AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14708, 16 June 1911, Page 7

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL.

T HE CITY ESTIMATES.

ALLOCATIONS REDUCED.

RATES FIXED FOR THE YEAR.

/N EXTRA Un FOR DRAINAGE.

rrwß Auckland City Council met last even- ■ ' * There were present : The Mayor Mr 0. J I>arr - 1 ' '""' cssrK - •'■ Court, H Shaw. R. T. Michaels, F. E. N. Gnu- .' j q_ Glecson, .1. S. Dickson, J. Tre'thick, P- J. Nerheny, G. Read, G. Knight! R. Tudcliopo, and P. M. .Macjcay. A report was received from the city "treasurer, embodying draft, estimates of Wio receipts and expenditure in tho varies accounts, to enable the striking of the totes for 'the ensuing year. A reduction of '<! in < 1 "' £ could, "° reported be effected in 'he charitable aid rate, ft nd still leave a substantial prospective -credit balance at the close of the year. The sanitation account estimates of expenditure were considerably higher than last year, and the proceeds of a similar rate would leave a. debit, balance of £744 by next March. The, library rate was ample- and the purchases of books could each year be materially increased. As for the Domain trust and both cemetery accounts it was for the Council to decide to what extent work was to bo carried on, an d to fix the sum the general account must find The general account, to provide tor the departmental requisitions, would, after allowing for estimated available revenue previous to striking a rate, be in debt £55,148. and assuming that the halfpenny in £ reduced on Charitable Aid rate be added to the shilling rate struck last year, the proposed general rate of Is Okl in the £ on the current year's valuation of , £681,758 would produce £52,383. or allowing for probable arrears amounting to £100, a net amount of £32,283. The waterworks account could contribute £15,000, giving a total of £47,283, reducing the deficit to £17,865. As the excess capital expenditure on the Grafton Bridge was to be spread over three years, £3677 should be carried forward ; but the balance still to be accounted for of £14,188 could only be provided by reducing departmental estimates or by increasing the general rate. For the contribution to the Drainage Board of £3425, it would be necessary, if the amount was to be paid from the general account, to strike an additional lid in the £.

The following reductions in the draft estimates were approved by the Finance Committee :—Salaries, reduced from £7600 to £6800; office expenses, £2500 to £2400; Albert Park. £1800 to £1500; Victoria Park, £2300 to —1680; Western Park. £550 to £400; Bayfield Park, £500 to £250; Nihotupu, etc. parks, £350 to £280; market expenses, £200 to £100; old abattoir site, £500 to £150; street maintenance, £30,000 to £28,000; transfer to domain trust account, £2700 to £1750.; Symonds-street cemetery, £780 to £280. Domain improvements: Gardens £300 to £150, tennis courts, £400 to nil, cricket ground £600 to .2300, maintenance Outer Domain £600 to £500. The report was adopted. The rates for the ensuing year, as recommended upon the basis of the estimates, were fixed. They are as for the previous year, except that £d has been removed from the charitable aid rate and added to the general rate, and lid in the £ is levied to provide the city's contribution to the* Drainage Board's expenditure.

FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. EIGHT BUILDINGS CONDEMNED. „. A further batch of insanitary buildings, which have been condemned by the district health officers, were ordered to be pulled down. Certificates were received of the con- . demnation of a lean-to, comprising three rocms, at the rear of a dwellinghouse in Nelson-street; six dwellinghouses in Wakefield-street; a building in the same street used for storage purposes; and a wooden cottage in Durham Lane. It was resolved that the buildings must be pulled down and removed within 21 days. The health officers, also wrote that they had declared the cellars below a shop occupied by Messrs. S. Stone and Company, in Elliott-street, and the cellar below Mr. Joseph Thornes's auction rooms in Queenstreet to be insanitary. Orders' were made, that the structural alterations required by the Department must be effected. The Mayor said that the services of an additional inspector were required, but the chief inspector had not yet been able to find a suitable man for the position. Reports made to him showed that a marked improvement had been made in the condition of tho. basements and cellars in the city, and tho burning of sulphur in the rowers had proved a successful experiment. Though satisfactory results had been obtained the Council must not stav its hand. (Hear, Hear.) A suggestion was made by Mr. Tude- ■ nope that the sanitary inspectors should he given badges with which they could establish their authority if their right to enter a building was questioned. HOARDINGS ABOLISHED. NO FURTHER LICENSES. In furtherance of the City Council's ■ policy concerning tho licensing of advertising hoardings, .the city engineer reported recommending the removal of * number of hoardings and that Wl future no hoarding above 10ft in height should lip, allowed, with the exception of the one at the new post office, which would disappear when the post, office is completed. The Works Commitwo recommended (hat no further licenses w granted for advertising hoardings, and '"is recommendation was adopted. BOWLING GREEN IN DANGER.

