MEETINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 691, 29 May 1885, Page 22

MEETINGS.

WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL. An ordinary meeting of the Council was held yesterday evening week. There were present —The Mayor, and Councillors Williams, A. W. Brown, Richardson, Petherick,. Miller, Quick, Danks, Wilson, S. Brown,. McKenzie, and Newman. INCREASED RATING POWER. The following letter dated 4th was received from Sir Julius Vogel:—“Slß, I havethe honor to inform you that it is under the consideration of the Government to proposeduring the coming session to increase the rating power under the Rating Act, ISB2, from Jd to Id in tke £ on the capital value, in order to give those boroughs which may adopt the Act as large an income from rates, as they now possess under the system of levying Is in the £ on the annual value. I should be glad to leam the views of your Council on the question, and also to know whether, if the law were altered in this direction, the Council would be willing to adopt the Rating Act, 1882, and rate ou the capital value, thereby saving the present annual cost of. valuation,’ The matter was referred to the Finance Committee. BENEFIT ENTESTAINMENT. It was decided that the patronage.of the Council should be given to the entertainment to be given by the Wellington Amateur Dramatic Club, in aid of the family of one of the men who was drowned in the harbor recently; and the next Public Works Committee meeting was postponed for a day in order that Councillors might attend. BOATSHED. An application, by the Star Boating Club .0 reclaim a site for a boatshed was referred tothe Public Works Committee. A MISTAKEN TENDERER. A letter from Mr William Corlett, whose tender was accepted at the previous meeting, for the Town Belt Reserve, wrote asking to be excused from taking up the lease, on the ground that he was not aware when, he tendered that he would have to make improvements. Referred to the Public Works Committee. VOTE TO SECRETARY OF LICENSING COMMITTEES. A letter was received from Mr George Allan, forwarding a copy of the following resolution passed at a meeting of the. lour Licensing Committees held on the 4th April : « That the City Council be requested. to vote £SO per annum to the Clerk of the Licensing Committees r to take effect from the Ist June* Referred to the Finance Committee. GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL. The Inspector of Nuisances reported that. inresponse to an invitation from the lady principal, he had visited and inspected the Girls High School. He had to report that he did not find the faintest trace of a nuisance ; in fact, everything was in a very clean condition. He had thoroughly inspected every part of the premises and found everything fresh, and no., the slightest cause of complaint ; and had been told that one pupil was at home suffering from a slight ailment, and that another. was absent through indisposition. Every facility had been offered to him to examine tne premises, by the lady principal, aud the pupils and teachers. THE MORGUE. The Inspector of Nuisances reported -hat he had visited the Morgue. Some th ® windows were brokeu, the roof leaKed, and the water consequently kept everything damp. The man in charge, having been careless, had been disrated. The Inspector made several recommendations for the improvement of the , condition of the Morgue. The report was 1 referred to the Public Works Committee. STREET - LIGHTING. The Street ■ Lighting Committee recommended that the position of three of the existing lamps be altered, and that 25 new lamps—lß gas and 7 kerosene —be erected in the following streets :—Cook Ward—-Wallace-street and Hargraves street ; Crawiord-street

and Howard-street; Adelaide-road, between Revau-street and Hall-street ; Riddiford--street and Mein-street; do. and Rhodesstreet; Scavborough-terrace ; Majoribankstrset and Hawker-street; Owen-street and Constable-street; Clyde-quay. Te Aro Ward —Nairn-street; Willis-street, Artbur-streefc, and Cuba-street ; Hopper street ; Bostonterrace ; Woolcombe-street. Lambtoa Ward —Lambtoa-quay ; Featherston-street and Waring Taylor-street ; Wellington-terrace (3). Thorndon Ward—Upper Featherstonterrace ; Fitzberbert-terrace ; Glenbervie” terrace (2) ; Mulgrave-street and Thorndon«uav. TENDER. The tender of Mr Maurice Kelleher for the construction of a retaining wall on the Weill ngton-terrace was accepted. CORPORATION LE VSEHOLDS COMMITTEE. The Committee’s report was as follows : 1. That the required legislation be endeavored to be obtained by means of a local Bill, in preference to attempting to obtain the insertion of the same in the proposed Municipal Corporations Consolidation Bill of next session. 