CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4165, 24 June 1875, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The regular fortnightly "meeting of the City 'Council took place last evening. Present—. His "Worship the Mayor, ' in"'the'"chair, -Messrs "Walter, Fish, Reeves, Ban-on, Gibson, "Grant, Woodland, Carroll, Isaac, Leary, Prosser, and Mercer. The minutes of the previons meeting were THE XORMAL SCHOOL. The following letter from His Honour tlie Superintendent was read: — Superintendent'si Office, Duuedin, '23rJ June, 1575. Sir—Referring' to my letter of 2>>t!i April, my attention has again been called to the imperative necessity ■which exists for seeur.njr some portion of .ground in connection with the Normal School. So fully is the 'Government alive to tins necessity that in case of need it will bo pruiured to give in exchange an equal area (siytwo see;ions) of the ground recently occupied in ■«jnnectio:i with the Middle District School. May I request you to be good enough to inform me if this proposal will meet the views of the Corporation.—l have, &a, J. M.vcAxniiKv, Superintendent of Otago. His Worship the Mayor of Dunedin. On the motion of Mr Reeves, consideration *of the letter was deferred until-the receipt of the .Reserves Committee's report. GENERAL COUKESPOXDEXCk. The L'nder Secretary wrote expressing the regret of the Government at not having been ■able to introduce the Bill to amend the Licensing Bill, at the recent session of the Provincial Council. Mr J. E. Morris thanked the Council for his recent appointment as City Valuator. ST. AXDKEW STREET SEWER. Some discussion took place on an application to use the St. Andrew street sewer at once, saveral members deeming it injudicious and prejudicial to the health of the city to have the ■sawer used before being handed over by the contractor to the Council. Mr Carroll moved—" That the matter be referred to the Works Committee." The following amendment, proposed by Mr Pish, was carried : —" That permission be not .given to anyone to use the St. Andrew street sewer Until reported on by the Surveyor, and taken over by the Council." FORMATION OF FOOTPATH. The Chairman of the Morniugton Koad Board iigaiu wrote regarding the formation of a footpath towards West lHmedin, and stating that the Board was willing to contribute a share of the cost, lleferred to the Works Committee, with jiower to act. WIDENING OF PRINCES STREET SOUTH. Messrs Smith and Anderson wrote re Farra's writ, stating that they had purposely refrained from doing anything more than entering an appearance in the said action on behalf of the Corporation. Messrs Cook and Muir intend to •apply* for an injunction to restrain Farm and "the other tenants from taking any further proceedings, pending the judgment of the Court upon the matters of law involved in the case — the Solicitor General v. the Corporation of Dimedin. The Mayor explained that he had asked Messrs Sievwright and Stout whether they would receive service of the writ, and from his instructions the solicitors accepted service. He therefore instructed Mr Massey to write to Messrs Smith and Anderson to reply to the solicitors, leaving the matter between the tenants anil Church trustees. Mr Fish thought the Council was bound in honour to defend the action of the Citizens' Committee. If the Corporation should lose the day, eventually the cost would fall on the Corporation, or the citizens. One case should be heard as a test case, and thereby save legal expenses. This would be both a boon to the tenants and the Corporation. If the action goes against the tenants, they would be mulcted in very serious damages. After having got the tenants, by threatening to force them, to t;o to arbitration, they should save needless •c cpense. It must be admitted that under the present circumstances the tenants were in a, very peculiar position, and that from no fault ■of their own. Mr Prosser moved —" That the letter of Messrs Smith and Anderson be received, and that the solicitors be requested, to act in accordance with the advice given in their letters of the 19th and 23rd instants." It would be wise for the Council to simply act upon the advice of their solicitors, and say nothing in the matter. Mr Leaky seconded the motion. Mr Reeves moved the following amendment —" That the letter be received ; and that the Corpoiatiou.act strictly in accordance with the advice of the solicitors in this matter." Mr Carroll said the members were strictly neutral in this matter, and sho\ild abide by the • decision of the test case in the Supreme Court. They were not defending a case. Mr Isaac characterisied the Citizens' Committee as "the Tailors of Tooley street." The amendment, which had been seconded fey Mr Grant, was lost, and the motion •carried. DUNEDIN SERVANTS' HOME. Mr E. B. Car-gill's request, on behalf of the Li -.dies' Committee of the Ihmedin Servants' Hume, for a quantity of building stone free of charge, was referred to the Works Committee. ADDITIONAL SUPPLY TO THE RESERVOIR. The following letter from Messrs E. Campball and Co. was read:— June 22nd, 1875. To His Worship the Mayor and Couucilluis of the City j of Dunedin. We, the undersigned, ngree to supply the present reservoir with as much more water as it at present receives (shouiil the water