A COSTLY WALL NEEDED

.The secretary of the Auckland Bowling ( dnh wrote that during the recent vain storms, the temporary breastwork erected to Prevent the subsidence of the bank at Mi© rear of the club's pavilion had been pressed forward at least 12in, and it was feared thai, during the winter the whole °« the bank might slip. The engineer reported that the bank, which actually takes up a portion of the »nd owned by the club, had subsided conHderably, and something of a. permanent character was necessary to secure the bank from further slips. He suggested that the club should be asked to sanction the construction on its property of a heavy dwarf retaining wall, from which * bank could be formed to carry Grafton H<xid. _ Tho Mayor said the cost of the work involved might be pome thousands of founds, and the letter "as referred to tho Works Committee. UPPER QUEEN-STREET. TEAM LINE DEFERRED. .Mr. Neville Xew.omh wrote that the > roadway in ,|, upper part 0 Queen street i > in a shocking condition, and practically unfit for traffic. The engineer firtk that ,10 waa awaiting- the decision «« the Council regarding the construction *» J -tramway up Queen-street to Kara*gahape Road, If the proposal was not

to bo carried out, the overdue macadamising should be done at once. The Works committee was instructed to report on the matter. The Electric and Water. Committee recommended that the Council should take no action in the matter of the, extension oi the tramway line up Queen-street. Air. ludehopo explained that a difficulty had arisen in connection with the corner at the top of Quoen-street as in order to accommodate the curve "of the line, a building would have to bo cut away The- Council thought the Tramway Company should pa the necessary compensation; and the company thought the Council should. So the committee preferred to take no action until the company undertook (he responsibility. Hie .Mayor said he had heard it alleged that, the Council was "blocking the Tramways Company" in this matter. -Mr. Court said that this was a matter that the Council should promote as far as possible. The Mayor agreed, but said the Council's attitude was a fair one.

MISCELLANEOUS. BIGGER RESERVOIRS. The Water Committee, acting upon the report of the city engineer, recommended that the walls of the reservoir on Mount Eden should be raised five feet, increasing the capacity by 50 per cent., at an additional cost of £640. The water engineer reported that the walls of the old reservoir could also be raised, giving ,000 gallons of extra capacity at a small cost. The Council authorised the work. A letter from the Fire Board stating that a quantity of kerosene stored in tanks by the Railway Department at the rear o"f Messrs. A. J. Entriean's premises was subject to the provisions of the Explosives and Dangerous Goods Act, 1908, was reported upon by the Finance Committee, and it was decided to ask the Railway Department to remove the tanks.

A letter was received from the Auckland Harbour Board regarding the proposal to continue Harbour-street through the Gas Company's property to the waterfront, and it was resolved that the Council would be pleased to co-operate with the Board. It was decided to accept the dedication of the street in the Ponsonby Park Estate, provided a deposit of £70 was made as a ■guarantee that it was properly finished. The. Mayor said that as soon as the sewers were completed in the locality the Council should build a large modern sanitary convenience at the junction of Queen and Customs Streets. The ferry buildings, when completed, would also provide accommodation of the kind. The matter was really urgent, but it was impossible to do anything until a sewer was available. Notice of motion was given by Mr. Gleeson that the provisions of public conveniences at the lower end of Queen-street or its immediate environment was a matter of great urgency, and should at once receive the Council's consideration.

A number of merchants wrote protesting against the enforcement in their cases of the by-law compelling the use of rubbish receptacles of not more than two cubic feet capacity. Owing to the nature of their trades such cans were of no practical use, and they wished to continue to use larger vessels. The city engineer reported fully on the subject, and the Council resolved that from July 1 it would not undertake the removal of trade refuse, and that firms or persons must lemove such refuse without creating a nuisance. The by-law regulating the nature of rubbish receptacles must be rigidly enforced.