2. That the principle of inserting in leases a provision that at the end of the term a new lease of the same premises for a further similar term (and containing a repetition of this present provision), be put*up to auction at the upset price of the .annual value of the land only (without regarding the value of any buildings or improvements thereon), subject to a condition that if any person, other than the original lessee, becomes entitled at such auction to the new lease, he shall pay to the original lessee the value of the buildings and improvements, be adopted in preference to the principle of granting leases for mere long terms, 3. That the holders of existing leases of reclaimed land be allowed.at any time within their first terms of twenty-one years, and that the holders of any other leases to which the present clause of this report shall, by any such by-law as hereinafter mentioned, be made applicable, be allowed at any time, and in each such case as a matter of right, and so as to exclude the voice of the Council in particular instances, to surrender their existing leases and obtain a new lease of their premises on the principle described in paragraph 2 of this Report in lieu thereof, at a new ground rent to be fixed by valuation, the compensation payable at the cod of the first new term to include the value of buildings aud improvements erected before the granting of such new lease, and that the Corporation be empowere - to enter into preliminary -contracts for effecting such surrenders and new leases. 4. That the terms and conditions noon which such surrenders and new leases are to be effected be, by the Bill, left to be fixed by the Council by by-laws. Any existing leaseholder wishing to build at once, but not to surrender his lease before the expiration of the limit of time allowed in that behalf, could, by •entering into such a preliminary contract as mentioned in paragraph 3 hereof, for surrendering his old lease and having a new lease to him at the expiration of such period, completely secure himself against the effects of any subsequent repeal or alteration of the by-laws for the time being in force. Sneh by-laws, the Committe are advised, would only be legal if framed so as . to deal with all cases on the same footing, without possibility of preference. 5. Tlmt the Council be authorised to make by-laws fixing the terms of years for which leases on the principle treated of in this report shall be Granted, and defining the class of improvements for which compensation shall be payable 6- That no compensation be payable for buildings in any part of the city not in accordance with the Building Regulations for No 1 District. 7. That, on the advice of the Cit’v Solicitor, a clause, with retrospective effect, be inserted in • the Bill, enabling any leases to take effect within six months from date and not necessarily from the very day of execution thereof. 8. Tbe Committee have bad the draft Bill prepared, and have ordered the same to be circulated amongst Councillors. Herbert J. Williams, Chairman. Councillor Williams moved the adoption of the report. He explained the objects of the Committee in arriving at their several ae■cisions. The Committee regretted that there bad not been a fuller Council present on this occasion, and he hoped that his Worship would take charge of the Bill in its passage through the House. ...... His Worship said, m response to the latter part of Councillor Williams’ speech, that it might be surprising to the Council to hear that he (the Mayor) had yet remaining a little self-respect ; and he'should be guilty of great disrespect to himself if, after the grossly insulting language used to him at the last meeting of the Council, be took charge of any Bill at the suggestion of Councillors. He wondered that the Council would jeopardise their Bill bv placing it in the hatn.s of such a rierson He gave them to understand that they must get some other member of the Legislature to take charge of it. , Councillor Petherick was very sorry to hear !SU ch au assertion from the Mayor as a representative in Parliament of the city, as well as Mayor. He hoped his Worship would recoudicier tliG m&tfcsr* _ . Councillor Williams, in reply, regretted his Worship’s remarks. He had not b|en authorised by the Committee to make the request, and he simply did so out of respect to -the Mayor’s position. The report was then adopted. PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. The Committee’s report (already published) was read. In clauses 3 aud 4, that drainage in Riddiferd and Elliee-streefs be not done, dihe wo-Q “not” in each case was struck out. The remainder of the report was passed without amendment. auditors salary. It was resolved, on the motion of Councillor A W Brown, that the salary of the auditors be the same as last year, 25 guineas each. motion by notice. Iu accordance with notice, Councillor (Quick moved—“ That, taking ro-.o consideraSon the importance the proper management of the harbor is to tbe citizens, it is revived That the negotiations between th y •Council and the Harbor Board be. re °P ’ with a view to an agreement such as that already proposed by the Harbor Board, but modified so that the amount to .|” d th * them be a compromise between what J monosed (viz , £5000) and the sum which the Committee of the City Council suggestea as a proper monetary consideration (viz., £SSOO) and that a committee be appointed to open such negotiations, to consist of Counclllois Miller, Petherick, S. Brovin, Richardson, and the mover, and to report to this Council. Speaking to the motioD, Councillor Quick

