AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14924, 23 February 1912, Page 9

AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL

APPLICATION FOR ELECTRIC POWER. TRAM COMPANY'S OFFER. AN ARRANGEMENT LIKELY. THE Auckland City Council met last evening. Present : Tin- Mayor (Mr. C. J. I'arr). mid Missis. .1. Court. R. Tudeliope, J. M. Mennie, G. Knight. G. Read. ],', E. N. ('':uidm. .1. C. Glceson, P. .1. Nerhrr.y- J. Trevithiek. H. Shaw. V. M. jJacky, A. .T. Enltiean. An application was teeehod from the Auckland Electric Tramways Company for the supply of electric power tor tramwav purposes. In a letter to the Council j on the subject, Mr. ,1. ,1. Walklate. general j manager tor the company, slated that a ! conference had been held with Mr. Alex. I \Vvllie. the Council's electrical engineer, upon the question i>\ obtaining a supply front the Council's new power-house. The company proposed that the Council should keep in reserve plant of 500 lew. capacity, capable of giving a. 20 per cent, overload, in readiness t>< supply power to the tramway circuit a: any time, the necessary feeders to He supplied and laid by the j Council. 'hi' company was prepared to ■ pay for a minimum of 500. units per annum, whether ii used them or not, and ! Mr. Wyllie. the Council's electrical engi- j neer, had informed them that lie was pre- | pared to recommend the Council to enter j into an arrangement to supply this ] amount at 1.3d per unit, and to supply j anv further quantity at Id per unit, less I 21 per cent, in each case. The matter I had been given careful consideration, and j the company was prepared to enter into an agreement with the Council, but thought the price should be slightly more favourable to the company than that proposed. They suggested therefore that the Council enter into a continuing agreement for two years, terminable thereafter by one year's notice from either party, the price to be 1.2 d per unit for the first 500,000 units, and Id per unit for all further units taken, less I'i. per cent, discount.

.Mr. Wyllie, in an attached report, stated that ho had given the company's letter consideration, but could not make any change in his suggested, juice of 1.3d for the first 500,000 units, and Id for additional units, Jess the ordinary cash discount of 24 per cent. The Council could agree to the other conditions proposed. The Mayor, in moving that the matter be referred to tho Electric and Water Committee, said that the Company's communication was a most important one. It meant that the Council would have a consumer for its power who" would take an extra large quantity and assure the financial success of the city's electrical venture beyond any doubt. Mr. Parr counselled the favourable consideration of the Company offer, but he agreed with Mr. Wyllie tttat the best price possible should be secured. There was very little difference between the Council and the Company now as to terms, though he thought the Council could go no lower. However, the Electric Committee would no doubt very carefully consider the whole question. The Mayor's motion was carried. NEW BRANCH LIBRARY. THE PRIZE DESIGNS. I The Library Committee reported having examined the competitive designs sent in for the proposed branch library in Upper Symonds-strcet. Mr. W. A. Holinan (president of the Architects' Institute) had {tlaced tho drawings submitted in the flowing order: —No. 8, first; No. 15, second; No. 16, third; and No. 14, fourth. The committee recommended:—(l) That the first prize of 50 guineas be awarded to design No. 8. subject to rearrangement of the ground plan; (2) that the second prize of £20 be awarded to design No. 15; (3) that the third place be awarded to design No. 16, and that the Council grant an extra prize to this design in appreciation of the good work therein; (4) that design No. 14 be commended. Tho Mayor said the committee had ben very pieased with the 17 designs sent in. It was very creditable to the Auckland architect!! that there had been such fine competition. He thought the design placed third should carry with it a special prizo of seven guineas. This was agreed to, and it was also decided that the prizes should be awarded to the competitors selected in terms of the competition, one proviso being that the winning design must not cost more than £2500. !

