CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1755, 15 August 1867, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

The City CouncU met yesterday. Mr Driver was in the chair. The other Councillors present were—Messrs Barnes, Birch, Fish, Carrick, Turner, and Wain.

MEMORIALS.

Memorials were received from ratepayers in York Place, complaining of the state of the footpath ; from ratepayers in South Ward, representing the state of the footpath in front of the Carriers' Arms; from ratepayers in Leith Ward, directing attention to the dangerous condition of parts of Castle street; and from rate-payers-in Cumberland street, as to the dangerous state of that street. The memorials were referred to the Works Committee, with the understanding that the more necessary works should be underdaken at once by the daymen.

PUBLIC WORKS REPORT.

The Town Clerk (Mr Massey) read the following report of the PubUc Works Committee:—

Your Committee have the honor to report having dealt with the several matters referred to them from last meeting. Ist, Messrs Law, Somner's letter, applying to be furnished with the level for kerbing, fronting their new premises in the Octagon, and for permission to lay- down such kerbing.-—Your Committee have given the necessary permit, and submitted the plan of the Octagon to Messrs Lawi Somner's surveyor. 2nd. Mr J. A. ConnoH's letter of date 30fch July.— Your Committee recommend that this request, for leave to remove turf and soU from Castle street,, be granted, to Cr. Barnes's approval, 3rd. Letter, 7th August, from Mr James Cotton^—Your Committee recomnieD- d that Mr Cotton's ofier to rent the stablir.g, presently in the hands of the Council, at Maclaggan street, be accepted, for thf . remainder of th& Council's tenancy, at Tjl per week ; payable every four weeks in advance. 4th Memorial, of date 19th July, fr^m rate- : payers in St. David street : —That the foot- , path from Cumberland street to C^ istle street be attended to by the daymep } a s also a certain footpath opposite the lir .perial Hotel, Princes street south, refer/ ed to by Cr. Fish Sth Mr J, T. Watsy a 's letter of 24th July:—That the Forth street bridge be ; attended to by the daym? n> gth. Air Wm. Towers's letter of 7th August.—Your Committee have given Mr Towers permission to take a few loads grar,-el f rom that part of the Leith directed by 'c r . Barnes, and now re- , commend that private parties be allowed to

take refuse rock from the lower quarry ia. Maclaggan sfcreet, under supervision. 7fcirMr James M'Guire's letter of 7th August.— .Recommend that the footpath adjoining the Imperial Hotel, Princes sfcreet south, be attended to by the daymen. Sth. Letter, 30th July, from Mr Jno. Mathews* —Youi" Committee have given permission fo.r a boulder crossing, to Ch. Barnes's approval. 9th. Letter, 22nd July, from Mr G'co. Howe.—Permission for temporary crossing at Union street has beea granted, tun.ler usual supervision. 10th. Letter, of dale 19th July, from Mr Arch, BeU.—This is i^ request for a box-drain in Elm Row, and j 'our Committee recommend that this and aU similar applications be refused, llth. MesT-rs Jas. Bradbury and D«. Douglas's letters, a s to Maclaggan street* will be further deaht with by your Committee. 12th. Inspector Nimon's reports, as to the drainage nuisance at section 32, block XXI., and as to the construction of a watercloset at Messrs Herbert and Haynes's newpremises, Princes street, are stiU under con* sideration. 13th. The Insp. sctor's report, asr to the junction of Pitt and EJder streets, has been referred to Cr. Barnes for temporary measures; and the drain in Great King street, near Messrs Mason Bros, (also reported on), has been already attended to.

Mr Turner, in reply to a' question hy the Chairman, explained that, in Reference to Messrs Law,Somner,and Co.'s appUcartion, the Committee had some deUdacy in dealing witb the matter of the levels o£ the Octagon. The CouncU had no offtcer ; but the Committee thought that 7it wauled be sufficient if the BuUding Surveyor^, or other competent person, were applied txt, or if the levels were taken from the centre of the street.

The Chairman said, aU that.it was: necessary to be assured of, was that th* Corporation was not in any way bound byparfcicular levels.

Mr Turner considered fche CounciF were not bound in any way by the permission, as granted. The report was adopted. The Clerk read Councillor Barnes's report of works executed during the week, exclusive of repairs and scavenging-. They included the formation and- gravelling of St. David and Castle streets, an<£ the re-erection of a retaining-vpall at Forth street Bridge.

FINANCIAL REPORT.

The Finance Committee recommended the payment of Mr Langlands's account "as soon as practicable," and thafc the3lst of October should be fixed as the date for the valuator to hand in his valuation of the city. The Chairman explained, in connect tion with the report, that by the instruction of the Committee, and in reply to & letter from the Mayor (J. H. Harm, Esq.), the Clerk had forwarded to Wellington objections made by the City SoUcitorto the Gas Company's- BUI. The Cono^ mittee, he said, had had also under their consideration the Local Government Bill j but it had been thrown out in the House of Representatives, and he had:., been, given to understand that the Municipal BiU had also been -withdrawn,.so-thai? neither of the BiUs would affect the Corporation.

Mr Turner asked on what authoritythe Chairman stated that the Municipal BiU had been withdrawn; he had not seert it so reported. ■ - ■

The Chairman said his authority was a member of the House, Main, whs* -Sia.ted_fchat, after the second reading, ifc had been-wftHclrawn7~

The Clerk read the letter which had -been received fromthe Mayor;, stating thafc he would take aU necessary steps ta oppose the Gas Company's Incorporation* BiU; but asMng^ormore definite information as to the grounds of opposition The Mayor also s-iggested.that, in view o£ the new Municipal BUlbeingbeforethe Parliament, the CouncU should s£at& what, if any, alterations in the constitution or powers of the Corporation arenecessary or desirable.

