "That the following resolution passed at a meeting of the Auckland City Council, held on December 10. 1903, viz.: 'That, the deposit lodged with Messrs. Maße« and Co.'* tender bo forfeited, and bo transferred from the contractors' deposit account to the perioral account,' be and hereby i? rescinded, and that such deposit be refunded to Messrs. Mage© and Co."