CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6441, 4 October 1882, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the City Council was held last evening. Present —The Mayor (Mr J. Gore), Crs Eliott, JTagan, Guthrie, Spedding, Street, Blyth, Scoullar, Allen, Barnes, Ross, Carroll, and Thomson.

CORRESPONDENCE. . A. Campbell requested permission to establish boiling-down works and a bono and manure factory near the Gasworks.—Referred to the Reserves Committee. ,

Messrs Haxton and Beattie wrote stating that they had invented an improvement on the fire annunciators which would be the means of detecting persons raising alarms by them. The idea had suggested itself in consequence of the many false alarms which were being raised. They also claimed to be able to erect apparatus in connection with the communicators which would set all the fire-alarm bells of the city ringing at the same time, and make them indicate the localities of fires by the number of tolls sounded.—Referred to the Fire Brigade Committee.

Mr J. A. Hislop complained of the existence of an excavation at the corner of Union and Forth streets, it being dangerous to passers by, and a receptacle for offensive matter. —It appeared, from the remarks which fell from councillors, that several accidents had occurred at the place.—The Mayor stated that steps had been already taken to fence in the excavation. G. Thornicroft (City Foundry) offered to supply the Corporation with iron garden-seats. —The Mayor stated that the price of the seats was half the amount previously paid for them, and it might be advisable to obtain half-a-dozen of them for the Octagon. It hid been decided to get some seats for that locality a short time ago.—Referred to the. Reserves Committee. The Secretary of the Dunedin Cricket Club wrote thanking the Council for appointing W. Hendfey honorary ranger of the South Recrea-tion-ground, and for its vote of £5 for. repairing the pavilion.—Received. The Secretary of the Albert Cricket Club wrote asking whether the Council would grant a prior right to the Club of the pitch they have been using on the Asylum Recreation-grounds for the past two seasons. The ground had recently been cut up by footballers, and the Club did not under the "present state of things feel justified in spending' any money to repair it.—Referred to the Reserves Committee.

Messrs Stewart and Denniston wrote requesting that Mr A. Dornwell' should be prevented from erecting an eleven-stalled stable near to the dwelling-house and shop of Miss B. Allan, as such an erection would greatly depreciate her property and injure her dressmaking business.—Referred to the Works Committee, with power to act. Mr P. M. Grant offered 2s 6d per ton for gas lime, agreeing to allow 9d per ton for loading in trucks and Is 6d per ton for loading in bags. —Referred to the Gas Committee, with power to act. ' . , •

Mr H. S. Fish, M.H.R., thanked the Council for re-electing him a member of the Harbour Board. —Received.

The Clerk of the Roslyn Borough Council asked whether the Council would contribute half the cost of repairing the roads through the Town Belt leading to Roslyn.—Referred to tha Works Committee to report. The Mornington Borough Council forwarded plan of the road through the Town Belt to Mornington.—Referred to the Reserves Committee. . •■ • ...-.:

Messrs Stewart and Denniston wrote requesting a definite reply to their letters-of the sth and 19th ult., in reference to the claim cf Mr G. A. Smith, ss it was important that the matter should not be further delayed.—Referred to the Works Committee. \ .

