MEETINGS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 753, 6 August 1886, Page 19

MEETINGS.

WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL-

The regular foitnightly meeting of the City Council was held last night week. Present —His Worship the Mayor and Councillors Richardson, Smith, Petherick, Williams, Coombe, McKenzie, Wilson, Edwards, Benzoui, and Fitz Gerald. DEPUTATIONS. Mr James Smith waited upon the Conncil to urge that concrete kerbing be put down outside his Dew building in Cuba-street. He thought it would be a pity to have wooden kerbing, and considered that the Council should encourage business men in erecting good buildings. He hoped the Council would favorably consider his application. The Mayor said the Public Works Committee had been guided in their decesion by the fact that the wooden kerbing was in a good condition, and that if concrete kerbing were put down outside Mr Smith’s buildiDg the whole of the >esidents as far as Gbuznee. street would ask for the same. The Council would consider the subject later on. A deputation from Wellington cab proprietors waited on the Council in reference to the new hackney carriage by-laws. Messrs Gormley and Lawler acted as spokesmen. Objection was taken to clause 9, insisting on the number of the cab being painted on the lamps, on the ground that it would prevent the cabs bemg employed for piivate work ; to clause 10, providing for communicating bells under the drivers’ seat, on the ground that the cabs would require pulling to pieces to fix the bells. Objection was also taken to clause 14, referring to scale of charges by time. It was stated that under this clause a person could engage a cab for an hour to go to the Lower Hutt, the charge for which would be 10s, while the actual expense to the proprietor, whose cab would have to return empty to town, would be 15s. Mr Lawlor stated that if the new regulations were enforced many cabs would have to retire from the roads. He presented a petition urging that the by-laws be held in abeyance for the present. The Mayor having stated that the petition would be considered by the Council, the deputation withdrew. ■ Subsequently, on the motion of Councillor RichardsoD, the petition was referred for considdration to the Public Works Committee, the Mayor stating that in the meantime it would be well for the cab proprietors to know that the by-laws were in force. BOHGES3 ROLL. A number of applications for registration on the Burgess Roll for the various wards were granted. REPORT OF FORESHORE COMMITTEE. Oa the motion of Councillor Wilson, seconded by Councillor McKenzie, it was resolved to refer this report to the Public Works Committee for consideration. REPORT OF PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. The Mayor opposed the following clauses : (1) That the further consideration of the Harbor Board Committee’s report of 26th May last re proposed erection of a wharf at Te Aro bs postponed for six months. (2) That a letter be written to the Harbor Board stating that the matter has been postponed for six mrnths owing to the near termination of the session, but that the Council will be ready to resume negotiations with the Board at the end of the time mentioned ; and further that the Council trusts that the Boaid will proceed with the erection of the Taranakistreei wharf as soon as the reclamation is sufficiently advanced. The Mayor said the reason this recommendation was made by the Committee was because in a few months’ time a number of new Councillors would be elected, who would probably like to have a voice in the settlement of the differences which had existed between the Harbor Board and the City Council ; but these new Councillors would require a good deal of coacbiDg upon the question, and in his opinion the present Council were better able to deal with it. Again, it might be considered discourteous to the Harbor Board to hang the matter up just as an amicable understanding between the two bodies was being come to. The trade of the port was increasing, and it was necessary that they should encourage the Board in carrying out their functions. It would be unwise, when the Harbor Board were anxious tc carry out works for the benefit of Wellington, for the Council to place obstacles in their way. Councillor Fitz Gerald thought the members of the Council were men of sufficient standing to resent being talked to in that way. He thought Councillors knew enough without needing the advice of the Mayor. (Hear, hear.) He thought it would be better for the new Councillors to have a voice in the matter than that the present Council should tie their bauds. There would really be no delay, as the Board would require to get legislative sanction before they could move in the direction of the proposed works. The proposed extension of the railway to Te Aro would make a great difference in the plans for reclamation, and they should hold their hands until that question was decided. Councillor Richardson moved as an amendment that the word “ fortnight ” take the place of “ six months ’’ in clause 1. Councillor Petherick seconded the amendment.

