CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4271, 27 November 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

' The fortnightly meeting of the Council was held yesterday at the Provincial Buildings. Present: the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Greenfield, Dransfield, Moss, Mills, Biuret*, and George. LITTLE PIPITEA STREET. Mr. J. Maginity attended to complain of the want of a drain, to cany away the drainage from Little Pipitea-street. The peculiarities of the' case were dwelt upon at some length by Mr. Maginity. The Surveyor having endorsed Mr. Maginity's views as to the urgent necessity for a drain in the locality, the matter was left to the discretion-of the Surveyor. THE BASIN RESERVE. Mr. McDougall presented to the Council a petition from certain residents at Adelaideroad, requesting the Council to place a gate at the north end of the Basin Reserve, opposite the Adelaide-road, so that they might be enabled to take advantage of the reserve for recreation purposes. Mr. MeDougall said the matter had already been represented to tho trustees of the ground, who opposed the proposal to the utmost. The inhabitants did not wish to see a road formed through the ground; they merely desired to have access to the ground for purposes of. recreation. The Mayor said that personally he was strongly opposed to the prayer of the petition ; and several other Councillors expressed the opinion that the Council had no power to interfere with the decision of the trustees. Ultimately the matter was left in the hands of the Mayor, who should consult the trustees upon the subject. THE CITY VALUATION. Councillor Dransfield moved, that a list of personß objecting to the amounts at which they are rated be handed to the valuator, with a request that he should again look over the various properties and advise the Councillors for each ward, who should give their opinions upon the various valuations in the different wards. Councillor Mills seconded the motion, as the valuation would greatly aid the Councillors of the various wards, who already had enough work on their hands. The motion was agreed to. Messrs. Bishop and Johns represented that their rates were greatly in excess of the proper valuation. The Council decided that a day having been appointed to hear objections, individual complaints of excessive valuation could not now be heard. SURVEY COMMITTEE. Councillor Dransfield brought up an interim report from the Survey Committee, to the effect that they had seen the Provincial Surveyor, who stated that the Provincial Government wei-e now preparing a survey map of the town, and that the Provincial Government had intimated their willingness to give the Corporation every facility in procuring all the information it desired. The work would be completed at the end of next year. The committee stated their opinion that the Provincial Government had. dealt very liberally wit V. tho Corporation in the matter, and recomm. <j>d that, an address should: be presented to the Superintendent acknowledging the handsome manner in which he had dealt with the Corporation. :'•'.' * . The report was adopted. RECEPTTON OF. THE NEW GOVERNOR. Councillor Mills inquired whether any steps had been taken to provide a suitable reception for the new Governor. The Mayor said he had intended inviting some expression of opinion from the Council upon the subject. He had expected that the General Government or the Provincial Government would do something, but as they did not seem inclined to do so the Council would have to move in the matter. Councillor Dransfield suggested that the Mayor should give his views upon the subject at the next meeting of the Council. It was decided that the Mayor-should wait upon the General Government, and report to the next meeting. Councillor Mills left the meeting, having ' urgent private business to transact. REPORTS. The reports of the City Surveyor and Inspector of Nuisances were read and adopted. WATER SUPPLY. Mr. Jackson, of Plimmer's Steps, inquired when the Corporation were likely to provide a supply of water to the residents in his locality. Mr. Plimmer explained that a question had been raised as to whether the steps formed a public road or not. If the Council would decide that it was not a public road he should be glad to close it up ; but if it was, the residents should be provided with water. The Surveyor was directed to continue the water supply to Plimmer's. Steps. WHARF EXTENSION. A letter from McMeckan, Blackwood, and Co., of Melbourne, recommending that the Queen's Wharf should be extended 100 ft., was referred to the Wharf Committee. - THORNDON FORESHORE. Councillor Dransfield moved that a deputation of the whole Council should wait upon the Superintendent with the object of asce * taining what can be done with reference*to securing the Te Aro foreshore. Councillor George moved that the deputation should consist of the Mayor, Councillors Dransfield, Mills, and Burrett. The original motion was carried. A CRANE SALE. Messrs. Brogden and Sons offered to sell the Corporation a five-ton crane. The letter was !referred to the Wharf Committee. A Safe sale. An offer from Mr. F. B. Binns to purchase a Corporation safe was declined. WATER-SUPPLY, TDRNBULL-STREET. Mr. 11. E. Bannister and others desired to know when water would be laid on to Turn-bull-street. The Surveyor explained that, the water could not be laid on until the contract for the formatiou of the street was finished. Councillor George moved, that a temporary supply be laid on at a spot convenient to the locality. The Surveyor said the street would be finished in a week, and the permanent supply would then be laid. WATER-SUPPLY, ALrHA-STRKET. R. Scott and others applied for a temporary supply of water for Alpha-street, .which