CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16674, 19 October 1917, Page 7

CITY COUNCIL.

DRILL HALL APPROACH. ■CLAIM FOR COMPENSATION. The City Council met last evening. .The Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, presided. '«A communication .'was received from : the Minister for Publio Works regarding the council's claim 'for land taken by the Government for the Drill Hall approach. He stated that,,as the land had been occupied by the * Defence Department ■ for about forty years, without protest or. adverse claim by. the council, : until 1912, he could not admit the . council's right to claim compensation. The Minister expressed surprise : that a claim should have • been preferred at the present .time,* especially as the ;• council saw fit ■-. to ■ alienate the; two : adjoining;; sections fair.' half a ■ century r at practically a peppercorn rental. . . There were, he i said, other \ grounds on which it .was'; considered 'a; claim •. could be :successfully challenged.'.' ' The city; solicitor, Mr. J." Stanton, advised ;. the appointment of . an i assessor lin case the claim was not settled within the .period available for filing it, , It was decided to; file a claim, and Mr. H. C. Tewsley was appointed the council's assessor. •, ■ t , •,. '

Hours of Closing ' Shops. ,', A requisition from .a' majority of pork butchers asked for certificate to allow, all shops whore cooked meat is sold to be closed ias follows:— Tuesdays, "and Thursdays, 8 p.m. ; ; Fridays, '10 p.m. ; Saturdays/; 10.30 . p.m.; ;/ Wednesdays, : ' 1 p.m. The hour of closing on any day proceding a public holiday to be 10.30 p.m. _ From : a majority {of chemists a. requisition ■ foi , authority,to■ close as follows was' received:—Monday, to Thursday, 6 p.m. ; Friday, 9.30 'p.m. ; '■' Saturday, 9 - p.m. 1 ; It was pointed out that 1 oh'!'. Saturdays tho shops might reopen from 7; to 9 ! p.m. only for tho \ supply,' of / medicines; and ■ surgical appliances. The hours of closing asked forweie subject to;the closing at not.later than T' p.m. on each statutory' half-holi-Both these requisitions were granted, subject to the' usual conditions. Through the Department of Labour a requisition was submitted on behalf of booksellers and stationers for leave to close as follows:—Monday to Thursday, 5.30 p.m.;,' Fridays, 9 'p.m.,, except on specified occasions. ; \ , ,/, " ■ . This was referred to the Finance and Legal, Committee. ;.; ';.'- \' ■ ,\. . .

~/, 4 ~Fish i Inspection ; Pees. . ; , '.■■'] The reduction of fees for fish"inspection from 2d to Id per bundle,- and from lOd i to 2d per cwt for lots not exceeding lOcwt, and from 5s to 3s per ion for larger Ms, { was recently recommtmdod "by ftioYmanco ami Lejal Committee/, This recommenda-1 tion was, at the last meeting of the council, referred back. ■■; The committee again brought forward tho same proposals, and they were adopted. ~?■.;. ? '-. Tho establishment :of ; municipal >; retail fish shops throughout the city and suburbs was urged by the Labour Representation Committee. ■,;- The [ matter was referred to the Markets Committee. ' ;/■ ;J"■">.';-:/ The Reserves' Committee was authorised to mako ..arrangements,'• as in previous years, for providing musio in the parks during the coming summer., ; ; "■■■.,> *The tender 'of the > National Electrical and Engineering Company, at £3386, was accepted, for feeder cables for the electricity power-house. _, _ :■.;;,: . It was decided to pay abattoir labourers Is; ljd per hour and 17| per cent, war bonus. -, . ;