CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1167, 28 September 1865, Page 5

CITY COUNCIL.

- Thermal weekly meeting of the City Council took place yesterday afternoon. There were present Messrs Turner, Birch, Ross, Chalmer, Driver, Carrick, Barr, and Griffen. In the absence of the Mayor, Mr Chalmeu was called to the Chair.

The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.

:KEI»OET OF THK ."UIJLIO WOIIK9 COMMITTEE,

The Town Clekk. read a report from this Committee which contained the fol-" lowing- recommuidalions: —"That the letter of Messrs Lonnic and Co. be acceded to, provided they will remove the earth fronting Mr Wedderburn's property in High street, and deposit so much of the same as may be required, in Clark street, at 9d per, cuhic yard ; and that Mr Wedderburn's request be granted in the event of Messrs Lonnie nnd Co. complying with the offer of the Council. That the request of Mr Muirheari be granted, namely, to lay boulders in lieu ot cube-stoccs across the footpath, subject to the approval ■of the City Surveyor. That the application signed by Messrs Dick, Gillies, Street, and Johnsione, as to the state of Park-street, Queen frtrei;t, and Regent road, be attended to by the day men, in making a temporary footpath, the outlay not to exceed L2O, and that the applicants be informed that a certain sum has been allocated for further improvements in that part of Leith-W;ird. That the Inspector of Nuisances' k-ltcr bs referred to the police, calling their attention to the complaint. That tenders be called for five hundred yards of metal for general maintenance. That the channel at Park and Curie's corner in Princes street, be lowered so us to flow into the culvert. That the offer of Mr A. Beverley, to open a road through his property from Elder street to Ileiiot row be accepted, in terms of his letters of'2oh May, 1661, and 30th April, 18G2; the Town Surveyor to give •an estimate of the probable cost. The tenders for the road to the contemplated Manure Deppt were opened ; and the Committee could not recommend the acceptance of either of tbetp, as they were considerably over the Surveyor's estimate; but they recommended that they should advertise for fresh tenders. The Committee considered the letter of Mr T. Walker, as to a pool of stagnant water in Cumberland street, on Section 40, Block Xyi., and. intended to visit the locality, and report to the Council at a future meeting. The Suggestions contained in Mr 11. Lakeman's lttter have been attended to by the daymen. The day-labor pay sheet,from 28th August to 23rd September, was examined Jind recommended for payment ; also the fical payments for re-flanging Princes street, and channelling, &c., in Maclaggan street. The To^n Surveyor produced block niaps of South, High, Bell, and Xieith "Wards; and also the time-sheets of the different Wards. The Committee have given instructions that the overseer report to the Surveyor all works' required to be done by suiface-men; and the report to be brought up weekly to the Committee. The Committee have inspected the several premises offered for Municipal offices, and cannot recommend any for acceptance. That the Committee be empowered to allow the Town Surveyor to employ skilled labor, not to exceed the amount of LlO, for thc_ purpose of repairing the flagging aud curbing at the foot of the lamp-posts, where necessary, throughout the city."

The Chairman said the Committee recommended the expenditure for metal, because they" thought it was necessary that there should be a stock of metal available at any time for the maintenance of the streets, not for the metalling of any particular strett. There were many spots throughout the city where repairs,; of this kind were necessary. The Couitnittee would see that the metal was properly applied by the Surveyor.

Mr Tusker moved that the report bereceived and adopted. -■' _ ' '■■ * Mr Rossr seconded ,the motion;-:. ;

Mr Batvia thought there was a number of matters in the report which required consideration, and he, thought that it should be moved clause; by clause. This was agreed to, and the clausps were adopted up to that which recommended the purchase of metal for gereral maiatainan.ee, upon which Mr Dhiveh made a suggestion that a'clause should be inserted in; the contract. compelling the contractor to take the metal from streit lines where cut!ing was required, and a saving might thus be effected, by getting the streets cut down and metal supplied fo,r one price. No motion was made, and the clause was adopted. On the clause referring to the road to the proposed Manure Depot, ■ Mr Driver wished to know what object there could be in re-adverti?ing for fresh tenders on the same plans and specifications ? They could arrive at no other conclusion than had been alre&dy attained.

The CuAimrAN explained that there were only three tenders sent in for the work; and as the lowest of them exceeded the c-ftimate oi the City Surveyor, the Committee did not think it desirable to accept any of them. Mr Driver said he was thoroughly opposed to the formation of this road, and he believed that the majority of the Council were of the Fame opinion. He moved an. amendment that the clause be struck ouf. '

Mr Birch seconded the amendment.

,Mr TuRNEu , considered thii a direct. insult to the Committee of Public Works. Under the instructions of the Council they had examined the proposed site of the depot, had got plans and specifications for the work prepared, and had called for tenders, which Lad been received^ The work had been under the consideration of the Committee for «ome time past a3 a very urgent onr-, and after it had been resolytd by the Council that it should be carried out, he considered the;moving of an amendment of this nature a direct insult to the Committee; and if „.this was the way in which the business of the Council was to be carried on, the "sooner they-gave up their functions the better. (Hear, hear,) It was all very well for .Mr Driver to say v Hear, hear," and for gentlemen who did nothing connected with the works of the Council; but when he took his seat at that table he did so for the purpose of carrying out necessary works, of.which he. considered tbi.4 road, to be one. At present they paid Ll2O per annum as rent for a Manure Depot, while their own section': was lying useless. They might be saving their rent, and receiving large fees beside. Mr Driver altered his motion, and moved, " That the matter of the tenders for the road to the Manure Depot be postponed for the present, and that no further tenders be advertised for." >

Mr Turner -siid this motion was contrary to the standing orders. The Chairman said that all the work which had been done in connection with this proposed road had been carried out under t-he instructions and sanction of the Council, and it seemed to him to be rather late for them to.interfere in that decided manner. He suggested that some gentle-, man should move that the matter stand over for a certain time, when it might reasonably, be supposed that the Mayor wou'd be present. Mr Driver had much respect for the Mayor, but he should not be made an arbitrator in their decisions. He was under a. .misapprehension ——r , Mr Turner rose to order. Mr Driver had already spoken. The Chairman ruled that Mr Driver was out oi order.