The Chairman considered that the position of the BUls rendered discussion, or suggestions, for the present, unnecessary. .

The Committee's report was adopted. RESERVES.

To the Reserves Committee there werereferred—a letter from Mr D. Macrorie^ on behalf of the Provisional Committee of the Dunedin Consumers' Gas Companylimited), asking whether there would b&. any objections to the erection of gasworks in Cumberland street; a letterfrom Mr H. Walters, refusing to accept an amended Town Belt Lease, and requesting the return of the moneyr paid, with Bank interest; and an offeaefrom Ah Foe, to lease, for L3O a year, 3£ acres of swamp, near the King streefc School, for the purposes of a marked garden.

The Clerk, with reference to the': laafc 'appUcation, said the lease of the grotmdt in question expired in October. Its present rent was L2O.

Mr Turner considered it would be weU if the Councii were to lea&e th& ground for a few years. Mr Carrick reminded, the Council of: the resolution that all reserves .should hfe let by pubUc tender. . Mr Turner thought the- appUcatioxfe. might go to the Reserves Committee with, that object, but, at the same time, the* offer made was; a very handsome one ; A letter from Mr Alex;. Mollison* wast read, relative to. the rent; and' re-leasing of a municipal section a±. tbetMolyneux j and it was. agreed thattiie" subject,, which, had previously been considered by Cora,— mitteest, should be investigated by a Cora— mittee of the whole Cbuncil.

INSPECTOR OF- WORKS.

Letters were received from Mr Johit Barnes, and Mir James Murphy, making application for ihe appointment of Inspector of Works.

Consideration of the appHeations was deferred.

Permission was granted to Mr Robert Crawshaw to make a boulder crossing int Leith street; to D. Lewis, to form a^. crossing in St. David street; to Messrs Anderson and Mouat to form a crossing in Manor Place; and to Mr Patrick Mar-r tin to remote metal already broken ia Town Belt quarries, and large stone* from the Water-of-Leith, under proper supervision. N

Mr Carrick suggested that theßeserves. or PubUc Works Committee should consider some definite system npon which, any leave to remove material from quarries or elsewhere should be granted, and that that system shonld be made compulsory on all appUcanfcs. Several appUcations as to alterations oft footpaths, &c, were referi'sd to the >Yo*&& Committee.

TOWN SURVEYOR.

Mr Carrick, in accordance with notice •given afc the last meeting, moved " That

the Council are of opinion that a Town Surveyor should be appointed." He had worded the motion in that way, so that the Council, in agreeing to it, would only be affirming the propriety of appointing a Town Surveyor. It mentioned no person, salary, or terms ; but, if it wero agreed to, tho Council might then go into particulars, more especially with reference to the suggestion as to employing an Inspector or Overseer of Works. Tho atyleof the appointment proposed—that of Consulting Town Surveyor, without salary, but charging fees under arrangement—

was a question which did not affect tho

ultimate carrying out of works under an -Overseer. Clause 16 of the Empowering Act, 1865, said that any person desirous of executing certain works in the City had merely to give notice of tho same at the office of the City Engineer, and the Engineer was required to givo, within three days, written instructions on

the _ subject. That Clause, in his -opinion, showed tho absolute necessity there was for some official person oalled City or Town Surveyor, and who -could give authoritative instructions. If

they did nofc provide such an official, and

if any ratepayer, getting no satisfaction -on making the necessary application, laid -down a footpath bn his own responsi- " bUity, they might have difficulty in com•peUing him to remove it. They might

: have . several persons laying down footbaths at different levels, and a very -.awkward state of affairs would be the -result.' He did not advocate that the

they might appoint should have -.-a great salary, or any salary, or that he -.should have actual control of the works. "He merely said that they should have one

• appointed, to comply with the provisions -of the Act. They might not seek his assistance at all, except where a scientific was required. By his motion, .he meant fco leave entirely open, the • as to whom they should appoint, -And also the question of- the appointment «q£ an overseer.

Mr Barnes seconded the motion,

Mr Turner suggested that the words "*'Consulting Town Surveyor" should be -•used in the motion. He was not disposed ™4q give a salary. The Chairman thought the Council ■* were quite unanimous on that point. Mr Carrick said there were certain functions to be performed by the Town ".Surveyor, and, whatever arrangement "ifchey might make, they should preserve • =the name.

-, Mr Birch thought there was no com.' ipulsion about the matter. The words of

the Ordinance' were that they " may" -snake, such, and such appointments; and -whether they appointed a Surveyor or not made very little difference. He believed if they had a good overseer, who would "take the trouble to personally inspect, tlie execution of works, instead of sitting all -day by his office fire, such a man would "do much more fbr them than any Surveyor -they could appoint. Bnt if it were necessary .to appoint one without salary, so -that they might get L3OOO from the Government, he had no objections. : Mr Barnes did not think that the

CouncU was in duty bound to make such =an appointment. What was needed -was 4hat, when plans were prepared for any particular works, they should, as in all other cases, be placed in the hands of the Inspector of Works, who would be responsible for faithfully carrying them -cut.

The motion was agreed to ; and a

• -motion, by Mr Turner, that the matter be referred tea full Committee of • -CouncU, was also carried.

"Mr Fish gave notice of a motion to the "effect, --^That the CouncU take; steps to ascertain the approximate cost of having the names oU the various streets in the >*ity fixed in proper and conspicuous places ; and tliat the CoudcU also consider the propriety of numbering the 3iouses in the business parts of the city."

The Council, on rising, went into Committee to consider Mr MoUison's letter, as >to the Molyneux reserve; the appointanents of Town Surveyor and Inspector ef Works ; and Mr Stephen Hutchison's letter on the subject of the Gas Company's Incorporation BUI.