THE CITY COUNCIL,

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16233, 19 May 1916, Page 7

THE CITY COUNCIL,

LABOURERS' WAGES.

PROTEST FROM UNION.

WAR BONUS WANTED.

A meeting of the Auckland City Council, held last evening, was attended by Mr. A. J. Entrican, deputy-Mayor, Miss E. Melville. Messrs. M. Casey. G. W. Murray, F. Brinsden, J. Dempsey, G. Baildon, R. T. Michaels, P. J. Nerheny, J. Trevethick, J. Warnock, E. J. Carr, P. McElwain, H. N. Bagnall, H. D. Heather, P. M. Mackay, J. Burton, E. Davis, W. Holdsworth, S. M. Moore-Jones, and A. Hall Skelton. A complaint was received from the Auckland and Suburban Local Bodies' Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers that the council had, in direct opposition to all awards recently compiled, failed to raise the wages of many of its workers. The letter stated that the Arbitration Court, when last in Auckland, had recommended all employers to grant their employees a 10 per cent, bonus on their wages until after the war. This recommendation had been adopted elsewhere, and the Prime Minister, on the 7th instant, awarded an increase of Is per day to all railway employees for the same period. Proceeding, the letter stated: The position of the union now is as follows:As we can obtain no fulfilment of promises given by the Auckland Council, the members desire to quash or abandon their award and amalgamate with a federation union." The letter was referred to the Works Committee. PROVISION FOB TAXI STANDS.

THE TRAMWAY EXTENSION. The fact that the trams will run along the upper portion of Queen Street in the not far distant future has necessitated consideration being given by the council to the question of providing stands for the taxi-cabs which at present occupy the roadway from Wellesley Street up to Market Road. The Works Committee brought down a recommendation that a new stand should be allocated to the taxis " just round the corner," in Wellesley Street East, outside Watson's Buildings. Mr. Hall Skelton moved that the clause be sent back to the committee for further consideration. He contended that to place a taxi stand in the position named would be most dangerous. There was a 'very heavy congestion of traffic there, and sometimes there was hardly room for two vehicles to pass between the kerb and the tramway. Mr. Mackay seconded the motion to refer the matter back. Hardly a month passed but that same sort of accident occurred in connection with the vehicular traffic down Wellesley Street East. If the council agreed to the committee's recommendation he was sure they would be glad to make a change again within three months, owing to the outcry which would come from the general public. The motion was carried.

SOLDIERS' COMPLAINT.

EMPLOYMENT OF SINGLE MAN.

The engagement of a single man for the traffic department was brought under the notice of the council by the Returned Soldiers' Association, in the course of a letter from which body it was stated that the association felt that, while the present difficulty in filling the quota of recruits existed, no encouragement should be given to single men to shirk their responsibility. The traffic inspector reported that he had applied eight or nine times to the Soldiers Club for a returned soldier to fill the position, but the only man suitable, after short employment, was ordered to the Cambridge Sanatorium, and he had to employ the person referred to temporarily, until another returned soldier in his office was sufficiently experienced to do the work. The matter was referred to the Finance and Legal Committee. MISCELLANEOUS. LAY-OUT OF QUAY STREET. The Harbour Board wrote stating that it had no objection to the carrying out of the council's request in reference to the proposed lay-out of Quay Street, except that part of the length formed had footpaths 20ft wide and that there would be a break in the alignment; and, in regard to altering the length already formed, this portion was no longer the property of the board, having passed to the council. The board, therefore, had no power to spend money on it, and 1 asked if the council still desired that the 1 footpaths be made 18ft wide. The city engineer reported that the 18ft wide pathways were suggested in order to give a greater amount of room between the kerb and the plots. If the pathways were left 20ft wide it would mean reducing the plots to 12ft wide to carry out the committee's desire for a width of 24ft between kerb and plots. A centre plot in the portion of road formed would cost over £600, and there was no money available for the purpose. The letter was referred to the Works Committee, with power to act. It was decided that the Art Gallery sub-committee should be combined with the Old Colonists' Museum sub-committee under the title of Art Gallery and Old Colonists' Museum sub-committee. The Hon. E. Mitchelson was appointed, a member. On the recommendation of the Public Services Committee, it was decided to in-1 form the Waitemata County Council, .in connection with the road upkeep through City Council properties on the Waitakere watershed and Cornwallis Park, that as the greater portion of the land is ratable no action is necessary. The question of future deviations on these roads would be considered on the merits of each case. In reply to the Waitemata Council's inquiry as to water supply to townships at the foot of the ranges, it was decided that the local bodies would be supplied at Is 6d per 1000 gallons at the main. The Works Committee reported on the application for a renewal of the lease of the Cox's Creek area. Grey Lynn, for a further three years to Messrs. Cashmore Bros., Ltd., against which a petition had been received. The committee recommended granting the renewal. Tins was agreed to, and it was decided to notify the Ponsonby School Committee that the filling in of the mud flats in the locality could not be undertaken at present. At the suggestion of Mr. Brinsden, the acting-Mayor undertook to have the condition of Cox's Creek brought under the notice of the health officer. A resolution of appreciation 'of the services rendered to the city by the late Mr. F. L. Prime, third Mayor of Auckland, and of condolence with his relatives in their bereavement, was carried in silence, councillors standing.