Mr Birch thought that the members of the Works Committee' were acting in a very extraordinary manner. They had called for "tenders for a work, but could not agree to accept any of them, and ibrought the matter again before the Council. It then came before the Council as an entirely new thing, and it was absurd for the members of the; Committee to- ?ay that the Council should not talk about it. They would now tell the members of the Works Committee that they abandoned the idea altogether of miking this road. -He had visited the rite of the proposed depot, and he believed.it would cost L6OO to make the road to it, besides LIOO for the erection of a house, and paying a man at least. Ll2otolive in it; while at the present time they rented a depot for LI2O per annum. Mr Cakkick agreed with the amendment. In the present position of the finances of the Council he thought it. would be extravagant to go into this ex-_ penditure, which instead-of L{3oo might turn out to be LI,GOO before they were done with it. - > Mr Barr supported the; amendment. , ; The motion and amendment were then put, and the amendment was declared carried, - ■ ■ . - On the clause in which the Committee declined to recommend for acceptance any of the premises.offered as Municipal offices, . . Mr Biacil asked for some explanations of the reasons which had led the Committee to this decision. , .The Chairman gave explanations to the effect that the members of the Committee examined the premises which had been_ offered, and had arrived at the. conclusion that none of them were suitable for the,, requirements of the Corporation and the : proper accomihodatrpn of" its officers. Under these circumstances the Committee thought they had better remain where they were. Mr Itoss thought that fresh enquiries for suitable premises should be made by the members of the Committee.

Mr GiurrJGN suggested that the Council should advertise for tenders for the erection of a suitable building for Corporation offices. ■ ; ..

Mr Birch thought that if-they remained in the present" offices, the -Works Committee should make some provision for the safe keeping of'the plans, maps, anddocumenta belonging to, the Corporation. If (he present offices took fire, property to the value of thousands of pounds belonging to the city would be destroyed. If. a large enough iron safe could not' be obtained, a stoneone might be built. Mr Barb thought that if it was generally known that the Corporation was ready to lease suitable offices, persons would be found ready to erect a proper building. The clause was" adopted, as were also the remaining clauses of the jreport, • : COHBESPONDENCE, TENDEES, &C The following communications were

T(»i-and referred to the-Publia Works Committee :—rFrom Messrs Lonnie and Co, offering tPiidfii pertain filling work jn Cl; rk street, at Is 5d per cubic yard; and from Sir ,W. M'Leliand, calling attention to the dangerbus state ;of Canon'gate, Brown, and Duncan streets, and also the junction of &us*eU street with Arthur street and the Town Belt. A letter from J. Bell, asking to be released! from the payment of arrears of ; rates on the: ground of poverty, aad one from Messrs 11. Houghton and Co, as agents for the Otago Insurance Company, stating. that the insurance policy on the Council offices had expired, were referred to the Finance Committee. Mr Turner moved— "That the Town Clerk call for tenders for leasing two Municipal sections at Waihola." This wss carried. Mr Carrick moved—"That the salary of the auditors for the present year be fifteen guineas each.*' Mr Bakr seconded the motion. Mr Birch moved an amendment— | " That the sum be twenty guineas ;" but I he afterwards withdrew it. Mr Turner moved an amendment—l " That the salary stand at twenty-five \ guineas each " The amendment was negatived, and the original motion carried. The Town Cleric opened the tenders which had been sent in for the supply of : kerosene for fiix months, a? follows :— I 'Scanlan Bros, 4s lOd per gallon ; Fish and Sons, 4=» Od per gallon; and Bates, Sise and Co, 5s per gallon. , ~: Mr Barr moved—"That the tenders be referred to the Finance Committee." Mr Tcbseb moved an amendment " that the lowest lender be accepted." The motion was carried. Mr Cakkxck said he had been requested to call the attention of the Council to the fact that much valuable stone was being' taken away by carters from the bed of the Water of Leith, and that the persons who were doing so were excavating the side of the roadway. , ■■ j The Chairman .said that three notice boards were in course of erection at the Water of Leitb "cautioning unauthorised persons ngainst'iemonng stones. ■.; i Mr Turner "thought. there. was., some mistake as to the persons who were removing .the stones. .He saw the carts passing daily, and he believed the stones j were only being used for the metalling^ of the main line of road'through the city, which the Government had to keep; in ;

repair. . . . Mr..Chutes asked what progress was being made with the formation of Market street? • The Chairman said it gave him much pleasure to answer the question; but it would have given him much more pleasure if he had seen bis colleague, Mr Griffen, more frequently in his place at the Council, and attending; to the wants of his constitituents.—(A laugh.) The improvement "of this street bad b;en discussed both in Committee and in the Council; a sum had been allocated to be expended in each of the : Wards, and Market .street had been •particularly looked after. . Theywere only waiting the Town Surveyor's report to call for tenders for repairing Market street, and other portions of the same Ward. . Several notices of motion were given,, and the Council adjourned for a week.