was ordered to be provided at once. c s , - karori-place. A similar application for water for Karoriplace was similarly dealt with. PRINTING BURGESS ROLL. An offer from Mr. T. McKenzie to print the Burgess roll was referred to the Printing Committee. GARRETT AND CUBA-STREETS. S. Youmans and others applied to have a culvert laid from Garrett-street to Cuba-street. The application was referred to the members for the ward. BROOK-STREET. Mr. J. McNab and others called attention to the condition of Brook-street, .Thorndon, and requested that the drainage might be improved. Referred to the Surveyor. CHARGES AGAINST INSPECTOR OF NUISANCES. Mr. C. Mclntyre and others, residents of Te Aro, preferred a series of charges against the Inspector of Nuisances, who, it was alleged, had unlawfully impounded their horses, and in reality placed his services at the disposal of one citizen to the great annoyance of others. The complaint went on to say that Mr. Pilmer had charged certain fees for which he had no authority, and prayed the Council to make an investigation into the circumstances. The Mayor said the Inspector had a very difficult duty to perform, and lie believed he performed those duties faithfully and to the best of his ability, with no intention to do an injustice to anyone. He had himself seen horses running wild about the streets, to the imminent danger of children, and if any of these children were injured the cry would at once ariso" Where is the Inspector," Councillor Burrett asked what became of the money received by the Inspector ? Mr. Pimier said he did not receive a farthing of it, and that he intended to prosecute criminally those who had made these vindictive and malicious charges.

Councillor Georqe said the charges were so serious that an immediate inquiry should be made into the circumstances, and he therefore moved that Councillors Burrett, Greenfield, Mills, and Moss be appointed a committee to inquire into the practices and the competency or otherwise o£ the Inspector of Nuisances. He did not wish to be on the committee lumself, because his opinion was so strong as to the competency or incompetency of the Inspector that if he were on the committee anything he mi"ht saywoidd be put down to spite. He would, therefore, move tho motion, giving the committee power to suspend Mr. Pilmer till the next meeting of the Council if they found the grounds sufficient to justify them in doing so. The Mayor said Councillor George must give notice of his motion. It was only fair to an employe that he should have fair play._ Councillor Dransmeld said that notice of motion was not necessary when the Council were unanimous. The Mayor asked how Councillor Drausheld knew the Council were unanimous, when all the members were not present ? Councillor Moss inquired whether the Council were to wait a fortnight. The thing wa3 absurd, considering that all the members present were unanimous. The Mayor informed Councillor Moss that all the members present were not unanimous, as he (the Mayor) would not consent to sit still and see an employe dealt with in that offhand manner. Councillor Greenheld thought- Mr. Pilmer ought to be glad to have an early investigation, when such charges were made against him. Mr. Pilmer said he did not desire to put off the inquiry. He rather courted it. He had put the matter into tho hands of his solicitor, and he should take such steps against his slanderers as his legal adviser might direct. To show the motive by which these parties were actuated he might mention that this same Mr. Mclntyre had been bound over by the Resident Mugistate to keep the. peace towards him (Pilmer) for six months; and this, was not done at his instance, but upon the magistrate's own motion, who saw by Mclntyre's demeanor in court that he was a very vindictive man. Councillor Dransfield inquired whether, supposing a man had opeidy robbed the Corporation, the Mayor would still require a fortnight's notice of motion before taking proper steps. The Mayor replied that he had too much common sense to suppose anything of the sort. In such a case the man would be picked up at once. But the present was an entirely different case. Charges had been made against the Inspector by a number of persons, at least one of whom was at enmity with him, and it was only fair that he should have an opportunity of fighting out those charges before the proper tribunal—the Resident Magistrate's Court. Councillor George said Mr. Pilmer was too fond of the atmosphere of the Kesident Magistrate's Court—too much so for the interests of the ratepayers and of the city generally. So convinced was he that Mr. Pilmer was unBuited for the office he held, that he thought suspension ought to take place at once. However, he should press the motion even against the opinion of the Mayor. The Mayor said he had no objection to the motion being carried if Mr. Pilmer did not himself object ; but if Mr. Pilmer did object, he certainly should not allow Councillor George to deal with any employe of the Council in such a hurried manner. Mr. Pilmer signified that he had no objection to the motion, which was then put and carried. THE IIORRISON CASE. Mr. I. Morrison requested that he might be furnished with the address of Mr. Payne, the person who wrote to the Council concerning him (Morrison). It was decided that Mr. Morrison should be furnished -with all. information he might desire upon application at the office of the Council. THE THORNDOX FORESHORE. The Clerk announced the receipt from the City Solicitor of his opinion with reference to the sale of the Thorndon foreshore by the Provincial Government. The subject was allowed to remain in abeyance nntil the result of. the interview with the Superintendent was made known. The Council then adjourned.