CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3921, 12 December 1899, Page 5

CITY COUNCIL.

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE. ' A meeting of the Public Works Committee was held last night. There were present the Mayor (Mr J. R. Blair) and Councillors WLI lesion. Anderson, Izard, Murdoch, Luke, Smith, Townsend, Winder, Toihurst and Hon F. H. Fraser. The City Engineer reported that a number of houses were still, on inspection, found to be discharging sewage into the storm-water culvert behind Wellington terrace. In each of these cases notice had been served to connect with the sewerage system. Councillor Izard complained that there was still in Wellington a public sewer which must be a source of danger to the city. He himself had been compelled to drain into this sewer, and he wanted to know whether the Engineer considered that when these' people had stopped discharging sewage into it, the drain should be covered up. If some definite arrangement was not made at once they would have a crop of actions against the Council for allowing the drain to remain open.

Councillor Smith said the persons discharging into the drain were responsible, and they 7 should be given notice to at once connect with the proper sewer. If they did not do that the Council should do the work for them.

The Mayor said he presumed that was what would be done, as the notices had already been sent out.

Councillor Luke thought the only course to take was to compel the people to connect with the drainage system. The report was adopted, and the City Engineer was instructed to take the necessary steps to have the properties mentioned connected with the drainage system.

Mr A. W. Schaef, Ingest-re street, applied for permission to erect a combined verandah and balcony. The Engineer reported against the application, and his report was adopted by seven votes to three. ' *

An application from the Harbour Board for an additional water main for the wool jetty at the Railway Wharf was agreed to. , .

The committee agreed to a formal notice by the Harbour Board re the closing of Grainger and Allen streets. ■ Mr J. T. Swan wrote asking leave to build on land off Sydney street, having frontage to a, right-of-way granted by the Council in 1894. The matter was referred,to the By-laws Committee. Mv W. B. Fisher applied for leare to remove an old house in Tinakori road to the back of the section, to put; it in thorough repair, and build a new house on the front of the section. The application was referred to the By-laws Committee.

Mr R. M. Griffiths wrote explaining that his encroachment at Hawker street would.not impede the traffic, and that no complaints had been made by the neighbours or anyone else, besides which it would cost a considerable sum to remodel his approach. The Mayor said the committee was not dealing with this matter in a proper manner. All those people who had encroached on the footpaths should be compelled to'adjust their boundaries within, say. twelve months.'

! The -committee eventually decided to call upon Mr Griffiths to give an undertaking to remove the encroachment in twelve months, and that a-similar undertaking be asked from other propertyowners in the street who have encroached on the footpath. - The Karori Borough Council asked for a grant of £6OO in aid of the new road to Karori. The application was referred to the Finance Committee.

Mr D. _N. Wilkinson, Oriental Bay, wrote asking the committee to remedy the inconvenience caused by storm water from Rcseneath running on to his property. Councillor Luke said the nuisance did not come from the storm water, but from houses on the top of the hill. He thought the Melrose Borough Council' ought to have its attention drawn to the matter. The matter was referred to the City)Solicitor for an opinion as to the legal position of the Council. A number of ratepayers in Quin street petitioned the -Council to have that street repaired before the winter. Councillor Luke moved that the Eugineer be instructed to put the street in thorough repair. Councillor Townsend said an attempt was being made to make this street respectable, and + ho Council ought to assist in that object. Councillor Tolhurst moved that the Engineer report as to the drainage being done before any repairs were effected. Eventually it was decided that, subject to the drainage being completed, the Engineer be instructed to put the street in thorough repair. A letter was read from Mr P. Nathan, asking the’Council to lay from fifty to one hundred yards of scafa slabs (a new paving material) as an experiment. The committee decided to reply that the owners of the slabs could,lay them at their own expense if they desired to do ■so. ■ .-