Peter Preston, cleaner of sewers, requested an increase of the pay he received (5s Cd per day), He pointed out that his employment was of a trying nature, and that he had to work for the most part at night.—The Mayor considered the case was a very hard one. He thought if a man was not worth more than 5s _ 6d a day the Corporation should not employ him.—Cr Carkgix characterised such, wages as ridiculous. —The application was referred to the Works Committee, with power to act. Dr Maunsell reported that during the month 124 cases of scarlet fever had been reported to him. He had visited the houses where the I cases had occurred, and found them in a good sanitary condition with one exception. He urged upon the Council the necessity of at once establishing a fever - hospital, which should be a permanent building, containing four wards in two separate pairs, capable of accommodating 20 or 30 persons.—The Mayor stated that his attention had been called to the case referred to, and on account of the circumstances he had deemed it advisable to obtain an empty house. —Referred to the Sanitary Committee. : T. C. Burt asked if the Council would give the exclusive right to a successful tenderer to remove nightsoil from the city.—Referred to the Sanitary Committee. The Inspector of Nuisances reported having filled up the timber-yardin George street, which had been full of stagnant water. He suggested that a drain leading from it should be constructed to the George street sewer. During the week he had visited all the covy-byres in the city, and found them in a clean condition. He suggested that he should be allowed to be present at the next meeting of the Sanitary Committee, in order to explain howthewOrk in his department was carried on, and to receive any suggestions that might be offered.—lt was agreed to adopt the suggestion contained in the latter part of the letter. REPORTS.

Cr Eliott moved and Cr Fagan seconded the adoption of the Baths and Sapitary Committee's report.—Cr Thomson moved and Cr Scoullar seconded, as an amendment—" That the first clause, recommending the Council to take stops to erect a fever hospital on the Hospital ground, should be altered so as to read, 'Your Committee recommends that Council should urge upon the Government the necessity of erecting a fever hospital on a portion of the Hospital ground.'"—The amendment was carried. . '..'•'■

The Mayor, in moving the adoption of the Finance Committee's report, stated that he.had to congratulate the Council on the satisfactory state of its finances. The returns for. the past six months, as compared with the corresponding term of last year, showed the following increases :—Municipal account, '£6938 15s lOd ; water, £1936 4g Id; gas, £2761 15s 2d ;—total, £11,636 15s Id. The expenditure showed a total decrease of £5180 4s 7d,'the figures in connection with the various departments being:—Municipal, £479 9s 5d ; water, £4715 Is lid ; gas (increase), £14 6s 9d.—Cr Ross, in seconding the motion, said that it must bs borne in mind that the expenditure had been very much limited this year, and that the amount of license fees was much larger than last year.—The motion was carried. The reports from the Fire Brigade, Gas, Legislative, Public Works, Reserves, Tramways and Vehicles, and Water Supply Committees were adopted. THE GASWORKS. ' .

The following communication, addressed to the Chairman of the Gas Supply Committee, from the Town Clerk, was read: —

" Deeming the present a fitting-time, in consequence of a new Committee having been formed, I have the honour to submit for the information of the members a statement showing the actual operations of the Corporation Gasworks during the past financial year. The total cost of the works at 31st March, 1882, amounts to £111,040 18s; the total receipts, to £31,794 18s 8d; the total expenditure, to £41,341 10s lOd ; h the excess of expenditure over income, £9546 12s 2d. The expenditure consists of :—Extensions, £11,759 9a 3d; maintenance, £23,398 12s sd; interest and sinking fnnd, £6183 9g 2d; —total, £41,341 10s lOd. The receipts being £31,794 18s Bd, the expenditure for maintenance, £23,398 12s5d, and expenditure for interest, &c, £6183 9s 2d, a balance (profit) is left of £2212 17s Id. The sum paid for interest and sinking fund represents a percentage on cost of works of £5 11s sd, and the profit a percentage of £1 19s lOd—a total of £7 11s 3d so that the works barely return 7* per cent, on capital. I would point out that the profits, £2212 17s Id, as well as a further sum (beyond income) borrowed from the Bank by increasing overdraft, viz., £954612s 2d, shows a total of £11,759 9s 3d—all spent within the above period on the works.".

- THE WAX IN EGYPT. I Cr Eliott moved—"That the Mayor and City Council, on behalf of the people of Duni edin, desire to convey their hearty congratula- [ lations to the Imperial Government on the success which has been achieved by her Majesty's forces in Egypt; and that this resolution be sent to the Colonial Government with the request that they mil be good enough to transmit it to the Imperial Government." Cr Guthhib seconded the motion, which was carried. , ■ .