CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 8007, 11 February 1887, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of tlje City Council was held last night. Present—■ His Worship the Mayor and Councillors Williams, Coombe, McKenzie, Patheriok, Brandon, Edwards, Ranks, Richardson, Young, Benzoni, and Smith, COEHKSPONDENCF, A letter was received from, tho Harbor Board, referring to the question of the boatshed site on the foreshore, and asking the Council to communicate farther as to their intentions before the next meeting of the Board. Councillor Young moved, and Councillor McKenzie seconded, that a letter be sent to the Harbor Board, stating that the Council refused to discuss the question further. ■ Councillor Richardson thought that tho matter should be left as at present. He con* sidered there was a certain amount of threat Jn the Harbor Board’s letter which was entirely out of place. Councillor Ranks hoped there would be no quarrelling, lit was absurd, he thought, for the Council or tho Board either to think that they would get any benefit by bringing tho matter before Parliament, as was suggested in the letter. The Mayor moved as an amendment, “That, seeing that the City Council and Harbor Board could not agree as to the question of the site in dispute as to the boat, shed site,' this Council is willing to submit the question to be decided by two Judges of the Supreme Court."

Councillor Edwards seconded tbe amendment. , _ . . Councillor Richardson would vote against the amendment, because, with all due respect to the Judges, ho did not think they (tho Judges) were better fitted to decide the question than the Council were themselves. Councillor Young said that if the Harbor Board took the question before Parliament he would at once table a notice of motion to move that tenders be called for a new reclamation in exactly the same place. Councillor Petheriok: Where would you get the money from ? Councillor Young : He could get that easy enough. Councillor McKenzie compared the stand taken by the Harbor Board to highwaymen —a stand-and-deliver sort of business. Ho thought the Harbor Board had had the best of the Council all through the reclamation transactions. Un the amendment being put, only two Councillors voted for it, and Councillor Young's motion was declared carried. A letter was received from Mr H. J. Blow for the purpose of ascertaining whether the Council would be willing to erect a retaining wall on tils property, situated at the corner of Adeiaide*road and Hall-street, The matter was referred to the Public Works Committee.

TENDERS, There were two tenders for the formation of a street at Te Aro reclamation, and the lowest, Mr Joseph Saunders’, was accepted. The report of the Foreshore Committee (postponed from last meeting) already published, was adopted without further comment. _ The following report from the Cemetery Committee was read and adopted Following up their interim report of the 10th ultimo the Committee beg to report upon the result of their visit to the sites which, in their opinion, are the most eligible for the purpose of tho establishment of a cemetery. The sites offered were as under;-(!) Murray, Roberts and Co., as agents, Goathurst Farm. 94a Ir IBp, £11,600 ; or would be prepared to treat for tbe sale of a portion. (2) I*. K. Macdonald and Co,, as agents, 60 acres or more of the Melrose Estate, the price to bo settled in a Compensation Court. (3) Chap* man and Fitz Gerald, aa agents, part of the Roseneath Estate, Evans. Bay, price not mentioned. (4) Peter Wotton, 50 acres of land on the Karbri Range, price not mentioned. (5) A. Fitohett, 50 acres of land part of section 11, Mitchelltown, pne £6O per acre. (6) flhomas H. Hawk ings, 50 acres of land between Nga hauranga and ' Kalwarra, for £ISOO The Committee considered it indxspensabl that tbe site selected should be as easy of access as possible, and they therefor© did not think it necessary to visit Nos, 4,5, and 6. In order therefore to - test the suitability o£ Nos. 1,2, and 3, they paid a lengthened visit to each of the sites, and made a thorough inspection of the soil. The result of their inspection ia that they have come to the conclusion that site No. 2 would be the most suitable fop the purpose. The spot which they have selected is marked in red on the plan accompanying this report, and it could be reached either by tho Island Bayroad or by a road through Newtown Park, The ground is undulating, the soil is dry, and the distance from town is not very great. Having regard to readiness of access, suitability of soil, and general adaptability for the purpose, the Committee think that it would be difficult to find a site more suitable than the one under notice. The price to be paid for the land would doubtless be a reasonable one, as it ia proposed by the agents that the amount should be fixed by a Compensation Court in the manner usual with lands taken for public purposes. Some legislation would perhaps be necessary before possession could be taxon, as the land bas been surveyed and some roads laid out upon it; but the cost of such legislation would probably not be very much. Should the Council decide to take steps to acquire this land, the Committee beg to suggest that the Finance Committee be instructed to takdjthe matter into consideration at once, with the view of making arrangements for providing tbe amount of money necessary for the pur* pose. THE PROPOSED THORNDON RECREATION GROUND. The following report from the Committee on tho Thorndou recreation ground was read and adopted ; —The Committee beg to report that they visited the Botanic Gardens for the purpose of inspecting the site suggested by the Hon tbe Minister of Public Works for a recreation ground. An examination of the proposed scheme shows that the level ground available after carrying out the suggested works would be too' small for tbe purposes of either a cricket or football ground. The Committee .are Informed by the Engineer that any extension of area could only be obtained at a very large increase of cost, and would necessitate the raising of the formation land to an inconvenient height. Since it appears to be Impossible to obtain a proper ground for cricket and football in the Botanic Gardens, your Committee suggest that it would be unwise to take half measures, which they feel would not give satisfaction to those whom it was intended to benefit* The Committee would point out that the Botanic Gardens were intended to form the basis of operations fop a system of forestry throughout the Colony ; but the meagreness of the revenue with which the Gardens are endowed quite prevents the Botanic Gardens Board from carrying out the objects for which it was created by a public statute of the Colony, viz., the Botanic Gardens Act, 1869; and, although perhaps exceeding their functions in so doing, the Committee recommend that the Mayor, Councillors, and citizens should wait upon the Minister for Lands and Agriculture and urge upon him the necessity of continuing the Government grant in aid of the Botanic Gardens, and thus prevent tbe national gardens of the Colony falling into disorder and waste.

It was resolved that the Reserves Com. mittee, with the name of Councillor Brandon added, .wait on' the Minister of Lands for the purpose of endeavoring to obtain from the Government a grant of money to be expended on the gardens, NOTICES OF MOTION. Councilor Brandon moved that a return be prepared and laid on the table, showing the private streets and rights-of-way to which the consent of the Council has been granted, and giving the names of the applicants, owners, the length and breadth of the street or right-of-way, and the conditions on which the ooneenl was granted. - Conncillos Petheriok seconded the motion. Councillor McKenzie did not see. the necessity ot expending the money necessary to carry out what Mr Brandon wished. Mr Page the Treasurer, said he thought the information could be obtained in about six weeks, without incurring any., outside expense. Councillor McKenzie then withdrew his objection, and the motion was carried. : Councillor Petheriok moved that the business at meetings of the Council and Public Works Committee shall close at 10,30 p,m..; any business not completed by 10,30 p.m. to stand adjourned. | ; _ Councillor Brandon seconded the motion. Councillor Young moved as an amendment that no new business be entered into after half-past 10 o’clock. Councillor Benzoni seconded the amendment. After farther discussion the amendment was carried. Councillor Benzoni moved and Councillor Rrandou seconded, that a fire bell he erected at or near the northern ©nd of Tinakoriroad, ~ . . • It was decided after a abort discussion to refer the matter to the Public Works Com. mittee, The Council then went into committee to consider the Mayor’s notice of motion re drainage and surrey of the city. The Committee decided that the City Engineer be requested to frame an estimate for draining the city upon the scheme adopted by the Council, known as Clark’s scheme; and that the ratepayers be then invited to give the Council the necessary authority to take a loan for that purpose.