be taken in an open channel t trough private property, viz., under the Goth clause of the (Hugo Waste Lands Act of 1572) for the sum of i-IUOO. Time required for so doing, about two months. Jf the ■water has to be taken clear of all private property the c 'St will be iSOOO, and titue required for doinj,' the work about four months. Before laying the scheme before the Corporation, we would ask a guarantee that in case tiitty adopted it we would get the above sum for its construction, or abjnusof £1000 should they choo c to carry out the same under their own engineer and contractor. We are, &«., E. Cajii'isell . and Co. . ' Referred to the Water Supply Committee. BROWN AND DUNCAN STREETS. Another memorial from residents in the neighbourhood of Brown and Duncan streets ■ was read, requesting that the following works Le authorised: —The cutting, filling in, and forming Brown street to its permanent level, -and that the sewer or water-course which courses Brown street be taken along to Duncan street, instead of being ruu on private property. The sewage from forty houses situate - on one side of Duncan street and of Elm Row . runs into this water-course, converting it into nothing better than a common sewer, a receptacle for the filth and rubbish of the neighbourhood. Referred to the Works Committee. THE LIGHTING COMMITTEE'S KEFOIIT. T The following report of the Lighting Com- ■ mittee was read :— Your Committee bet; to recommend, in the mater •of the proposal contained in the Provincial Secretary's letter of 22nd .luue, 1575, relative to the exehanjjeof the sections required for Albany street School playground, for the Government land at the foot of bt. Andrew street, required bj the Corporation a* an extension of the Municipal Gas Works site, that the fee simple of these properties be arranged for, not simply an exchange of leasts of the same. Your Committee has had under < onsidcrntion a letter from the Hon. Julius Yojrel, enclosing correspondence with Sir Han key re Gas Works ; also letters from Mr Hankey's attorney in Dunedin, under date the 9th, 15th, ; and 19th Junu. 1575. relative to the purchase of the AOr s, your Committee now requests power to engagea competent person to report foi the information of the ' C mncil as to the value of the works, &c. The clause suggesting the desirability of appointing a valuator to report on the value of the existing gas-works, caused considerable - discussion. Mr Fjsh moved, and Mi- Reeves seconded, '" That the clause be expunged." The following amendment, proposed by Mr Prosser, was earned—'"That consideration .of the clause be postponed, and that a special meeting of the Council be called to consider -the whole question." The report as amended was adopted. THE SANITARY COMMITTEE'S REPORT. The following report of the Sanitary Committee was read: — The Committee be^s to call the attention of the Council to Messrs Smith and Anderson's letter of 2Sth Slay, IS7o, by which it appears that the clauses of the 'Public Health Act regarding the use of earth closets ■are inoperative and void, pending amending legislation to meet the many defects in the Public Health Act. "Your Committee recommend that the City Solicitors be requested to draft an Amendment Bill to be intro- j ■duced into che General Assembly at the enwhyr .'c •- sion, in order to remedy all kuown defects in the Public Health * ct, ami to confer proper power upon the Council to cause the abatement of all nuisances, especially on lauds owned by absentees, at the cost aivi ■charge of the owners in succession of such lands, such costs and charges to be recoverable in a summary way. That power be obtained to compel ail owners of houses within the city to construct a b/ick and cement cesspool at each house to thu satisfaction of the Council; and that the Council obtain power to construct such cesspools on the property of absentees, the cost thereof to be a charge upon the owners in succession of any such properties, and to be recoverable in a summary way—the Council to contract for a periodical cleaning of all cesspools within the city. Your Committee bet's to recommend—That assistance to the Inspector of Nuisam'cs be obtained for the purpose of house to house visitation, His Worship to appoint the temporary assistant, who is to act under the instructions of the Medical Otßcer. That the Town Clerk arrange with Mr Street, the P.egistrar at Dunedin, for the stated supply of the returns of Dunedin •vital* statistics in the form required by the Health Officer ; estimated cost, siy, £20 per annum. That ■the Health Officer be requested to submit for the consideration of the Council a draft of proposed Regulation* under the Public Health Act, referred to in the letter from the Central Board of Health, dated 6th March, 1875. That the Health Officer's salary be increased to £100 per annum. That as the Otagn Harbour Board has written relative to the evil •effects likely tv arise from offensive matter teing allowed to discharge into the Harbour, no permissions be granted for branch drains ironi private properties to connect with the main Corporation sewers, if such branch drains are to convey •any solid matter from water-closets into the Corporation sewers. That no action be at present taken relative to the suggestion of the Central Board of ilealth that the Local Board shouid erect a fever ward outside thu cii.y. jj r J?ish, in moving the adoption of the clause referring to brick and cement cesspools,