Councillor Quick supported the amendment. He thought the Harbor Board was of as much importance to the city as the City Council. If there was any advantage in settling the question at once, the present Council was entitled to the credit of doing it. Councillor Williams said that the more the Council acceded to the wants of the Harbor Board, the more that body wanted. He thought the Conucil would be doing a very great wrong to the city by giving up one of the moat valuable endowments the Council possessed. He considered that the accommodation for shipping possessed by the Harbor Board at the present tim was sufficient for the next ten years. Councillor Smith would vote for the postponement for six months, as he believed there would be other proposals from the Board, the members of which had not been unanimous in making their proposals. Councillor Wilson said it would be quite time enough to deal with the proposals when the question of the extension of the railway was settled.

I Councillor Edwards would vote for the clause as in stood, but disclaimed antagonism ; to the Harbor Board. ! Councillor Coombe said the whole question ( hinged on the S-feet line, outside of which it would never pay the Council to reclaim. He agreed that better proposals would come from the Harbor Board. Councillor McKenzie thought no harm would be caused by a little delay, The Mayor having replied at length, the Council divided on the amendment that the question be postponed for a fortnight, when, there voted :—Aye3, 4, the Mayor, and Councillors Richardson, Petherick, and Quick; Noes, 8, Councillors Fitz Gerald, Smith, Williams, Coombe, Benzoni, McKenzie, Wilson, and Edwards. The motion was then put, that the clause stand as printed, which was carried by 8 votes to 4. Clause 4 —That no further action be taken in the matter of the proposed widening of College-lane, off Willis-street, was referred back to the Public Works Committee. Clause 9—That the work iu Adelaide-road, asked for by Mr Leckie, be not done, was also referred back to the Public Works Committee. Clause 10—That the kerbing asked for by Mr James Smith in Cuba-street be not done elicited a long discussion. Councillor Petherick moved as an amendment that the word “ not •’ be struck out. Councillor Quick supported the amendment. Councillor Williams said it would involve the kerbing with concrete of the whole of Cuba-street. Councillor Richardson supported the amendment. Councillor Fitz Gerald objected te the amendment, as involving a question of principle. If it were necessary to kerb the whole of Cubastreet he would vote for it to be done ; but they ought not to kerb parts with concrete simply because certain citizens erected imposing structures. Councillor McKenzie would support the amendment. The Mayor considered it the duty of the Council to assist the citizens in carrying out improvements. He suggested that the amendment be withdrawn in favor of the question being referred back to the Public Works Co g mittee, in order that the City Engineer might report on the matter. After seme further discussion the amennment was put an negatived on the casting vote of the Mayor, and a further amendment, moved by Councillor Beozoni, That the City Engineer inquire into the cost of laying down the concrete kerbing outside Mr Smith’s building, also as far as Ghuznee-street, and report to the Public Works Committee, was put and carried. Clause 15, that the lighting of the lamp in the centre of Woodward-street be discontinued for the present, was struck out on the motion of Councillor Richardson, seconded by Councillor Quick. The report as read was then adopted. CITY SURVEYOR" S REPORT. On the motion for the adoption of this report, Councillor Richardson urged that the repairs to Mount-street be done at once, as he was afraid the Council would be held responsible if an accident occurred there, of which there was at present great danger. He also called attention to the bad condition of Karori-road, and was informed that the City Engineer had given instructions to have the work done. REPORT OF CITY SOLICITOR. The City Solicitor reported that the costs in the case of Loughrey v Plimmer, amounting to £22 la, had been paid. PENALTIES FOR OVER TIME IN CONTRACTS. The Mayor stated that a letter had been received from Mr J. Saunders asking that the penalties for over time be remitted. Mr Saunders urged that a fortnight’s overtime in a 12 month’s contract was not excessive. Some discussion ensued, but the Mayor, in answer to a question, said the Council had no power to remit these penalties. ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £3009 8s Id were passed for payment, MOTION. Pursuant to motion, Councillor Smith moved that the following resolution, adopted by the Council on the lßt in3t. on the recommendation of the Public Works Committee, be rescinded, viz. :—“ That the request of the sureties for Mr W. Baylis that a concession be made to them in respect of the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal be not acceded to ; that fifty pounds (£SO) and costs be accepted from Mr W. Baylia’ sureties in discharge of the recent judgment of the Court of Appeal.” Counciller Coombe seconded the motion, which, after some discussion, was lost, it being considered that a dangerous precedent wonld be set up if the motion were carried. This was all the business.