The- identity of the placed competitors was then disclosed by the opening of their envelopes. They are as follows:—Ed. Bartley (first prize), H. C. Grierson (second prize). C. Ttevithick (third prize), and amford and Pierce (commended). TOWN HALL SURROUNDINGS. CONDEMNED VERANDAHS. A recommendation from the city engineer was supported by the Works Committee to the effect that the owners of several shops in the vicinity of the Town Hall should he given notice to remove the verandahs in front of their establishments. The condemnation of the verandahs in question is due to the condition in which they are at present, not being considered suitable to their environments. In reply to Mr. Mackay, who raised a protest on behalf of the shopkeepers concerned, the Mayor said the'idea was to improve the surroundings of the Town Hall. The city engineer said that if the condemned verandahs were repaired and improved he would report to that effect. It would be cheaper Cor the owners, however, to remove them and erect new ones. .Mr. Mackay thought tho recommendation rather drastic. Surely all the verandahs on the list did not * require to be Pulled down. It looked like penalising the shopkeepers. He moved that the matter be sent back to the committee. Mr. Entrican seconded the motion. If me Council wanted to mprove the surroundings of the Town Hall, it should set me example. Upper Queen-street was in a shocking state, and the engineer miidit w asked to put it i„ order. After discussion the recommendation w as sent back to the committee. FREE LIBRARY BUILDING. ARE ITS TREASURES SAFE? the Library Committee is concerned re Rawing the danger from fire existing at "'« old municipal buildings. This fact of ♦i!" 3 aare, 't in two or three clauses *' the committee's report, which came beore the Council. ]~ tl.o first place it Jas recommended that "in view of the "anger from fire, no living quarters for a fJtur " P ruvided '" the buildings in Again in connection with the applicat °° ? f the Flam .School of Art for add iwnal accommodation in the building, the to«?? committee recommended that the . «li<r be deferred until the arrangements S « nR <lie build ">P are complete; J , t ', lat meantime the question of the """ability of the portion for school purges be referred to the Auckland Fire for report.

A further recommendation by the committee was that the city engineer be asked to report upon the question of rendering the Free Public Library Buildings more fireproof. The first clause was referred back to the committee, the engineer to report. It was further agreed, on Mr. John Court's motion, that the members of the Council should visit and inspect the caretaker's quarters. The other two clauses were adopted. I he fire risk question was again touched upon later in the evening, when an ap-, plication from the Board of Education, on behalf of the Technical College, was under consideration. The request was for the use of six rooms in the building pending the completion of the new college, so that classes might be held, as from March 4 next.

Mr. 11. Shaw expressed die opinion that it would be a, mistake to have tenants in the building, and thus to increase the danger of fire. The Council was the custodian of the Grey and Mackelvie collections, which- could' never be replaced once they were destroyed. They must consider the groat public trust imposed upon (hem.

j Ihe Council decided, after some discus- ! sion. to grant the use of the rooms asked ! '"or (the old Council Chambers and the I town clerk's and city engineer's former offices) from March 4* to the end of that month. j QUEEN-STREET TRAM EXTENSION. PETITION FROM RATEPAYERS. A large number of ratepayers and pro-perty-owners in Upper Queen-street forwarded a petition urging the Council to get the Tramways Company to run the tramline up as far as the Town Hall, or to Karangahape Road, connecting with the tramline there. The petitioners claimed that a. tram service up Inner Queen-strvet would prove a great convenience to concert-goers and others using the Town Hall, and also to shopping and business people, doing business between Wellesleystreet and Karangahape Road. The matter was referred to the Electric and Water Committee. MISCELLANEOUS. PONSONRY BATHING SHEDS. It was resolved, on the recommendation of the Works Committee, to have two bathers' shelters elected on the Heme Bay beach, and two on the Sentinel Road j beach.

A letter was received from the Auckland City Sinking Fund Commissioners inquiring for office accommodation in the Town Hall Buildings. The application was granted.

A letter was received from Mr. M. N. Russell, then residing at Te Aroha, Boreham Wood. Herts., stating that ho bad purchased two pictures "of Egyptian secenery painted by Mrs. Stevenson, and exhibited at an exhibition in London. He trusted they would be acceptable, and. good places could be found for them in the Art Gallery. The artist, Mina Stevenson, was the daughter of the late Mr. J B. Russell, of Auckland.