hoped that if the General Assembly-gave - the Council power they would use it vigorously. He believed it would be the greatest preventive of disease in Dunedin. Mr "Woodland remarked that the fan system had been generally adopted in Melbourne, where 12,000 cesspools were cleared weekly. .Mr Pkosseu's motion—" That consideration of tliis clause be deferred till next meeting," was carried. The Mavou and Mr Rekvks suggested that the Press should give prominence to the question, the latter gentleman suggesting "that the gentlemen of the Press, and some of the editors should turn it up and give us a few articles." [Several Voices : The Daily Times.] The amendment was carried. The clause proposing to increase the Health Officer's salary was lost by live to four votes. The report, as amended, was adopted. tii*: suuvkvoi:\s kwokt. The City Surveyor, amongst other things, reported that the cost of continuing the formation of Victoria to Cargill street would lie 1,100. He valued the land (2 roods 2 poles) enclosed in Castle street, under the Diversion Ordinance 1874, at £820. The cost of filling ho estimated at £202, which leaves A'dlS, as the sum which he .considered should be] aid to the Corporation for the freehold of the land. He specially reported on what principle, as regards the cross section, the streets were formed, in order that all parts of the road may be of equal utility for traffic. With our present facilities for nietalling, the streets are in much better form than they were two years ago. He was satisfied with the steps taken to render Tndler's hotel in every way strong and substantial. WATEU .Sl/PFJ.Y CO.MMITTK'S REPORT. The "Water Supply Committee, amongst other things, reported as follows : — •Your Committee is of opinion that the former decision of the Committee, viz.. that nn upper reservoir be constructed, at once, be adhered to, this reservoir ii.nniiiy no part of the Water Supply Extension Scheme. The Committee also considers that there exists no necessity for obtaining the opinion of i'nother engineer on the permanent, scheme, as legislation will be required previous to its. licin-r carried out. A seivicu to the Government Lithographic Press has been authorised, the Government ) ayin-; the cost of the service. Accounts amounting t j £232 10s 2J were examined and passed for payment. Mr PitossKit moved—" That the first clause be referred back' to the Committee, in order that they may fully consider the scheme suggested by Mr'M'Gregor, and also the letter of Messrs Bnrr and Oliver, as published in the papers on the 14th May last ; further, that the question be discussed fully at the next meeting of ('ouncil. Mr Leaky seconded the motion, which was carried, and the report was adopted as amended. I the reserves committee's report. The following report of the Keserves Comniittee was read :— Your Committee begs to report havimr re-considered the clause of the report of !>th June, IS7">, relative to the exchange of siles proposed /■/• .Sti|ircinc Court buildings, and also the annexed letter dated lltli June, 1575, received from Mr I. N. Watt, the Cluirnian of the Commissioners, and now recommends that proposal Xo. 3-that suction- L»(;. 27, 2S, 2!>, and :SO, all fronting Moray Place, be yiven fur a new site for the Supreme Ci'iirt House, Resident Magistrate's Court, anil Police B rratks, provided the C>euu\d Government cede t.> the Corporation, as soon as new lmild-iii'-'-i shall have been erected, llx) ]>rescut Court House .-ite and the Gael site- th.rein uout;iii>cd bu accepted, the Government to arrange with the Vohm'.ccrs for their Uriil Shed site, &c. Mr Lenry's motion—" That consideration of the report re the proposed Supreme Court site be deferred till I'Yiday afternoon, at three o'clock," was lost. Mr Wai.tkk moved the adoption of the report. There could be no question about the exchange being a very profitable one for the city. The frontage to the Octagon would not be disturbed in any way. Instead of South Ward, Bell Ward would tie the model ward. Mr Gibson seconded the motion. Mr Reeves remarked that the Council had by resolution decided to reserve the Octagon frontage for a Town Hall. Mr b'lsH moved, and Mr Barkon seconded, the following amendment—" That this Council will agree with either one or the other proposals of tile Commissioners in re the erection of a Supreme Court, &c, on the Octagon site, and defer till next meeting of the Council which site they will accede to." Mr Leaky thought the proposal a splendid bargain, and anticipated a revenue of L2OOO a year from the land they were to get. Mr Rekves mentioned that the Supreme Court site would probably be reserved for a market. The amendment was carried. The Council afterwards went into Committee, and on resuming adopted the Committee's report. MEMBER OK THE HAKnoUR BOARD. The Secretary to the Harbour Board wrote reminding the Council of their privilege to elect a member of the Board, the amended Ordinance not yet having received the Governor's consent. Mr Mercer was re-elected a, member of the Harbour Board. The Council, at a quarter to one o'clock this morning, adjourned for a fortnight.