CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4295, 25 December 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held yesterday in the Provincial Chambers. Present :—His AVorship the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors George, Rainie, Mills, Moss, Burrett, and Dransfield. THE LOCKYER CASE. Mr, AV. Lockyer attended to complain of the imperfect state of the drainage in Mul-grave-street, represented to the Council in a former communication. Unless the drainage were improved he should not feel called upon topay his rates. The Surveyor stated that the matter complained of could not be improved until a drain were made on the side of the street on which Mr. Lockyer lived. He suggested that the matter should be left to the members for the ward. The Mayor said Mr. Lockyer would have to pay his rates whether the drain were made or not, as the Council had no power to remit. Referred to the members for the ward. FORMATION AND METALLING OP PIRIE-STBEET. The following tenders were received for this work :—B. Reeves, £498 XBs. 6d. ; T. AVilson, £497; J. Saunders, £SOB 10s. : R. Lyon, £449 10s. Councillor George moved that the matter be referred to the members of the ward, who should have power to confer with the City Surveyor as to the desirability of making an alteration in the filling, so as to reduce the cost to something like the original estimate, namely, £2OO. Arrangements to this effect might be made with the lowest tenderer. Councillor Mills seconded the motion. Councillor Moss thought that ■ would leave too much to the members of the ward. The best way would be to leave the whole matter to the Surveyor, who should make the necessary alteration in his plans, and call for fresh tenders. In accordance with this view, he would move that the Surveyor prepare new plans, and call for fresh tenders. Councillor Rainie seconded the amendment, which was carried. TENDEHS POE FORMING AND METALLING PART OP SOUTH ROAD AND ADELAIDE ROAD. The following tenders were received for this work: —J. Saunders, £1733 10s.; R. Lyon, £lßl9 10s. The Surveyor, in answer to inquiries, stated that the work comprised a length of 5592 feet,, and 22 feet between the scarps. Councillor Mills thought it impossible that the work could he gone on with, for the simple reason that they had no funds. Councillor Moss proposed that the matter should be postponed for a month, as the report'of the auditors showed that the Corporation account was overdrawn to the extent of £6OOO. Councillor George agreed with this view, and added that in the meantime he could look over the work, and see whether it would not he possible to reduce the cost. He certainly thought that the Surveyor had misled the Council in preparing plans without submitting some estimate of the cost. Had the Council been furnished with such an estimate the tenderers would not have been put to so much trouble. Councillor Mills combatted these views, and pointed out, in justice to the Surveyor, that he had frequently been told not to enter into the financial pari of the question at all ; that his duty was simply and solely to prepare plans. That duty he had performed, and if the contractors had been misled the fault lay ■with the Council, and not with the Surveyor. The consideration of the tenders was adjourned for a month. OUTWARD CORRESPONDENCE. The Clerk read a large batch of outward correspondence. THE WHARF. A letter from the Harbor-master, explaining why the ship Soukar could not be berthed at the wharf, was received. GALVANISED PIPES. The Surveyor was instructed to report upon the quality of some galvanised iron pipes offered for sale to the Council by Mr. AV. M. AATute. STORING GOODS ON BREASTWORK. Permission was given to Mr. AV. H. McKellar, of the Customs, to store some spars on the breastwork on the reclaimed land. ROAD TO PATENT SLIP. A letter from the Manager of the Patent Slip Company was read, asking the Council to pay its contribution to the formation of the road to the Patent Slip. The matter was deferred till the next meeting of the Council. WHARF COMMITTEE’S REPORT. The following report of the AVha-rf Committee was read : —At the meeting of the committee the Town Clerk laid on the table a letter from the Town Clerk, Christchurch, of v the 17th inst., and from the AA r ellingtou agent of the Mercantile Agency Company of the 22nd inst. The committee having carefully considered the draft wharf regulations as prepared by Councillors Dransfield and George beg to recommend as follows: viz., that the regulations he printed and circulated among the merchants, so that the Council and others most interested can consider them previous to passing them ; that a special meeting of the Council be called for the 31st inst., for the purpose of passing the regulations ; that the wharf be let by tender, tenders to be sent in by the 21st January, an advertisement to be inserted in a paper in all the provinces calling for tenders. Councillor Moss moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Councillor Mills and carried. WAGES AND SALARIES. The list of salaries and wages was approved and passed. The remaining business was then adjourned till Thursday next.