said he trusted that if the resolution were passed it would mean doing away with the present divided interest of the two bodies, and indicate that they were marching in parallel lines for the benefit of the citizens. Welling, ton, he believed, was on the way to become a great and important city, all through its valuable inheritance —the harbor. He pointed out that every vessel that came into this port left behind it a large amount of money, aud that about £30,000 was spent on the Wharf in wages; so that the Harbor Board was working for the benefit of the citizens just as the Council was. Liverpool at one time was a very unimportant place, but now, through the management of its harbor, the number of its inhabitants was larger than of the inhabitants of New Zealand. fThe Mavor : The same at Genoa —that is the commercial parallel.) He hoped that moderation would prevail m this matter, for there was, he believed, a moderate party in each body. , , . Councillor S. Brown seconded the motion. In regard to what his Worship had said about bein° -= insulted, he simply had to say, for his part° that he was prepared to prove anything he had said on the occasion referred to. Councillor A. W. Brown could not compliment Councillor Quick on his logic, for vessels were not likely to spend sixpence less because the Council and the Board did not agree. He had agreed when on the Committee to taking £3500, out of deference to the majority, but he should not support this motion. The Mayor wished it to be understood that neither he nor any gentleman who agreed with him had ripped up this matter before the old scar had healed. The question was one which need not be considered again for the next two years. Any man who had his head set on right would not mike use of such arguments as those used by Councillor Quick. It had always been to him a puzzle to understand how Councillor Quick came to occupy such a position in his profession, aud now it seemed to him more inexplicable than ever, for his arguments were like drunken men—they would°not stand upon their legs, and you could make nothing of them. It was a matter of surprise to him that a proposal such as this should te made after the result of the conference of representative Committees of both bodies. The Board had made no further application in the matter, but here it was proposed to go and ask them to accept the terms they had a short time ago refused. Councillor Richardson said if they could come to terms with the Harbor Board the reclamation would take place immediately ; if they did not, it would not be commenced for some years. Further, the reclamation of the' Board' would provide greater accommodation. It was quite right, therefore, that this matter should be revived. Councillor Williams did not sea how the Council could pass this resolution after the report of its Committee recently. He had supported Councillor A. W. Brown in suggesting that the Committee should ask £IO.OOO from the Board, but they had waived their opinions in deference to the wish of the majoritv. Under this motion the sum of £SOOI might be quoted, or any sum between £SOOO and £BSOO. He hoped the Council would not reverse the decision of its last meeting by carrying this motion, Councillor Wilson moved an amendnaent .to the effect that negotiations be re-opened with tbe'Harbor Board, aod be carried on with the understanding that the basis be the valuation of the City Valuer, and that a Committee consisting of Councillors Miller, Richardson, S. Brown, and the mover be appointed to negotiate with the Board. • , Councillor McKenzie seconded the amendCouncillor Danks supported the motion, and censured the Mayor for having acted all through a course actuated by personal feeling. Councillor A. W. Brown deprecated the personal tendency of the debates of this Council. Me should oppose both motion apd amendment. Councillor Miller would support the motion if the sum were made £BSOO. Councillor Petherick did not feel at all honored by being placed upon Councillor Wilson’s Committee, and he should oppose the amendment. _ Councillor S. Brown was given to understand that the Board wss prepared to meet the Council in the matter. Councillor Quick said he should not take anv notice of' the personalities used by the Mayor, nor should he condescend to bandy words with him. ~ The Mayor alluded to the “new born zeal displayed by Councillors Richardson and Quick in the cause of the working men. Councillor Quick having risen to a point of order, His Worship advised Councillor Quick not to chafe when he was attacked, nor to jump about like a parched pea in a fryingpan that had been hit with a brick. . r £be amendment was put and lost on division. The original motion was then put, the result being m , Ayes (6) —Councillors S. Brown, Newman, Miller, Danks, Richardson, and Quick. Noes (6)—The Mayor, Councillors A. W. Brown, McKeDzie, Wilson, Williams, and Petherick. The Mayor gave his casting vote with the noes, and the motion was therefore lost. The Council rose at 11.10.