THE CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15610, 15 May 1914, Page 9

THE CITY COUNCIL.

NEW MARKET BUILDINGS.

REPORT TO BE FURNISHED.

PROBABLE CONDITIONS.

The Auckland City Council met last evening, there being present: The ActingMayor ("Mr. A. J. Entrican), Miss E. Melville, and. Messrs. It. Tudehope, M. Casey, J. M. Mennie, H. X. Bagnall, J. C. Gleoson, P. J. Nerheny, J. Trevethick, B. S. Briggs, Hall-Skelton, G. Bead, and P. M. Mackay.

: Tho Finance Committee reported that it had considered a letter received from Mr. A. S. Bankart, on behalf of tho Campbell and Ehrenfried Company, Limited, stating that that firm was prepared to negotiate for, a new lease of the city market allotments held by them, and that tho company would bo prepared to enter into a covenant to erect /ithin the specified time a building to be approved by the council. Tho council was asked to name an approximate value, and also to furnish other information.

Tho committee reported it had decided that a reply should be sent stating that it was not proposed to alter tlie alignment of Queen Street, and that the value of the new buildings had not yet been determined.

In reply to a question from Mr. Tudehope, tho Acting-Mayor stated that tho Finance Committeo would shortly report on tho question of tho leases, and that the report would includo a recommendation as to tho class of buildings to bo erected.

Mr. Tudehope asked whether it was a fact that the Finance Committee would havo no fixed policy until it had consulted the property owners.

Tho Acting-Mayor said that this was not so. He did not think that buildings of less than four storeys would bo allowed between Wellcslc'y Street and the market entrance. Mr. Tudchope: You won't get them. Tho report was adopted. NIHOTUPU WATERWORKS. NEW RESERVOIR SCHEME. . The Financial Committee reported that it had agreed to the recommendation of the waterworks engineer and city treasurer in regard to tho financing cf the Nihotupu reservoir scheme. These officials reported that the amount available for constructing the reservoir out of tho Waterworks Extension and Improvement loan was £73,799. As the city engineer's estimate of tho cost of the work was £120,000, it was necessary to provide for an additional £46,000. It was recommended that an annual appropriation of £9240 be made for five years from the surplus of the waterworks account in preference to raising a new loan, which would impose an annual charge of £2310 on account of interest and sinking fund, for 21 years. The council adopted the committee's report. THE EXHIBITION GROUNDS. ART GALLERY AND PLOTS. The Auckland Horticultural Society asked, in the event of the society purchasing tho Exhibition art gallery for £400, whether, (a) the building would be allowed to remain on its present site; (b) whether the society would be allowed to charge for admission to shows therein; (c) whether the building could be vested in the society; or, (d) whether the council would purchase the building for the purposes of a horticultural hall, and, if so, what special terms it would allow to the society for the use of the hall. The letter was referred to the Legal and Finance Committee. The Education Board applied for 'the use of tho portion of the Domain occupied by the Exhibition experimental plots for the purpose of agricultural instruction to Training College students and Normal School children. The grounds, in the event of the council acceding to the requost, the letter added, would be open to the public at all times, except when the students were at work. The matter was referred to the Works Committee. CITY LOANS SINKING FUNDS. TRANSFER TO COMMISSIONERS. The Finance Committee reported that the city treasurer had advised that under the new Local Bodies Loans Act it would bo preferable to have the sinking funds of city loans administered by the City Sinking Fund Commissioners, and recommended that they be appointed for certain sinking funds now in the hands of the Public Trustee. Tho committee had passed a resolution endorsing this recommendation. The report of the committee was adopted. STREETS IMPROVEMENTS. t TESTS IN PITT STREET. The Works Committee reported that it had considered various offers in regard to road making materials. The city . engineer recommended that the top portion of Pitt Street bo set apart as a test length to test various materials, concerning which offers had been received, and also a special tarred macadam of tho council's own preparation. Tho committee had resolved that tho matter be deferred until its nest mooting. Tho Works Committee reported that a letter had been received from the Public Works Department, advising that the council's shaTo of the cost of the construction and maintenance of the Great North Road was 19 per cent. The committee recommended that a strong objection to this assessment bo lodged, and this courso was adopted. It was resolved to instruct the acting city solicitor to obtain a conveyance from tho Harbour Board of the fee simple of the new lino of Customs Street West, to enable tho council to proceed with the formation of the street. !

Tho city engineer reported that he was preparing proposals for flio laying out in grass and shrubs of the portion of Domain Street referred to in a recent letter from Mr. F. J. Thompson and others. On the Works' Committee's recommendation it was decided to decline an application for the exemption of O'Neill Street, Ponsonby, from the operation of Section 117, of 'the Public Works Act. PONSONBY CLOCK. THE COST OF LIGHTING. "Sir. 0. Read wanted to know what was the reason of the stopping of the clock in I lie tower of the Ponsonbv Post Office during the past fortnight. He had heard unofficially that to put the clock info proper order' it would cost £10 to £12, and ho desired an explanation. He thought it very unwise for the City Council to have anything to do with the clock at all. Mr. H. N. Bagnall: The clock is going to-night. Mr. Bead: T think we, should rescind tTio resolution in which we agreed to take over the clock. The Government Department has a man who looks after the clocks at the Chief Post Office, and surely it could have someone to attend to the Ponsonby clock. The Acting-Mayor, Mr. A. J. Entrican, explained that the council had practically committed itself to tho lighting and wind-

ing of the clock. The council had had a man to attend to the old town clock in the New Zealand Insurance Buildings, but now that clock was to bo removed the caretaker's services were not needed, and therefore it had been suggested that he should attend to the Ponsonby clook. The caretaker, however, had wanted extra pay for the work, and the matter had been deferred for the purpose of enabling Mr. H. N. Bagnall to report upon the matter.

" I had the clock going in five minutes when I got up there to-night," remarked Mr. H. ft. Bagnall. "To talk about it costing £10 or £12 to set the clock to rights is absurd." Mr. Bead: I sec that £120 has been put down on the estimates for public clocks. That is altogether extortionate, and I would like an explanation. The Engineer: It includes lighting. The discussion was then dropped. The return desired by Mr. Bead will be supplied at the next meeting. GENERAL .MATTERS. OPEN STREET GRATINGS. It was resolved on the recommendation of the Legal Committee that a by : law be drafted requiring the use of prism lights to replace open gratings in < footpaths. An application from the inspector of old soldiers' graves for permission to be given to the Ponsonby Boy Scouts to assist in keeping soldiers' graves in the Symonds Street cemetery in order was granted, subject to the consent of any surviving relatives being first obtained. It was resolved on the recommendation i of the Finance Committee that a by-law bo drafted forbidding vehicles to be backed into the kerbs in several streets in the centre of the city. The city engineer reported that the chief surveyor had been asked to expedite the passing of the Gillies Park plans. The city engineer submitted an offer by Mr. W. Cowern to sell 67 acres of land on the Panmure Road for quarry purposes for £3350. The offer was referred to the Works Committee.

It was resolved to expend £100 in providing living quarters in the Domain tea kiosk, and that a caretaker be installed in the building as soon as possible. The Water Committee reported that it had decided to record its hearty appreciation of the unremitting manner in which the waterworks engineer (Mr. J. Carlaw) and his staff worked in remedying the recent blockage of the water supply at Parnell.

It was decided to draw the Tramways Company's attention to the desirability of a readjustment of its time-table in view of the fact that a groat many business places now close at 5.30 p.m. It was decided that the police be asked to give their attention to the matter of the conduct of persons in the parks after sundown.